The most decided novelty in art embroidery, and one that has a permanent value, is the introduction of the plush stitch. By its use sumac, cockscomb, golden rod, love lies bleeding, princess feather, and similar flowers, which were previously very imperfectly represented by a bunch of French knots, are closely imitated in texture as well as coloring.

To make it, first fill in the flower with large French knots of the prevailing color; then (using button-hole twist) bring the needle up between the knots, lay a doubled strand of filling silk on the face of the work against the needle; take the needle down about in the same place it came up, but from the other side of the filling silk, so that when drawn down the stitch has caught the filling silk about a quarter of an inch from its end; draw the stitch down tightly, which will cause the ends of the filling silk to spring straight up; clip them off with a very sharp pair of scissors. This completes one stitch. Repeat for as many stitches as are required to cover, or nearly cover, the knots.

It is not easily described, but with a little practice is easily and rapidly done; and with taste and judgment in the clipping and in the number of stitches used, so as to partly, but not completely, cover the background of knots, charmingly realistic effects are produced.

In the cockscomb, for instance, the upper part, or comb, is a rich, velvety crimson. This should be worked with the stitches very close, and clipped quite long, the convolutions of the comb being represented by using three shades of crimson. As each stitch may be made different, the shading can be perfectly done.

The lower part, from the stem up to the comb, shows the green seeds, with a thin sprinkling of the velvety down.

This is imitated by making the knots of dead green crewel and a few plush stitches interspersed, using a single thread of the floss made of filaments of red and green. Clip these a little closer than in the comb, and use more red toward the comb. This, when skillfully done, imitates the flower beautifully and faithfully, in striking contrast to the hard, knotted abominations of most of the "Art Schools." It only need be seen to be appreciated.

Fig. 41.

Fig. 41 presents a very pretty design for a banner screen in which the cockscomb is treated in the plush stitch.