I've been pretty tired since the embroidery conference last month in Dunedin. I have been focusing on my Japanese, my mirror and also some beading.
Currently for Japanese I am working on 2 pieces. One is a metal thread piece (Kara Hana) and the other contains some metal but is predominantly silk work (Cords).
I am hoping to start a new design in October and for that to happen I need to have one of my current pieces completed and signed off by my teacher. I am focusing on Kara Hana my metal work piece.
In the last few days I have worked on the turnovers on petals 2 and 3. As soon as these are completed I will move to filling in the petals.
The turnovers are worked in to and fro couching with double thread. The petals are also worked in double couching, using the same thread. At this point I am trying to consolidate exactly how to turn those corners to fill the space and give the effect each is meant to give. The turnovers have padding also which enables me to space the box pattern in the leaves correctly. Of course this all adds time to the stitching but the effects it gives are very pleasing. As I progress the turnovers and petals get smaller as I stitch from the foreground to the background. So they will go quicker.
I enjoy watching this piece grow. Both turnovers are complete now it is time to fill in the petals.
Years ago a fellow Guild member gave a small class on Peyote beading. She also brought along with her 4 Kimonos that she had stitched in the same manner. They are stunning and quite the site to behold in real life as the light catches the beads in a whole other way that photos do not capture. I tracked the patterns for the Kimonos down and then promptly forgot about them. They are the Four Seasons Patchwork Kimonos by Carole Tucker. A couple of months ago I was talking with a stitchy friend and mentioned them. I found some photos and the patterns to show her. She then bought her own copies and we launched a plan to gather the beads together and start them. We ended up ordering all of the beads for the 4 Kimonos at once and both picked Autumn as the Kimono we wanted to start with.
Both sections almost stitched.
We started our kimonos as soon as the beads turned up which was about 5 weeks ago at the end of the first week of July. We very quickly discovered how addictive this beading is. I have approximately 18 rows to go to finish one front side. My friend has 6 and then our kimonos are both ready to be assembled. We both have other stitching deadlines so the second kimono is not allowed to be started until November! We have chosen Winter for our second kimono and next year we will complete the set by stitching Summer and finally Spring. I am not sure either of us won't sneakily start or suggest a few rows beading as something that won't hurt to do. Which of course is a slippery slope into obsession again!
The 3rd project I have been working on is my Stumpwork mirror. I have completed 3 of the 4 hillocks in month 2. Then I have some leaves to stitch. Just before bed the other night I read through the month 3 instructions. They are for the canopy and curtains. I am eager as well as a little anxious to start this section which is detached needlelace in a new to me stitch. More work on my mirror this afternoon where I need to acquaint myself with up and down buttonhole stitch for the final hillock.
My hillocks are completed and now I am onto the canopy of leaves at the top.
Comments
Post a Comment