WIP Wednesday
September 18, 2013
It works!!
Being part of this Work in Progress Wednesday sees me finish my first piece on the list. The sample for the "Exploring More Stitches" Class. I have been working like one possessed, mainly because students what to know in advance what will be in the class.
I should explain. I already had a project for this class but I had taught it for a while and thought it needed to be updated. Easier said than done. I ordered the linen and waited and waited and waited, it just didn't come. Time was running out, so into my stash to find enough of one fabric for 12 students. The only thing I had was "Osnaburg" cotton that had a seeded finish. It had to be something that fitted this 'rustic' type of fabric.
The design I settled on was one based on leaf litter. (The Champer Laurel trees are dropping their leaves at the moment and became part of my inspiration.) Then I took a left turn. I had some leaf fabric that I have to use for my Xmas challenge piece for my Patchwork group and thought I would make a cover for a book of poems about leaves. (Hang in there this isn't logical.) So these two separate things decided the design.
After stitching the piece the stitches looked good but the piece looked flat and two dimentional.
So I added some thin wadding to the back and quilted around some of the leave to put it into relief. Still looked flat.
What it needed was shading to give depth. I then decided to draw on the fabric. OMG heart in the mouth time. I tryed it on the paper drawing first. Then to the embroidery. All that work could be ruined in a single stroke and I would have to start again. By a happy accident I found that if you rubbed the colour quickly it would blend. But I couldn't leave it like that. It looked like I had drawn on the fabric with pens, which I had.
So then I decided on a horizontal running stitch over the colour using a very fine silk overdyed thread and am quilte pleased with the result. (It is a similar technique to that used in thread painting in machine embroidery.) But, it still just looked like leaves. So some critters were added, ants and a centipede. When I looked again at the ants they only had four legs, so I quickly added another pair.
Then I put it onto the challenge fabric and it looked horrible so I choose another. I will have to think of something else for that challenge but I have finished the first piece on the list.
Wow, Carolyn!
It is wonderful to see what an impact the WIPW has!
I have enjoyed looking at the leaves in previous postings, but seeing them together,and with the clever paint/stitch shading and the small insects, is a delight. The perfect stitched motif for that type of fabric.
Posted by: Queeniepatch | September 18, 2013 at 09:56 AM
Carolyn I'm in awe of you're skills, energy and how much you get done. You're a powerhouse!
This design is great and I'm sure the class will be fun and interesting for everyone.
Carmen Z
Posted by: carmen z | September 18, 2013 at 12:52 PM
The shadows do make a great difference - and as you say, great to get something finished!
Posted by: Rachel | September 19, 2013 at 05:20 AM