Weekend Review: Hand-Stitched Oasis

 

Hand-Stitched Oasis / Theresa M. Lawson
Concord, CA: C&T, c2024.
128 p.

I recently found this newer book in my library, and I loved it. The author has an Instagram account where she shares a lot of work, and this book shows some of her secrets to her beautiful pieces. 

I found this to be well laid out, with lots of useful information and lots of great photos, both of the steps to the techniques she shares, and of some finished projects. The focus on the book is on sharing both how to create your own embroidery pattern from your own photos, and the stitches and techniques to use to get the realistic effects you're after. To this end there are only a few complete projects included at the end, if you want to try out her techniques without creating the pattern yourself - it's much more exciting to use her instructions on how to make a cherished image into a design! 

This is not an approach I've seen often, and the section on how to design something is quite complete, sharing all the steps from choosing a good image to altering it into a stitchable design, as well as how to choose background fabrics and good stitches to use for whichever effect you'd like. She talks about some of her designs to illustrate what she means, and I found a bunch of new ideas here. 

There are 35 techniques covered, from using varied base cloths, to painting the backgrounds to begin and then stitching on top, to using layered stitches to make new effects. There is a stitch guide included and I thought that was also clear and useful. 

I liked the style of her stitching; the varied stitches and open designs appeal to me. They feel quite natural, with variety in the number of strands she's using and a great eye for colour. The textures and colours really worked together well to create an artistic piece, in my opinion, and hopefully that's something you can pick up as you work on your own designs using her process. I had to return this as there was someone else interested in it as well, but I really wanted to keep it longer! I may have to buy myself a copy to work through all the steps and see what comes of it. I was impressed :) 

all photos via C&T Publishing

Mini quilt for a conference auction

Last year when I went to the SAQA Conference in my local area, I made a small quilt for the traditional conference auction. The Spotlight Auction features 6x8 textile art pieces which are auctioned off to benefit the organization. It's quite fun to see all the variations on a small artwork that show up during this display.

This year's conference is a virtual one, but the auction is still happening - it will just be 100% online. I decided I had time to make a small piece before the deadline. I started it last week but it's taken me over a week to finish, as I just couldn't decide on the design. I knew I wanted a labyrinth motif, but I started with an embroidered idea -- nope, didn't work -- then cut shapes out of two different fabrics, neither of which was just right. I finally found the right fabric, applied the motif, had a fusible glue accident that took an evening to fix, then had to decide what stitching to add, and found it needed a little something to finish it up. I have a pile of plastic florets that come off of sewing pins that wear out (yes, I save everything) and found that three white ones worked nicely as stars. 

It's finally finished! I'm calling it Night Walk, and it will be making its way to the SAQA auction shortly. It's nice to have a different kind of sewing challenge sometimes, to give you another sewing experience. I hope someone will end up liking this small piece enough to bid for it. I certainly enjoyed seeing it come together. 

Weekend Review: Color, Thread & Free-Motion Quilting

 

Color, Thread & Free-Motion Quilting / Teri Lucas
Lafayette, CA: C&T, c2020
95 p.

I'm interested in learning more about art quilt techniques so sometimes I do pick up a few books to explore topics in this area. This is one I found via my library system; it looks at how using colour enhances a project. Instead of just quilting a project in invisible/matched thread, she examines how using color can be another design element in your quilt.

It's a fairly short book, but the instructional tone is clear and the book is well structured. She shares a colour wheel and talks about colour selection, but also includes lots of photos and examples. And, instead of relying on theory, there is also a large section in the book about making your own colour wheel samples, so you'll get practical experience with how colours work together. Using different colours of ground cloth, she suggests stitching up a bunch of colours (and weights) of thread to practice and see the results in actual stitching rather than just laying a thread across a fabric and trying to estimate the results you will get. I think this is very useful advice, and learning by doing is usually that way that works best for me. 

I also appreciated a section on thread types and weights, why and when you might use them, and the proper needles to use for each -- there's even a handy chart to help you out. 

What I found didn't work as well with this book was the 36 quilting designs mentioned on the cover. They are square samples at the back, hand drawn, and are all pretty standard designs that anyone who has looked into this area before will already be familiar with. So if you want to learn about colour and thread, there is a lot here, but if you are just looking for some new designs, try another title. 

I also found the stitching in the samples to be very basic -- maybe that's an encouragement to those new to the practice, though, as they are not glistening finished pieces. They are clearly sample works made as references and are not attempting to be anything else. They are simple unfinished pieces that set an example to perfectionists that you must learn by doing. The goal here isn't perfect stitching, it is in the use of colour and how threads play differently with ground cloth. And that is shown very clearly. 

