I collected together a range of yarns that I thought would work for this exercise. They were ribbon, wool, silk tops and sari silk in a range of colours and textures.
I was really excited at the thought of putting these together and using a wide zigzag stitch, they were attached to a piece of black felt supported by pelmet Vilene. I left a fringe at the bottom and the threads at that top, which I tied together to hang them until I put them in my book
Page 47. Couching the Yarn to the background
Again using black felt and Vilene as the background and support, yarns were stitched using zigzag and automatic patterns, some horizontal, some vertical, woven into each other, knotted and with a gathered ribbon, stitched centrally. In the main, contrasting colours were used to create vibrancy. The yarns used were sari waste, sari silk, gathered ribbon, wool tops and differently textured wools. The various automatic stitches used were an automatic vermicelli, a round pattern and star pattern which works very well. I like the effect of this piece.
Page 48. Ideas to try, presser foot on
In the style of Bridget Riley
Using white calico supported on white felt, black thick cotton based wool was stitched in the style of Bridget Riley with black thread using a zigzag stitch. The wool was guided into the stitch as corners were turned.
I don't think that the same optical effect was achieved and on reflection should probably have made a smaller sample and stitched the lines closer together.
Page 49. Black wool couched onto calico using zigzag stitch
Layers and stitch
As I had used weaving in the previous couching piece with horizontals and verticals, I felt that the brief for this sample had been met.
Ideas to try with 'free embroidery'
Bits and bobs
I found a picture of a meadow that I liked and felt would transfer well into stitch as a source. I used a random dyed felt as the background and supported this with pelmet Vilene.
Page 49. The source photograph
Choosing wools, ribbons, silk and other yarns, I cut them into little pieces and in little bundles of colours. I used a temporary spray glue on the felt and using fingers and tweezers, put the snippets in place. For flower stalks, I use a longer piece of yarn.
Page 50. Snippets of yarn on felt
In general, a random 'vermicelli' type stitch was used to hold pieces down. The little snippets tried to escape and needed to be pushed into place with scissor tips. Turning the piece over, I drew on the back the approximate placement of the more visible flower stalks and used a DMC 8 to cable stitch the stems.
Snippets stitched in place
This was a pleasurable piece to make and I am pleased with the result. The feeling of a meadow has been captured.
Using design source to inspire texture
As my design source I chose an image of a poppy as it had a variety of textures
Plan
Image - red poppy
Fabric - Random dyed felt backed with felt and red and green velvet to create a base for the poppy and pod.
Colours - Red, green. black, purple, cream, pink
Stitches - cable in purple on seed pod, with whip stitch to create the circular feel to the top of the pod. Feather stitch for petal edges; chenille cabled for the raised lines on the seed pod and tops of stamens. Free zigzag for spiky hairy bits on pods and leaf.
Order of work - Draw elements of the flower and leaf; use random dyed felt on white felt; collect threads; stitch velvet onto felt creating folds and curves; add stitching to make texture
Quick sketch of the poppy
I liked the poppy as it is so didn't deconstruct it. I decided to allow the velvet to create some of the texture and see how it looked.
The first stitched sample
I stitched this first sample nd whilst I was really pleased with the outcome an it is heavily stitched in the central area and lightly stitched on the petals, I felt that there was insufficient stitched so used the contours of the velvet and deeper reds to stitch the deep contours; lighter red to stitch the external contours of the petals; whip stitch in a pale cream to bring the seed pod out a bit more and the same pale thread to give the green bottom left, which is the flower case falling away, more texture and a feeling of bristliness.
Page 50. The completed sample
Evaluation
Image
Plan - to use an image of a red poppy. Evaluation - I used the poppy image as it was hoping that the petals, pod and leaf would cease a textured image
Textures
Plan - Soft, smooth, hard, sharp, spiky. Evaluation - I think that these textures have been achieved
Fabric
Plan - Felt to ground the piece and velvet to create the smooth basis for the flower. Evaluation - The felt worked as it made the flower sit in an appropriate background that reflected a garden. The velvet worked although it was too dominant as the texture in the first sample and but created lovely contours under the stitching.
Colours
Plan - red, green, black and purple. Evaluation - I added pale green/yellow, pink and yellow to bring out the highlights on the flower.
Stitches
Plan - cable on the seed podhead and possible whip stitch for the pod; cabled chenille for the stamens; feather and whip stitches for the seed pod and details. Evaluation - The cable stitch with chenille didn't work as the chenille was too thick and close together, so a thinner yarn was used Most other stitches worked as I had planned.
Order of work
Draw the shapes before I made the sample. Evaluation - This enabled me to get to know the work before I stitched
Find background background. Evaluation - The background fabric came from Winifred Cottage and the velvet little pieces from my fabrics
Collect selection of threads. Evaluation - I used about nine different threads
Stitch outline of plant shapes. Evaluation - I used the velvet stitched loosely to the felt to create my outlines. On reflection, perhaps I should have only used stitch and not a fabric to create some of the texture
Add stitching to create texture. Evaluation - I really enjoyed making decisions as to which stitch would work to create depth, shadow, sharpness, softness and shape. I used straight, whip, feather, granite and zigzag
A most enjoyable chapter
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