Cable stitch with the presser foot on. Straight stitch, zigzag and automatic patterns.
Cable stitch with free embroidery. I love the effect you can get by layering different threads as in the top piece where I added some metallic thread.
I know I haven’t done a lot of samples, but I just wanted to get on and use this.
In the top piece I used variegated threads with a metallic and orange thread round the shapes. The brown stitching in the stalks is a wool thread and maybe a little too dark. In the second piece I placed the design too high up on the fabric so didn’t have a lot of space to extend the stitching. I used a variety of different weight threads. In both cases the image was drawn onto the back.
Two samples using the stitches from chapters 3 and 4
I think the motif has works quite well, but the background needed more contrast colourwise in order to emphasise the shapes. I also had difficulty using a slightly thicker thread for the vermicelli stitching round the outside and ended up using 2 machine threads in the needle – light green and off white to get the colour I wanted. I should have stitched from the back.
Transfer dyed print ready for stitching.
For some reason I had real difficulty with this final piece. I had the idea of echoing the shapes of the pears and leaves as though in a tree behind, but then thought I was complicating things and went for the simple option of just using the different stitches. I started with some vermicelli in a green/turquoise thread, but this didn’t show up well so I followed up with a brighter blue thread. I wanted a fairly muted effect, but am not 100% happy with it.
I thought I would post a few photos of the garden which takes me away from stitching so much!