which I did. Can you see the white dots?
They are both miniature whole cloth quilts, entered into the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham 2012
and 2013
I also updated my Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart
Showing posts with label Sumptuous Surface Embroidery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sumptuous Surface Embroidery. Show all posts
Friday, 19 January 2018
Friday Homework for Lesson 49: Colonial Knot
My homework was to add some Colonial Knots to this piece:
As Colonial Knot is not a new stitch to me, I have some old items to show.
They are both miniature whole cloth quilts, entered into the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham 2012
and 2013
The Colonial Knot is absolutely one of my favorites, the movement of the hand soon becomes automatic and is so relaxing. It would take a long time to make a full bedsize quilt of candle wicking, but it would be a labour of love! Maybe one day?!
They are both miniature whole cloth quilts, entered into the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham 2012
and 2013
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Let the Needle Do the Work
Free form embroidery, or 'Let the Needle Do the Work' is a wonderful activity. You don't need to plan anything, follow any pattern, rip out any stitches or feel frustrated. It is the ultimate relaxation!
Last year I took Sharon Boggon's Sumptuous Surface Embroidery online class and enjoyed it immensely. It was the season of cherry blossoming and the petals 'fell onto the fabric':
Now while I went 'off-line' and had to leave TAST and WIPW projects at home, I packed a small bag of even weave fabric, a set of Oliver Twist pink and green various threads, a skein of Silky from De Haviland Embroidery and a variegated #5 perle from Steff Francis, and decided to just play.
The result was this piece of abstract art, and I just HAD to add a few dancing cherry petals!
Last year I took Sharon Boggon's Sumptuous Surface Embroidery online class and enjoyed it immensely. It was the season of cherry blossoming and the petals 'fell onto the fabric':
The result was this piece of abstract art, and I just HAD to add a few dancing cherry petals!
I had no TAST, or other stitch dictionary, just the list in my head and I simply piled the stitches on, layer after layer - a tonic for the mind!
Sunday, 20 October 2013
TAST #85 Raised Cup
TAST is a great way to learn new stitches; Take A Stitch Tuesday at Pintangle.
TAST #85 is called Raised Cup,
and it was a learning curve - or rather a learning cup!
A cup full of mistakes and frustration, a cup full of disappointments and re-trials, a cup full of envy and self-pity (why do others make such perfect cups? check out Annet's beauties)... In the end it became a row of cups with a drop of satisfaction at the bottom...
Look, what an eyesore!
The first four cups are worked in the wrong way, as you can see!!!
I stitch away from the computer screen and had memorised Sharon's stitch instructions incorrectly, and used Buttonhole stitch instead, so these must be pink 'Buttonhole Triangular Circles'.
I didn't think of rolling the needle, either, and soon built up a twist in the thread, resulting in wobbly mess.
After studying Sharon's instructions on the website again, I wrapped the thread correctly round the needle so the stitch itself was right, but the resulting cups in the top row are still deformed; I mean they should be circular, eh?
I then dug out various stitch dictionaries and tried the cups in orange. They became very triangular in shape!
Finally I brought the embroidery frame to the computer and while watching the tutorial video at Needle 'n Thread I studied in great detail and stitched right there, the row of green cups at the bottom.
Finally I got something that looked like circular cups.
So what did I learn that made the difference?
1) Don't cram the stitches on the bar.
2) Leave enough thread between each stitch so you have a 'bridge' to use for a second round of stitches.
3) Once you have made a knotted stitch on the foundation bar, pull the thread away from you.
4) Use your needle to prod the cups into shape.
Now I used the expression 'eyesore', but of course any wonky stitches would be perfect on a Sumptuous Surface Embroidery piece. They wouldn't be out of place here, or what do you think?
By the way, once Sharon is back from her European vacation, and starts up her online classes again, the Sumptuous Surface Embroidery class is one I can recommend. Any wonky stitch is welcome!!!
TAST #85 is called Raised Cup,
and it was a learning curve - or rather a learning cup!
