Module 3 Chapter 4

Decorate with stitchery

Much as I love the "paperwork" side of these modules, it is lovely to be stitching again.

Firstly a series of small hand stitched spirals (stitched area about 17cms square), all worked in the hoop. So, in the order I stitched them:

• bottom right - 2 lines of running stitch worked from the inside out. The second row, the pale pink rayon thread, echos the first line, which is green coton-a-broder,  but is a different rythm.
• centre - deep pink tapestry wool running stitch, worked from the inside out, then a line of pale pink coton-a-broder worked very close. I then whipped the first line with the coton-a-broder.
• bottom centre - running stitch in a pale lime green soft cotton, whipped with the deep pink tapestry wool. I then added a row of back stitch worked quite close to the first line,  in a green sparkly thread.
• top centre - A row of green coton-a-broder running stitch once again worked from the inside out, whipped with a pale pink thread. Then a line of running stitch in the gap using a dark pink weaving yarn, whipped with the same yarn.
• bottom left - This time I started on the outside and worked in . It doesn't appear to make a great deal of difference where you start except that the ones started in the middle are more circular. It is two rows of running stitch in coton-a-broder, worked close together and with the same spacings.
• top right and left - coral stitch spirals worked on top of each other using yarns already used in the sampler.

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I became quite interested in the idea of one thread spiralling round another, which led me to the next sample (stitched area about 14cms square).
Working from the outside in, I couched the thick pale pink wool and the dark green candlewick thread that I had overdyed.  The second line in is a back stitch in a green sparkly thread. The thick wool is whipped with a hand dyed pink soft cotton and a green knitting tape, the green sparkly thread is whipped with a pink chenille thread, and the candlewick cotton is whipped with a dark green knitting tape.
Then I added two rows of knotted chain stitch to fill in the gaps.

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Now a series of free motion machined samples - firstly some simple spirals (stitched area about 14cms x 10cms) , and then on one of my monoprinted fabrics from the previous chapter.

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Then I tried setting the machine up for whip stitch. In this first sample (stitched area about 16cms square)  I used three different coloured threads - pink, dark green and variegated green and I tried different combinations. I set the machine up to do a zig-zag stitch.

The  "spotty" spiral (top right) happened accidentally. When I am doing free motion embroidery, I always bring the bottom thread through to the top, take a few stitches, and then cut off the ends. As I stitched, the top thread pulled through the stitches leaving the loops from the bobbin and I really liked the effect. I tried it again (centre left) to make sure it was repeatable.

3.4.5

I noticed that if I worked quite fast, and made quite square spirals, I got a different quality of line when I was moving the hoop across than when I was moving it up and down. I widened the width of the stitch to its maximum, and made several spirals. (stitched area about 17cms square)

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Then I decided to make a sample using the different line qualities. (stitched area about16cms x 10cms)

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Using the small gelli plate (16cms square) I monoprinted a spiral on top of the embroidered spiral, and then added the line, which is a piece of printed nylon chiffon torn into a strip, twisted and couched down  with a machine embroidery thread.

3.4.8

I took a ghost print from the gelli plate using a piece of tissue paper, which shows up the embroidered lines and I think is very delicate and beautiful. I wonder if it would be possible to iron it onto something and stitch into it - but then maybe not, it is so delicate and it would be very easy to overwork it and loose the delicacy. However, I might explore making some monoprints by pressing stitched pieces into the paint. That might make a more robust pattern that would take some stitching.

3.4.9

The next sample is more whip stitching, this time using a straight stitch. I stitched this in one, trying to make small tight spirals in the middle and making them more open round the outside. It makes a beautiful knobbly texture on the back. (stitched area about 15cms square) I took the photographs on different days with different light, hence the colour variation - the top image is closer to the colour of the sample.

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I tried more whip stitch spirals, varying the colour of the thread in the bobbin and the top. The centre sample has been stitched very densely, and gives a beautiful texture on the back. For the bottom right sample I used two colours in the bobbin (pink and green) and pink in the top.

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3.4.13

For the last machine sample, I tried to set the machine up for cable stitch. I've tried doing cable stitch several times, and never been terribly happy with the results. I read some instructions that said not to engage the presser foot, and for my machine it appears to work OK. I've found I have to loosen the tension on the bobbin depending on the thickness of the yarn I'm using. However, no matter how much I loosen the bobbin tension, I am unable to get the thread to really loop - it's begun to happen in the top right sample, but not with any consistency. But, these are more successful than I have achieved before!

3.4.14

I wanted to do another mainly hand stitched sample, and I wanted to try and interpret the lines on one of my spiral drawings from Chapter 2, so I made a selection.

3.4.15

I then tried to select the basic bones of the spiral and drew them onto a piece of tracing paper, laid it on my fabric, and hooped it up. As my machine was still set up for cable stitch and stitched on the lines, tore away the paper, removed the hoop and stitched by hand. I'm reasonably pleased with the result, although I don't think its quite got the energy of the painted spiral.

