The Spot Sampler Finished!
Spot Sampler - the Whole Thing Finished
Well, at last!
My first post on the Tudor and Stuart Goldwork Masterclass was dated 7 May 2010, so the course has taken me about 22 months, rather than the eighteen that Tricia planned it for. That’s not too bad – I thought it would have been much longer.
I’ve finished the spots and stitches as designed and laid down in the course, with a few small additions. I’ve done several sections of Plaited Braid using different metal threads, as well as having another go at Diagonal Half Guilloche stitch, down at the bottom. The picture is quite high resolution, if you want to zoom in and have a closer look..
I don’t usually practice stitches very much, but some of these stitches look and feel so different in the various different threads that it’s become clear to me that on future projects, I will have to test all my metal stitches with the thread and fabric I intend to use.
Curving Plaited Braid Stitch
I also realised – at the last moment – that I hadn’t done possibly the hardest bit in the whole thing, that is, the curved stems of Plaited Braid Stitch for this flower. That was difficult for several reasons, but partly because I spent a lot of time trying to get the frame in the right position to allow me to work the stitch as I had practised it. I chose the very finest of the metal threads in the kit, and in the end I discovered that I could work the stitch quite effectively not only as I’ve practised (horizontally), but also at an angle, working away from me. It’s worked quite well, and I enjoyed wrestling it into some sort of sense, but I don’t yet feel that I can work Plaited Braid stitch with ease or grace. Maybe that will come in time. In truth, I think being able to work it at all is a considerable achievement!
Mega-congratulations!
What is the stitch on the lower right hand side – a variety of Guilloche? That’s my fav.
The PBS looks beautiful.
Great job! It looks marvelous. Mine goes to the framer next week, I can’t wait to see it all finished up.
It is absolutely beautiful, Rachel! I can’t wait to get back to work on mine. I just got notice our month 9 packs have been shipped – I was waiting to get that before I went any further. So happy for you!
Oh wow. That looks just beautiful. Congratulations.
Congratulations Rachel ! It’s beautiful.Those rosebuds(!) are really cute.I was trying to pick one stitch with metal threads which I like the most,but I couldn’t.I love the Josephina knot,circular interlacing stitch ……
Well done. It looks gorgeous!
I’ve just enlarged the photo and spent some minutes studying all the different stitches – it is just fabuous!!
I’ve been away for a week and am still catching up on my blog reading!
Congratulations! It is wonderful. I love the lacey openness of your Queen stitches. It contrasts very nicely with all of the gold work. Excellent job!
What a lot of work! My favourite motif is the flower you enlarged, and I think the curved plaited braid stitch has turned out very well. I agree, the different gold and metal threads make such a difference, albeit a subtle one – but we are concerned with subtleties here, are we not? – that unless you were extremely well-practised you would need to try out each stitch with each thread on a particular fabric just to see which works best. But if you were to stick with this type of embroidery it would become easier to you as time progressed. 22 months to complete this course seems like a good rate of progress to me!