1. Kloster block sequencing: all blocks before any withdrawal
A kloster block is a group of five parallel satin stitches, each covering exactly four fabric threads, arranged so that each block forms one side of one open grid cell. In standard Hardanger, each open square cell has four kloster blocks surrounding it — one on each side — and each corner of the cell is where two kloster blocks meet at a right angle. The five satin stitches of the horizontal kloster block run in one thread direction; the five satin stitches of the adjacent vertical kloster block run in the perpendicular direction. At the corner, the last satin stitch of the horizontal block and the first satin stitch of the vertical block share a fabric thread hole.
The satin stitches of the kloster block perform two functions that are inseparable: they provide the visible raised surface of the Hardanger design, and they physically enclose the cut ends of the threads that will be withdrawn. When a warp or weft thread is cut at the block boundary, the short tail of that thread tucks under the satin stitch band above it. The weight of the satin stitches and the friction of the thread coverage hold the tail in place permanently, so the cut end never frays into the open grid area.
If a thread is cut before the kloster block is stitched, the cut tail has nothing anchoring it. The neighboring fabric threads — under tension from their interlocking weave with the warp and weft threads in both directions — will begin to pull the cut end out of the fabric body. On 22-count Hardanger fabric, the cut threads are fine enough that this happens within a few minutes of cutting, faster if the fabric is handled or moved. The result is a hole or frayed margin where the cut boundary should be a clean edge.
The sequencing rule is absolute and admits no exceptions within a working section: every kloster block that will surround a planned open cell must be completed — all five satin stitches in the correct position, the correct thread, and the correct tension — before any thread in that cell’s open area is cut. For a design with a 3×3 grid of open cells, this means stitching all twelve kloster blocks at the outer perimeter of the grid and all internal kloster blocks shared between adjacent cells before cutting any thread anywhere in the 3×3 area.
This staging is counterintuitive to embroiderers who are used to completing sections in one pass. The visual appearance of the work after the kloster block stage is complete but before withdrawal looks like a series of raised satin stitch rectangles on intact fabric — none of the openwork is visible yet. Patrons who are accustomed to immediate visual feedback from other embroidery techniques sometimes cut threads after completing just a few blocks to “see how it will look.” Patreon patterns should include an explicit step label — such as “Stage 1: stitch all kloster blocks” and “Stage 2: cut and withdraw threads” — and a warning that Stage 2 must not begin until Stage 1 is confirmed complete for the entire working section.
Confirmation check before cutting: count every kloster block against the pattern chart. Each block should have exactly five satin stitches covering exactly four fabric threads. A common error is stitching a block with four satin stitches (covering three fabric threads) or six satin stitches (covering five threads). Either error misaligns the block with the grid: a four-stitch block leaves one fabric thread uncovered at one end, and that thread will become part of a bar group rather than remaining under the kloster block coverage, misaligning the bar thread count for all cells sharing that block.
2. Thread cutting and withdrawal mechanics
Thread cutting in drawn thread work requires a precise cut location that cannot be estimated by eye alone. The reference point for the cut is the inner edge of the kloster block satin stitches — the edge of the block that faces into the open cell. Each kloster block satin stitch enters the fabric at a hole on the inner edge (the cell side) and exits at a hole on the outer edge (the fabric body side). The inner-edge entry holes form a straight line along one side of the open cell. The cut must be made as close to this inner-edge line as possible — within the width of the satin stitch thread coverage rather than outside it.
In practice: slide the tip of fine-pointed embroidery scissors under the fabric thread to be cut, positioning the blade so it rests against the last satin stitch of the kloster block on the inner-edge side. The blade should be between the satin stitch thread and the fabric body thread, not between two fabric body threads. Close the scissors cleanly to cut the fabric thread. The cut end will immediately tuck under the satin stitch band due to the tension of the surrounding fabric threads; assist it with the tip of a blunt tapestry needle if needed.
