Creative Allsorts: C&G level 2, Module 2, Chapter 5 complete

Textured tassel

First resolved sample for this module is a 'texture and line with the foot on the machine' and the chapter states to make a tassel with automatic patterns and cable stitch.

I looked at any 'tasselly' images I had and decided to use the inspiration from the previous chapter and thought to design a tassel with a fuchsia.

I made a drawing of how I thought I might approach the tassel using.

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So I drew the flower/tassel on the right of the page and then mentally dissected it into parts I could stitch to re-create as a 3D sample. I had thought to make this quite small but when I considered the use of felt as a base and thick yarn to stitch, I reconsidered and factored the sizes of each of the elements larger but still in scale.

So I re-drew the flower in its different elements and thought about how t would work.

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So, I have the small petals and the skirt and I enlarged them both by one centimetre around their edges and cut these out to draw around on to the felt.

I then cut out all the pieces I would need to see if it would all work together

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I put all the elements together with a micro-stitch as the sellotape or masking tape just didn't work.

I used a white drawing pencil and transferred the petals and skirt to black felt as I knew I could make it work but then had to decide what stitches I would use. The instruction was that 'automatic and cable' were to be used, so I tied a few automatic patterns on the felt with a hemp thread and some DMC 8. Both would work but as I had a limited amount of hemp and a large range of colour and amount of the DMC, I decided that this was what I would use for the sample.

Page 38 Vermicelli and star patterns, back of sample

Page 38 Vermicelli and star patterns, right side, stitched with hemp cord

Page 38 Vermicelli, star and a loopy automatic pattern, right side

Page 38 Wrong side in DMC 8

So I decided I would use DMC size 8 in a range of colours using the automatic patterns in the skirt and a straight cable on the petals. The stamens and stigma of the flower would be cable zigzagged sari silk which matched the colours of the flower and the loop in green sari silk also cable zigzagged but in green to match the top of the flower.

Page 38 Underskirt petals

I stitched five petals to make the skirt and machine stitched them together first fixing them with a micro-stitch to hold them. The last one was hand sewn in place. I used magenta for the loopy stitch, fuchsia pink (just because I should) for the zigzag and a deeper purple for the star pattern. I interlaced the patterns but wanted there to be forms only just overlapped them allowing the more 3D contours to emerge.

Page 38 The five top petals in variegated DMC

So then I stitched the top petals on the pre-marked black which was sewn as before unsupported. I started with the green top of the flower and used a paler variegated green in touching straight lines of cable stitch, stitching in shapes to create a contoured effect. The middle green element was stitched in a darker green as it would have been a newer brighter 'leaf'. I used the same principles for the pink petal shapes, the older tip being paler and the newer element of the flower in darker pink. Again I used shaping to give a 3D effect.

Page 40 The finished sample

I had stitched the five external petals together having initially fixed them with the micro-stitch and then machine stitched apart front he final piece which was hand-stitched to join them all. I tied knots in the end of the sari silk cords I had made and made them into a tassel using the green sari silk cord as the loop. The top of the stitched external petals was stitched together to enclose the top of the tassel and hold the whole flower as one.