Catching up with bits from 7th Feb

French Knots on the centre hillock!  Now you see them… 

And out they came!!!!  Which left me with a quandary; what should I do instead – well that’s a decision to put on the back burner for now….

Having completed the diagonals in class, the homework was to get on with the Burden stitch.  I decided to work the burden stitch in three textures to produce some variation across the left hand hillock.  Starting with two strands of the Light Effects E5200, merging into one strand of E5200 with one strand floss, merging into one strand floss with one strand S5200, then two strands S5200.  The French Knots on the middle hillock had been cut out so the next decision was what should replace them.  I wanted a lighter more open texture for the appearance of a hillock in the distance;  Next piece for homework to practise a pulled work stitch.

Hooray!!!! the central hillock is complete – I used Wave Stitch with one strand of S5200.  Rather than use a solid trailing for the edges  I have laid two strand of S5200, couched down with one strand of E5200 every two threads.  The left hand hillock is similar but with four stands of S5200.  The edges are less prominent than the stems, and have a sparkle to them!

Now they are finished there is a bit of a mess on the back of the work which needs tidying up to secure all the loose threads.

Now I have to get on with the rest of the trailing to try to get finished before the next lesson with Tracy on 28 Feb.

This is what should have been posted two weeks ago, but I forgot all about writing up the blog. 

The weather outside is atrocious.  We  have 30cm of snow in the back garden, and as I write this there is a massive blizzard bowing.  I have wimped out of going to Tracy’s even though it is just over half a mile away.  The road to the front of the house is completely blocked – not a single car in the street has been moved today!  It’s a day to stay inside and keep warm.

More Reverse Stitching!!!

First lesson of a new term, continuing with the whitework.  During the winter break I thought I had made quite a bit of progress, but had paused for a while as I was not completely satisfied with the Burden Stitch on the left-hand hillock despite three attempts at trying to do it.  So discussion with Tracy and Yes out it came completely.  We agreed that the diagonal bars were just too heavy!  Tracy suggested that I stitch a horizontal and vertical grid with a very fine lace thread  as guide lines for my diagonals.  The thread is so fine it is almost invisible, but is doing the job!  By the end of the day I had managed to get the new diagonal bars in, this time stitched with 1 strand of cotton floss.  Homework is to finish the burden stitch.  Photos to follow...

Progress from December and early January

There's been a bit of gap with recording my progress.  Most of my homeworks have been trying to do more trailing and practising the weaving on the drawn thread work for hillocks.  Although I like the texture this creates I am not convinced it will be right for this piece of work.  So I am revising my thoughts on this.

In the mean time I have finished the calices on the top motifs:  

The padding is Perle No5, this was worked on one half for the shape then covered with satin stitch in No.16 Coton à Broder.  The satin stitch was worked on a steep diagonal from the centre line to the tip, carefully keeping the diagonals in keeping with the curved shape.  Then work the opposite side of the shape in a similar way.   I worked the calix that appears to be behind the others first.   

I'm pleased I have finished these as they have taken a long time for me to get going on them.

The left hand stem has also been completed.  Working the raised chain band.  Split stitch the outline as usual.  Using Perle No. 5 for the bars, work from the lower end, where the horizontal bars are 4 threads apart, slightly adjusted to a diagonal around the curve, at the top of the stem, bars are three threads apart.  Begin raised chain band from the top and work downwards.  Stitched with Perle No.8.  Two long lines stitched full length of the stem, pushed to the outer edges of the shape.  A third line introduced part way down the stem (from the top) to fill the centre of the stem.  A fourth, then fifth line introduced on either side of the centre line to fill the stem.  The split stitch then covered with trailing.

Now I have finished the stems I can think about the hillocks.  Having rejected the weaving I have planned for something more conventional.  There will be some kind of trellis work, Burden stitch and knots for the three hillocks based on Crewel work designs and stitches.  

The right-hand hillock was inspired by an image of a fish in one of Tracy’s books (I forgot to note which book it was!!).  I like the double thread diagonal trellising with vertical crosses securing the threads.  I plan to work the trellis in No. 20 Coton à Broder (8 threads apart), with the crosses worked with diamant. I'm still practising the burden stitch for the left hand hillock to work out the spacings.  I also need to practise the French and Bulion knots for the middle hillock.

I of course got side-tracked with the collection of books on Tracy’s shelves and made an instant purchase of “Crewel Work in England” by Joan Edwards (1975).  Not only does this have a good section on the history of English embroidery in addition to crewel work it also has some very good ideas for stitching different motifs (and very good line drawings) from the Jacobean period and more modern ideas.