A cup full of mistakes and frustration, a cup full of disappointments and re-trials, a cup full of envy and self-pity (why do others make such perfect cups? check out Annet's beauties)... In the end it became a row of cups with a drop of satisfaction at the bottom...
Look, what an eyesore!
I stitch away from the computer screen and had memorised Sharon's stitch instructions incorrectly, and used Buttonhole stitch instead, so these must be pink 'Buttonhole Triangular Circles'.
I didn't think of rolling the needle, either, and soon built up a twist in the thread, resulting in wobbly mess.
After studying Sharon's instructions on the website again, I wrapped the thread correctly round the needle so the stitch itself was right, but the resulting cups in the top row are still deformed; I mean they should be circular, eh?
I then dug out various stitch dictionaries and tried the cups in orange. They became very triangular in shape!
Finally I brought the embroidery frame to the computer and while watching the tutorial video at Needle 'n Thread I studied in great detail and stitched right there, the row of green cups at the bottom.
Finally I got something that looked like circular cups.
So what did I learn that made the difference?
1) Don't cram the stitches on the bar.
2) Leave enough thread between each stitch so you have a 'bridge' to use for a second round of stitches.
3) Once you have made a knotted stitch on the foundation bar, pull the thread away from you.
4) Use your needle to prod the cups into shape.
Now I used the expression 'eyesore', but of course any wonky stitches would be perfect on a Sumptuous Surface Embroidery piece. They wouldn't be out of place here, or what do you think?
Saturday, 13 July 2013
TAST - #73 Portuguese Stem Stitch
Time has come to show the TAST stitch of the week, #73 Portuguese Stem Stitch. It is an easily mastered rope like stitch. Want to give it a try? Go to Pintangle and learn.
I have seen other names, like Portuguese Knotted Stem Stitch, but there is actually no knot in it.
Also I found, in a Swedish embroidery book, Hemmets Handarbetslexikon, the following information:
They call it Spanish Stem Stitch (Spansk Stjälksöm), and notice that the wraps are taken only over the top stitch! Or is this a totally different stitch?
Anyway, here is my take on the stitch. I used my new stencils to draw both heart and curvy lines.
The first time I used Portuguese Stem Stitch was during the Sumptuous Surface Embroidery course and like that time I used some pulled stitches here for the centre of the heart.
I have seen other names, like Portuguese Knotted Stem Stitch, but there is actually no knot in it.
Also I found, in a Swedish embroidery book, Hemmets Handarbetslexikon, the following information:
Anyway, here is my take on the stitch. I used my new stencils to draw both heart and curvy lines.
The first time I used Portuguese Stem Stitch was during the Sumptuous Surface Embroidery course and like that time I used some pulled stitches here for the centre of the heart.
Friday, 17 May 2013
TAST #66 Coral Stitch
Here is a TAST stitch I am well familiar with, #66 Coral Stitch. It is much easier to do than the Scroll Stitch and immediately inspired me to work another piece for my Sumptuous Surface Embroidery sampler journal.
When I turned the work over and saw the straight stitches that had formed on the back I liked them so much that I worked quite a number of lines on the back to be displayed on the front as 'Back to Front Corals'.
These are the stitches I added to my TAST sampler
A couple of years ago I made a small quilt, 50x50 cm for the Yokohama International Quilt Week's Miniature contest. It is a 'fake' crazy quilt, a pattern of irregular crazy pieces painted with crayon onto a single piece of fabric and then embroidered on the 'seams'. Some seams have the Coral treatment:
If you want to see more examples of Coral stitches, or want to join in the fun of Take A Stitch Tuesday, click here.
These are the stitches I added to my TAST sampler
A couple of years ago I made a small quilt, 50x50 cm for the Yokohama International Quilt Week's Miniature contest. It is a 'fake' crazy quilt, a pattern of irregular crazy pieces painted with crayon onto a single piece of fabric and then embroidered on the 'seams'. Some seams have the Coral treatment:
Monday, 15 April 2013
SSE course completed
As I mentioned in a previous blog post I have been taking the excellent Sumptuous Surface Embroidery course that is run by Sharon Boggon over at Pintangle.
