Crewelwork Tree of Life

As I post this I am back home after a month in the UK, having been to another Crewel Work Company Embroidery Retreat in the Lake District. The blog of my travels tells the story. I had hoped to post to this blog as well while away - but did not manage it. I'm now back to weekly postings.

I  made good progress over the Summer with another panel to go on the Ikea chair that I am covering with crewelwork.

I had been working on the Tree of Life panel - the firescreen design from the Crewel Work Company.


I began with the hound and hillocks ( yes, I admit to rushing in without reading the instructions, which suggest elsewhere!)





I did, nevertheless, have a really good time stitching it.











It took two hoop positions to get to this point, after which, I returned to where I should have started....

Much of this was done on holiday at a beach south of Adelaide. Since I travelled there by car there was no trouble transporting hoop and stand.

After returning from the beach, I managed to quickly work another hoop.

Then on to the  last full hoop - and finally the two  moves to finish areas either side of this.

I wanted to have this finished and added to my chair before I left for the Crewel Work Company Retreat in the Lake District at the end of February.

I wasn't stressed about it - I was enjoying it too much for that!



















I managed to work on steadily, section by section.

When I took it out of the hoop it had the usual raggy look.

Blocking soon fixed that.
The weekend before I left I managed to add it to my chair.






 As it was a bit longer than the chair I have a couple of strips I can embroider to fit alongside the squarish piece on the seat - now I am back I can attend to it.



Next step is the parrot panel to go on the other side of the back.

I have, of course, a couple of projects to finish from the Retreat - as well as one from a one-day RSN course. These will take priority - but it won't be long now. I'll report progress next week.

Chair progress - Jacobean Stag finish

When I last wrote about my project to cover an ikea bucket chair in crewel work, I had just finished the Running Hare and purchased three more kits to work and add. Those kits arrived in good time, and in between Christmas projects I have been working on the Jacobean Stag.






I used Phillipa's sitting-hoop-with-cling-wrap method (plus her cover-with-shower-cap-to-keep-clean trick).

I began with the stag - loved the rhythm and instant effect of the shaded long-and-short stitch.

The flowers were equally satisfying - the red is fantastic.















Left to my own devises, I doubt very much that I'd have got the shading right. The colour combinations were not ones I'd have chosen - but they worked a treat.

I needed to move my hoop twice to fit all the design in. The last move allowed me to work on the left side of the hillock on which the stag is standing.


I loved the comfort of this piece - a good variety of stitches, but within my comfort zone. I really enjoyed the addition of Portuguese knots.






I finished the piece on 30 December and blocked it overnight, tightening it several times in the drying process.

On New Year's Eve I began the process of adding the panel to the chair.






To fit the panel to the curve of the chair I needed to shape one bottom edge of the panel. This gave me a triangular off-cut that I inserted in the gap at  the top of the chair in the curve. I stitched it in by hand using machine thread, then embroidered over it with wool.





I managed to crib another triangle from the Running Hare panel to insert on the other side and repeat the process.

It isn't perfectly balanced - but, hey, I'm not an upholsterer. I'm following my grandmother and mother in making-do, using what I've got in terms of both materials and skills.

I have a bit of a plan for covering the strips at the side of the seat panel, but it will need to wait until I've covered the back. I may also extend the triangle points right down between the panels to the base.

The photo to the left was taken before I had secured the bottom edge of the panels. The panoramic view below was taken after the lower edge was secured.













This is a work in progress, but I'm very pleased to have reached this point at the beginning of a new year - and to be able to write about it as the first post for 2019  (and my 481st since 8 October 2010).

Running Hare and Chair

I've been up and running on covering my chair with crewel work. Sarah, from Comfort Works, offered me $75A to have the cover altered to the right length. I appreciated the offer, but decided I didn't want the hassle of finding someone to do it, taking the cover there etc. So I set to work and altered it myself - just turning up the hem about 2" and running it around on the machine.


It's now fine. I've also been trying out bits of finished crewel on it.

I also got out the Crewel Work Company's Running Hare which I've had for a couple of years, and got to work. 

It proved lovely to stitch and worked up quickly.



The colours are inspired. I am not so good on colour, and would not have thought to put these together.

I couldn't resist trying it on the chair at the last hoop change!









It might have been better to start with the hillock, rather than finish - it wasn't easy to get the hoop smooth over the existing stitching!










Nevertheless, I finished - a lot of enjoyment, and another raggy piece to show for my effort.









 Before long, however, it was looking much better. I also blocked the crewel work sampler from the 2017 Retreat







Then came the tricky bit - stitching it on to the chair cover. It's coming along.