First failure mode — cutting too close to the block interior: this means positioning the scissor blade inside the satin stitch coverage rather than at its inner edge. The fabric thread is cut at a point where only one or two satin stitches cover it rather than all five. The cut end tucking under only one or two stitches may not be held securely, and the cut thread pulls through the gap between stitches under tension. The kloster block satin stitches may separate slightly as the cut end migrates, producing a visible gap in the satin stitch band.
Second failure mode — cutting too far from the block, into the open cell: the fabric thread is cut at a point that is partially inside the kloster block coverage but also partially outside it, leaving a thread stub projecting into the open cell. This stub is typically 1–3mm long, too short to reach the opposite kloster block for easy withdrawal, and too long to tuck under the nearby block without being worked back through the fabric. Correcting this requires threading the stub onto a blunt tapestry needle and manually working it backward under the kloster block satin stitches one fabric thread position at a time. This is slow, risks distorting the satin stitches from underneath, and is one of the more time-consuming errors to repair in drawn thread work.
Thread withdrawal sequence: after cutting all designated threads at all kloster block boundaries in the working section, withdraw the cut threads from the fabric weave. Work methodically, withdrawing all the threads in one direction (warp) before withdrawing threads in the other direction (weft), or withdraw thread-by-thread in a sequence that clears one open cell at a time. For each thread, grasp the cut end with blunt-nose tweezers and pull gently perpendicular to the thread’s weave direction. The thread slides out as its interlocking warp-weft contacts release sequentially along its length. If the thread catches on a neighbor or on the kloster block stitches, do not pull harder — ease the thread a few millimeters back toward its original position and try again with a different angle. Forcing a snagged withdrawal thread can drag the bar threads out of alignment or pull the kloster block satin stitches loose from the inner-edge anchor.
After all threads in the designated open area are withdrawn, the remaining thread groups — typically four fabric threads per bar in standard Hardanger, three or six in other drawn thread traditions — span the open void as the bars that will be decorated in the next stage.
3. Overcast bars versus needleweave bars
An overcast bar is covered by spiraling a single working thread around all bar threads simultaneously, traveling from one end of the bar to the other in a continuous diagonal motion. The working thread does not separate the bar threads; it encircles all of them as a group. Each spiral circuit adds one wrap around the outside surface of the bar. Tension control is important: each wrap should press against the previous wrap snugly enough that no bare bar thread is visible between wraps, but not so tightly that the working thread compresses the bar into an oval cross-section or pulls the bar out of its straight grain-aligned position. The finished overcast bar appears cylindrical in profile when viewed from the side, with the working thread wraps visible as fine diagonal lines.
Begin an overcast bar by bringing the working thread up through the fabric body at the kloster block edge nearest to the bar. Pass the needle under all four bar threads from the kloster block side. Bring the thread over the top of the bar and pass the needle under all four bar threads again from the same direction, one wrap-width along the bar. Continue in this spiral motion toward the far kloster block, keeping each wrap close against the previous one. End by inserting the needle through the fabric body at the far kloster block edge and anchoring the working thread.
A needleweave bar is covered by dividing the bar threads into two groups and weaving the working thread over one group and under the other in alternating circuits. For a standard four-thread bar: thread pair A consists of bar threads 1 and 2; thread pair B consists of bar threads 3 and 4. Pass the working thread over pair A and under pair B, then reverse direction and pass over pair B and under pair A. Each complete forward-and-return pass adds one woven layer to the bar surface. Continue from the near kloster block edge to the far kloster block edge, building up woven layers that cover the bar threads completely.
The needleweave bar profile is distinctly different from the overcast bar: it is wider and flatter in cross-section (the weave distributes coverage across the full width of both thread pairs) and shows a woven surface texture rather than diagonal spiral wraps. Under close magnification or macro photography, the individual over-under thread crossings are visible as a regular interlocking pattern. At normal viewing distance, a needleweave bar reads as a flat, substantial structural element with clear texture.
Application: needleweave bars are the dominant bar treatment in Hardanger embroidery as a design tradition. Overcast bars appear in simpler drawn thread work, in borders where bars are structural connectors rather than design elements, and in sections where a finer, more recessive bar profile is appropriate. When picot additions or spider web filling stitches will be added to the open cells, needleweave bars are the standard context because the substantial needleweave profile provides a more visually balanced frame for the filling. Some Hardanger patterns specify overcast bars on horizontal bars and needleweave bars on vertical bars within the same design; document the distinction clearly in the pattern chart rather than leaving it to patron interpretation.