Anyhow, if this is an area that you feel that you need to explore, this is a good title to check out. I learned some tips that were new to me and really appreciated the focus on hands-on exploration. 

Stitchalong: Poppy finisher!

I did it! Finished my #PeaceForUkraineSAL, I mean :) 

I didn't get much stitching or blogging done for last week -- had so much to do. But I worked extra hard on the poppy over the last few days so that I could finish up and share the completed stitchalong pattern. (Designed by Nat, a Ukrainian embroidery artist found at EmbroideryArtByNat )

I started this last motif rather slowly, beginning with the centre and the little bud. I then moved on to the split stitch outlining, which took forever -- I'm not great with split stitch. Forgot to take many in progress photos with this one, as I had it set up in the stand and was just taking a few stitches whenever I could fit them in - photos slipped my mind! 

The poppy is then mainly filled in with four tones of long and short stitch. I looked at a few finished ones by others and realized I liked the ones with the lightest colour just lightly applied. So I tried my best to balance it so that the darkest red was most in evidence. Again I wasn't sure about it halfway through, but once the darker shading was in it looked good. And when the black was added it all came together for me! 

I left the poppy until last because I was worried about being able to do all the shading. But after all the practice on the other motifs I think it turned out well. All that's left is taking it out of the hoop and finding a suitable frame for it. This one is going into a proper glass front frame; I'll share photos once I have finished that. 

I have really, really enjoyed stitching this piece. I've tried to listen to Ukrainian podcasts & audiobooks, sometimes music, while I was stitching so that it would feel like it was a learning experience in all ways. I really love the podcast UkrainianSpaces and recommend it. And I've been reviewing some of the books on my book blog, with more to come, if you're interested. 

There are many other great patterns by this designer, I encourage you to check her out on her website and/or Instagram. This pattern is still easily available on Nat's website along with many others, both images related to Ukraine and many other floral and nature designs, too. 

And please keep paying attention to what is happening in Ukraine, and help where you can. There are many local charities that need our help. 

 

Stitchalong: Purple Morning Glory

This week's progress on my Peace for Ukraine Stitchalong is getting me so close to the end! I worked on the little purple morning glory on the bottom of the design, which I really like -- the shading was tricky here but has such a wonderful effect. 

I started with the leafage, which was done differently from the other leaves in this design which I did in a batch earlier. These leaves are a bit rounder and 'juicier' so were stitched in double strand, and outlined in one strand. Then it was on to the interior stripes.

These were slightly tricky to add in, and I had to add more to the centre of the five point star shape afterward, as I hadn't brought them in closely enough together. But I really liked the colours and enjoyed figuring this element out.

After getting all the greenery done and fixing the central bits, I stitched up the little cone shaped bud and started in on the dark purple shading. It always looks odd at this stage but once you start filling it in it all comes together. 

You can see that the first layer is quite similar in tone but then it lightens up quite a bit in the middle, finishing with some white highlighting that just finishes it off beautifully.

I love the way the shapes and colours blend in this pattern, and am eager to work on the final element, the poppy. I've been leaving this one to last since there is so much delicate shading in it. I'm nervous about getting it right! Thankfully I've had some practice now with the other flowers. 

It will soon be time for some framing decisions!

Just a reminder that this project is a fundraiser for Ukraine. There is still a war going on and they need our support more than ever. You can find this pattern on the website Embroidery Art by Nat, as well as suggestions of many ways to assist Ukraine. I would personally recommend UA24 or Come Back Alive as reputable places to donate (among many others) if you would like to give money directly to Ukrainian charities.

Stitchalong: Pink Mallow

Today's element of the #PeaceForUkraineSAL is the pink mallow flower. It's a big bloom, and adds some shiny pinks to the mix. There are quite a few different bits to this one: from the little bud done in satin stitch to the central stamen in french knots to the 3 layer long-and-short stitch that makes up the flower itself. And then all the outlines and little details. 

But somehow this one didn't feel like it took that long to me. I really enjoyed the repetitive nature of the stitching that makes up the flower. Like always, when you're at the first layer of stitching it doesn't look like much. But as you add in the colours and the petals fill up it starts to look really great. 

I probably could have extended the medium pink a bit further out into the petals, but I am happy with how this turned out. I like the mix of colours and think that the little details like the central cream and green streaks around the stamen add so much. The pale pink split stitch outline on the petals really makes it pop as well. I think it has a sense of a cupped flower with those details. 

