Contemplating Embroidery

 

 

OK, I have to admit, I got a bit carried away.

I've come to realise that I can't do things in half measures, less is not more for me and I somehow can't do "simple" even if I start out thinking something will be "simple" it usually turns out not to be!

I belong to a group of lovely, crafty women. We chat daily online about the stuff we are making, offer advice and encouragement.  We all have varying abilities and interests and are dispersed across Europe, from England and Scotland, to the Netherlands and Belgium. 

 

In the beginning of 2012 we agreed to do an anonymous craft swap - the only conditions were that it would be something small and obviously hand made, and oh yes, it had to be done by Easter. 

 

I got really excited.  I wasn't sure what I was going to make, but I started stealthily checking out my recipients Pinterest boards for clues, admiring her photos on face book to glean ideas of what she might like and what her home decor was like.

 

A plan to make a cushion cover started to brew.

 

It was going to be easy.

It was going to be simple.

It was going to be finished in time for Easter!!!!

 

And then I got a bit carried away! 

I became really involved in the process of making this panel.  I decided I'd only make the front and my recipient would easily be able to turn it into a practical object when she'd received it.

You'll have to forgive the photo overload, but you know me, can't just do a simple post.... I tend to get a bit ...........

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking small as it lies on the virgin snow, the panel measures nearly 50cm x 50cm, give or take a bit. 

 

The following pictures show it off in greater detail and explain a bit about the process that went into making it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I began with this turquoise section.  I knew from research that my recipient liked Mexican tiles so I drew my inspiration from that...  I've done a lot of conventional applique, but never reverse applique, so for this part I thought I'd give that technique a try.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I started by drawing out the random motif, and then chose to do a scrappy patchwork background.  The deep pink centre pieces were unintentional but I accidentally (Oops!) cut through the background fabric and adding a second background was the outcome.  I decided it was "missing' something when I'd finished the applique but I discovered this lovely silky fuchsia embroidery floss which finished off the design nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Again, more random shapes, playing around with techniques and taking inspiration from Mexican/Inca images that I found in my research.  I completed the "branch" out of maroon corduroy and appliqued it on with my machine...then I hand embroidered the yellow squiggly line.  I'd not done much embroidery until this project and I was interested to learn a bit more than Back Stitch.  Perhaps that is why it became such an extended project - a kind of modern day embroidery sampler!   

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bird of prey..... Wow!  This seemed to take forever! I have a much deeper understanding and respect for people who do hand embroidery after attempting this bird in Satin Stitch.... I spent many a pleasant lunch hour in the park while my girls played, working on this section! 

This bird speaks to me of strength and grace - qualities which my recipient has in abundance and I wanted that to be reflected here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course all little birds need seed.... seed stitches that is!  I wanted to  somehow convey that things change, that we cannot keep everything the same and that sometimes things are beyond our control.  Like leaves being dispersed on the winds of change...

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, pushing the boundaries of what I already knew, I played around with my sewing machine's settings - this lovely dense zig-zag stitch was a revelation!  Is it only me that doesn't usually play around with the different stitches on their machines?  I think it works really well with the hand embroidery here.

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 My biggest difficulty with this project was tying all the different sections together.  I'm not convinced that I succeeded, but these swirls of seed stitches was an attempt at that..   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This rainbow row of French Knots is actually an attempt at a little message in Braille.  I was so worried that, like the guy who goes to get a tattoo done in Chinese characters and instead of  the end result reading as "fast and furious" it reads as "fat and foolish", the Braille would read as gibberish instead of the intended text:  "Trust In Fate".

I knew that my recipient and her husband had had these words tattooed on their wrists a while ago so I wanted to add those words in somewhere on this panel.... you see, they've had to put a great deal of trust in fate, as their little girl was born with some disabilities, one of which is blindness,  and they have had many sleepless nights and worry caring for her when she has been desperately ill. 

Luckily for me there are Braille translators on the WWW so I was able to get the text right.  I printed out the words to what I thought was a good size and then taped the little strip of paper to the cloth.  Then I could do the French Knots directly through the paper onto the cloth.  I must admit, it was the last thing I did on this panel and I procrastinated for weeks until I "just did it".  I was so worried I'd get in wrong!   I have been assured though, that it all reads as it should!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I positioned the Braille directly under these three leaves.  They are from left to right a Hazel leaf, a Rowan leaf and a Linden leaf.  They are my recipients children's namesakes - how cool is that!!

I LOVED doing this section.  Making these leaves gave me an opportunity to try out this technique I found here!  Except I used interfacing and ironed all my scraps onto that before sewing round and round in circles!  I'm so in love with this technique that NOTHING is thrown away any more!!!

I also had fun sewing the corderoy on to the base material....I simply sewed forwards and backwards until I was pleased with the outcome.  A bit of wannabe free motion embroidery!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I created the veins on the leaves using my machine - again I had a little printed image that I sewed directly over so that the leaves looked as close as they possibly could to the ones I was trying to portray.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was never sure of the strip of retro band I added on the side which my mother had given me from her stash in South Africa... it had a Mexican feel to it though and that is why I included it.

All in all I think I must have worked on this panel for about 6 months.  Not every night but quite a few nights and stolen hours here and there.  Now my bird has flown the coop and I sent it on its way with the proviso that my recipient could add to it, take it apart or keep it as it is and turn it into a cushion cover, picture or whatever she likes.  She is darned handy with a sewing machine and she'll do a fine job in finishing it off.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're anything like me and think that sometimes the back of a piece is more interesting than the front, then I've included these following pictures for you.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you've got this far, then thanks for taking the time to read this post!

 

Till next time.

 

xxx

Laura