Slowly, slowly the cap progresses. I am thinking of it as a l…o…n…g term project. Silk is finer than wool and it takes longer to fill any shape. The stitching has to be delicate. When all the silk is stitched, I will be stitching the gold and that will take even longer. I don’t mind: every stitch is making what I hope will be a small masterpiece.
The first green leaf is finished and the shading went very well indeed. Thanks to Tracy Franklin, who helped me last year, and Nicola Jarvis, who helped me this summer. I am beginning to feel that every once in a while I am the master of the needle and the thread rather than the other way around.
I’m not afraid to do what I know works for me even though it may not be what I’ve read about in books. For example, to begin the shading on the leaf (after I stitched the outline with split stitch) I first put in directional stitches. So, before I worked my way around the shape, I put in stitches that would guide the direction of the stitch as I went around the shape. This helped me enormously to put each stitch in the right place, to compensate for the curves enough but not too much and to make sure the stitches followed the shape of the leaf.
When I stitched the first color, I went quite deep into the shape and varied the length of stitches just as I’d been told by Tracy Franklin – longer and shorter.
Adding the second layer, I shifted the direction of the stitches a tiny bit when I felt they were in the wrong place. Perhaps the end of the first stitch was on a different line to the end of the second stitch. Since the second layer of stitching covers up the first layer at the bottom, it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is to make sure the stitches reflect the shape.
The third layer (and darkest color) had to be stitched right up to the line of the veins in the leaf. The gold passing thread will go here and I wanted to leave a small trough for the gold thread to snuggle into.
Aren’t these greens just beautiful?! All of them are from Pearsall’s and from the color range Laurel Green: 218, 220 and 221. I was a bit worried about the lightest shade but it lifts the leaf just a bit and makes it stand out beautifully next to the deep blues of the flower. Do you see the little circle of purple under the blue flower and above the green leaf? You’ll see that purple again lower down in the design.
One leaf down, 5 to go. It’s a busy time of year and I’m not getting as much done as usual but slow progress if fine. More time to think and to enjoy each stitch.
Do you enjoy slow stitching or does it drive you crazy? Or does it depend on what you’re stitching? Share you thoughts with us!
I love the process of stitching when I don’t feel any sense of “deadline”. A project for a class,, for example. There is such a wonderful tactile feeling to embroidering that gives me pleasure. I like the sound of thread going through twill, and seeing each motif gradually emerge as colorful shapes.
Hi Sharon,
I, too, love that sound! One of the things about the intensive course last summer in Rugby at the RSN was the pressure to finish within the two week time period. Not for me on a regular basis, that’s for sure. I can’t imagine being a professional embroiderer of old with rich, demanding clients who wanted their orders now. The gold work course I will do is stages so I have time to do my best work, which usually means slowly and carefully. And, like you, I enjoy it more!
Liebe Grusse,
Kathy
Slow, patient, zen embroidery…..hoping for that masterpiece!
I wovldn’t be withovt directional lines in L&S shading, bvt I vsvally vse pen to mark in mine (tho thread has the advantage yov can rip it ovt if it’s wrong, I find it harder to jvdge jvst the right place to insert the needle to make the directional line than draw it in with a pen)
Covld yov remind vs why sometimes yov vse two layers for the ovtermost layer?
Any tips on jvdging the amovnt of inner space to leave for the gold thread? I place it against the embroidery and then try to remember the dimensions when I embroider in the last layer, and hope for the best. And better a smaller ‘tvnnel’ than a bigger one, risking leaving plain grovnd.
(And no – no ~ewe~ key!)
Also, congrats on yovr first motif! Looking forward to seeing more…..
It’s good to see that you have the confidence to pick up and use the details of technique that help you the most – a testament to your teachers!
Slow stitching suits me some of the time, but at the moment I’m not strong on the sense of quiet and concentration I need. It’s been blowing half a gale, and the house creaks!
What happened to your U key? LOL
When at my friends’ home in Germany it was fun typing on her keyboard – I just finally gave up and sent my messages – let the recipients figure it out.
There are no stitching or knitting or crocheting or counted cross stitch or embroidery things that I have ever done in a hurry. I’m in for the enjoyment not for the speed.
When I worked as a statistical typist, that was speed – but only because I enjoyed going faster so I could do more.
Maybe that’s how a fast stitcher feels. Hmmmm. Ok. Understand better now that I typed it out.
Actually, I wish FASTest could be cleaning and decluttering! Aarrgghh! But noooooooo – that is just a constant lingering PITA.
Yes, the greens *are* lovely.=)
I do it like that too – put in a few guideline stitches. I can’t see myself ever being able to just angle shade straight off. Glad I’m in good company!
You did a wonderful job. Great idea, that directional stitches.
With me stitching is always a slow proces. I even can’t stitch fast. Then I make mistakes, I don’t feel relaxed anymore.
On the other side I always get less done than I planned to.
Maybe one shouldn’t plan.
The leaf looks lovely.
I’m a slow stitcher and many of my projects are on the large size, they take me a long time to complete.
Slow suits me and I’m not comfortable with doing something quickly.
I usually go at thing slow and steady, I don’t like to rip out….but I do!!!!!!!!! So continue at the best pace for you. The colors are wonderful, so brilliant, I’ve never used pearsalls silks. However, seeing your project I might have to try them!