I've really been following along with the pattern and not deviating much, and I enjoy the design and all the thoughtfulness put into the smallest bits to make them just so. All of the shading really makes the design, to my eye. Among the traceable patterns in the instructions there is also one with directional guide lines drawn in, and I've been using that one for this week's and last week's work in particular. To make the petal edges look distinct, it's useful to change the direction of your stitches, and seeing them sketched out in the pattern is so helpful. It saves time when someone else has already thought about and worked out the best placement for the effect you want! 

This flower is really lovely and I'm very impressed with the finished look. I wasn't fully sure I liked the pinks when I started but I love the finished bloom. Only two more flowers and then I will be done this project. But there's no limit on the support we can give to Ukraine. Victory to Ukraine!

Stitchalong: Oh the Red Kalyna!

This week I finished up the two sprays of kalyna berries on my #PeaceForUkraineSAL project. As always, you can find this design on Embroidery Art by Nat's website.

This element may look simple but it wasn't; it took longer than some of the larger elements! This is because the berries are all done in padded satin stitch. So, to make them you're basically stitching them twice.

I outlined each one in one-strand split stitch, then filled in the berry with rough long split stitches. I made the pad stitches at a 90° angle to the direction I wanted the final stitches to lie, since there will be better coverage if the stitches are sitting opposite - no creeping between as might happen if they were all lying the same way. 

Anyhow, after all that split stitching came the second layer of satin stitch in two strands. Each berry was finished and then outlined in stem stitch, and I added a french knot to each to give them that berry look. Most were fine but a couple of the knots slid down between two stitches so I added another one on top in that case. I just keep fiddling until it looks about right ;)

The stems were a nice quick whipped back stitch and I'm glad part of these two sprays was easy since I found this element very fiddly indeed! But I love the finished look and the pad stitching really does make them pop off the backing nicely. Next up, I'll be working on the pink mallow flower at the bottom of the design.

The instructions give a little bit of the history, legend and/or meanings behind each of the elements, and I think people may be familiar with the Kalyna (or viburnum) now that the folk song Chervona Kalyna seems to be everywhere. Today I'm sharing my favourite version: 

Marigold on my Stitchalong

More updates on my #PeaceForUkraineSAL project! This week's element is this cheery bright marigold. It has french knots, satin stitch and split stitch outlines. Once again there is some shading of a deeper colour in the centre of the petals, though it's quite subtle here. I love the effect of it each time it's used. 

There are three bands of colour, all kind of rosy coral pinks. After satin stitching the petals, they are all outlined using single strand split stitch. I find split stitch a bit wobbly but when I switch to split backstitch I get neater stitches and better curved lines. Either one is fine, I just find backstitch easier! (what's the difference between them? Great explanation at Needle N Thread)

The inner petals are done in the lighter yellow of the wheat stalks but when I got to the outer rings and the darker pink, I decided to switch to the slightly darker yellow that I used for the french knots in the centre of the marigold. I like the definition this gives, and it also makes the back layer of petals recede a little visually, which I feel has a bit more of a 3D effect. 

 

This element was actually pretty easy to complete, as it was mainly a lot of satin stitch, which I find quite easy to do. My french knots are getting better with all this practice too! Don't forget that this pattern can be found at the designer's website, Embroidery Art by Nat, and is a Ukraine fundraiser. You can find so many of her other beautiful designs there as well! 

Stitching All the Leafage

 

Really happy with how my #PeaceForUkraineSAL is progressing -- this is pretty fast for me ;) I finished up the wheat stalks from last week and moved right into the first leaf at the top of the design. it's done in a long and short stitch with some contrast for the veins and the shading in the middle, as well as an outline. I was quite pleased with the look of it and so moved right on to the Guelder Rose leafage at the bottom of the design.

That worked even better, now that I had practiced the technique on the first one! I really like how smooth and shiny these ones turned out. The edges were also much smoother than the first leaf so it was easier to get a sharp outline. Next up were the poppy leaves to the left.

These one are done in a lighter green, with a darker outline. I like the effect quite a lot, and find that the greenery all together adds some life and brightness to the design. I love the design of this project, there is so much smooth, full coverage stitching and it's really pretty. Can't wait to add some reds and pinks in next. 

If you're interested in giving this one a go as well, just a reminder that the designer is Embroidery Art by Nat and that this one is a fundraiser for Ukraine, with all the info on her website. You can now also buy the pattern directly on her Etsy shop if you wish, as well.

