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.

Aquile kit

I really like the work of Rita Maria Faleri. I have worked two of her mats from Inspirations magazines, and also bought her  Esemplario Book 1 , which I can’t find, no doubt on loan to someone. When Aquile was offered for sale last year through Inspirations, as a cushion, I could resist, and bought the kit. Determined not to add to my stash, I began working on it as soon as my Christmas gift stitching was finished in December.

As usual, it is worked in the hand on a very loose weave linen - about 15 threads per inch using Anchor Baby Knitting cotton (4ply).  This is not so good for my hands and the threads shift as you work on it. In the past this hasn’t bothered me much, but it did this time.

Here is my first section photographed resting on the pattern photograph. 

The instructions began with the usual direction to mark the centre lines with tacking using the machine thread provided (natural). I obeyed, but it was hardly useful as the pattern was not organised centrally (and the thread was near invisible on the linen). It would have been more sensible to mark it into three columns with coloured tacking, but I didn’t figure this out until it was too late.  I figured I needed to work the column lines first to give myself a structure in which to work, and did so. However  my count was slightly out and I adjusted accordingly. Undoing was unthinkable.

  

I found it difficult to keep my count accurate, partly because of movement in the fabric, partly from discontinuity, remembering the direction and count between sessions. It is a flowing, rather than a simply geometric design.

A close look reveals many discrepancies. The small bird figures below the eagles were particularly tricky - a small figure worked with very thick thread, so hard to get clean shapes.

I had no intention of making a cushion. I have enough and I still don’t think the fabric is suitable.It would certainly need to be lined. Like its predecessors, it’s probably not much of a mat either, but will function best as a throw. 

I modified the design, removing the small birds from the top row, adding crosses to the top of the dividing columns and squaring off the shape so it is the same size as my earlier examples.

I kept the cushion border, but it’s fractionally wider than the cushion one.

I am in the process of making onion knot tassels for each corner. This will take me a while. My initial calculation is 1000 knots, but I might simplify. I will post an update.

Because I’m not making a cushion, I have another piece of linen - what would have been the back. As much as I like the result, I’m not going to make the same again. For now the spare is put away. If that book ever turns up, I just might get it out and have a go at a different design.

More Be Alice : Fáilte

I enjoyed stitching the Irish harp and decided to buy a couple more kits from Be Alice. One I thought might make a gift for a stitcher, and the other I could make as a gift for an Irish-inclined relative.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos along the way. Worked in a 6" frame, it was again, a pleasure to stitch. The stitches are simple but varied. I made only one change, working the lettering in Quaker stitch, rather than the recommended backstitch. It took a couple of evenings to stitch, probably about 8 hours. The thread provided is organised on a card and in decent quantity. I had enough left to make a twisted cord but not so much I needed to find a storage solution. I appreciate a designer who takes the trouble to work out how much is needed, rather than oversupplying on a guess. 

I wanted to gift this as something that could hang on an office door. For those who are not into the Irish Gaelic, fáilte means welcome.  Failte Ireland is the trade mark of the Irish Tourism Development Authority. Pronunciation varies throughout Ireland, but standard is s something like Fallcha (easy enough to look it up).

While stitching it, I was fortunate enough to find a green 6" display hoop on the Guild's trading table. Perfect. 

I also had plenty of green ikat to use as a backing. The hardest bit of the exercise was stitching the backing on tightly to ensure both a smooth and a secure fit. I stretched and pinned, stretched and pinned and stretched and repinned. 

I then sacrificed a needle to working on a tight angle right on the edge of the frame. It worked,  I doubt a circular needle would have been any better, given the tightness of the angle.

It now sits firm and smooth.

I finished it late in November, but as it was a Christmas present, i have held this post over. 

I hope it does its welcoming job.

                                                       

Experiments in stamping and dyeing

A few weeks ago Create in Stitch  offered for sale a set of William Morris stamps and a book of postcards to colour. I bought both with a view to experimenting with stamping on fabric. At the time of writing, the stamp sets have sold out.

This week I found time to have a go.  I dug out cotton bags I bought from Spotlight a while ago for just such a purpose. I have  several bright colours, but chose the ecru one. To provide a firm surface without impacting both sides of the bag I inserted a blocking tile inside. 

To begin the process, I used my Inktense pencils to sketch a large tree on one side of the bag. One side of the tile has no ridges, so becomes the working side. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of the tree. The Inktense pencils are fixed by water, so after drawing the tree I soaked the bag and hung it out to dry. It dried much paler than I had hoped, but as I was going to stamp over it I accepted that.

The stamps come with ink pads in four colours. I began trying to create a scene, but soon gave up and simply stamped wherever I found a space. The result was OK, but not exciting enough for me to do the same on the other side.

The stamps I liked best were the tiny birds. As I was stamping, I recalled songs I knew about birds. That led me to use the pencils to draw a bird on the other side.

