Further shading

Working one colour into another is not as simple as stopping one colour, and then starting the next.  When I shade through colours, I would possibly have four different colours/needles working together at the same time, but I would lessen the first colour, increase the second and third, and introduce a forth, before finishing the first, and then repeat . . . 

If one colour is worked, then stopped, then the next and stopped, and so on, the shading will be striped throughout, rather than softly and gradually shaded throughout.

Blending tones of colour, the angle and length of stitch need to be considered also, especially when working around a curve.

Contemporary trellis work . . .

Beginning the trellis . . .

Basic running stitch across the trellis . . .

Using four colours . . .

Using heavy chain stitch for the edging . . . 

Running stitch outside the heavy chain stitch . . .

A Sue Stone workshop in Wooler, Northumberland . . .

woven strips of linen and cotton, embellished with contemporary hand stitch and free machine embroidery

detail of free machine embroidery - liberating!

contemporary hand stitch

free machine stitch and loose bobbin tension in two tone colour

sampler of free machine embroidery in two tone colour

sample of free machine embroidery in monotone

At the end of August, I attended a summer Embroiderers' Guild workshop in Northumberland with Textile Artist - Sue Stone.

It was great, inspiring and inspirational.

I am mainly a traditional embroiderer, but I never dismiss this style of contemporary embroidery as this only adds to my professional development, and I enjoyed every minute of it!