ENTREDEAUX FLOWER
TABLE TOPPER
Design From Judy Nowicki's Book, "Fancy Stitches"
Available via Internet purchase from Erica's

Close-up

Supplies:

1-1/3 yards of Weaver's Cloth (pre-washed, starched and ironed)

Trim the selvages off with a rotary cutter. Decide if you want it to be 36" X 36" or up to 44" X 44". Then cut to those measurements. You must make sure that you have a true square. Make a triangle out of the fabric and make sure the edges are meeting and then press that crease. Then make a triangle the opposite direction and do the same thing. These creases are where we will be placing the design.

Tear Away stabilizer
Wing needle
Embroidery needle or 80 Universal needle
Blue water soluble marking pen
White or off white or bone colored embroidery thread

4 to 5-/2 yards of about 1" - 2" wide edging lace (white or off white) depending on the size of the tablecloth. I just look at Joanne's or Hancock's for the lace. You don't need expensive stuff for a learning project and it will still look nice.

Instructions:

I make a copy of the design on a copy machine or use your scanner because it comes out much darker and is easier to trace from under the fabric.

I place my copied design under the fabric at one of the corners so that the end of the stem lays 3" from the corner and lays on that crease and make sure the crease goes exactly down the middle of the center of the flower. Trace with the water soluble marking pen. Do this at each corner.

Then I lay the flower itself (don't draw the stem this time) in the center of the fabric where all the creases meet and trace just the flower itself in the center, making sure it is balanced perfectly in the center. I draw an 8" circle at the center of the tablecloth to outline that center flower.

Judy's directions from her book will tell you exactly how to stitch out the flower.

8" circle in center:
I use the "hemstitch" with the wing needle to stitch out that 8" circle.
Viking 1+, use stitch D4 or E 31.
Designer 1, use stitch D4 or D8.

Place the clear B foot on the machine and place the red mark on the front of the foot on the drawn circle. I usually place a layer of "Stitch n Ditch" under the this area so the stitch will form better. Stitch all the way around the circle and when you see that you are very close to the beginning of the circle, use the "stop" button to sew a stitch at a time so you won't go over the first stitching. It will complete a stitch and stop. If you need another stitch, take your foot off the pedal and put it on again and do another complete stitch. Tear away the stabilizer.

Edging lace:
Starting at one long side, lay the right side of the lace with about 1-½" extending above the corner and the right edge which is scalloped will be even with the raw edge of the fabric. Place "Stitch n Ditch" under this area. Choose the hemstitch of choice.
Viking 1+, use stitch D4 or E 31. The
Designer 1, use D4 or D8.
Place the center red line just off the very edge of the lace on the fabric. If the lace is 1" wide, start stitching the lace down that far from the top of the fabric (you want the beginning of the lace loose so it will be easier to trim at the very end.) If it is 2" wide, start stitching 2" from the corner. When you get about 3" from the end of this first side, stop with the needle down and fold the unstitched lace backwards over the part of the lace that is stitched down, right sides together and have the folded edge of the lace exactly on the edge of the fabric at the end. Place a straight pin from the outside corner of the lace at a 45-degree angle towards the inside of the fabric. Place another pin pointing from the inside edge of the lace towards that other pin. Then bring the unstitched lace around the corner and you will see it has made a perfect miter corner.

Now, start stitching again up to that corner and remove the pins so you don't break a needle, but be careful to see that the miter stays in place. Touch the "stop" so it will complete one stitch at a time until you see how close you can get to that corner. Tap the foot pedal so the needle will go down, then pivot and check to be sure that you have the center line of the foot right off the edge of the fabric again. If you need another stitch, then turn the fabric back and touch the pedal once more to sew another full hemstitch. Once you know it is in the correct position, remove the "stop" and continue to sew around the end of the runner. Pin down the miter until you can get back to it.

Continue around the cloth in this same manner. When you get to the last corner, stop a few inches away from the end and turn the lace UNDER itself so that the straight edges of the lace are meeting each other and the corner looks like a folded miter. Then continue stitching to where the laces meet at the corner.

Turn the fabric over and trim the excess fabric under the lace right up to the hemstitching.

Then go to each corner where the miter is folded and use a tiny zig zag of SL 1.5, SW 1.5 over the fold of the miter to stitch the miter flat. Turn it over and cut the triangle of lace away to remove the bulk. When you get to that last corner, just cut away the excess lace after sewing down that fold of the miter corner.

J.H.