Weave Along || Part 7: Embroidering on a Weave

Hi friends! Today on our weave along, we’re going to embroider some shapes (find all the weave along posts here). Have you thought of embroidering on your weaves? Weaving sets up a really great base for embroidery, so I thought it would be fun to try it out on our weave along. I especially like how I can count the vertical and horizontal lines of my weave, much like cross-stitching.

For this week we’re going to add some plain weave rows and then embroider 6 triangles with 6 small triangles inside them across the rows.

Ok! Let’s get started on the steps…

step 1|| weave 24 rows of the plain weave. I’m using a lace-weight wool for my weaving, if you’re using a thicker thread, then you might want to weave less rows depending on how your weave looks.

step 2|| taking my peach warp thread, I’m going to embroider the pattern on top of the woven rows. My loom has 64 warp threads. So to make our embroidery pattern, I’m going to start my peach thread 3 warp threads from the left and 5 weft rows from the bottom. I pull my peach thread from behind the weave to the front.

step 3|| next pull the peach thread across 8 warp threads and then push it through to the back of the weave. Pass the peach thread under 2 warp threads, then push it through from the back of the weave to the front again. Repeat the pattern of passing the peach thread over 8 warp threads, then under 2 warp threads until you have 6 lines. Also remember to keep your peach thread at 5 weft threads from the bottom.

step 4|| the peach thread is now in the back of the weave. From where the thread left off, count 4 warp threads towards the middle of that line you made, and count 14 weft rows up from the line you made. Push your peach thread through, at this spot, from the back to the front of your weave. Then pull it at a diagonal to the bottom left of the line you created. Now you’ve made one side of the triangle.

step 5|| behind the weave, bring the peach thread up through that top spot again (4 warps & 14 weft rows). This time pull it at a diagonal to the bottom right of the line you created, to complete the triangle shape.

step 6|| above the next line, pull the peach thread through from the back of the weave to the front, at 4 warps in & 14 weft rows up. Continue making the triangle in the same way as step 5, above each line.

step 7|| once you have completed 6 large triangles, we’re going to add detail of a smaller triangle inside. To do this, again start with the peach thread behind the weave and find the middle of the triangle (4 warps in), but this time pull the thread through at the lower spot of 5 weft rows from the line. Then pull the peach thread at a diagonal to the left over only 2 warp threads to the bottom line. This creates one side of a smaller triangle.

step 8|| bring your peach thread through from back to front of the weave, at the same middle spot of the smaller triangle. Pull the peach thread at a diagonal to the right over only 2 warps threads to the bottom line. This makes the other side of the small triangle.

step 9|| repeat step 8 inside each large triangle to create a smaller triangle. Always starting at the top of the small triangle and then forming each side.

You’ll now have 6 large triangles with 6 small triangles inside. I like the freeform that adding embroidery gives to weaves and the added texture that the threads creates by sitting on top of what has been woven. I hope you’re enjoying the weave along as much as I am! Find all the weave along posts here!