West Along

When my Dad was very old (95+) he used to keep himself amused by watching the crows in the trees opposite the house. He would watch to see if they flew east or west and he would have a bet with me on which route was the most popular that day. I always lost the bet! I still smile every time I see crows and as Dad's favourite route was always "west along" this is my inspiration for my next piece of stitching.

The most important stitch is what Sukey calls "stab stitch" You go in and out the the fabric in almost the same place with the stitches being about 1cm on the back. Use the very fine 60wt thread and use black for dark fabrics

 

 

My lovely Dad

 

 

In this blog post I will go through the stages of how I completed this work. My tutor is called Susannah Sindall and I attend the Liberty Stitch Textile Group that she runs. You can see more of Susannah's wonderful work and the work of the group here

https://www.facebook.com/thelibertystitch/

 

 

 

 

You need calico, embroidery needles and very fine 60wt thread
 

 

A selection of fabrics, the blouse came from a charity shop

I pinned the background and added a layer of organza for a misty effect, I might change that

Susannah kindly supplied an image of a crow

I traced him (in reverse) unto black fabric that had been stiffened with iron on interfacing

On his turquoise organza background ready  for the first stitching, think I will get rid of the flowers and add a moon.
 It is all about playing



I used the stab stitch to stitch a fine layer of black devore fabric over the crow and then another layer for his wing. He got a beak too


Then it was time to add a layer of lace to soften the background, some fine chiffon on his head and some leaves in the foreground. I will stitch round the wing too

 

 

The back of the stitching 

 

 

 

Ready to fly West Along

 

 

Whitstable Days

My latest stitching is finished. It was inspired by the wonderful days I spent beside the sea at Whitstable. My favourite drive on the way home was through the lonely marshes passing all the birds and the waving grasses.

 

Happy Days.

 

 

Cheating!

Our Christmas display for the library is knitted wreaths. I know they will look lovely but I just couldn't face knitting (and sewing up!) lots of little objects so I cheated! I bough a twig wreath from Lidl, went through my stash and here is the result. I think I might keep it intact and display it in my craft room afterwards. The only trouble is the balls of yarn I used are ones I had earmarked for my next weaving project.

 

Need to buy more yarn.  

 

 

 

Inspiring Place

How could I not be inspired by the lovely place I go to for my stitching workshops? The walk along the lane, the gorgeous house, the beautiful trees and the studio in the woods. Here is my "Hydrangea Days" in progress. I need to sew on the flowers, add stalks then see if it needs anything else.