Certificate Course Workshop:Sue Spargo Style Applique

This month's Certificate workshop was taken by Christine Bishop and focused on a basic design from Sue Spargo's Creative Stitches 2nd Edition in the suggested form of a sampler and pincushion. I had a piece of hand-dyed fine wool felt in a lovely purple colourway, which I used as the background fabric. I took a range of felt pieces for the flower and leaves. I enlarged the outer flower a little .The original design had four leaves. I experimented with various colour green for leaves. 

I had a very small piece of felt with silver spots printed on it, which I thought might provide a lift. In the end, after consulting with others, I added another four leaves, five in the spotted dark green and three in a lighter colour. 

I found a fine metallic and used one strand of gold together with one strand of red for the single chain stitch edge on the dark leaf, and a variegated stranded cotton for the lighter leaves.

I had expected to use the same variegated thread for the buttonhole loops around the inner circle, but rejected it.  In the end I settled for a blue cotton, left over from Evil Eye embroideries. I added gold chip beads (also left from Evil Eye embroideries) to the centre.

When I chose the background felt I did so thinking it would be a shame to cut it for a pincushion, and it might be folded into a pouch. 

Christine gave us a bee button and I had identified a butterfly brooch from my tin of bits of bling. I decided to connect them to a flight path using gimp and the full length of the fabric.

I folded it in half, stitched the edges down on the machine, and added a zip at the back, using bias binding between the zip and the felt in case the edge catches.

The side edges needed a finishing touch of blanket stitch in mauve. Finally, I added a couple of small felt squares to cover the end of the zip.

It looks nothing like the pincushion template, and I have more pouches than I can use, but I'm very pleased with this one. I have enjoyed two days of simply messing about with colours, fabric, threads, bling and ideas. And I really like the result.

Great workshop.