Something Simple(-ish)
Briggs Transfer
The Azorean Cutwork was not a very successful travelling project, as it needed to be precise, and the poor light of the average hotel-room made precision difficult.
I think this tea-cloth came from the same lady responsible for my fragment of the Quaker Tapestry, and the extra embroidery frames I knew I hadn’t bought. The instructions suggest a welter of unlikely colours and an excess of satin stitch, and I was nearly weak enough for follow them.
Blanket Stitch Fans
Then my mother pointed out that I’ve just done a single-stitch project, and should maybe cut loose a bit.
No sooner suggested than taken up! The wild colours are staying, but the stitchery will be a little more diverse…
After doing yellow satin stitch daisies with orange centres, I used blanket stitch fans for the next flower. I’m sure I’ve seen this before, or used it before, but I can’t remember where!
Nested Fly Stitch Petals
The design is composed of four corner designs and four straight sections which are all the same. I’m working each bit as I decide on it, rather than working one whole side and then copying it three times. That means that the puzzling and decision making is alternating with the stitching, rather than an orgy of decisions followed by the tedium of doing the same thing over and over and over again.
The purple flower is part of the corner motif, and alternates fishbone stitch (the dark petals) with nested fly stitches. The centre is a circle of blanket stitches with some random interlacing to fill them in.
Oh you are a devil for punishment! Table cloths alwyas look easy. They lay there with their printed pattern but when you come to stitch them that pattern seems to grow and keep growing. Still, I love your stitching.
Yes, that looks like a good travelling project, and design-as-you-go is always a good hedge against boredom. (I do like to keep one or two known bits in reserve, for when you can only give it a little of your conversation, or are likely to be very much interrupted.) Let your imagination soar!
I love enlarging your pictures and seeing the stitched ‘up close’ — of course they’re always perfect!! *smile*
I love the colors and especially the different stitches you’ve used. I’ll have to remember the nested fly stitch petals for the future.
The nested fly stitch petals are very different, and look great! I’ve seen the blanket stitch for flowers lots of times, often with an eyelet in the center. Satin stitch is nice, but you are giving this project more interest with the different stitches.
it sounds like it’ll be lots more fun to do it that way – what lovely colours
I can see that the tea cloth would be a better traveling project than cutwork! And the colors are so cheerful!
I think this will be a really fun project for you
Beautiful stitching and much nicer than satin stitch! xx
I would have decided not to work a lot of satin stitch, as you do it is not my favourite stitch, but I would be quite happy with the colours.
What a lovely piece – I like the colours.
I love your decision to do this. Mothers are such an inspiration! I really, really like the nested fly stitch. I’ve not seen that done before, but I’m going to have to try it somewhere. Did you start in the center or on the outside?
Love the purple stitches you done. Not simple.
I echo your thoughts on lighting and hotel rooms….actually i echo that thought on any lighting away from home. I can never seem to get it right. I’m happy to see it hasn’t halted your creativity though.