Embroidery Techniques 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Hardanger embroidery, what are 'kloster blocks'?
- Satin stitch blocks of five stitches worked over four threads (Correct answer)
- Decorative knots at intersecting grid lines
- Woven bars filling open areas of cut fabric
- Geometric borders stitched around the design edge
Correct answer: Satin stitch blocks of five stitches worked over four threads
Kloster blocks are groups of five satin stitches worked over four fabric threads, forming the structural foundation before threads are cut in Hardanger.
Question 2: What is 'Jacobean embroidery' characterized by?
- Flowing, stylized floral and animal designs using crewel wool (Correct answer)
- Tiny, precise geometric cross stitch patterns
- Monochromatic blackwork geometric fills
- Heavily padded goldwork on ecclesiastical garments
Correct answer: Flowing, stylized floral and animal designs using crewel wool
Jacobean (crewel) embroidery features curvilinear designs with exotic flowers, leaves, and animals, worked in polychrome wool on linen twill.
Question 3: Which stitch is used to fill large background areas in canvas work by creating a brick-like offset pattern?
- Brick stitch (Correct answer)
- Continental stitch
- Rhodes stitch
- Smyrna stitch
Correct answer: Brick stitch
Brick stitch offsets rows of straight stitches so each stitch in one row falls between stitches in the adjacent row, like a brick wall pattern.
Question 4: What does 'working in the hand' mean in embroidery?
- Embroidering without a hoop or frame (Correct answer)
- Stitching while wearing protective gloves
- Using hand-spun thread only
- Applying hand-painted designs before stitching
Correct answer: Embroidering without a hoop or frame
Working in the hand means stitching without a hoop or frame, holding the fabric freely, which is common for certain techniques like smocking.
Question 5: In machine embroidery, what is a 'digitized design'?
- A file of coded stitch data that tells the machine where and how to stitch (Correct answer)
- A photograph scanned for color reference
- A design drawn using digital software printed on transfer paper
- A design protected by digital copyright
Correct answer: A file of coded stitch data that tells the machine where and how to stitch
A digitized embroidery design is a file (e.g., .DST, .PES) containing stitch-by-stitch instructions that an embroidery machine reads to reproduce the design.
Question 6: What is 'smocking' in embroidery?
- A technique that gathers fabric into pleats and decorates the folds with stitches (Correct answer)
- Blackening thread with smoke to create aged effects
- A method of burning patterns into fabric with heat tools
- Embroidery worked exclusively on smoke-colored fabric
Correct answer: A technique that gathers fabric into pleats and decorates the folds with stitches
Smocking first gathers fabric into regular pleats, then decorative stitches are worked across the folds to hold and embellish them.
Question 7: Which embroidery technique involves stitching only the background, leaving the design area unstitched?
- Assisi work (Correct answer)
- Bargello
- Broderie anglaise
- Hungarian embroidery
Correct answer: Assisi work
In Assisi work, the background is filled with cross stitch while the motifs are left as unworked fabric, creating a silhouette effect.
Embroidery Techniques 5
In Hardanger embroidery, what are 'kloster blocks'?