What a lovely comments Jill, thank you very much. So glad I'm able to inspire you. Don't forget to share if you can, I would love you see how your turns out. As I said, I bet it would be beautiful too :) Hugs Bernadette
If you like to save thread, as I do, stick to Colonial knots! They use less thread, and they are much sturdier than French knots, so they hold up to repeated washing and wear. You asked about Colonial knots, and what they are used for. I happen to know, because I love to use a technique called "candlewicking". This is one of the few crafts that is considered to actually be North American in origin. When the pioneers were moving west, they could not take any unnecessary items. But they did need candles, so they brought the materials to make them, including making wicks. So, once settled, women used the cotton used to make candle wicks as thread, and often used pieces of the canvas from the covers of the "covered wagons" they had traveled in to their final destinations to make table cloths, bedspreads, floor coverings, etc. Traditionally, therefore, candlewicking was monochrome, using the same color thread on basically the same color cloth - off-white or beige (your typical muslin color.) And because using knots to make the design used less thread than "traditional" embroidery stitches, candlewicking designs consist almost entirely of knots (with occasional satin stitch.). As noted above, Colonial knots are thriftier and better suited for hard wear than French knots. Here's a bit more information if anyone is interested: www.needlepointers.com/main/ShowArticles.aspx?NavID=3927#:~:text=Candlewicking%20was%20often%20found%20on%20bedspreads%20or%20pillows.,carry%20niceties%20or%20anything%20more%20than%20the%20essentials.