Our State emblem is the Piping Shrike, a Magpie, and they are evident at the moment. 

I found a photo and had a go at freehand drawing one on the bag. The challenge was adding the white on the ecru background, but I rather enjoyed the drawing exercise. Of course, I added a bit of advice, prompted partly  by the time of year.

The pencils are fixed on fabric by wetting. I used water to wet the pencils as I drew. The colour gradually spreads. I like it better before it spread, but no matter.

To make sure it was set, I ironed, washed, rinsed it in vinegar, hung it out to dry, then ironed it again. It's a pretty messy spread, but I think this is how the pencils are intended to work.

The stamps survived the process surprisingly well. You can even just see the outline of the tree underneath. The text side would have benefitted from such an underlying layer.

The bag came with a label attached by a self-fabric band, I assume for folding. I will catch it with a couple of stitches to the bottom of the bag, so it can be folded thus to slip in a pocket or bag. 

This an experiment rather than an artistic offering, but maybe someone will be cheered  by it, and use it for everyday shopping. It will,  I think, survive quite a few washes.

I've learnt I can draw a magpie, the stamps work on fabric but are a bit small for a bag, I can't control the bleeding of Inktense pencils and Inktense red is very intense! 

Tea Box

I recently bought two kits of tea boxes with Anna Scott embroidery linens designed to be fitted into the lids once embroidered. 

These were a Create in Stitch  promotion and part of their Barossa Weekend Retreat next May.

When I unpacked the first box, which I intended as a gift to one of my daughters, I was reluctant to cover the lid with embroidery, but my daughter didn't share my scruples, so I proceeded.

I began with the Very Very Berry  design. Ignoring the instruction to mount in an 8" hoop, I opted for a 10" to have the whole design visible and avoid moving the linen while working on it. Tomake this possible I added a strip of linen to the bottom of the linen. While larger hoops are harder to keep tight, I had no trouble with this one. 

I also backed the linen with a piece of cheesecloth to strengthen it. 

For the most part I followed the stitching order suggested, beginning with the bird. When it came to the berries I added in a woven version with an odd number of spokes, enabling an under-over weave.

What looks like a little colour bleeding here is, I think, a little thread shedding and has disappeared with blocking.

The design covers a nice variety of stitches and falls easily into working sections. It's satisfying to be able to complete one section in a sitting.  

The leaves were, perhaps, the most challenging. A couple of the colours are very close . I varied the vein colour in a few instances.

It was a bit strange to finish the leaves and stems while the bird has no legs, so I pushed on to finish.

Before blocking I  added my initials and those of the recipient. It took about 15 hours to dry overnight.

The next challenge was mounting.

I had enough acid-free mounting board, so began by creating a paper template, then cutting the mounting board with my Stanley knife and finding an already cut oval of felt that would pad the embroidery without making the edges too thick. I added a smaller felt oval on top of this one.

It took a while to get it arranged with the design nicely centred. The mounting board is a good consistency for pinning - a very necessary step.

I use waxed thread for lashing. This is a pretty messy effort, but manipulated to seal the corners and to make sure the signature is reasonably straight on the front. 

It fits well, but the corners didn't sit down, so I applied very narrow double-sided tape to the edges.

The corners still popped up, so I applied weights for a few hours. I think it has worked but if it lifts a little a wider tape on the corners might be needed.  

I'm glad I proceeded with the embroidered lid.    It is, indeed, a worthy addition to the beautiful wood, and a joy to stitch.          

This is one I do recommend!

Vegetable shopping bag

This week I finished the canvas vegetable bag that I bought online as a kit from the Royal School of needlework.

The kit came with a very strong ready-made canvas bag, bundles of thread and a QR code to access instructions. 

A canvas needle was provided. Unfortunately, there was no way that was going to penetrate the canvas. so I worked mostly from my supply of crewel needles from The Crewel Work Company.  

The first job was to organise the threads into usable and convenient lengths.

The instructions use the capsicum to demonstrate the method, so I began there, and moved on to the leek. Although the stitches are basic, they are difficult to execute. The canvas, of course, demands a strong, sharp needle. The designs are marked on the surface of the canvas with a plastic-like coating rather than dyed into the cloth, so the needle needs to penetrate that as well as the canvas.

I had the bag mounted in a seating frame so I could use both hands. I pushed the needle from the top using my nails, which are strong, and from below using a thimble on my ring finger. I also used a brace on both hands to protect my thumb joints.

The corn, which comes up really well textured, was the hardest. working french knots through the dense surface was a challenge.

The rest were easier, but still not relaxed stitching.

  I was pleased to finish this one. It is a strong, attractive bag that will be really useful. I am going to keep it and use it as my greengrocery bag.  

I hadn't anticipated it would take so much effort. The stitches are very simple indeed ( I varied them a bit) but their execution required significant effort.

I quite like that they are not to scale, pumpkin about the same size as a peapod! 

It's going to be a great talking point as I shop for fruit and veg.