Huckaback on Aida Centre finished for now.

Returning to the Huckaback on Aida border I created as a result of the Embroiderers’ Guild Certificate Course Workshop in January, I decided to add to the centre. I had purchased a pattern for a Hamsa from Etsy for the talk I’m giving later in the year on the Evil Eye in Embroidery. As I had no plan for it beyond working it as a sample, it seemed this was an opportunity. The pattern came with instruction for working it in 22 shades of blue cotton. Hamsas, however, are worked in red in a number of cultures. If anything, red amplifies the protection - and fits my colour scheme!

I therefore gathered all the Perle 5 threads I had in shades of red and set to work. I didn’t try to follow the shading on the pattern, rather began with what I had and made it up as I went along. I reverted to perle 5 because this was a cross stitch pattern over one square of Aida and perle 3 would be too bulky.

In fact tent stitch was more than adequate with perle 5. I worked the basic outline using about 6 shades of red.

I didn’t want so much white space, so added extra flames in shades of orange. 

At the workshop it was suggested that I put this in the Guild Exhibition, so I had a deadline. 

While I’m happy with the remaining white background , it should be filled with white, or ecru, stitches rather than left, as it is, with the Aida as background. I simply ran out of time.

As it was, I took it out of the hoop at midnight last night and dropped it at the Guild today. I haven’t decided yet whether to use it as a sample, a cushion or a bag. Probably the last. I will decide after the WES talk in May. 

For now I’m happy with the result of the experiment of Huckaback on Aida resulting from the workshop. It’s been a lot of fun and learning, the way I like it: flying by the seat of my pants! 

I didn’t have time to block it, but steam-pressed it this morning. I can still see a faint hoop mark, a sign of a woman who is no domestic goddess, but tried. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Certificate Course Workshop: Designing with Huckaback on Aida

 The first Guild Certificate Course Workshop for this year was Designing with Huckaback on Aida, taken by Carol Mullan. It was an intriguing topic. I have done quite a bit of Huckaback over the last 15 years, either on Huckaback  fabric or monks' cloth. Using Aida opens up possibilities of combining the Huckaback technique with other counted techniques.

I didn't have much Aida in my stash, but found a piece I had bought from the Guild trading table. It was 35cmx42cm and had been edged with bias binding and tacked along the centre lines.  It would do, I thought, for the requested A4 working fabric.

However, once I read Carol's notes and assimilated the ideas she presented, I got inspired to design and work it as a whole piece. So, while the rest of the group was playing with manageable samples, I launch into A Project!

I had taken the requested selection of threads, but, with the whole-piece design in mind, I selected a group of perle 5 threads from the trading table in a colour way inspired by the pink border.

 I selected a standard Huckaback border pattern and worked it in three shaded rows, dark to lighter, all the way around, making a few adjustments in count along the way to fit the piece, which, I am sure, was not originally intended to accommodate the floats in the fabric as well as the spaces between them. 

Back at home, I spend a bit of time going through books, looking for ideas for filling. I favoured Kogin, a Japanese straight, two-colour, counted stitch with many possible patterns, but when I tried it, I realised the width of the Aida squares meant that even using a Perle 5 thread, I would not get coverage of the fabric.

So I began to experiment with stitches. Rows of chain stitch gave good coverage, weaving a web with an uneven number of spokes gave decent coverage. Because I was working in an elongated shape it didn’t fill the space, but I like the look. My straight stitches on the corner (left above) didn’t work well, even after I couched them down.

It finally occurred to me that a perle 3 might be better. I only had two perle 3 threads in the red-orange- pink palette, but they made an immediate improvement in coverage (left). The contrast isn't great, but better than the photo suggests.

The next section began as feather stitch. The diagonal rows looked so good I continued, making it more like an open buttonhole stitch. As I only had two colours to work with, I improvised stripes.

I experimented a bit, working the rows from left to right only, then working a return row from right to left. The latter didn't work as well. 

Opposite, I worked a similar pattern in two shades of perle 5 to contrast coverage. Niamh adviced on the contrast colour - and she was right, it harmonises!

By now a hoop was needed. While Huckaback needs to be worked in the hand,  filling is much better (especially with my right index finger out of action  from surgery!) in a hoop. It was close to the hoop edge, but just enough to hold.

That left one side, on which I experimented with Bargello. This was almost back to the original Huckaback design concept, using the whole fabric thickness rather than the floats. 

I dashed off to Create in Stitch to buy more perle 3. The colour choice is limited , but good enough to for a decent Bargello coverage.

So here is the finished piece, straight off the hoop ( as you can see!).

I have a plan for the centre, which I will attempt in time for the upcoming Guild Exhibition (submit next week!). Hopefully I will have a result to post by then. In the meantime I’ve had fun with this and learned a heap. 

One of the best workshops ever.

Aquile finished with tassels

I've been slowly working on tassels for the Aquile mat, using an adapted version of one by Rita Maria Faleri in Inspirations 103.

The body of the tassel consists of 20 strands knotted at each end with 3 bundles of 4 knots, so 12 knots per strand and 240 knots per tassel.

I decided to make the head of the knot from a bundle of left-over linen covered in needlelace. I considered a bead, but decided to stay with the softness of the linen and cotton.

These are not difficult to make, but require fine motor skills.

The initial one was good enough for me to keep going.

After two I had to stop for a while, due to an operation on my right index finger to remove a myxoid cyst. For about ten days, while I could manage some tasks, and some stitching, using my thumb and middle finger, knots proved too difficult. I have recovered enough in the last two days to tie the requisite 480 knots,  216 while on desk duty at the Guild, and 264 at home. Not that I was counting!

