Thursday! my, my, how this week is flying by. I feel like September will be over before I get to enjoy it. Usually, by now, I've pulled out my fall decorations and start burning cinnamon-scented candles, but that's just not happening. And some of the things I've been stitching over the last weeks are bright and sunny. This is a sampler from Bird Brain Designs that I got from my LQS. When I saw the pattern it was love at first sight. I've been doing more stitcheries lately and in particular, a pincushion woolies round robin with my Redwork Embroidery Club. This sampler will hang in my sewing room and help remind me of the different stitches I can use.
I love some of the modern embroidery that combines stitches in many wonderful ways.
For instance, one I use often is the feather stitch and french knots. Just adding those knots to the ends of the "U" makes it pop!
While making this sampler, I did exactly that, sampled several threads using the same stitch. For example, the satin stitched hearts have three different types of thread. The center heart I used perle cotton #5, the two on either side I used perle cotton #8 and for the outer two hearts I used two strands of floss. This now gives me a visual of the thickness and look of each thread. I tried to do this with all the stitches and it really helps to see how they look.
I, also, experimented with what stitch I liked best to write with, backstitch or stem, and my favorite was the good old backstitch.
(just click on the pictures to enlarge)
The pattern called for a more traditional border of red but I just had to pimp it up a tad. I had a pack of Oh, Cherry Oh charm squares and used my Mini Fit To Be Geese ruler from Open Gate. Cute!
How many of you embroider?
I do believe it is the next BIG thing!
Hugs y'all,
Susan
11 sweet reflections:
Susan, what a fabulous idea I just love it and really like the idea that you used different threads for a different effect. a bit of a ready reconer when planning future projects maybe. It's just great ;)
hugs
Miche'le
Susan it is beautiful! You have really done a good job, but I'm not at all surprised. Remember, I have a lovely sample of your exquisite needle work. I see it every day and think of you, my friend!
Love to embroider and have done a lot of it and, as you know, am working on the state flower quilt from Turkey Feathers. This is such a neat idea. Sometimes we get into a rut with our stitches when something else would be more fun and add more texture. Like you, I still love the backstitch for words and script. It follows the line so well if my stitches are short enough. Did you know, you probably do, that to be considered an excellent embroiderer that there have to be over ten stitches in an inch? I think I fail on that one just a few times. Love the border that you did. I was wondering if you were going to turn this into a snack mat for a minute, but that would just be wrong. A resource in your sewing room is perfect and I like how you used different numbers of strands and types of floss, too. I am always wondering about things like that.
Cute, cute cute!!! I just finished some embroidery work so really appreciate your fine work!!
Blessings
That's adorable Susan! I LOVE the border. I love how you made the corners of the flying geese in darker colors sometimes -- very cute!
Your embroidery sampler is beautiful! I love embroidery and started when I was just a child, learned it at school. I won prizes for my embroidery too when I was a kid! I have always loved stitching so it's great to see a resurgence of this delightful needlework!
Great little sampler Susan,and love that you pimped it up....I've been embroidering for years, if I count how many I'll realise how old I am:))
Susan, I LOVE it to bits!! what a gorgeous and fun-to-do sampler! i also love to stitch and i'm really tempted to buy this pattern. btw i LOVE your flying geese your fabric choices are PERFECT!!! cheers, Marian x
Oh this is a terrific sampler and what a brilliant idea to try the stitches using different weights of thread!
I too just love stitcheries!
Wow. I'm in awe. Your work is so fantastic. It turned out to be a real treasure.
I love the border you added. I think that is a neat idea to try different threads.
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