An alternative to trellis work . . .

Straight stitch - working with the twill weave of the fabric

Whenever I have any time, when not teaching, I try to return to this crewel work piece.  I am still playing around with a few ideas, including working with the twill weave of the fabric.  

Experimenting with trellis work . . .

Experimenting with Colour

So far . . .

Trellis work ideas

Working on some ideas for this crewel work design.  Still sampling colour, and different approaches to trellis work. 

Crathorne Bug - design and colour

Design

Colour ways

Stitch ideas

Colours

I was due to teach this design to a needlework touring group on the 1st October 2014 in Crathorne Hall Hotel in Yarm, North Yorkshire, except we had to evacuate as there was a fire in the roof, so I never actually starting teaching.

I promised the group that I would blog the working of the design once they were back home again (Australia, New Zealand, USA) - so here we go . . .

It may take me a little while to get going as I am mid-term with a load of students with day to day admin, but I will get there.

Above is the design, and my working drawings, and colour ideas.  

18th century waistcoat design and planning . . .

the design

the colours - possibly!

Here is the design, on a damask woven furniture fabric.  I want to create sumptuous, luxurious, richness - or that is my aim, anyway!  

Techniques to be explored are silk shading, gold work couching, surface stitching, button making, etc . . .

Dyed patching and piecing

here it is - dyed!

Sponge dyed with procion dyes on the Ruth Issett workshop - I used linen, cotton, silk, viscose and rayon fabrics and yarns.  I wanted a flood effect of colour merging through, and I may in the future embellish it further.  Still deciding!

Satin stitch and detail . . .

satin stitch and some detail
left hand side show a little of the split stitch which the satin stitch is worked over

satin stitch and close detail

satin stitch and closer detail

Further work on Nicola Jarvis's crewel work design with the deadline now looming!  This time I have included more detail on the small red leaves with stem stitch and a blue vein. Satin stitch worked over split stitch, almost completing that section of the design using another autumnal colour.

Twitter logo . . .

Petit point

my Twitter bird 

This design was taken from Les oiseaus de Marie-Thérèse Saint-Aubin. Marie-Thérèse's designs are so beautifully minimal and refined, that I decided to work my bird in Petit point, using silk threads I have acquired, on an old piece of fine open weave canvas, in the Twitter colours!
Follow me on twitter . . . 

Another glove . . .

my second glove, which includes . . .

bits and . . .

buttons

This is my second glove I worked on during the Mandy Pattullo workshop back in April.  It includes applied net, sequins, buttons, and various acquired bits!  I worked on a glove shaped template, which was coloured vilene - it was already coloured pink by Mandy.  I worked with a theme of red, black and pink, with a splash of dark deep green, as I was looking for a hot colour theme vaguely based on mediterranean/latin/spanish colours, and in complete contrast to my other glove.

Glove part II . . .

assembling the glove

petit point

This small project for me, was a real exercise in spontaneity, working with mixed media and thinking on my feet to see how different parts or elements of the design form together in a glove template shape.  I still have finishing touches to make, but it has been a very quick project, working with three main colours, including a soft grey, pink and off white, and simple stitches, but hopefully perfectly placed.  I was looking for the vintage aged look, and I selected threads fabrics, materials and bits which represented this, some of which comes from Mandy's stash which she very kindly let us use.

The border patterns came from a danish stitch book which I have acquired from somewhere - 'Book of Danish Stitchery' Danish Handicraft Guild, Designed by Gerda Bengtsson