Full Sunflower stitched up!

This week I am glad to be able to share a completed motif -- I've got the sunflower all stitched up, with the central arc of french knots all done. It was really well planned, with the inner circle a lighter brown and then filled in with dark brown. It gives such a nice variegated effect.

I enjoyed this bit; I think my French knot technique is improving with all this practice. I did do a quick refresh by watching the stitchlong video on the designer's youtube channel again. And it stitched up so quickly that I also put in the little red sprigs behind the flower to complete the motif.

You might also notice something new in these photos -- yes, I feel legit now that I've got an embroidery stand! I bought this little stand for $10 at a church sale just prior to the pandemic but had never taken it out of the box. My husband kindly noticed that I was starting this big project and went and found it, and put it all together for me. It was all still in the shrink wrap packaging, so brand new and VERY useful. I don't know how I worked without it!

In any case, I'm zipping along (by my standards) on this project and am heading to the little purple periwinkle next. I'm getting more invested in seeing this all done up. And it will be nice to work in a different colour next!

Sunflowers for the Stitchalong

This week's stitching on my Peace for Ukraine project is the sunflower - that's where I started in on the florals. It's really lovely; two layers of petals in two tones of yellow, with an outline stitch, and some details in the base of the petals. 

The petals are all done in satin stitch. I started out on the inner petals, carefully filling them in the way that Natalie shows in her stitchalong video. But as I went along I realized I could save a little thread by switching to a stitch I've seen called "Mexican Satin Stitch" (not sure why). Instead of moving your needle up and down across the space you're filling, which essentially gives you full coverage front and back, the adapted stitch has your needle going from top to bottom, then up again right beside where you just went down, and so on. This means the front looks like satin stitch, and the back is a series of little discrete stitches. Much less thread. 

Using this stitch necessitates careful placement of your needle, though, as you don't want gaps in the satin stitch coverage. I found it worked well with this project, and finished up my petals this way. I did find that my coverage on the sides of the petals wasn't as complete as the pattern was; I should have added a few more small stitches to round out each petal. But I think it's good enough and looks great once the outline stitches and the shading details have been added. I really love it!

Next up: more french knots!! What else could you possibly use to fill in the centre of a sunflower. More chance to practice my technique I guess ;) 

The Peace Piece of my Stitchalong project

As promised, this week I'm getting to the stitching part of  the Peace for Ukraine stitchalong project. After the central heart is painted, the word "Peace" is filled in with french knots. Uh, that's a lot of french knots! 

Fortunately, Natalie has some videos to follow along with, and since I'm a visual learner I find those really helpful. I watched the video on this step of the stitchalong, and also took a peek at her video on french knot technique as a refresher. Some of the knots in my "P" are a bit messy, but by the time I hit "E" the knots were more consistent, and my thumb was also a bit sore, lol. 

This was a good way to get going; lots of repetition and chance to practice a stitch. Also, the meditative nature of simply repeating a stitch gave me lots of time to think about the issues I'm stitching for. Craft is a great way to meditate on important things, and I was doing that here.

 

A suggestion if you are also interested in Peace in Ukraine:

Take a look at the suggested organizations to donate to on Natalie's Stitchalong page

More suggested organizations thanks to Vinok Collective on IG (a great person to follow, too) 

Or, listen to the Ukrainian Spaces podcast while you stitch, which talks to Ukrainians about many different issues, from war & colonialism to language to feminism and more. Really great stuff. 

Weekend Review: The Resilient Stitch

 

Resilient Stitch / Claire Wellesley-Smith
London: Batsford, c2021.
128 p.

This is another Batsford book; I really do enjoy these. This book focuses on Wellesley-Smith's interests in using resonant textiles and how thoughtful making and community play into the resilience of textiles.

In this book she shares resilience through a number of themes, and shares the way that making in varied communities and settings shapes the dialogue between maker and item. 

The chapters are organized by these themes:

• Material
• Community
• Environment
• History
• Conclusion: a resilient textile

As in most Batsford books, the text is full of imagery, large and full colour. This book is particularly interesting because the author focuses on her own work but also that of many other established textile artists, mostly British. I do find that British textiles have a distinctive style, lots of reuse and old tattered cloth. It's not my own style but I still enjoy looking through what others are making.

Other artists featured include Amy Meissner, Lynn Setterington, Ruth Singer, Angela Maddock, Bridget Harvey, Raisa Kabir, Alice Kettle, and Willemien de Villiers. All of their websites are worth checking out! 

