Lesson 12.1
Beaded Leaf Outlines and Organza Ribbon Filling
In this lesson, you will create a leaf outlined with nacre beads and explore a soft organza ribbon filling. Working from the reverse side of the fabric, you will use French Lunéville beadwork and short securing stitches to define the pointed edges. You will then thread organza ribbon through a wide-eyed needle and pass it between the leaf’s corners. You may also leave the beaded outline unfilled.
Materials to Prepare
Embroidery frame with your traced leaf motif
Lunéville hook
Embroidery thread
Pre-threaded nacre beads on a bobbin
Short length of organza ribbon
Needle with an eye wide enough for the ribbon
Scissors
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Outline a leaf with nacre beads using the French Lunéville technique.
Preserve pointed edges with one or two short securing stitches.
Prepare organza ribbon in a wide-eyed needle.
Bring the ribbon through the fabric from beneath the frame.
Hold the ribbon tail underneath while passing the needle into another corner.
Choose between a beaded outline and a ribbon-filled leaf.
Your Practice
Turn the frame so the reverse side faces you and prepare your threaded nacre beads. Make a starting lock at the point shown in the lesson, then follow the leaf’s outline with beads. Add a short securing stitch at each pointed edge, using a second if needed.
For the optional filling, thread a short piece of organza ribbon through a wide-eyed needle. Bring the needle through the fabric from beneath the frame at one corner of the leaf and gently draw the ribbon through, holding its tail underneath.
Insert the needle into another corner as demonstrated, laying the ribbon across the inner space. Pull it through carefully so the ribbon lies smoothly without distorting the fabric.