In Which I Stitched a Flower...

I'm going to skip with a usual opening of..my its been a while, as it is fairly obvious with the last post being back in October. I'll simply say I took a step back and let myself get on with other things. To be truthful I am not entirely sure if I'll ever get back to regularly blogging and making again, but I'm not going to let myself get caught up in feeling any guilt. It's funny how not doing any of these things can leave you with that sense of...'what if' or 'if I don't do anything people will forget...' in a nutshell, this has only ever done to keep me happy, and if your not happy with what your doing why let the guilt bog you down? Not worth it.

Anyway, enough of the introspection...I've actually made myself do some stitching, and it's been rather nice to do. What the hell I am going to do with the thing I've done, I'm not entirely sure, suggestions on a postcard??

Where did I begin?

As with most things I make, I started with a doodle. This one was inspired by a rather snazzy calendar I picked up during a visit to the States last year from Paper Source (WHEN WILL YOU EVER COME TO THE UK??). I think it was a Rifle Press design, but bugger me if I can find the makers mark on it. Anyway, a doodle and a play about with colours. I began the process of turning it into a piece of embroidery...cue some soft swearing and a 'why am I doing this' moment(s).

Looks so organised...stays like that for about ten minutes before each project.

I started with a single thread of floss, and split stitched around the outside of the shape, or in this case petals. Note, I didn't separate each of the petals, this was for a reason...well I had an idea and just went ahead with it. Once the split stitching was complete, I marked the order of the petals with some thought (ish). 

Each petal was then padded out in the middle with long stitches using two /three threads of cotton stranded. Now I know what your thinking, cream padding when your going to do satin stitch in bright pink over it?? Yes, I am a nutter, has been said many a time. I did because I had loads of cream thread, I wanted a challenge and lastly, I knew I cover of it (so modest).

By the way, that shiny thing at the top of the picture is my stainless steel mellor, or laying tool, normally I use it for gold work but it works a treat for threads using it so that they lay flat. Also it's shiny...*_* I have a sterling silver one too.

With each petal I used a different number of padding layers, between 3 - 5 to give it a bit of a my realistic finish. By the fifth petal I had hit my my stride, which is typical.

So shiny...I do love a spot of silk thread.

Time for the middle section, I started it one way and then started it again. Yeah, I had thought to use chain stitch padding for the middle but when I tried it out it wasn't giving me the height and frankly it looked rubbish. So well over an hour later, with copious amounts of swearing, I unpicked the chain stitch.

Once calm again, I opted for a simple approach...couching the padding, using around 12 threads of cotton thread, in a long length I couched it round and round the middle, so it looked like a doughnut. Once I was happy with the height and the filling, I started to satin stitch over the top.

Then the question of what to do next? I had a small idea that the flower needed stamens, and after a brief reminder how to do it, I used a thicker weight yellow silk thread, and pistol stitched the stamens.

And now it's complete....

Now do I add more flowers, leave it be...make it up into something.

I have some pondering to do!

Christmas Tutorial: Merry Bee Picture

Merry Bee Tutorial

Before you begin this project before sure to read through all the instructions first, and then there will be no stopping you. If you have any questions at all feel free to leave me a comment. You'll also learn a couple of new ways of doing things, such as transferring the design using tissue paper.

For this very Merry Bee you will need:

• Print out of the pattern
• 6” Embroidery Wooden Hoop (or a size that suits your preference – feel free to blow the design up or scale it down)
• Background fabric of your choice, if your using the 6" hoop you'll need a piece 11" square
• Scraps of Wool felt: yellow, white, red and black
• Stranded Cottons: Black, brown and burgundy (I've used DMC 310, 300 and 815)
• White machine thread or white stranded cotton will also work
• Needles
• Pins
• Tissue Paper / light box / transfer crayon
• Pencil
• Sharp scissors

1.       If your background fabric is fairly see-through then you can use a light box or your window to transfer the design onto the fabric. Then place the fabric into your frame making sure it’s taut, then skip step 2.