The first SSE embroidery I made was monotone and after reading all your kind comments I decided to name it Dancing Hearts instead of the less attractive Wonky Hearts - although I still think I should not have used Backstitch for the outlines; on counted linen they make any curve wonky, or have I missed something?
Anyway, the second part of the course is based on colour and my theme was the end of the cherry season with the petals falling off the trees. Right now 'yaezakura', or cherry trees with double flowers, are turning the air and streets of Tokyo pink.
A tree near my house makes the street look like this....
My second SSE piece is this scene: blue sky, sunshine, leaves, petals, wind, pink concrete, ground, gutter, puddle of rain water...
I've tried out many styles but it is only the bottom right corner that is really textured and sumptuous.
That must be the petals that have fallen into the gutter and got soaked in a puddle of water.
The first SSE embroidery I made was monotone and after reading all your kind comments I decided to name it Dancing Hearts instead of the less attractive Wonky Hearts - although I still think I should not have used Backstitch for the outlines; on counted linen they make any curve wonky, or have I missed something?
Anyway, the second part of the course is based on colour and my theme was the end of the cherry season with the petals falling off the trees. Right now 'yaezakura', or cherry trees with double flowers, are turning the air and streets of Tokyo pink.
A tree near my house makes the street look like this....
My second SSE piece is this scene: blue sky, sunshine, leaves, petals, wind, pink concrete, ground, gutter, puddle of rain water...
I've tried out many styles but it is only the bottom right corner that is really textured and sumptuous.
That must be the petals that have fallen into the gutter and got soaked in a puddle of water.
Sunday, 7 April 2013
TAST #60 Diamond Stitch
TAST stitch #60 is called Diamond Stitch.
Diamonds might be 'a girl's best friend', but the Diamond Stitch is not this girl's best friend! What a teaser, a real trickster...
On my sampler below I have a selection of real rough diamonds - off to Amsterdam with you to get a proper cut! I know several Dutch ladies who can hone anything with needle and thread!
Right now I am taking the Sumptuous Surface Embroidery course, and this week I worked a few samplers for my study journal. On one of them I tried out the Diamond Stitch again and with the aid of waste canvas underneath the tension was slightly easier to control.
Used as a filling stitch this could be good to depict a fishing net - a well-used one where you can see through which holes the fish have escaped, ha, ha!
Diamonds might be 'a girl's best friend', but the Diamond Stitch is not this girl's best friend! What a teaser, a real trickster...
On my sampler below I have a selection of real rough diamonds - off to Amsterdam with you to get a proper cut! I know several Dutch ladies who can hone anything with needle and thread!
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
WIPW - SSE embroidery
Since I completed the 'Bellaflora' quilt I have not worked on any of my UFOs for the Work In Progress Wednesday. Instead I completed the first part of the Sumptuous Surface Embroidery course I am now doing with Sharon Boggon.
It is a GREAT course which I warmly recommend to anyone who wants to 'keep on loading stitches' to a flat surface. Anything goes, and I tell you you can use up all those odd bits of thread, yarn, beads, buttons that might be cluttering your workroom.
First we learned a lot about design and I mean it I learned a lot!
In the first leg of the course we are working in monotone, and I had a lot of light blue and grey thread left from making TASTy bird; selecting the shade was easy!
It is a GREAT course which I warmly recommend to anyone who wants to 'keep on loading stitches' to a flat surface. Anything goes, and I tell you you can use up all those odd bits of thread, yarn, beads, buttons that might be cluttering your workroom.
First we learned a lot about design and I mean it I learned a lot!
In the first leg of the course we are working in monotone, and I had a lot of light blue and grey thread left from making TASTy bird; selecting the shade was easy!
The rectangle measures 17 cm x 12 cm.
Looking at it I can see I need to improve my linear stitching; should I name this piece Wonky Hearts? I need to take a lesson in Backstitch from the Queen of Backstitch, Jacquie Harvey!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)