I’m not sorry to have finished, and I won’t be making any more for a while!

I also made the two extra needle lace heads, and attached them 

so the cushion front is now fully converted.

It joins the earlier two mats, or, more likely, throw-overs to cover food.

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I have fabric left for another two, but won't be working them any time soon. These three will now go into the upcoming Guild 60th Anniversary Exhibition. 

While I like them, their use is limited, and I'm into useful!

3rd Evil Eye kit

Yes, I’m addicted - or, if you prefer, on a roll. I bought these as a bundle of three kits on Etsy. There were 5 designs to choose from, the three I chose were the default. I have since ordered the other two, but they are coming from the UK and seem to be printed on demand, so this will be the last for at least a few weeks. 

I was wary of this one because of the number of close lines in stem stitch, but got into the swing with the central circle in black satin stitch. As before, I worked this in a revolving arch, continuing until all areas were covered. This creates a raised texture, more effective, I think, than side to side satin stitch.

As with the last one, I used Madeira metallic rather than the metallic supplied.

I began the blue rays with 2 rather than 3 strands of cotton. The lines are very close together and two worked well. After a few rows, however, I switched to split stitch. This gave me greater control over the line and a straighter look.

I love the way this works, intensifying the colour as the density of stitches get closer together. A design technique I would not have thought of for myself

Stem stitch is better on the border, where you want a solid block rather than a fine line. The additional black border makes it pop.

I had a bit of trouble with the beads.  The bead border on one side was slightly wider at one end although the photo of the finished work showed only 2 beads all the way. The gap at some places required 3 beads to fill the space. I filled the space rather than following the picture, using up all the beads provided, but it looked uneven.

I went ahead with the next section, but when that was done, raided the earlier kits for spare beads and brought all rows on that side to 3 beads. Much better.

Finally, the outer ring.

This time I found a piece of Japanese fabric in colours that worked for the backing, pinned and stitched it tight.

I was unsure of this one when it arrived, but I really like the finished product.

The three hang well together. The Guild Exhibition is coming up and I plan to join these three together and display them.

2nd Evil Eye Kit

I moved straight from the first into the second of my three kits of Evil Eye protection mandalas, beginning again in the centre of the eye, this time with black thread.  

The cotton thread brand isn't marked, but whatever it is, it is mostly good. It separates easily and lays flat with a lovely sheen. The black, however, I’m less sure about, as I will discuss below.

As I mentioned last time, the metallic thread is less than satisfactory. I did try it again, just to be sure. In the photo on the right, the two solid lengths are as it went into my needle. The length on the left of the photo is what it looked like after three stitches. It simply unravels and shreds as it goes through fabric.

I swapped to Madiera and had no problem as can be seen on the left.

The next problem was of a different nature. I had an operation 8 days ago to remove a myxoid cyst on my right index finger. The bandage, as you can see, was enormous. It stayed on for 3 days after the operation. As the embroidery was in a hoop, I could stitch with my left hand, but it was slow. 

 All was good until I came to the long straight black rows at the bottom in the photo. By now the dressing on my right index finger was reduced. While I couldn’t use it, I could hold a needle between my thumb and middle finger.and stitch with reasonable accuracy. Stem stitch requires accuracy.

In addition, the thread colour appeared uneven. I tried couching the thread but couldn’t achieve a smooth effect, so undid it and persevered with stem stitch. It’s far from perfect, but a bit better than I had feared.

Once I had added the final borders, I mounted it in the display hoop and chose a piece of a shirt of Jim’s as backing. The colours work, and he would have wanted to continue to be included for as long as possible. I keep the shirt for just such a purpose.

I’m surprised how well this has come up in the end, given the conditions under which it was worked. It goes well with the first one.

I’m still enjoying stitching these, so on to the next one, with even more straight lines!

Evil Eye kit no851

Before Christmas I bought three kits for embroideries designed to ward off the Evil Eye. The purpose is not personal use, but as examples for a talk I am going to give to the World Embroidery Study Group later this year. While I have a lot of information, I figure it will help to have some actual examples.

While I bought these from an Australian Etsy site, they appear to be designed and constructed in the UK, although the package itself does not identify the artist. 

I chose what looked like the most complex to begin. There are 5 different threads and three sets of beads. The stitches are simple - stem, straight, satin and a bead attachment.There is a simple diagram for each of these and a diagram showing where each is used, along with the colour. This all fits on the single instruction sheet. Needles and a needle threader are included. I thought this was clever. Because the stitches have been kept basic, a beginner would be able to work it out.

I began with the inner blue iris, working around in an arc so the stitches eventually overlapped. The next round, the gold metallic, was my only grumble. The gold “thread” was a nightmare to work with. Even short lengths quickly untwisted and broke after a couple of stitches. I persevered, but won’t do so in future kits. I will substitute Madeira metallic with a cotton core. 

The rest went fairly smoothly. I experimented a bit with the number of beads threaded at a time. Securing individual beads would not only be uneconomical of time, but wouldn’t get the flow implied in the photo.

When I came to the outer row of blue, I used blanket stitch rather than straight stitch.

I had purchased hoops with the kit. They are cream plastic, blending nicely with the design. I used my regular seated hoop to stitch it, but mounted the finished piece in the hoop provided.

I found a square of fabric I purchased some time ago from the Aboriginal Fabric Gallery in Alice Springs that seemed appropriate. I pinned it over the back, cut around it and then trimmed the corners off the embroidery, pinned, stretched and stitched.  

I am delighted with the result. I haven’t hung it as yet. I think I’ll wait to finish the three. It has been the most enjoyable embroidery I’ve done for ages.