Finished the Opera House

My last piece associated with the Sumptuous Surfaces course is complete.

I have struggled with this one - I think abstract designs are easier to do. I spent half the time stitching and unpicking and restitching. However I think I am happy with the finished piece.

I tried 2 new pulled thread stitches but otherwise anything new got removed. My fingers don't seem to do exactly what my brain tells them. Maybe I just need lots more practice.

I do like Pulled Thread work and intend to try out more of these stitches - maybe a set of samplers like the illustrated ones in Mary Thomas. My next project is to do some blackwork - I am fascinated in how it can be used to give incredible shading. Some of the work I have found in books is so beautiful.

The correct orientation!

Amazing what a good night's sleep can do for your brain!

I worked out how to get the image I wanted. Quite simple really!

This looks more like it should. I have not done any more to it since yesterday - I am making very slow progress with this piece.

A fortnight's work!!!

There is not very much to show for nearly a fortnight's stitching. However there has been much more work done - I needed to do a certain amount of unpicking before I was satisfied.

I really enjoy doing pulled thread work . My black and white version of Mary Thomas's stitch dictionary has some beautiful sampler illustrations of pulled thread work. I wish I owned her embroidery book as well as her dictionary!

I am not sure where I go from here - some pulled satin at the bottom for a start. This piece is definitely changing as I go along.

I will have to try to get a scan that is not a mirror image also!

Four coloured double weave

The first image is of the vest fabric where I used 2 grey wefts - the second uses a pink and blue for the wefts and a different treadling sequence. With the enormous hiatus between weaving the two sections I am not sure how much warp is left . There may be sufficient to try another combination of colour and treadling - I hope so. I guess one could call these "full sized samples" - the only size I seem to produce these days for my weaving. Since I use 2/20 mercerised cotton for most of my weaving I am comfortable with how the yarn will weave up and the only surprise is how the pattern turns out on the loom as opposed to the computer view. My designing is done on PCW and/or Weaveit Pro.

Meanwhile I keep practising my embroidery stitches!

Weaving again!!!!

No I have not given up blogging - just been busy.

Yes, I am back on the loom. I thought that I might have forgotten how but it doesn't quite work like that. I do manage to drop the shuttle occasionally but that is just clumsiness.

I have retied the 4CDW black and white warp that was originally intended for Pete's vest - his birthday present. I used two greys in the weft and got my "skink" fabric. Photos will follow in the near future - of both fabrics, not the vest unfortunately, as I forgot to take one of it before I gave it away. For the second section of the warp I have changed the treadling and weft colours - it is so interesting. I am still addicted to 4CDW - the colour interactions mean one never gets bored.

However since I find that I can't weave for very long each day I have been back sampling stitches. I want to try as many pulled work stitches as I can before I start the Opera House.

The picture above is my latest sample piece - I used it to help make decisions for the Butterfly Effect as well as my pulled stitches. I don't cover much ground in any one day but I am learning (and increasing that vocabulary). I had quite a bit of trouble with Pulled Honeycomb but think it was conquered eventually.

Sometimes I wonder if a sample piece is not similar to a dye cloth used to wipe up the spills - almost a composition in its own right!

I have also been rereading some of the needlework books off my bookshelf . I am finding I am approaching these differently after having done the Sumptuous Surfaces course. The Needlework School has an interesting contemporary blackwork piece illustrated. This has piqued my interest.

So there is plenty to learn.

A slightly improved image

Making scans of embroidery pieces is not easy! I increased the resolution slightly and took it out of the hoop to see if I could improve the situation.

Now that I have two postcard-sized embroideries it will be interesting to see how they can be framed. This won't be easy as both are quite heavily textured - the first one even so more than this.

Second piece complete

At last I think I am finished! Here is the "Butterfly Effect".

I am not totally happy with the scan but it certainly gives the general idea.

I found this piece quite confrontational, especially while I added the textural bits which represented the emerging tumours.

This course has been very exciting. Six weeks well spent. The course was very well designed. Sharon Boggon did a great job. The lessons I will print out and get bound for future reference. I learnt a tremendous amount about design, in general, and about embroidery, in particular. Now hopefully I can apply some of the design techniques to further embroidery but also to my weaving.