Monday, October 13, 2008

Flower Embroidery #3

Well the embroidery is finished on all three designs - unless I add a name to each - am considering doing that in stem stitch. Despite my grumbling about the "pinkish" focus I have really enjoyed doing these and, surprisingly, was a little sad to add the last butterfly bead. The shape for this design came from a recent Ispirations but there the resemblance ends.
Adding the name in my own handwriting in stem or chain stitch has become an issue since I recently reread Claire Bloom's The Inspired Needle. I bought this book in 1962 (or so the flyleaf tells me) - and have read it many times over the years. A wonderful story about her life with a needle much of in wartime - if you can pick up a copy do so. Claire Bloom wrote mainly fiction but I also enjoyed her autobiography. She advocates using script, one's own, in embroidery.

Back to the cushions - I dug in my fabric stash and found pale green gaberdine for the cushion cover - a perfect colour, I think. Now I just have to make time for some machine sewing.
In the meantime I have been stitching a number of my TIF challenge embroideries to card - a job I hate, by the way - and will take some photos when the finished pieces are complete. This will be an embroidery Christmas!!! They might all encourage me to go back to weaving!
Also I have begun to sample Hardanger and started a new embroidery with French knots as the main texture stitch!!! Who promised herself to not start anything until she finished the previous piece? Just a collections of WIPs - however I am enjoying the ability to change direction . Also the hardanger is impossible to stitch correctly (and I quickly discovered it is impossible to fudge things in Hardanger!) without a magnifier so there are very definite limits to the length of stitching time.
For some unknown reason beyond my comprehension I have managed to add some text above the picture! Bloggerland is an amazing country!

7 comments:

Elizabeth Braun said...

Nice work and I esp. like the use of the butterfly beads.=) I'm hoping, (if I *ever* get time for it) to do some small embroideries with novelty beads as trims.

Ugh, I too have too many WIPs with my college course work being 3 samples behind (all need finishing off) and also having 2 other projects under way. I'll be glad to get caught up and some stuff done and cleared, so I can, one fine day, do something I want to - just for the fun of it!!

Paula Hewitt said...

very pretty. your granddaughters will be thrilled. I thought about doing the title of my fruit book in my own handwriting. my writing is atrocious but even worse in stitch - it seems to make it worse - plus it was hard to tell if the scrawly mess was due to my writing, or my poor stitching. so i cheated and used a font from word.....but you probably have nice copperplate.

ps. id love to borrow blooms book one day if i may...

Thelma said...

Very beautiful Maggie!

Susan Elliott said...

I like the idea of handwriting on my work...I"ll have to make a hunt at the library for that book...

My favorite part of this embroidery is the little periwinkle smyrna crosses...I think they add a happy element.

Mermaid's Purse said...

This is very, very pretty! I have been tagged on my blog to reveal 7 random facts about myself and ask 6 other bloggers to do the same. Would you like to be tagged? I won't be offended if you would rather not.

Jane said...

This must have been a pleasure to stitch. it's beautiful

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Hi Marg
Thanks so much for the comment on my blog, which in turn has led me to discover yours! I can tell I'm going to like visiting here, if the first post I've seen is any indication. Your work is gorgeous!!
Cheers
Mary Anne