2.       If your fabric is too thick or dark for the methods listed in step 1, then you could use transfer paper or you can use the method I use, which is using tissue paper. Place your fabric into your frame, making sure the fabric is taut and trace the design onto your tissue paper, and pin it onto your hoop.

3.       Whatever transfer method you used we are going to start at the same place which is the dashed lines. Thread up your needle with two strands of black cotton. The dashes are stitched in multiple back stitches, a dash line roughly equates to three tiny back stitches.

4.       Time to move onto ‘Merry’ is also stitched in back stitch but using two strands of burgundy coloured thread instead. Keep your stitch sizes regular, this will make sure the finish is nice and neat.  Skip step 5 and 6 if you've not used the tissue paper method to transfer the design. 

5.       Using your white thread, running stitch around the main bee body, and the wings.

6.       Now the fun bit you can start to tear off the tissue paper, be careful around the stitches, if any tissue paper gets trapped under a stitch, you can either tease it out with a sharp needle or use tweezers. Whatever you have to hand.

7.       Stitching the padding on the bee body: The body is made up of several layers of yellow felt. Using the template cut out the three sizes marked as bee body. Starting with the smallest piece, pin it loosely in the middle of the shape (as shown). As this is a padding layer, it doesn’t matter if you use yellow cotton or white to stab stitch around the shape. When you’ve stitched the first layer on, stitch the next size up over the top of the first.

8.       Wings: As with the body of the bee, the wings have padding. Cut from the white felt the two wing shapes. Stitch the smallest layer down first, and then the larger piece over the top. I used the guidelines on the background fabric to help the felt piece keep its shape, these guideline stitches will become hidden by your stitching and the felt.

9.   Time to stitch the line that separates the wings. Thread up your needle with your white cotton thread, and using your print out as a guide, back stitch a curve as shown below. If you’re not sure where the line should go, use the tissue paper technique.

10.   Return to the main bee body. Before we stitch the top layer on, you need to cut out the three thin stripes from the black felt, and stitch them onto the largest yellow shape. I used a single strand of the black thread and running stitch up the middle of the black strip to attach it to the yellow. As with the padded layers, you will stab stitching the layer all the way round the edge, this time make sure you’re using a matching yellow thread, and keep the stitches small and neat.

11.   Finishing Details: The eye is a French Knot, in a single thread of black cotton and three wraps of the needle. And the smile is also in a single thread of black, and is in back stitch. 

12.   Nose: Cut out a small circle of red felt, owing to how tiny it is a template isn’t necessary, think a size of a sequin. Stab stitch it down with matching red thread. Don’t fancy cutting out a piece of felt that small? Then you can use a small red pompom.

13.   Antlers: I’ve used two strands of brown cotton and back stitch. You can use your tissue method to transfer the antlers lines or free style. 

14.   With the stitching complete you can use the design to adorn anything such as a cushion or part of a Christmas quilt. Or for a temporary solution, so that you use a hoop again, follow these simple instructions:

a.       Using the hoop that the picture will be framed in, cut back your fabric so that you have a seam allowance of about 2 inches all the way round. Then thread up your needle with thread and do a gathering stitch around the edge, once you've gone all the way round pull the threads in to gather around the inner hoop. Once your happy that the gathering is neat and the gathering thread is secure, you can then cut off any remaining thread. Add a ribbon to the tightening fitting on the hoop and hang up! 

Viola your done!

Mini Updates!

Moving!

Finally, after nearly nine months I'm finally moving into my first home. This is a big step for me and one I can't wait to crack on with, as I will finally have a decent space to create my work in! Something I've been dreaming about ever since I put an offer on the flat. I'll certainly be blogging about my adventures into interior design.

This also means that my etsy store has gone into a temporary hiatus and will be back up and running again on Sunday 4th August.

Honeycomb Tutorial

Apologies to all, but with the move I've had to delay the release of the tutorial till September. The delay isn't just to do with the move, there is another very exciting reason...scroll down to find out more. However, to make up for this I will be releasing a new little planet embroidery design next month instead, as I can get that out quicker than the tutorial.

