Thanks to all who left comments on the last post showing the almost complete scatter cushion cover. I've got the right sized zip for it now and just need to get it inserted.
To answer the questions asked in the comments:
No, I didn't design the hardanger embroidery myself, it's from Mary Hickmott's 'Flowers with Hardanger' booklet and I used the 'Ring of Roses' table centre design, but just missed out the outer buttonhole edging (which I hate doing!) and turned the rest of the pattern into a scatter cushion cover instead.
I was also asked about the threads used (linhas = threads), and they were Anchor #5, #8 and a little #12 pearl cottons. The surface parts are all worked in #5 pearl cotton.
And Faith, hardanger is really very simple, it just looks complex. When I first saw it, the catalogue said 'only you will know how simple it is' and it's true. You just need a good, step-by-step set of instructions.
Yes, I should be doing the C&G locally in Sheffield (as long as it goes ahead OK - nothing 100% yet) and, yes, of course I will keep you all posted on what we do! Would I keep that from you??
I've set some more e-bay auctions going. There are some cross stitch, hardanger and other counted thread designs going as well as the design, instructions and most of the threads for the goldwork string instrument. There are also one or two dress patterns, watercolour paints and other bits and bobs. All should have international visibility.
The last thing is just a small reminder as, following my stumpwork ladybird tutorial, I came across one or two referring sites using my photos:
Please note that ALL photos (and text) here are copyright and may not be used without permission on any other site, including pinboard services. Prenez note s'il vous plaît, que toutes les photos (et texte) ici sont protégées par copyright et ne peuvent être utilisés sans autorisation sur n'importe quel autre site, y compris les services Pinterest etc. If you want to use something of mine, you only have to ask and I will very likely give permission (except for pinboard services, pinning to Pinterest already being disallowed as copyright cannot be controlled on those sites). You can ask in any language - je comprends français - and I will get to you just as soon as I can. Make sure you include contact details. More information is available on the Copyright page. Thanks! Merci!
Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2012
Almost finished up now...
I can't believe it's almost two weeks since the last post. Tempus fugit, no? (That's 'time flies' for anyone with even less Latin than me!!) Anyway, although I decided to give myself a bit more time to complete the hardanger cushion cover, it's not got stalled over much and is still coming along well.
First of all, I completed the embroidery by adding in some filling stitches. Here you can see square filet in most of the filled squares and some spider's webs in the others. I used #8 pearl cotton for the square filet and #12 for the webs as planned and it looks fine.
Next, all the materials for the backing and finishing came out. I had most of them in stock already, and had only bought the ribbon trim from an 'end of roll' 50p bargain bucket! The yellow fabric is too thin to make a backing on its own, so I added in some old, cream cotton stuff as an extra layer there.
And then I laid them together to see how they looked
Finally, I got the machine out (yes, really!), and got on with the assembly. Here you can see it as it stands just now, only needing the zip inserting. I would have done this last week as planned, but the 12" (30cm) zip I had in stock was really too long and too awkward to fit in, so I went and bought a 10" (25cm) one yesterday.
Kate asked my how I kept my working fabric straight and taut whilst embroidering. Well, I use R&R craft frames, sometimes also Q Snaps and, of course, old fashioned wooden hoops at times. For this project I used the 14" R&R frame. These are a British made tool and come in 6", 9", 11", 14" and 17", whereas the US made Q-snaps are on sale in 8", 11" and 17" (I think - don't own this last size). All except the 6" R&R frame come to pieces and can be used to make up rectangles as well as squares. The two types of product are incompatible though, so, whereas I could create the 11"x17" frame I'm using for my current sampler work from my R&R frames, and have done 8"x11" with my Q-snaps, I can't do a 8"x14" using one of each. They're usually used for counted thread work, but I've often used them for surface work as well as I find they do hold fabric tight enough for that and sometimes the sizes are just far more convenient than a circle. Hope that helps.
Good news: Subject to a final financial 'review' in about 6 weeks, I should be joining back in with a City & Guilds Embroidery class from mid-September!=) I'll be 'dropping back' to level 2 this time as it's less work and I want to do the Stumpwork syllabus alongside (the teacher has agreed to 'tick the boxes' for me). Also, it gives me a chance to learn a few new things more slowly and, as it's only a one-year course, if I've had enough by the end of that, I can leave with a full certificate. So, I'm looking forward to that very much! I liked the whole style of my old place better, but after a really good chat with the local teacher at her students' exhibition yesterday, I think I can work quite happily in this arrangement. Nothing's ideal anyway and I had trouble seeing how the old classes satisfied some elements of the syllabus too. Whilst most of the pieces looked more contemporary than suits my taste at this new place, the teacher said we have freedom to be ourselves, so I hope to be more 'pictorial' in my samples and pieces than most are. We'll have to see how it develops.
Non-stitching news is that I've also been invited to help out with a new textbook on English-Chinese translation for final year degree students. I'll be proof-reading the English - which means more than just checking grammar, it's also checking 100% correspondence with the Chinese text and also making comments on the actual content. I'm really excited about this one. I'll have my name in a language textbook in the acknowledgements section - yippee!!=) To be honest, I'd rather do this than make kits....
Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2012
First of all, I completed the embroidery by adding in some filling stitches. Here you can see square filet in most of the filled squares and some spider's webs in the others. I used #8 pearl cotton for the square filet and #12 for the webs as planned and it looks fine.
Next, all the materials for the backing and finishing came out. I had most of them in stock already, and had only bought the ribbon trim from an 'end of roll' 50p bargain bucket! The yellow fabric is too thin to make a backing on its own, so I added in some old, cream cotton stuff as an extra layer there.
And then I laid them together to see how they looked
Finally, I got the machine out (yes, really!), and got on with the assembly. Here you can see it as it stands just now, only needing the zip inserting. I would have done this last week as planned, but the 12" (30cm) zip I had in stock was really too long and too awkward to fit in, so I went and bought a 10" (25cm) one yesterday.
Kate asked my how I kept my working fabric straight and taut whilst embroidering. Well, I use R&R craft frames, sometimes also Q Snaps and, of course, old fashioned wooden hoops at times. For this project I used the 14" R&R frame. These are a British made tool and come in 6", 9", 11", 14" and 17", whereas the US made Q-snaps are on sale in 8", 11" and 17" (I think - don't own this last size). All except the 6" R&R frame come to pieces and can be used to make up rectangles as well as squares. The two types of product are incompatible though, so, whereas I could create the 11"x17" frame I'm using for my current sampler work from my R&R frames, and have done 8"x11" with my Q-snaps, I can't do a 8"x14" using one of each. They're usually used for counted thread work, but I've often used them for surface work as well as I find they do hold fabric tight enough for that and sometimes the sizes are just far more convenient than a circle. Hope that helps.
Good news: Subject to a final financial 'review' in about 6 weeks, I should be joining back in with a City & Guilds Embroidery class from mid-September!=) I'll be 'dropping back' to level 2 this time as it's less work and I want to do the Stumpwork syllabus alongside (the teacher has agreed to 'tick the boxes' for me). Also, it gives me a chance to learn a few new things more slowly and, as it's only a one-year course, if I've had enough by the end of that, I can leave with a full certificate. So, I'm looking forward to that very much! I liked the whole style of my old place better, but after a really good chat with the local teacher at her students' exhibition yesterday, I think I can work quite happily in this arrangement. Nothing's ideal anyway and I had trouble seeing how the old classes satisfied some elements of the syllabus too. Whilst most of the pieces looked more contemporary than suits my taste at this new place, the teacher said we have freedom to be ourselves, so I hope to be more 'pictorial' in my samples and pieces than most are. We'll have to see how it develops.
Non-stitching news is that I've also been invited to help out with a new textbook on English-Chinese translation for final year degree students. I'll be proof-reading the English - which means more than just checking grammar, it's also checking 100% correspondence with the Chinese text and also making comments on the actual content. I'm really excited about this one. I'll have my name in a language textbook in the acknowledgements section - yippee!!=) To be honest, I'd rather do this than make kits....
Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2012
Nearly Complete!
The 'Ring of Roses' is almost complete now, as far as the actual embroidery is concerned. In this series of pictures you can see how much of the wrapping of exposed threads I got done per day of work on the project. Some days I got a lot done, some very little and some none at all!
This is where it is at the moment and is now just waiting for the filling stitches to be inserted. After that, it's on to the finishing up part. As I want to have it ready for handover within the week, I need to get going on it as soon as I can.
Ideally I'll like to have this piece completed and ready to hand over at the same time, but I don't really expect it. I did manage to get the second rose finished. The problem seems to be, not the wrapping direction (I tried the other way and it looked terrible!), but that the threads don't like being worked for very long compared to cotton based ones. So, I cut some of the length off and restarted with a better bit and it worked out OK.
I also saw someone else's version of the same kit and was interested to see how 'narrow' her roses had come out compared to the kit photo. I feel that mine are rather fatter, although I seem to be using the same amount of bullions per rose. I don't know how the model stitcher managed it, but I won't be able to get the same number of blooms in the space as they have.
I'm horribly behind with TAST and have hardly touched it for weeks on end! Maybe I'll catch up one day...
Here's something exciting though:
Earlier in the year I added my name to the mailing list for the crafts trade show with a view to getting some kits going at some point. Well, I'm still working on the idea, but it was really fun to see the first piece of mail (next year's show details) come through addressed to me at The Business!!! First of many, or less than even a flash in the pan? Time will tell....
Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2012
This is where it is at the moment and is now just waiting for the filling stitches to be inserted. After that, it's on to the finishing up part. As I want to have it ready for handover within the week, I need to get going on it as soon as I can.
I also saw someone else's version of the same kit and was interested to see how 'narrow' her roses had come out compared to the kit photo. I feel that mine are rather fatter, although I seem to be using the same amount of bullions per rose. I don't know how the model stitcher managed it, but I won't be able to get the same number of blooms in the space as they have.
I'm horribly behind with TAST and have hardly touched it for weeks on end! Maybe I'll catch up one day...
Here's something exciting though:
Earlier in the year I added my name to the mailing list for the crafts trade show with a view to getting some kits going at some point. Well, I'm still working on the idea, but it was really fun to see the first piece of mail (next year's show details) come through addressed to me at The Business!!! First of many, or less than even a flash in the pan? Time will tell....
Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2012