4. Picot loop anchoring at the bar midpoint
A picot is added at the midpoint of a bar, after the bar covering has been worked from one end to the midpoint. At the midpoint, the working thread exits the bar covering on the side facing the open cell. The exit position for a needleweave bar: end the last weave pass so the working thread comes out between pair A and pair B on the open-cell face of the bar at the midpoint. The exit position for an overcast bar: end the last spiral wrap so the working thread exits from the outward-facing side of the bar at the midpoint.
Form the picot loop: swing the working thread outward from the bar face into the open cell, extending it to the intended picot length. Insert the tip of the needle into the fabric body at the picot anchor point — typically at the kloster block edge or at the hemstitch margin of the open cell, at the measured picot distance from the bar face. Bring the needle tip back through the loop that the working thread has formed. Pull the working thread until the loop tightens to the intended projecting length.
The locking pass — bringing the needle back through the loop before tightening — is the step that determines whether the picot holds its shape. Without the locking pass, the loop is only anchored at the remote anchor point, and subsequent tension from continuing bar coverage will pull the loop back along the bar and change its projecting length. With the locking pass, the loop is anchored in two places: at the remote anchor point and at its own base, where the thread passes through itself and cannot contract further. The projecting length of a properly locked picot is stable through the remaining bar covering and through the final washing and blocking of the piece.
After anchoring the picot loop, re-enter the bar covering from the midpoint position and continue working toward the far kloster block edge. The picot projects permanently at 90 degrees from the bar axis. If the design calls for picots on both sides of one bar (facing into both adjacent open cells), work one picot on each side at the midpoint, locking each before continuing.
Picot size: on 22-count Hardanger fabric, each open grid cell is approximately 8mm × 8mm (four fabric threads in each direction, each thread pair spanning approximately 2mm). A 2mm projecting picot occupies one-quarter of the cell width; a 4mm picot occupies one-half. Picots longer than half the cell width will overlap with the spider web or dove’s eye filling stitches in the same cell. On 28-count linen, each cell is correspondingly smaller; adjust the picot anchor distance proportionally to maintain the same visual proportion. Document picot size in the pattern as a distance in millimeters, not as a thread count.
5. Spider web filling: spoke layout and spiral weave
A spider web filling occupies one complete open grid cell. It is constructed in two stages: first the spoke framework is laid across the cell, then the working thread is woven in a continuous spiral outward from the spoke intersection at the center.
Spoke layout: bring a working thread up through the fabric body at the hemstitch margin or kloster block edge at one corner of the open cell. Pass diagonally across the cell to the opposite corner, insert the needle through the kloster block satin stitch coverage or hemstitch margin at that corner, and return with the thread taut but not distorting the corner fabric. This diagonal thread is one spoke arm (covering two of the eventual spoke positions from center outward). Repeat from the other two corners, crossing the first diagonal at the cell center. The two diagonals produce four spoke arms radiating from the cell center.
For a five-spoke spider web: lay one additional thread from the midpoint of one bar, passing through the center intersection and anchoring at the midpoint of the opposite bar. This single thread adds two spoke arms, bringing the total to five spokes (or ten arms if counting outward from center). A five-spoke spider web is the most common count in Hardanger because five is the smallest odd number that produces a web with sufficient visual complexity.
Why the spoke count must be odd: the spiral weaving alternates over-and-under each spoke in sequence as the working thread spirals outward from center. With an even number of spokes, after one complete circuit the working thread arrives back at the first spoke in the same position it occupied at the start of that circuit (over or under) because an even number of alternations produces no net shift in position. The worker must insert a step-up at the circuit end — passing over or under one spoke twice to flip the alternation state before beginning the next circuit. With an odd number of spokes, one complete circuit ends at the first spoke in the alternate position (if the first spoke was “over” on the first circuit, it will be “under” at the start of the second circuit). The alternation continues without interruption. A spider web with an even number of spokes would require a step-up at every circuit, which is both mechanically complex and produces a visible jog in the woven surface if not executed precisely. Patterns should specify odd spoke counts only.
