My Hand Sewn Squares

 



 

 

 

This is a sampler piece using running stitch, satin stitch, ladder stitch and chain stitch.

 

 

This is a sample of drawn threadwork. This drawn threadwork is usually sewn into to create a pattern.

See picture below.

 

 

 

 

 

 This exhibition is at Abbott Hall in Kendal. The poster shows a piece of finished drawn threadwork.

 

 

This image is of my six different "grounds." Choosing a twill, silk, satin, tracing paper, silk organza

and woven metal. It was good to stitch though the six fabric's as each material stitched differently. So the thread behaved and looked very different with each fabric. The translucent fabrics had this lovely

round movement of stitch, like it was floating through the material.

 

 

 

 

This sample is french knot stitched onto white silk organza and this  has the floating effect of the

stitch through the material as you can see. Stitching the french knots onto this fabric was quite challenging because of the fineness of the material. I used a embroidery hoop to keep the fabric stable.

 

 

 

 

 The next sample is french knot stitched into a faux leather, which was very easy to stitch as the fabric was good to handle.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Amy Senoges a former students came in to show us her work and teach the couching stitch. I have made a couple samples using knitting wool. Found some empty reels in the studio and some thick cable rope and covered them with couching. This is the effect I have achieved.

 

 

 

        Next I thought I would experiment with other types of fabrics and stitch into them.

 

This is woven metal and metal net fabric which I have cut into shapes and stitched together using a 

running stitch. Added shapes cut out of old railway tickets and stitched onto the metal background for my Journey.

 

 

 

Experimenting with a woven copper material and adding shapes of the metal net. Then using

the ladder and running stitching to join the fabric

 



 

Another hand stitched square though it was too plain, but did not want to overpower the shape.

 

 

 

So I added some gentle strokes of ink to enhance this piece of work and I think it has done that.

Part of my Journey collection.

 

Used chain and ladder stitch for this image. Again, I knew that it lacked something. Looked at it and

thought about it, rummaged in my other samples and then saw what I needed. A very overworked piece of machine stitched square which I had painted over with gesso and now rock solid. . .   

 

 

.....Turned this over to the back and there was the image I wanted. Cut it out and dropped some red ink onto it and attached it to the chain and ladder stitched square and another piece for my Journey.