Hardanger Embroidery

I know have finished my first piece of Hardanger."Hardanger embroidery is named after a region in southwest Norway in the county of Hardaland by the Hardanger Fjord. However, it is thought to have orignated from the Middle East. From there it spread to Eruope with ties to the Reticella and Venetian needle laces. Reticella is a very geometric style with foundations in squares, diagonals, triangles, and arcs. Venetian lace dates from the 16th to the 19th century characterized by deep, acute-angled points stitched in separate pieces and linked together by a narrow band with buttonholing." (information from the Sons of Norway organization) I love doing this style of emboidery and now sewing my way through all the levels in the Sons of Norway to become a teacher of Hardanger. The piece I have done is a cream and sugar doily. The stitches I used in this piece are: Kloster, Dove's eye, Cable stitch, Button hole stitch, Woven bars, Eyelets and of course cutting threads. This is done on 22-count Hardanger fabric.

Here I am just starting to layout what I am going to do. I serged the edges of the fabric to keep it from fraying.

I started doing the Buttonhole stitches to set up the pattern.

Close up of the work.

This is the finished piece, cream and sugar doily. It measures roughly 4" by 6". 

The next piece I have done is heart shaped and will be part of a sampler I am making.

Almost done with this piece.

Close up of the heart done in cross stitch, kloster, woven bars, dove's eye, picots, cutting of threads. I will be adding more pieces over the next few months.