Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c27.23

c27.23

The method of working is as follows: at 1. the white thread is brought to the front, the needle is again inserted at 11. and brought out at 111., on a line with 1. on the other side of the seam; it then goes back to 1v. on a line with 11. on the right-hand side, and is brought out at v., at a little distance below 1. v1., v11. and v111. are the same repeated, but after v111. the needle is brought out at 1x. at some distance below v., leaving space for two other stitches between; these stitches are begun below v., with a different coloured cotton, generally red, and worked exactly the same as the first four stitches; after they are completed the first needle is taken up again, the thread of which comes out on the right-hand side, at 1x., just below the two stitches of the red colour. The next stitch is a little different, in that the needle does not go back to the extreme outside on the left but catches down a stitch at about a quarter the width of the whole, as can be seen in the diagram. It then takes a slanting direction behind the material, coming out below the red stitches, still on the left side; the needle is shown in this position. Exactly the same is done on the right-hand side, and so on. The thread always goes back to its own colour, that is if the white thread is being worked it catches down a white stitch on the opposite side and so with the red. The backs of the stitches are seen in No. 4A. If three colours are used, then more space must be left for the insertion of four stitches between v. and 1x. instead of two only.