I have ordered a Jacobean Stag kit to go on the left of the inside. I think I will have to get some extra pieces of linen twill to fill in the gaps between the pieces - but I'll wait and see when it is further advanced.

Obsessed is again the word. I also ordered the two fire screen panels to put on the back of this chair. It's a bit mad, I think - but I'm going to really enjoy doing it!

And I really do NOT need any more cushions (nor, unfortunately, fire screens!).

Jacobean Medley finish

It's about three weeks since I last posted about the Jacobean Medley from Beating Around the Bush.

I soon finished what was in my hoop at the end of that post.

I then moved the hoop for the last time.












Here's the finished piece - crumpled and crinkled from the hoop.

I couldn't wait to block it - on  a towel on the carpet overnight.


It is so rewarding to see the smooth piece emerge from what looks like a rag!



 I had been giving a lot of thought to what to do with this. My original intention was to make just one more giant cushion, but I realised this was not big enough for what I had in mind, so I mulled it over - and had an idea.

I have a small Ikea Solsta Olarp bucket chair in my sewing room. It occurred to me that I might be able to add some crewel work to it. I already have an embroidered Ikea chair - with Alison Snepp's  Skyros men, but it isn't the same model.

The Solsta Olarp chair did not have a loose cover. Ikea did not supply one for this chair. To add embroidery, I really need a loose cover. It is too difficult to stitch onto the chair itself - and too hard to clean.

I discovered two companies that make loose covers for Ikea chairs, including the little Solsta Olarp. After some hesitation and investigation, I ordered a cover, in Panama Cotton, from Comfort Works in the USA.

The cover arrived - very efficiently - yesterday. I couldn't wait to unpack it, test my embroidery against it, and try it on the chair.

The cover is beautifully made and the fabric lovely. Comfort Works have followed up with emails to make sure it meets my requirements. That’s impressive!

I had a bit of trouble fitting the cover over the chair. It is, of necessity, a tight fit. It is a trifle long. I'm wondering if I should try to get slightly longer screw-in legs. It would be neater if about 3cm shorter. I could also just turn it up a little. Comfort Works are looking into it.








I pinned and machine-stitched the Jacobean Medley panel to the seat cushion cover.







I needed to tighten it a little at the top - easier for me by hand.


I have plans to cover the rest of it with crewel work. I'm already working on the Running Hare panel to put on the inside right. I have a couple of small pieces I am also playing with. A friend is shocked that I will allow anyone to sit on the embroidery. No worse, in my view than putting feet on an embroidered footstool!

I have a feeling I am going to be a customer of The Crewel Work Company for quite a while before I am finished with this chair!

Twelfth Skyros Man and Chair Finish

 

The twelfth man is finished, along with his two flower motifs. I stitched the smaller sections in darning stitch and the two large bits - his pants and top - in Bokhara. 

 

Here is the final panel washed, ironed

 

 

 

 

 

and pinned in place on the chair cover, ready for stitching in place.

 

It is awkward stitching it on my sewing machine. A long-arm or  industrial machine would be easier, especially around the front of the arms.  

However, I managed. I'm glad I decided to buy a cover for the chair and stitch to that, rather than hand-stitching the linen to the chair itself by hand. While that may have given a tighter fit, being able to take this off to launder or repair gives a level of comfort.

It isn't an easy object to photograph, but here are a couple of shots of the finished chair in situ.

 

 

I still have quite a bit of thread left, somewhat to my surprise. Bokhara stitch should use more thread than running stitch and I thought I might need to buy more, but I have plenty left for a small back cushion, or other projects.

 

 

I'm so pleased with this project. I was enchanted when I saw it as a director's chair in Inspirations 78, and I have finished the adaptation to an armchair before Inspirations 80 has arrived.

 

Thanks to all my family and friends for encouragement along the way.

 

Now to sit and stitch in my chair!
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Earlier posts on this chair can be found at
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/men-of-skyros-preparation.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/men-of-skyros-stitching-begins.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/men-of-skyros-original-darning-man.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/men-of-skyros-bokhara-man.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/men-of-skyros-lattice-man.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/bokhara-coat-man.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/men-of-skyros-panel-one.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/men-of-skyros-chair-panel-one.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/skyros-man-6.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/skyros-man-7.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/skyros-man-8.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/second-skyros-panel-finished.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/skyros-man-9.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/skyros-man-10.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/skyros-chair-eleventh-man.html
http://jillian-alwaysstitching.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/skyros-chair-cushion.html