words...meh

Apart from the writing of small stones, words and I are not getting on at the moment.  They are getting on my nerves and I'd really like them to leave me for a while, give me some space.  So rather than write, here's what I've been doing lately...

Lotus

So we didn't make it up North.  We all got the lurgy, and it hit Jake quite hard so we cancelled our trip.

Cooped up indoors while the weather was lovely (of course), I started work on my next piece of stitchery...



Tracing the pattern from one of my drawings



I used a 90gsm, non-waxy tracing paper and
Sulky Iron On Transfer Pen to retrace this image
on the reverse side of the paper




Preparing to transfer onto fabric





Even using the transfer pen, some of the lines were still faint
But it worked better than last time



I went over the fainter parts with the transfer pen,
drawing directly onto the fabric



On the hoop

My progress to date



Is it twee?

So here it is, my very first piece of embroidery (or stitchery, as I prefer to call it).  Considering that it's my first and that I used my own drawing to create the pattern, I'm quite proud of it. 

I originally wanted to stitch this on a different fabric, a lovely slightly textured chocolate coloured chambray (in fact a cheapo table cloth I found in Wilkinson's). But my transfer pencil left such faint lines I couldn't see the pattern so I had to make do with white. Transferring the pattern was not quite as trouble-free as it's portrayed here.  Even though I followed all the instructions, I still had trouble getting clear lines and had to draw over the fainter bits directly on the fabric with the pencil.  I've since found some non-waxy tracing paper and even a transfer pen (wonderfully named Sulky) so I'm hoping that will solve the problem.

Anyway, this is stitched entirely in split stitch on a bit of cotton napkin procured from Sainsbury's (a pack of 4 for £3.50!).  I used the split stitch simply because I couldn't get my stem stitches to work.  I know that sounds terribly fancy - it isn't.  The stitches have names and once you know them it's like knowing how to use certain ingredients for cooking.

There were a lot of false starts...muck-ups, pulling out threads and restarting, and some of the stitches are still not terribly neat, but once I got started (with Jenny Hart's book Sublime Stitching to hand), it was easier than I expected and I like the overall result. 

 

My only worry is that it might be just the wrong side of twee.  What do you think?

Quiet

I know I've been unusually quiet here.  It was an entirely unplanned break, but one I need.  A break in my routine so I can come back to it feeling refreshed.

Plus, I've been squirrelled up in my creative brain, getting ready for a new project.  All will be revealed in time, but here's a sneak peek...

Let me explain.  I received my redundancy cheque yesterday.  (Yup, I am now officially an unemployed layabout stay at home mum living the life of Riley).  And I spent a tiny portion of said cheque on these beauties.  I was a tad over-enthusiastic, but embroidery threads are not expensive and there isn't a haberdashery near me and I don't get a chance to pop into town that often so there you go.  When I took them to the till, the check out person asked me if I was sure I had enough colours.  Rather than give the same wordy and boring explanation I just gave you, I told her it was for a community project.  She was duly impressed and didn't ask me any more embarrassing questions.  It's not lying, it's saving face.