There is a timely and fascinating community project included in this book, the Covid Stitch Journal. She had participants responding in stitch to various prompts during lockdowns, and the results are compelling. Wellesley-Smith has examples of the stitch journal on her website so check it out to see the idea behind this project. 

I enjoyed this read, although it's not the kind of textile work I like to do myself. Still fascinating, though: the connections between stitch and well-being are clear in this text. I loved the way she ties making with locating yourself in your own community as well. If you're interested in the way textiles can shape our experiences and create resiliency in ourselves, check this one out!

Weekend Review: Poetic Cloth

 

Poetic Cloth: Creating Meaning in Textile Art / Hannah Lamb
London: Batsford, c2019.
128 p.

This is another of the textile arts books published by Batsford - I love them, not only because the covers are always flocked and pleasing to the touch! All the books I've read in this series are interesting examinations of modern textile arts from many different angles. 

This one is about creating meaning with your work: there are different artists featured, and great images of exhibitions of their works. There is also discussion of the meaning behind an artist's approach, and guidance on how to incorporate some of these techniques into your own work, with lots of text step-by-steps, and clear photos of examples. I think anyone would come away from this with at least one new idea to try out; there is more stylistic variety to explore than in some of the other titles I've read so far.  

The book is organized into chapters entitled Touch, Stitch, Trace, Fragment, Mend and Lustre. Each of them explore these themes and processes as shown in the author's work, plus featured others. I think this allows for a range of styles and ideas, and found it both illuminating and great fun to browse.

I do find that a lot of British textile artists are very interested in the frayed and decaying, and this book is no exception. There are many examples of swatches, samples, patchwork and the like which are all faded and frayed. It's an aesthetic. 

But there is also some discussion of other interesting techniques and styles, including a patchwork of handkerchiefs by artist Diana Harrison, that is more streamlined than shabby chic. And there is discussion of cyanotypes, which are apparently a big part of the author's work. She goes beyond simple plant silhouettes to create ghostly images using digital negatives, and they are striking. Full instructions on how to do this are shared so you can try too. 

I really enjoyed the breadth of this book, and the thoughtful text about meaning and permanence, interspersed with clear instructional sections. There is a lot to explore here. If you are interested in textile arts, you might also find this an interesting read.  

Weekend Review: Stitch Magic

 

Stitch Magic / Alison Reid
NY: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, c2011.
144 p.

This fascinating book is exactly what the subtitle says it is: a compendium of sewing techniques for sculpting fabric. It was wonderfully inspiring to look through, with some ideas appealing more to me immediately, like the pintucks on the cover and inside content page -- they are tiny tucks that look like ripples in sand. Love them! But there are also so many other marvellous ideas within. 

There are a variety of techniques here, and ones that work with different kinds of fabrics, from felts to cotton lawns. As mentioned, I am especially drawn to the pintucking, but there are a number of different ways to use it shown in the book. From crossing over one another to meandering pintucks, to corded or decoratively stitched ones, there are many ideas shared. I think this level of texture is right at my sweet spot. 

There are sections on pleating fabric to get different shapes and forms, and some of those were also unusual and of interest. Using pleats to shape a fabric as well as to give it a whole new feel were both shared -- this origami style belt, for instance, is made with fancy pleating. 

I also found the section on making cord appealing. While it doesn't talk about cord-making with a tool, it has a simplified style that home sewists can accomplish just with twisted strips of fabric, a cording foot and a zigzag stitch. I can see tons of use for quick sewn cording, and there are a number of different applications shared in the projects. 

The book is laid out clearly, with lots of full colour photos to inspire. (You can find lots of images from the book at the publisher's website). The specific technique in each section is shown in its basics, with instructions and line drawings. Then it's up to you to use that technique and experiment in many of the ways shown and explained within projects for that section. There are a variety of projects, too, at different levels, so everyone should be able to give something a  try from this book. There are a fair number of household goods and accessories in the projects, but I think that a garment maker like myself can certainly take these ideas into a clothing project. Making a pillow cover would be a great way to practice and get the feel for a technique that you can then make bigger on a garment. 

I enjoyed the creativity of this book and its straightforward presentation of advanced techniques for an adventurous sewist. I'm really interested in the idea of manipulating fabric to create something really individual, and I think that this book will be helpful in developing both ideas and the practical know-how to try them out. 

I got this in my library; if you can take a look at it too, I'd recommend it. Anyone interested in fabric manipulation is sure to find something intriguing here.