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3.4.17

Module 3 - Chapter 3

First I went through my stash  of thread to see what I had, and was surprised at how much I had.

Firstly the pinks - weaving yarns, knitting yarns, ribbons, ricrac braid, soft cotton, coton a broder, pearl cotton, rayons,  rayon machine embroidery threads, some hand dyed threads.

And then the greens - pretty much the same mix, but also some natural and synthetic raffia, and some very old cotton candlewick thread (the blue green in the top right of the picture, which I shall try overdyeing).

I couldn't resist putting them all together in a basket, and I added some green machine embroidery thread, which I realised I'd forgotten to add to the green threads.

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Since taking the photographs, I've found a pack of mixed threads, which I think I must have bought at Ally Pally last year - they are the perfect colour. I've also found some torn selvedges which I have added in to the pile.

3.3.4

Apart from popping some threads and some torn selvedges into the dye when I am dyeing fabric, I think I have sufficient here for the rest of the module. However, I am off to the Festival of Quilts in a few days, and I shall probably bring back something to add!

Then I turned my attention to fabrics, and discovered all sorts of things I had forgotten I had. Included in the piles are some of my own hand dyed cottons, chiffon scarves, some wonderful shot tafetta linings which I bought in a closing down sale for next to nothing, organza, net, silk dupion, and some bits and pieces that I have no idea what they are!

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I need to inject a bit more brightness into the green range, and a bit more variety into the pinks.

So next I sorted out fabrics and threads ready for dyeing. I shall be using Procion MX dyes, but I have only ever used them on cotton, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Here are, in the left pile from top to bottom - silk noil, silk dupion, silk/cotton, silk organza and silk habotai. In the right pile from top to bottom - Empress Mills PFD cotton, Whaleys PFD cotton, cotton organza, muslin, polyester dress lining.

3.3.7

Now threads. Along the top from left to right - bias strips of curtain voile,  selvedge strips of curtain voile, 4 different weights of cotton thread.  At the bottom are a variety of textured yarns which I found lurking in the bottom of my "natural" box of threads, and I have no idea what they are, so it will be very interesting to see what happens when I dye them.

3.3.8

And finally, a couple of things for overdyeing. The top fabric looks like a piece of Laura Ashley curtain material, and I have no idea how it ended up in my stash. The bottom fabric is from first attempt at dyeing with indigo using scraps of curtain lining. The thread is the very old cotton candlewick thread which is lovely and thick, so I hope it takes the dye well.

3.3.9

The Dyeing and the results:

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This batch of pinks are, in the left hand column, muslin dyed in three different colours. The middle one has been pressed, the other two haven't. In the right hand column, from top to bottom -

•  cotton fabric, fold and rolled, then one end dipped in magenta and the other in yellow. It's made a lovely stripy fabric.
• the next three are all cotton.
• silk organza
• cotton otganza
• another piece of cotton
• the polyester lining

3.3.14

The green fabrics in the left hand column are -

• the top three are all cotton
• silk noil
• silk cotton
• silk habotai
• the polyester lining

In the right hand column are the pieces that I over dyed.

I also made a couple of simple shibori pieces. They haven't worked too well - I suspect they were in the dye too long - but they will make a nice background for samples in Chapter 4.

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And finally, the threads that I dyed. Reasonably pleased with these, they have all taken the dye to some extent or other, and I'm particularly pleased with the candlewick cotton, which I overdyed with yellow.

Monoprinting on fabric

I used acrylic paint in the same colours as I used with the monoprinting on paper, and I didn't add any fabric medium.  I used the 10" x 8" gelli plate.

I used 4 different types / colours of fabrics - the first four are on the shot taffeta, the next one on a piece of dyed cotton, and the rest on undyed cotton. The last one is made up of all the shadow prints. Some of these have worked beautifully, others less so. I don't think the photographs do them justice.

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Module 3 - the rest of Chapter 2

I wasn't happy with the monoprints in my last post but one, so I have had another go, and I am really delighted with this lot!

I made them using the 10" x 8" gelli plate - it was the first time I had used it, and I really enjoyed it. I used Liquitex acrylic paint in 6 colours - green gold, vivid lime green, brilliant yellow green, medium magenta, light portrait pink, and iridescent rich copper. I also used iridescent antique gold once, but didn't like it, so didn't use it again.

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This last print is made using about 7 or 8 ghost prints overlaid.

Finally in this chapter, are some computer generated images. First, I scanned in two of my images from earlier in the chapter, opened them using Paint Shop Pro X, and then used Effects - Distortion Effects - Twirl.   With the second image I used it repeatedly.

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And finally, some drawings generated using Scribbler - how much fun is that! I produced lots of drawings very quickly, but have selected the "stitchy" ones.

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