Spiral weaving: bring the working thread to the center spoke intersection. Pass over the first spoke, under the second, over the third, under the fourth, over the fifth. Continue in a continuous spiral outward: the next pass is under the first spoke (because the alternation has shifted), over the second, and so on. Keep the spiral circuits close together — each circuit should press against the previous one without visible gaps. Tension should be consistent enough that the web remains circular in shape. Pulling the working thread too tight on one spoke and too loose on another produces an oval or irregular shape. Stop spiraling when the web has filled the open cell to within 1–2mm of the bar edges surrounding the cell. Anchor the working thread at the nearest bar or at the kloster block edge fabric.
Documenting the spider web for Patreon patterns: include a diagram showing the spoke layout with numbered positions, the entry corner for the first diagonal thread, and the direction of the spiral (clockwise or counter-clockwise). Patron photography cannot resolve individual thread crossings at normal resolution; only the close-up stitch diagram communicates the construction sequence reliably.
6. Fabric count and evenweave thread structure
Drawn thread embroidery and Hardanger require an evenweave fabric — a woven structure where the number of warp threads per inch equals the number of weft threads per inch, and where each individual thread is the same weight as its neighbors in both directions. This evenness is the prerequisite for the withdrawn threads to leave clean, straight bar groups of equal spacing. If warp and weft are different counts, the withdrawn threads leave bars of different widths in the two directions, and the open grid cells will be rectangular rather than square.
Standard Hardanger fabric is a 22-count cotton evenweave: 22 threads per inch in both warp and weft directions. Hardanger fabric threads come in pairs that are visually distinct — the paired thread structure is visible to the eye without magnification, making individual thread counting easier. Each kloster block in standard Hardanger covers four threads; on 22-count fabric, four threads span approximately 4/22 inch (approximately 4.6mm). The open cell in standard Hardanger covers four thread pairs removed from each direction; on 22-count fabric, this produces an open square of approximately 4 × 4 thread-positions = approximately 7–8mm.
The more traditional Hardanger substrate is 28-count linen evenweave. At 28-count, four threads span approximately 4/28 inch (approximately 3.6mm), and the open cells are correspondingly smaller — approximately 5–6mm. Linen threads have a distinct appearance from cotton: the natural fiber variation in linen creates a slight irregularity in thread diameter that is visible in closeup photography and contributes to the antique, organic texture of traditional Norwegian Hardanger pieces. Thread withdrawal from linen is marginally easier than from cotton because linen threads are slightly stiffer and maintain their direction during withdrawal; cotton threads on Hardanger fabric are slightly more pliable and may fold rather than withdrawing cleanly on the first pull.
On 28-count linen, the same satin stitch count (five stitches) covers a slightly shorter length than on 22-count Hardanger fabric, so the kloster block dimensions are finer. The visible thread pairing on linen at 28-count requires counting carefully: linen thread pairs are less visually distinct than Hardanger cotton thread pairs, and miscounting a thread pair as a single thread (or a single thread as a pair) produces a kloster block that covers three thread pairs rather than four, or five thread pairs rather than four. Patrons working on linen for the first time after experience on Hardanger fabric should count the block with a magnifier and verify by counting the entry and exit holes, not by estimating the covered distance.
Higher-count evenweave fabrics — 36-count linen, 32-count Belfast linen — are used for finer drawn thread work with smaller open cells. At 36-count, four threads span approximately 4/36 inch (approximately 2.8mm), and the open cells measure approximately 4mm. Picot loops on 36-count linen must be correspondingly short (1–1.5mm maximum before interfering with fillings), and the spider web spokes are very fine. Withdrawal difficulty increases at higher counts: finer threads produce smaller kloster blocks that are more susceptible to distortion from scissor blade contact during cutting. Patrons learning drawn thread embroidery should begin on 22-count Hardanger fabric for the larger scale and cleaner thread pairing, then move to 28-count linen once the sequencing and cutting mechanics are familiar. Document the recommended fabric for each pattern and explain explicitly that the fabric count choice drives every dimensional decision (bar width, picot length, open cell size, spider web spoke position) and that substituting a different count requires recalculating all of those dimensions.
