Deer oh deer

Summer holidays have a significant impact on any creative activities.  However I have found time to knit this stag head for my Mum and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary.  I believe my Dad may have coveted antlers on the wall for many years, and I think this is the closest he is going to get!

 

This pattern is by Claire Garland free from Ravelry and can be found at  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/my-dear---a-deer-trophy.

 

 

 

Production Line

Ellis asked me to make some little pencil cases / make-up bags to give to her friends at school, asa this is the last few weeks of their term together.   Makes a nice change from hand stitching, these hotch potch designs were made up en masse from a pack of Moda quilting fabric layer cake 'Dilly Dally'.

 

 

Drawn Thread Embroidery

I've been experimenting with some other traditional hand stitch techniques, with the aim to learn new techniques and to then consider how these methods could be used and applied in a contemporary manner. 

 

Drawn thread embroidery is a counted thread technique, one of the oldest forms of openwork embroidery.  The work involves the cutting and removal of some of the threads in the fabric which are then stitched to create patterns, positive stitches and negative spaces.

 

The sample I created is stitched on an evenweave linen fabric of 28 threads per inch.  Evenly woven fabric is essential for this method to work as you have to count the number of threads to cut, sew etc.

I have to admit this method is a bit of a killer and a strain on the eyes!!  Although I like the outcome I would like to try it on a fabric with a lower thread count, and even further wonder if it would be possible to stitch metal gauze or similar to create 3D pieces.  

 

Here is the sample, one photo with a 50p piece to illustrate how small and intricate the sample is! 

 

 

 

The New Crewel

I've been experimenting with crewel embroidery technique, using crewel wool thread, rather than stranded cotton which I am used to.  I thought I should familiarise myself with this style of embroidery having referred to my projects as worked in this manner.  Crewel embroidery is defined as a type of surface stitching worked in crewel wool; the embroidery is much thicker and heavier than other types of embroidery, and the stitching lies above the background fabric, not just on it .  Having read up on this, I think purists would also say that it should be stitched on linen fabric!  I never realised that the Bayeux tapestry is in fact the Bayeux crewel embroidery, although it doesn't have such a good ring to it! 

I taken have some exercises from the book 'The New Crewel' by Katherine Shaughnessy and practised some of her designs which are conpemporary in nature,  although I feel a little limited on the range of stitches used.

 

 

Inspiration

I wonder why I search for unusual inspiration for my projects when sometimes things are right under my nose...in the garden!

 

 

Mary, Duchess of Norfolk

I'm not very good at updating my blog, but this is a brilliant example of why I should......  One of my previous textile pieces was based on my family ancestors, the Blounts of Sodington.  Whilst googling, Nicola (her job description is Research & Conservation of Historic Textiles) found my blog and contacted me.  She sent me a copy of the article below which is a historic embroidery by Mary, Duchess of Norfolk who was a Blount descended from the same Sodington line as me!  In fact Mary and I are second cousins 8X removed (but I didn't get a title)!  How fantastic is this?  Before I've even had the chance to see these embroideries in real life, I've already had tonnes of ideas and inspiration for next years projects (even if I had said I was trying to avoid historical influences - for a change) but I can't resist this!

Professional Project - Done!

Apologies the blog has gone pretty much the same direction as normal home life, limited cooking, no cleaning and just loads of hand stitiching.  In summary this is about teeth, bones and isotopes!