You can in the mean time check out what the honeycomb tutorial will look like by clicking here.

Secret Squirrel

This is where I get to become a bit of a secret agent. I've got a very exciting project for the next month to work on, commissioned by Crafty magazine. The only other things I can tell you, aside from how awesome its going to be, is that the magazine will be hitting the shops on November 7th. Not only that I am also in discussions with the magazine to arrange a little competition especially for all my lovely readers! So do keep your eyes peeled over the coming months.

Honeycomb Tutorial Time: French Knots and Crosses

Welcome to the third installment in the Honeycomb tutorial series. In this next patch we will be covering the classic filler stitch, the humble French Knot.

I thought I would ease you into another basic stitch before I hit you with a trickier one in the next patch. I like to be nice.

Additional Items:

- Download the pattern, click here

- You will need 3 colours from your colour palette, I've chosen DMC 598, 725 and 907

- Needles - I would recommend slightly longer needles, like a number 7 embroidery, I've even been known to use darning needles. Basically anything that isn't a quilting, or between size, as it helps when it comes to wrapping the thread round the needle

- If your fabric/calico is quite thin, like mine, I recommend ironing light weight vilene on the back of the fabric. Draw on your design first if you don't have a light box as the vilene can impede being able to see the pattern. Don't forget when your drawing the design not to draw the outside line! 

Now to begin:

- With the design drawn on and the fabric nice and tight in your frame. If you need a recap, then do have a look at the first tutorial to get you on the right track. Now I am going to simply talk you through how to do a French knot, then show you some different things you can do with a French Knot to get different effects. So read the instructions first and then have a go.

Step 1: 

Bring the needle up through the fabric where you need the knot to go, and wrap the thread around the needle, the average amount to do this is 2, but you can go tiny at 1 or huge up to 5 (even bigger if your feeling daring). 

Step 2:

Keeping hold of the thread, bring the needle down close to where you brought the needle up.

Step 3:

Keep hold of the thread, as you pull the needle down through the fabric until nearly all the thread is through to the back, then let go. Then pull the rest of the thread through to the back, you should have a nice neat knot on the surface of the fabric. 

Now don't panic if the first knot you do looks messy. If your filling in an area, just stitch your next couple of knots really, close to the messy one to hide it. Don't waste your time unpicking it! Even I still make the odd messy one.

In the diagram below I've explained how many wraps and strands used for the pattern. Just to explain, though I am sure you've worked it out, strands refers to the number of threads you are working with, and wraps is the number of times to wrap the thread round the needle. 

In a couple of places, I mention mix, now this is where I have taken two colours, and used a strand of each colour. It gives a more speckled effect when stitched. There is nothing to stop you from using a mix effect throughout the entire pattern.

The crosses are a combination of long stitches and back stitch. Feel free to change the crosses into lines of French Knots.

Now to finish this honeycomb piece off, you have two options, you can do reverse applique as shown in the Eyelet Polka tutorial, or you can do a version of English Paper Piecing, which is a quilting technique as shown in Snazzy Stem. 

Once you have completed yours, I would love to see what combination of colours you use, and if you've been crazy enough to turn all the shapes into French Knots, come to Flickr to share your work or drop me a comment.

Today is...

a goo'd' day. 

Yes, it really is.

I am, really getting into the embroidery piece 'Today is a Good Day' (designer Hannah Dollery), it's taking a little while to get back into the habit of doing padded satin, but I am really loving it now. Like visiting an old friend.

So here is a super close up shot of the piece in progress. 

It will, and I really mean this, be finished this week. Whether that also means framing it I am not entirely sure, we'll see I have a super oval shaped ring frame which I think it would slot rather nicely into. But who knows...I am fickle when it comes to how I want to finish something off.

