ous ways (see the chapter
on shading) of giving gradation of colour and of indicating relief or
modelling.

Some stitches, of course, are adapted to various uses, as crewel, chain,
and satin stitches--naturally the most in use. Workers generally end in
adopting certain stitches as their own. That is all right, so long as
they do not forget that there are other stitches which might on occasion
serve their purpose. Anyway, they should begin by knowing what stitches
there are. Until they know, and know too what each can do, they are
hardly in a position to determine which of them will best do what they
want.

Our Samplers show the use to which the stitches on them may be put.

[Illustration: 71. SATIN-STITCH IN THE MAKING.]

By way of _resume_, it may be added that for line work, more or less
fine, crewel, chain, back and rope stitches, and couched cord are most
suitable; crewel for long lines especially, and rope stitch for both
curved and straight lines; for a boundary line, buttonhole is most
emphatic; for broader lines, herring-bone, feather, and Oriental
stitches answer better; ladder-stitch has the advantage of a firm edge
on both sides of it. Satin and chain stitches, couching and laying, and
basket work make good bands, but are not peculiarly adapted to that
purpose.

For covering broad surfaces, crewel, chain, and satin stitches
(including, of course, what are called long-and-short and plumage
stitches) serve admirably, as does also darning and laid-work; and for
gold thread, couching. French knots do best for small surfaces only. The
stitches most useful for purposes of shading are mentioned later on.

No sort of classification is possible until the number of stitches has
been reduced to the necessary few, and all fancy stitches struck out of
the list. Enquiry should also be made into the title of each stitch to
the name by which it is known; and the names themselves should be
brought down to a minimum.

Reduce them to the fewest any needlewoman will allow, and they are
still, if not too many, more than are logically required. Some of them,
too, describe not stitches, but ways of using a stitch. The term
long-and-short, it has already been explained (page 100), has less to
do with a particular stitch than its proportion, and the term
plumage-stitch refers more to the direction of the stitch than to the
stitch itself. And so with other stitches. It is its oblique direction
only which distinguishes stem-st