Candle wicking is a traditional form of embroidery based on the colonial knot.

 

This bedspread or comforter is made of candle wicking. Candle wicking is a traditional form of embroidery based on the colonial knot.

To get started with your Candle wicking, you will need:

Unbleached cotton muslin (heavier weight) My squares are 40X40cm
Candle wicking thread (substitute ecru six-strand embroidery floss or perle cotton)
A size 22 or 24 chenille needle or a large sharp embroidery needle
Washable fabric marker
Straight pins
A pattern

 

      How to do candle wicking

Cut a piece of the muslin large enough to accommodate your selected design.


Lay the muslin on top of the pattern. If you have a light-box to put under this to facilitate tracing, do so. If not, make sure you are under a strong light or darken the pattern beforehand.


Secure the fabric to the pattern with pins to keep it from sliding as you trace the pattern.


Use the washable marker to make small dots to indicate the placement of the colonial knots and any other embroidery stitches used in the design.


Check carefully that you have transferred the entire Candle wicking pattern to the muslin.


Check again to ensure that you have transferred the entire Candle wicking pattern to the muslin, then remove the pins and set the pattern aside.


Place the fabric in an embroidery hoop.


Thread the needle with 4 strands of Candle wicking thread or 6-12 strands of embroidery floss or perle cotton floss. The amount of floss you use depends on how large you want your colonial knots to be.


Tie a knot in the thread or floss and stitch your first colonial knot. If this is your first Candle wicking design, practice making colonial knots on a small piece of muslin before you begin. Practice makes perfect!


Work the design in a systematic method from left-to-right and top-to-bottom or however you choose. As you stitch, be sure to leave plenty of thread or floss to secure under the backs of stitches when you need to change threads or strands of floss.


When the design is complete, launder it to remove the marker residue. (Some shrinking may occur.) Lay the piece face down on a clean, prewashed white towel and iron. You may want to place an extra piece of muslin on top to use as a pressing cloth. Use an up- and-down motion when ironing to avoid damaging the colonial knots.

 

 

NEED WASHING??

 

A LITTLE GIRL HAD BEEN SHOPPING

 WITH HER MOM IN SPAR. SHE MUST

 HAVE BEEN 6 YEARS OLD, THIS 

BEAUTIFUL RED HAIRED, FRECKLE 

FACED IMAGE OF INNOCENCE. IT

 WAS POURING OUTSIDE. THE KIND

 OF RAIN THAT GUSHES OVER THE 

TOP OF RAIN GUTTERS, SO MUCH 

IN A HURRY TO HIT THE EARTH 

IT HAS NO TIME TO FLOW DOWN

 THE SPOUT. WE ALL STOOD 

THERE UNDER THE AWNING AND

 JUST INSIDE THE DOOR OF THE 

SPAR.

WE WAITED, SOME PATIENTLY, 

OTHERS IRRITATED BECAUSE 

NATURE MESSED UP THEIR 

HURRIED DAY. I AM ALWAYS 

MESMERIZED BY RAINFALL. 

I GOT LOST IN THE SOUND 

AND SIGHT OF THE HEAVENS 

WASHING AWAY THE DIRT 

AND DUST OF THE WORLD. 

MEMORIES OF RUNNING, 

SPLASHING SO CAREFREE 

AS A CHILD CAME POURING 

IN AS A WELCOME REPRIEVE 

FROM THE WORRIES OF MY DAY.

THE LITTLE VOICE WAS SO 

SWEET AS IT BROKE THE 

HYPNOTIC TRANCE WE WERE 

ALL CAUGHT IN 'MOM LET'S 

RUN THROUGH THE RAIN,' 

SHE SAID.

'WHAT?' MOM ASKED.

'LETS RUN THROUGH THE 

RAIN!' SHE REPEATED

'NO, HONEY. WE'LL WAIT 

UNTIL IT SLOWS DOWN A 

BIT,' MOM REPLIED.

THIS YOUNG CHILD WAITED 

ABOUT ANOTHER MINUTE AND 

REPEATED: 'MOM, LET'S RUN 

THROUGH THE RAIN,'

'WE'LL GET SOAKED IF WE DO,' 

MOM SAID.

'NO, WE WON'T, MOM.. 

THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAID

 THIS MORNING,' THE YOUNG

 GIRL SAID AS SHE TUGGED AT

 HER MOM'S ARM.

THIS MORNING? WHEN DID I 

SAY WE COULD RUN THROUGH 

THE RAIN AND NOT GET WET?

'DON'T YOU REMEMBER? WHEN 

YOU WERE TALKING TO DADDY 

ABOUT HIS CANCER, YOU SAID, '

IF GOD CAN GET US THROUGH 

THIS, HE CAN GET US THROUGH 

ANYTHING!'

THE ENTIRE CROWD STOPPED DEAD 

SILENT. I SWEAR YOU COULDN'T 

HEAR ANYTHING BUT THE RAIN. 

WE ALL STOOD SILENTLY. NO 

ONE CAME OR LEFT IN THE NEXT

 FEW MINUTES.

MOM PAUSED AND THOUGHT FOR 

A MOMENT ABOUT WHAT SHE 

WOULD SAY. NOW SOME WOULD 

LAUGH IT OFF AND SCOLD HER 

FOR BEING SILLY. SOME MIGHT 

EVEN IGNORE WHAT WAS SAID. 

BUT THIS WAS A MOMENT OF 

AFFIRMATION IN A YOUNG 

CHILD'S LIFE. A TIME WHEN 

INNOCENT TRUST CAN BE 

NURTURED SO THAT IT WILL

 BLOOM INTO FAITH.

'HONEY, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY 

RIGHT. LET'S RUN THROUGH 

THE RAIN. IF GOD LET'S US 

GET WET, WELL MAYBE WE 

JUST NEEDED WASHING,' 

MOM SAID.

THEN OFF THEY RAN. WE ALL 

STOOD WATCHING, SMILING 

AND LAUGHING AS THEY DARTED

 PAST THE CARS AND YES, 

THROUGH THE PUDDLES. THEY 

HELD THEIR SHOPPING BAGS 

OVER THEIR HEADS JUST IN 

CASE. THEY GOT SOAKED. BUT

 THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY A 

FEW WHO SCREAMED AND 

LAUGHED LIKE CHILDREN ALL

 THE WAY TO THEIR CARS.

AND YES, I DID. I RAN. I GOT

 WET. I NEEDED WASHING....

CIRCUMSTANCES OR PEOPLE CAN

 TAKE AWAY YOUR MATERIAL 

POSSESSIONS, THEY CAN TAKE 

AWAY YOUR MONEY, AND THEY

 CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR HEALTH

. BUT NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE

AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS MEMORIES..

...SO, DON'T FORGET TO MAKE 

TIME AND TAKE THE 

OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE 

MEMORIES EVERYDAY.

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON 

AND A TIME TO EVERY PURPOSE UNDER 

HEAVEN.
I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO

 RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

IT IS SAID IT TAKES A MINUTE TO 

FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR 

TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO 

LOVE THEM, BUT THEN AN ENTIRE

 LIFE TO FORGET THEM. TO FORGET.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR FAMILY 

AND FRIENDS, YOU NEVER KNOW 

WHEN YOU'LL NEED EACH OTHER --

 AND DON'T FORGET TO RUN IN 

THE RAIN!