For those who aren't signed up to my newsletter, the latest copy went out on Monday, and you can now view it online. I recommend having a peek as I revealed what the latest 'Honeycomb' Tutorial piece was going to be covering. Go on, have a look, you know you want too...

See you at the weekend folks x

Honeycomb Tutorial Time: Snazzy Stem Stitch

Time to embroider your second patch! 

I did gave a sneaky heads up of what the next stitch we will tackle in my recent  newsletter, but in case you didn't get it we will be doing Stem Stitch..or as I like to call it Snazzy Stem. 

For those new to Honeycomb Embroidery Tutorial series, I recommend taking a look at the first part, which goes into more detail on the equipment needed and picking your colour palette. Click here to take a look.

So let's crack on....

You will need:

• Embroidery hoop
• Scissors 
• A sharp needle
• Select three stranded cotton colours, from your palette
• A piece of calico that fits your hoop
• Sharp HB pencil
• Machine thread 
• Print out the template, click here.

Now for the stitching...

• For those interested I picked the following colours from my palette; brown (DMC 938), pink (DMC 29) and green (907). 
• Draw the design onto your fabric, don't draw the outline of the shape. Keep the template for later use.
• Order of stitching and direction: 

• Chose a colour to work with first, cut a length of thread and split it so you work with two strands. Start your thread off on the line, were indicated in the previous drawing, either secure your thread with a knot, or two tiny stab stitches on the line and cut away the knot.
• Now your ready to start the stem stitch: 

Come up at A. and go down at B, I find it easier and neater not to pull the thread all the way through, instead keep a bit of a loop on the right, and bring your needle up half way between A and B, as shown on point C, then pull the thread all the way through. To carry on, take your needle down half a stitch length again beyond point B. Repeat.

Keep your loop to the right! 

If its on the left, then it's outline stitch, which isn't as snazzy...

• Work the stem stitch to the end of the line, take the thread to the back and weave the thread through the back of the stitches till your happy the thread is secure and snip off the tail. 

• Hot Tip: Keep an eye on the state of your thread, it will get fluffy and messy quickly, you can use thread conditioner but just keep your thread lengths short and change often. When you change your thread, this is how you carry on the stitch without making it look messy. Secure your thread as if you were starting from the beginning of the line, bring your needle up on the right of the stem stitch line, just at the end of the second to last stitch. Then slide your needle under the last stitch and pull through thread, now carry on as normal. 

• For the second line, we are going to make it a little snazzier, your going to work it in three threads, and one of each thread colour you've selected. It will look like a crazy barber shop pole. Start the wavy line as before and carry onto the end.

Stitching over a line is easy, almost pretend the other line isn't there and carry on your way. If you need to stitch through it, in order to keep your stitch lengths the same, then just do it, it won't mess up the line below.

• The final line is worked in two strands of one colour. As you work towards the loop, shorten the length of the stitch by a fraction to make the stitching tighter.

• The circles....are also in stem stitch, a little challenge for you to attempt. The circles look tricky but it just comes down to making small stitches like you did for the loop. To close up the circle neatly, by angling your needle under the first stitch.  

Showing how to join up the circle

Finishing Off

You have a couple of options for finishing off this hive piece, you can do the reverse applique as shown in Eyelet Polka, or you can do a version of English Paper Piecing, which is a quilting technique. 

• Grab your template you printed out earlier, and cut out the hexagon shape.
• Take your fabric out of the hoop, turn to the back. The lines on the cut out shape can be used to match up with the stitching on the fabric, simply holding both up to a window or using a lightbox will allow you to do this. Then pin the paper to the fabric to keep it in place, mind your stitching.
• Trim back the fabric to about two centimetres from the edge of the template edge. Thread up a needle with machine thread, knot one end. The basics of English Paper Piecing is simply neatly fold the fabric, one side at a time around the paper template  and stitching through the folds to keep it in place. 
• As shown below, fold one side over top edge (diag. 2), sew through the layers (from back to front), turn the shape and fold the fabric over, sew through the corner this time going from the front to the back. The stitches should be nice and long, and you'll have three on the back and three on the front (diag. 4).

