Wrapping the Bars on a Diagonal Path

To achieve what is pictured in this band you need a balanced tension among all the wraps of the bars.

If you take a moment to look below you will see that bars in the top photo are wrapped in diagonal rows, and that I am wrapping the bars so that this section of the sampler will look like net, I want the grid to look balanced and squared when finished.  

Wraps in Progress

Before we go further I would like to explain bars. When you reach this skill level in embroidery you call these groups of four threads bars. These bars are in the center of a Kloster design. It does not matter if they are wrapped or unwrapped,  woven or unwoven, whenever you say bars we all know what you are referring to. It makes it easier to explain this technique if we all have the same understanding that a bar is four fabric threads.

To continue, I started wrapping the bars at the top right side of the band shown in the photo below at 1. For those of you doing Band Five of the sampler I used DMC #12 Ecru Perle Cotton to wrap the bars. And I am visualizing that I am standing at 1 and looking out to the intersection at 4.

Front Upper Right Corner of Grid

• Bring the threaded needle up at 1,

• go up behind the bar to its top,

• then go down in front of the bar, these two steps are one wrap,

• move left across the bar to do the next wrap. Remember do not overlap any wraps, they should lay next to each other with no space in between them, and they should not cross over each other,

• Wrap the bar four times for the front of the bar and three times for the back of the bar.  This will leave your working thread positioned for the diagonal step at 5 o'clock,

• At 4 take the threaded needle diagonally under the intersection of bars from 5 o'clock to 11 o'clock and wrap the next bar 4-A by coming up to the left of the bar at 4 and going up over the front of the bar four times and across the back of it three times.

• At A take the threaded needle to the back of your work and run it through the back of the Satin stitches to 2,

Front Side

Back Side

At 2 you will be going down this row to 3. Start on the right side of the bar at 2 and wrap it by going across the front of the bar four times and then the back of the bar with three wraps, At 3 take the thread under the intersection on a diagonal from 11 o'clock to 5 o'clock and wrap over the bar at 3-4 eight times and under it seven times, Take your working thread diagonally under the intersection at 4 from 11 o'clock to 5 o'clock, wrap over the bar at 4-5 eight times and under the bar seven times, Continue in this fashion. Remember to count your wraps, I did eight wraps on the full bars and four wraps on the shorter side bars. The backside of the wrap is always one less so that you can take the working thread across the intersection of the bars on a diagonal.

I like to bring the working thread out of the back of the Satin stitches or Klosters between the second and third fabric thread of the bar, I don't split the fabric threads of the bar, instead I have the thread positioned between the second and third fabric thread of the bar I will be wrapping.   You can see this where there are threads emerging from the bar? One thread went in and worked up or down the row, and in some cases the other thread was where I started a new thread.

Back side of Grid

Do you see the diagonals? They look like this \\ over the intersections.  



When you are working up the bars you working thread can cross under the intersections from 5 o'clock to 11 o'clock,

when you are working down the bars your working thread can cross under the intersections from 11 o'clock to 5 o'clock.



Remember to work your wraps in a way that allows you to draw the working thread under all the intersections on a diagonal. Also, keep a wrap count and try to do the same number of wraps for each size bar. ©2001, Linda Fontenot www.AmericanFolkArts.com

If you are doing Julia's Antique Band Sampler go to the next lesson