The top sample uses only stitch to try and capture the different colours and fissures of the ice. In the second sample I used a piece of dyed scrim to give a more textured approach, but it was more difficult than I thought as, of course, the stitches immediately compress the texture.
I used free zigzag for this, working horizontally and am quite pleased with the result. Maybe I should have added some stitching for the sky?
In this first sample I used free zigzag with sheers on calico. I know it is not perfect – neither the stitching not the distance between lines, but it was fun to do.
Here I had the feet up and it still is not perfect, but I actually like both of them. I laid a piece of chiffon over the top before stitching with the idea I might burn it back in places, but then decided not to do so.
I enjoyed using free zigzag here to create the impression of the pastel marks and think it has potential.
The other drawings.
I thought I would have another go at this – I used a white and an off-white thread in the needle for the snow, then the same off-white thread and a pale grey for the sky, with a single black thread for the trees. I don’t like this as much, mainly because such heavy stitching has distorted the fabric and turned the zigzag rows into over-emphasized ridges. Possibly the grey is too dark as well – there is little difference in the original picture between snow ans sky.
A further experiment. This has a layer of sheeting backed with 2 layers of stick on interfacing (thin), one layer of scrunched muslin stitched in a few places, a layer of scrim, scrunched and stitched followed by a final layer of scrim, scrunched and stitched. I think this is the most successful sample so far.