• Now you can leave it this point with the paper within the template, and when you make more of the tutorial pieces you can sew them together as if you were making a quilt. Or if you want to use your piece to sew directly onto something now, then you can very lightly press the edges of the piece with an iron to keep the hexagon shape, avoiding putting pressure on the stitches. Remove the machine thread and pop out the paper template, you will find you have nice crisp lines from the folding earlier. To make it easier for you to then apply to something I would just do a loose running stitch, as shown below, attach it to what you want it to with small stab stitches around the edge. Then remove your machine thread again. 

Do let me know if you have any questions, or queries. Leave a comment or nip over to the Flickr group. 

Honeycomb Tutorial Time: Eyelet Polka Part 3 - The Finish

Welcome to the final part of one of my new tutorials, 'Eyelet Polka'. By now you would have gathered together your materials, selected your colour palate, and stitched four different types of eyelets. And now your going to learn how to finish it off.

If, however, you've only just stumbled across my blog and wondering what this post is all about, then I recommend looking back at my previous posts, in particular Part 1 - Getting Started and Part 2 - Eyelet Polka. 

Wrong side Applique:

You will need:

• Neutral coloured machine thread
• Pins
• HB pencil
• Fabric scissors
• Needles: Tapestry and a sharp.
• 12cm square of Calico fabric, you could use the excess from the embroidery
• The template again, 12cm square of light weight cotton fabric (this will be showing through the eyelets).

Working:

• Take your embroidery out of the frame. On the back, using your template (the one you used to draw the eyelets from), draw the hexagon outline. Use the eyelets to help you line it up. 

• Trim down the fabric till you have about a 1cm seam allowance all the way round. 
• Cut the hexagon shape out of the fabric you have chosen to show through the eyelets and from the calico, remembering to give them 1cm seam allowance. Put the calico piece to one side. 
• Pin the right side of the fabric, to the wrong side of the embroidery piece. If you turn it over you can see it through the eyelets. Lightly tack the pieces together on the line, remove the pins. 
• Place the calico piece on top of the right side of the embroidery, and pin through all layers. Make sure that any outlines you have drawn on to this plain calico is on the top (so you can see them). 
• Neatly back stitch on the hexagon outline, all the way round, going through all three layers. 
• Using your scissors, cut an opening through the calico (only), this is for turning inside out (it’s a bit tricky but if you ease the layers apart, it will be easier to do), but don’t turn it yet. 

• Trim back the seam allowance until there is no more than about 3mm all the way round, and to help you get a neat finish, snip the points of the corners off, but not through the stitching! 
• Now turn the shape inside out, the print layer will be sandwiched between the embroidery and the calico. Use a tapestry needle to help ease out the points of the corners. 
• Sew up the slit in the calico. 
• You can gently press the shape with an iron, on the back.

I hope you found all three parts of this tutorial easy to follow, it's been a bit nerve wracking coming up with something people might want to do. And, a tutorial that is easy to follow. It's been a learning curve and I think there are still things I can do better, so I would love to get some feedback.

Leave comments here, or pop over to my flickr forum, click here.

Enjoy!

Honeycomb Tutorial Time: Eyelet Polka Part 2 - Stitching

Welcome to part two of 'Eyelet Polka'. By now you would have gathered together your materials, and selected your colour palatte. If you've only just stumbled across this blog post, then click here to read part one.

Ready? Let's get cracking.

Eyelet Polka

In this first tutorial we are going to look at eyelets. I’m going to show you four ways of doing them, and they will get ever so slightly more difficult.

Additional material you’ll need: 

• a light weight fabric with either with a print or plain block colour; this will be showing through your eyelets so you might to compliment the three colours you select to do the eyelets in. For my example I’ve used Liberty Tana Lawn.

