Loading the Felucca – starting on the packing case
Decisions Decisions
Since appliqué is a layered technique, I had to work forwards from the most distant object. For this subject – once the background was in place, that was the packing case.
The first thing I had to do was to work out how I was going to represent the lengths of wood running as bracing all around the box. My first thought was to use reverse herringbone stitch, as I did for the contour lines on the Map of Amarna, but as I was stitching it I became less sure.
I worked the other band in ordinary herringbone stitch, then sat back and frowned at the frame for a while.
Still More Decisions
The result of my frowning cogitations was that I decided that I definitely didn’t like the reverse herringbone stitch, and wasn’t totally happy with the standard herringbone stitch either.
I tried variations on couching stitches – Bokhara Couching and Roumanian Couching, in the lower half of the nearer band – and was no happier.
Just as well I enjoy these puzzles, isn’t it!
Finally it occurred to me that the grain of the wood would be running lengthwise in these pieces of wood, while in the planks that make up the box, the grain would appear to run across the box. The stitching I had tried had given the impression of the grain running across the bracing struts. So I tried Bokhara Couching again, but running lengthwise.
That’s better, I think, but the next task is all that unpicking.
Lengthwise couching looks right – or maybe even lengthwise stitches of random length. Love your unicorn a few posts back. I don’t know how you juggle several projects at once, I like to see one project through at a time.
Lengthwise couching definitely best – or just random length uncouched threads. Love your unicorn a few posts back.
Good luck with the stitching and unstitching!
unpicking……quite therapeutic I think….and a means to a perfect end.
We quilters call it reverse sewing, which somehow doesn’t seem as bad as unpicking!
Actually I think I am one of the best in the world at reverse sewing. I have a talent for it. Need any advice?
What an adventure. Oh, I do hate ‘unpicking’ and fortunately don’t have much of it to do in my work. I loved hearing about your thought and stitch process and your final thought that the stitches should run vertically as wood grain would if the piece were on end.
Much as I dislike unpicking, I dislike even more the idea of having to live with something that isn’t right. Hope you’re happy with your final choice of stitch, and that this will be confirmed when you’re able to fill the wooden bracing.
Beautiful project with allot of different stitches. New follower.