Crathorne Bug - needlelace wings complete

Third band, using DMC 3828 for the bar,
and DMC 3828 for the needlelace

Fourth band, using DMC 3828 for the band,
and DMC 422 for the needlelace

Final band, using DMC 422 for the band,
and DMC 422 for the needlelace

complete with gradual shading

To confirm, there are five bands of colour in total, using only three colours - 

• DMC 680 for bar and needlelace
• DMC 680 for bar, and DMC 3828 for needlelace
• DMC 3828 for bar, and DMC 3828 for needlelace
• DMC 3828 for bar, and DMC 422 for needlelace
• DMC 422 for bar, and DMC 422 for needlelace

Each bar forms the cord for corded Brussels stitch, and each band is approximately six rows of each colour combination, to give a guide, which could be more of less, depending on tension.

Crathorne Bug - needlelace wings continued

Next 6 rows of Corded Brussels stitch work in one strand of 
DMC Col. 680 and one strand of DMC Col. 3828

Close up showing the colour of the needlelace working gradually into a lighter shade

Again, work both wings in unison to keep balanced and equal.

Crathorne Bug - working both wings in unison

both wings worked in unison

After a few trials and tribulations of working these needlelace wings, this is the final result!

I worked both wings side by side in two strands of DMC Col.680, to keep them equal and balanced.  I worked 7 rows on each side starting with 3-4 stitches, and gradually increasing to 8-9 stitches.  It all depends on your tension, but my tip is, do not make your needlelace too tight.

Crathorne Bug - needle lace wings

Using DMC Col.680 with two strands in the needle, work a stitch from left to right, at the top end of the wing, then bring the needle up next to the block shading, on the the right hand side, ready to start the blanket stitch

Take the needle around the bar, bringing it up in a loop of thread

Work a blanket stitch bar, working right to left

Work approximately 4-5 blanket stitches on the first row, working towards the left, then take the needle back into the fabric

Again, throw a bar from left to right

Work another blanket stitch bar, catching both the loop of the last row of each stitch, and the bar of thread

Continue to work each row in this way, throwing the bar left to right, but working the blanket stitch right to left catching both the loop of the stitch on the last row, and the bar of thread thrown across.  As the width of the wing widens, gradually increase the number of stitches to accommodate the shape, and reduce as it narrows.

Tip - At the end of each row, work a tiny stitch in the fabric, which will stop the bar or the last stitch pulling upwards, and will help keep the tension of your work.

The next post will explain how many rows of this colour to use, and how to complete the wings.