Gold Work Embroidery Sampler

Do you think I can just read a book ?  Nope ... Need to practise

I find this lovely Jacobean Leaf in the internet which had been worked in gold work so I had resisted the temptation for bout few months for now . Yesterday could not take it any more , I had to start this leaf and by now I probably have about half of the design. Did not follow the actual design only the main lines and I do my own thinks trying to actually practise few of the stitches from the book.

Here is to see my struggle with the Japanese thread , some pearl purl around the edges and a bit of Milliary.

The Kid in this picture had been applied just flat and a bit of Roccoco couched with DMC cotton .
The little french knots had been made with metallic thread .
The colours are actually green . don't know way but in my PC they show to be blue bit no they are green.

 A bit of scrunched kid

 Then felt padded cover with cut work of smooth  purl

This last one is actually two layers of felt padding cover in Kid and with pearl purl around

Already can't wait to finish it.
I think practise will make them perfect or near to be perfect.

Happy crafting all
 Hugs
Renata

Hearts and more hearts for a quilt

Yes lots of hearts to finish the embroidery on them for a quilt for my daughter.

I am not so sure about the last one but not to worry as I do have plenty patches to do .
I would love to finish this one this year and in special because I want to actually quilt it with maybe some feather design. All my quilts up to this time was actually quilt on the ditch not quite a proper quilting technique.
I actually have about 7 hearts done and still need 6 more , will see this are just to relax.
Somebody ask me what I am doing in my time free? What time free I say . For me sewing ,beading and crocheting is my life  .
I am breathing when I have a needle of some sort in my hand .

Happy crafting all
Hugs
Renata

Practicing

I have to keep going on and practise my stitches. Using different kind of fabrics as base for my projects is make me to have a feel like I never done this stitches .
For example :
Short and long stitch :
          smooth and nice in the leaf done in linen twill

nice and tide in a normal cotton fabric like in the petals of the flower below

and not so easy and smooth on linen union

But as they say practise make it perfect.
So I will keep going for the moment.
Ha ... Just realise I can see the design lines . I swear when you looking at the sewing you can't see anything.
OK on more think to  think about to do an outline to cover this mess.

happy crafting all

hugs

Renata

New Crewel Embroidery project

Just had finish my first crewel embroidery project and already jumped to the next two
I had to order some wool so at first I try to deal with mounting the twill in the working frame and pouncing the design and painting . Did not realise but the paint I had was a bit to light so I will have a little of a struggle to see the design.Lucky I usually don't cry to much if I have to do something with no pattern / design .
This is what I come up with :

It looks a bit shrunk comparative with the design on the paper but I definitely had follow the drawing when I transferred it .
Already can't wait for the wool to come and is about 10 days until I hope they will send plus few more days on the post.
Then I had started something else - a sampler which I hope to send in RSN for the Sampler competition. You see I am a bit fussy if I don't like it at the end I don't dare to send it on .
I will give you just a pica boo as I don't think would be normal to show it

ha ha ... did you get it ? no this is good

I promise I will show you the progress in the second project which I only painted for now.

happy crafting all
Hugs
Renata

Crewel work a flying stitch

I have to say this lovely technique which is the crewel work start to captivate me even if the wool thread is getting on my nerves most of the time .
I actually have help too ,Tiger ,as you can see . I have to presume he like a lot the Blue range and Red range colours.
Ha ha ... he is like his mammy loving rich bright colours

I made a very good progress in the project and as you can see from the pics below I did need only 10 more minutes last night to finish it but it was to many for my eyes. So tonight will be the big night to finish . And when I am thinking I still have 4 days to work on this project when I go to Hampton I really do not know what to do . I may start another one just for the fun of doing something when I am there.

I am hoping I did a good job and will not need to pick off any stitches when I go to London .

Will keep in touch and let you know how I am getting on with this one.

Happy crafting all and hugs
Renata

''Crewel twists'' my starting bible

I believe this is the second time when I am telling you about this amazing book, my first attempt was in a blog post from 17th July 2013.
My first attempts to crewel embroidery have been made after I have bought

by Hazel Blomkamp

I had found a great review of this book in a very well known site needlenthread.com  and I have to say this book actually is more than my expectation. Learn a lot from the patterns from the book and to say the truth I did not even follow the color scheme from the book ( economical reasons). Decided I want only to practice the technique in preparation to my Royal School of Needlework  courses. 

Here are few pics of my first steps .

I actually plan to get back to this book and do all the patterns in there in a more professional manner after I fill finish the Certificate in RSN . I actually find more exciting to work with cotton and the needle lace on the top of the design is more in tune with my other love - needle lace making .

Anyway happy crafting all
Renata

Royal School of Needlework

 

Finally I did made my self some courage and started the Certificate course with  Royal School of Needlework. At first I did feel like I go no where with my project in special when you had in mind to do Goldwork and been put back in your place  and told NO your are going to start with crewel work. Hmm... never heard to much about crewel work I think lots of embroiderers prefer some more fussy stiles : goldwork, silk painting , stumpwork or canvas work.

I must tell you is very very catching this crewel work and I think I start to fail for it.

 My project started with a nice simple plan ( maybe to many thinks drawn in ) but in esence I had a clear picture in my head what stitches to do and how.

Then the fun begin - having spend 4 days in Hampton I had 2 tutors at least per day and each had different ideas.

Not like they had bad ideas but I was to over whelm to tell them to stop changing thinks around so now I am totally confuse what to do as the drawing is having few stitches in top of each other

So I decided : I will do what I like 

here are few starting pictures

I wish I can add more thinks on the project but already is a bit to busy by what I saw in internet to other students. I may try to do a second one just for fun and practise.

Happy crafting all
Renata

Anatomy of a stitch - bullion stitch

This stitch can be tricky at first, but practise will make you a pro in no time. As since it is such a unique stitch, I think it's well worth the effort!

Bring the needle up through the fabric where you want the bullion stitch to attach to.

Push the needle through the fabric about 1/4" away from where you came up. (Do not pull your needle all the way through.) This should be placed where you want the stitch to end. Bring your needle up through your original hole. Again, leave your needle woven in the fabric.

 we wrap thread around a needle  how many times you want so the stitch to have a good lent

Hold the wraps against your fabric with the thumb of one hand, while you gently pull the needle through the wraps and the hole it is in. This is the hardest part of the stitch and something you'll get more comfortable with after some practise. Gently work the thread until the wraps are laying flat on your fabric.

Now you move to the next stitch 

There are some examples of using this beautiful stitch.

Happy crafting all

Hugs 

Renata

Small thinks

Have no idea what just come over me to crochet like a mad one flowers for hair pins . I just keep going like is no tomorrow and now I actually have nearly a box full with hair pins , bobbins and hair bands

Anyway in top of this manage to do some more work to my Flowercopia ... ha ha ..Yes made up the word and I actually intend to keep it for my final piece

OK I  just realise actually I start and have a good bit done from the basket but just did not manage to do pictures today . I will come soon with more updated pics.

Happy crafting all
Renata