GINGHAM FABRIC - Nordic Needle

Why is it called chicken scratch? One theory is that the main stitch looks like a chicken’s track.
One story suggests the technique started during the Great Depression when a woman wished
she could add lace to her plain gingham dresses. However, she only had some floss, so she set
about to figure out how to create a lacy look. When her husband asked what she was doing, she
told him she was adding lace to her dress. His reply was said to be that it looked a whole lot like
chicken scratches!! You decide! Chicken scratch is also called Amish embroidery, depression
lace, and snowflake embroidery all typically stitched on gingham fabric.
Very little is known about the origin of this technique. However it got started, it was a very
popular technique in the 1930’s to 1950’s in the United States as evidenced by the many aprons
that have remained.
GINGHAM FABRIC
The foundation for this technique is the gingham fabric. This is a checkered fabric that has a
light, medium, and dark blocks or checks usually in 4, 8, or 16 blocks to the square inch. The 1/4"
check is the most widely used size. Look closely at your fabric and you will find on some gingham
fabrics that the block is not square but oblong. For example, on a 1/8" gingham you may have 8
blocks from side to side but only 7 blocks from top to bottom. This will make a big difference on
the outcome of your design, so be sure to pay close attention to the fabric and designer’s
directions. Also remember to take that into account when figuring how much fabric you will
need, dividing by 8 from selvage to selvage and 7 from top to bottom.
I thought gingham fabric was a relatively new fabric. Imagine my surprise when research
revealed the fabric was around as early as the 1600’s! It was a bit different from today, actually
weaving two colors together to create a striped pattern. In fact, the name “gingham" may have
originated from Indonesian, Italian, and Malay languages referring to stripes. The fabric evolved
to the checkered pattern with blue and white being the most popular choice. Many New England
textile mills were successful because they produced gingham fabric, even into the 1950’s.
Gingham is usually made of cotton fibers; however, other fibers can be used such as silk or wool.
One thing that makes this fabric unique is that it does not have a right or wrong side!
WORKBASKET
You need an embroidery needle with a sharp point for the double cross stitch and running
stitches. Use a blunt needle for the woven stitches, for example a #24 tapestry needle. Make
sure that the eye of the needle is as large as the floss so you won’t have trouble pulling the floss
through the fabric. It is recommended that you use a hoop or frame to keep your fabric taut and
your stitches even. A good pair of scissors is always a must! Floss is the traditional fiber used in
stitching, especially white.
STITCHING TIPS
Traditionally the design was worked with a single color of floss, white, monochromatic, or light
on dark or dark on light. If there are two colors used, one is usually white and the other a darker
shade of the gingham fabric color.
The number of strands of floss to use will vary with the size of the check or the look you want to
achieve. Usually only one strand is used for a 1/16" block, two strands are used for a 1/8" block
and three strands for a 1/4" block.
STITCHES
The simplicity of chicken scratch is part of its appeal. There are three basic stitches used to make
the majority of the designs – the double cross-stitch (Smyrna cross), the straight running stitch,
and the woven circle stitch. Your design is stitched in this same order: double cross-stitch,
running stitch, and woven circle stitch.
Do not pull the stitches tight or you will get a diamond instead
of a circle. Go around twice to make your circle wider.
Provided by Nordic Needle, Inc., 1314 Gateway Dr S, Fargo, ND www.nordicneedle.com
Adding your initial to the center of your design.
We are using an Aunt Martha's Iron On Transfer pattern. You cut out the letter you want and
center it with the printed side against the right side of the fabric. Put your iron down on the
transfer and leave it for a couple seconds.
A satin stitch is used to fill in the body of the letter. You may choose whichever color you want.
To do the satin stitch you want to use your sharp needle with 2 ply of thread. Making stitches
close together, fill in the area. For my letters I went across the shortest area of the letter. Try to
keep your edges the same distance, but don't worry too much about it. That's why I did a stem
stitch around the satin stitch as it helps smooth out the edges. The stem stitch is done with
small stitches all the way around the inside and outside edges of your satin stitch. I did it first in
white and then in red to make the letter stand out even more.
Congratulations! Your have finished your Chicken Scratch Monogram!