PREP STAGE:

Yummy colours

• Click here to download the template. Print it at 100% in black and white.
• Pick three colours out of your palette, I chose DMC 725,899,955

• Cut a piece of the calico, I’m using a 6” frame so I’ve cut out a piece that’s about 25cm square in size.
• Transfer the template onto the fabric, you may find that you can see the template through the fabric, but if you can’t use a lightbox or your window. Now draw on the eyelets, use dots at the centre to mark number 1, and circles for 2-4, but don’t draw the hexagon outline or the actual numbers.
• Get the fabric in your frame, make sure it’s taut. Nothing worse than working on saggy fabric.
• Select your three colours from your palette.

EYELET ONE

• The first eyelets that your going to do are indicated on your fabric as dots.
• To secure your thread do a couple of tiny stitches near to the dot. Now come up through the fabric a couple of millimetres from the dot, then take the needle down through it.

• When you come up through the fabric to start your next stitch you will be slightly pulling on the thread to ease open the hole where the dot used to be. Keep your stitches around the hole neat and even in length as you can as you go round. It will end up looking like a star burst.

Backside of fabric - Running needle under stitches

• To finish off our eyelet take your thread to the back, and slide your needle under the stitches a couple of times, then cut the end off. Be careful not to cut your sewing!

• You may find that the hole of the eyelet isn't really visible, simply use a slightly thicker needle or your stiletto to open it up, it also helps to smooth the inside of the eyelet. Repeat for the other two dots, changing the colour of your thread for each one.

EYELET 2

• Start as before, but before you over-sew the edge to start your eyelet you will need to do a running stitch around the circle that you’ve drawn.

• Pierce the centre of the eyelet with a stiletto, or if you don’t have one use a large needle. You can use the point of your scissors but I don’t recommend it for this eyelet type as you will risk cutting the fabric. Wiggle the stiletto/needle to make the hole a little more pronounced.

• Back to your discarded thread, now you will over-sew the edge of the hole, as before by bringing your needle up a little way from the running stitch and then down through the hole you already made.

• Work around the hole, keeping your stitches as even possible. This takes a bit of practice, which is why you do this type three times.
• Finish off your thread as you did with the first eyelet, at the back, and smooth the eyelet with your large needle or stiletto. Repeat two more times.

EYELET 3

• This is the same as eyelet 2, except you will be adding some padding. Stitch round the circle in running stitch, as before. Then working outwards; stitch a single row of chain stitch. Then finish off that thread so you can start the over sewing with a clean thread.

• Work the eyelet exactly the same as the previous eyelet (steps 2-5).

• REPEAT two more times.

EYELET 4

• This is the very last eyelet you need to do, and because it’s a little tricky I am only going to make you do it once. So pick your very favourite colour out of three to work with.
• Work a running stitch around the eyelet, as done for eyelet 2 and 3.
• Cut the centre of the eyelet both vertically (up and down) and horizontally (left to right) cutting from the middle. This is why you need to have a wickedly sharp pair of scissors. If you’re a bit worried about this, you can make a hole in the middle of your eyelet, with your needle to start yourself off.
• Fold back the excess fabric and bring the needle up ready for over sewing just beyond the running stitch, you might find you can use it as a chance to stitch through one of the flaps keeping it in place.

• Take the needle down into the hole and repeat all around the eyelet. Again, keep your stitches close together and even in length.
• When finished, turn to the back of the work and cut any excess fabric that might be showing.

Back of work, trimming the excess fabric

Completed, front.

Top Tip:

If you find that you’ve got gaps between your stitches, don’t panic, simply thread up your needle again, turn to the back of the fabric and slide it through some of the stitches.Bring the needle up through stitches to the front, and work your way round again, filling in the gaps. Take it slowly, and use your needle to guide the thread round the hole to help achieve a smooth finish.

Now sit back and admire your handy work, you've completed the embroidery for the Eyelet Polka. Don't forget to show of your work on my flickr group, I'll be setting up a thread should you have any queries or questions, but by all means you can leave comments  here if your stuck.

But, you’re not done yet you need finish the shape off by doing wrong side applique. Come back this Easter weekend for the final part!