7. Kloster block tension and alignment
All five satin stitches in a kloster block must pass through the same four fabric threads with consistent tension. The entry hole on the inner edge and the exit hole on the outer edge define the span; all five stitches must enter at the inner-edge row and exit at the outer-edge row. If one stitch is placed one thread off — entering at a hole that is one thread position away from the others — that stitch will not cover the same four fabric threads as its neighbors, and a sliver of uncovered thread will appear at the edge of the satin stitch band.
Tension: each satin stitch should sit flat against the fabric surface with the thread making full contact along its length from entry to exit hole. Under-tension leaves the satin stitch thread slightly loose, so the individual threads within the silk or cotton stranded thread expand and separate, producing a fluffy appearance instead of a smooth satin surface. Over-tension pulls the satin stitch thread tight, compressing the fabric below and producing a raised ridge at each stitch position rather than a flat satin surface.
The junction where two kloster blocks meet at a right angle requires that the shared corner hole is entered by the last satin stitch of one block from one direction and by the first satin stitch of the adjacent block from the perpendicular direction. Both stitches share this corner hole. The order of entry matters for surface appearance: the stitch placed second in the shared hole covers the thread of the stitch placed first. Standard practice is to stitch all horizontal blocks first, then all vertical blocks, so the vertical stitches cover the horizontal stitches at shared corner holes consistently across the design. This produces a uniform surface where one thread direction is visually dominant at all corners. Reversing the order — vertical blocks first, then horizontal — reverses the dominance. Either convention is acceptable but must be applied consistently; inconsistent corner coverage is visible as irregular light reflection across the kloster block framework.
8. Apple Tax: what November 2026 costs drawn thread embroidery creators on Patreon
Hardanger and drawn thread embroidery audiences are concentrated on visual platforms where closeup needlework photography displays clearly. Pinterest whitework and needlework boards reach 66–80% iOS users. Instagram Hardanger and counted thread embroidery accounts reach 68–80% iOS. YouTube drawn thread embroidery tutorial channels reach 52–68% iOS.
Starting November 1, 2026, Patreon applies Apple’s 30% billing fee to all iOS-originated subscriptions — any subscription purchased or renewed through the Patreon iOS app rather than through a web browser. The fee is applied to the gross subscription amount before Patreon’s own platform fee (5–12% depending on plan) and before payment processing.
At $10/month with 70% iOS and 40 subscribers: Apple’s 30% on iOS-billed subscriptions = $10 × 0.70 × 0.30 = $2.10 per subscriber per month × 40 = $84/month ($1,008/year).
At $18/month with 74% iOS and 55 subscribers: $18 × 0.74 × 0.30 = $3.996 per subscriber per month × 55 = $219.78/month ($2,637.36/year).
At $35/month with 78% iOS and 30 subscribers: $35 × 0.78 × 0.30 = $8.19 per subscriber per month × 30 = $245.70/month ($2,948.40/year).
These amounts go to Apple, not to the creator. Calculate your specific fee delta at keeptier.com.
The mitigation path: update all discovery platform profiles (Instagram bio, Pinterest links, YouTube description) to link directly to your Patreon web URL rather than to the app store landing page. Enable web-only billing on the tiers you want protected. Web-only billing disables iOS in-app purchase for those tiers, routing all new subscriber transactions through web billing regardless of how the patron originally found your page. Existing iOS-billed subscribers will need to cancel and resubscribe via web when their current billing period ends. The Patreon help center walkthrough for enabling web-only billing is accessible from your creator settings under Earnings > Billing settings. Pair this with a brief patron communication explaining that you are switching to web-only billing to keep the fee within Patreon and Stripe rather than passing it to Apple. Most patrons who understand where the money goes will resubscribe via web without complaint.