My first task for this chapter was to get together a selection of thicker threads, ribbons, wools etc to meet the brief. I found some chenille at reduced cost in the local haberdashers and bought one of each cone once I had sampled it on the machine to ensure that it would feed from the bobbin. I bought fine ribbon and peele cotton, all of which tested well. I also got 30 Madeira threads.
I hand filled the bobbins with a range of thicker threads, hooped or pelmet Vilened my fabrics and started on a new venture. I have two bobbin cases, one standard and one to modify, so I tested the thicker threads in the modified bobbin, loosening tension until the yarn came through without much resistance and using the back of the fabric, did some test samples.
Page 28 - Sample 1
Using chenille (top 3 rows) , knitted ribbon (4th row) embroidery cotton (5th and 6th rows), and metallic cords (7th and 8th rows), presser food on, I used straight and zigzag, machine vermicelli, circles and waves. The machine coped well. I used unsupported calico in a hoop for this sample.
Page 28 - Sample 2.
Using a piece of upholstery fabric; I buy dated sample books from my local curtain and paint shop. lovely Pippa keeps them for me, I free embroidered crossed zigzags, Vermicelli, granite stitch, dots and lines and wavy lines. No broken needles (yet).
Page 28. Sample 3
Trying out another fabric, I used a piece of random dyed velvet and stitched, cord (top), chenille (2nd row), metallic cord (3rd/4th/5th rows) using different patterns, then paper string in two patterns (bottom 2 rows).
I then chose and trimmed some sari silk and decided which yarns I would used for the stitching
Page 29. Sample 4
Using calico and Bondaweb as supports, sari silk was fused in stripes and stitched with a range of free embroidered yarns. The top row was stitched with ribbon in wavy lines, the second row with knitted ribbon, the third (sienna) right hand in peele and left hand (green) perle, Right hand metallic cord, then more knitted ribbon, then yellow reel in little circles, green peele in straight line, cord then knitted ribbon in wavy zigzags, chenille in wavy zigzags, metallic cord in spirals, peele in vermicelli and a bit of whip, feather stitch, and orange peele in waves and circles. There were a couple of broken needles in this sample but I really liked the outcome and I tried a few yarns that failed as they were too thick and the machine was not at all happy with them so unpicked.
The next exercise was to create a 16 square grid and stitch in different thicknesses of threads in five colours. I drew my patterns to stitch and chose my five colours.
Page 30 -the design grid
I chose designs that I hoped would work with the thicker threads
Page 30 - Orange sample
My first sample was in orange using peele cotton, metallic cord, ribbon and chenille
Page 30 - Green sample
For this sample wool, ribbon, peele cotton and chenille were used
Page 31 - Pink sample
Again, perle cotton, ribbon and embroidery thread were used for this sample
Page 31 - Purple sample
The same range of thicker threads were used for this sample - ribbon, chenille and peele cotton
Page 31 - Blue sample
Again, chenille, ribbon and peele cotton were used for this sample.
I have left all of these sample on a heater area of calico as they will work well together at some time in the future to be brought together as 'something else'
The next exercise was to find an image of a seed pod - I chose a poppy head
Page 32 - poppy head in cable stitch
I chose a poppy head chose a batik fabric and marked my design with air erasable pen on the back of the fabric. Stitching on the back if the fabric and using cable stitch, I used wool for the top of the poppy head (the pepper pot element) and free embroidery I cable stitched the outline in blue and the seed (container) in a variegated thread with long cable stitches
Page 32 - voided poppy head
Then the next exercise was to void the poppy head and use cable stitch in the background. I chose another piece of batik and using ribbon, knitted ribbon and perle cotton stitched in tonal yarns.
Using stitches from Chapter Three and Four
The exercise was to select an image from source materials. I chose a fuchsia flower head as my image and made a drawing onto Stitch'n'Tear and cut out two images to use as masks
Page 33 - fuchsia images
Page 33 - Source photograph of fuchsias
I selected my fabric and threads and put the Stitch'n'Tear on the reverse side, then stitched through in a long straight stitch to set the image.
I really love tight free embroidery so decided to apply this for my image but in order to meet the objectives, I also used vermicelli and grannie stitch in the sample.
Page 33 - sample
So, I used granite stitch for the main body of the flower using tonal threads in the purples x 3 and a variegated thread for the top element of the flower. I had cabled the outline in peele cotton and filled the stamens with short straight stitches in a pale pink an then vermicelli around the image in a variegated thread which matched tonally.
Using stitches, a second piece
The final exercise was to use the fuchsias as voided areas. I created two transfer painted pages and using one made the base fabric and one the overlay with masks. I made one mask but wanted to make a larger piece of fabric that would fit my large hoop so made another. The first was a piece of polyester satin using the duller back as the base of the pattern
Page 34 - Base layer 1
Page 34 - Base layer 2
Page 35 - Masked satin polyester
I decided to use a larger piece of fabric and used a piece of polyester cotton, which I had not died to disperse paint for before and having successfully transferred the images, transferred with base one and masked with base two, I then used the fuchsias as voided images and used a tonal pink and blue to surround some of the colours in the fabric, a variegated thread for vermicelli around the image, feather stitch on the end of the stamens and whip stitch for the bottom edge of the flowers .
I really, really enjoyed this chapter and gained a great deal of experience and pleasure from it. I now look forward to making a tassel in Chapter 5.
Page 35 - final sample Chapter 4
