Comfort Doll - Finished

Despite the difficulties with the Rajmahal Art Silk, I have thoroughly enjoyed this project. Once again, I would like to thank Robin Kingsley for giving me permission to adapt the Paisley Heart Design for this doll.


Apart from the satisfaction of stitching for a cause, I think it was the design that made it such a pleasing project. I have a couple of ideas for other ways I would like to interpret this design, so now I am really torn between a desire to get back into TAST and to do another doll.


I’ve included a couple of charms in the stuffing. The first is a new heart, in case her heart is broken. This one is a glass bead so it is still fragile but I have sewn it into a small pouch, embroidered with protective symbols to ward off evil. The second is a hand made paper bead. It has the word strength written all over it to give her inner strength. The strip of flimsy hand-made paper is wound tightly to make a firm bead; even the most delicate of things can be strong.

Happy Stitching

A Crisis of Confidence

The Shibori Samurai went so well I was riding of the crest of the wave. Now the wave has gone and left me high and dry. I really thought I knew where I was going with my purple butterfly but suddenly I am having such a crisis of confidence that I have not been able to stitch on Flutterbys for two days.

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

I am worried that the purple is too dominant. I intended to stitch the veins in gold which I think will serve to break up and lighten the expanse of purple, but I am just not sure. Is this just a self-image thing, concern that I am making myself too important or am I looking at it objectively and seeing a genuine imbalance? Do I press on and see how it works out, or do I remove the stitching now and rethink the design of this butterfly? I can’t make up my mind and I don’t have time to prevaricate.

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

Designing Me

In some respects it easy to design something that represents yourself. I know my favourite colours, designs and stitches. It would be tempting to simply include my all my favourite things, but it is important that this butterfly balances with the others.

In other respects it is hard to design something that represents yourself. While designing the other butterflies, I have thought deeply about the family member they represent; their character, characteristics they share with other members of the family, and my relationship with them. I thought just as deeply about myself while designing my butterfly, and in many ways it is harder to be honest about yourself, and more painful. It is no revelation to me that I am a lot like my Dad, I’ve known that for a long time. For a very long time, I rejected the idea, who wants to be like someone they don’t always like. Eventually, I accepted that is the way it is and there is nothing I can do to change that, other than learn to moderate the characteristics I don’t like. I also realise that some of my best characteristics are also inherited from Dad.

Physically, I resemble my Mum, people always remark on it. I’m not sure what personality I inherit from her. We have the best relationship, I don’t analyse it, I’m simply very happy that she is my Mum and my mate.

So, I have to have purple because it is my favourite colour. Actually, I love all colours and my favourite can change according to mood, but purple is my favourite favourite. Because I look so much like my Mum, I will include a lot of pink and because I am finally proud to say that I am like my Dad, I will include gold to represent the best of him.

Shibori Samurai

I would like to include a picture of the Kimono that inspired the design of this butterfly but I think that would contravene copyright rules. The kimono is called Hana utsuroi (Transient Flowers) and Shizuka Kusano describes her embroidery as follows

Butterflies have been added using shibori appliqués to make them stand out and appear to float over a plain where wisteria and wild pinks bloom in profusion. The butterflies with floral patterns on their wings gradually merge with the flowers, becoming one with them as they move towards death.

As described, the whole of the background is covered in a profusion of flowers. The butterflies to the right have both wings appliquéd with shibori fabric and are outlined in gold metallic thread. In the center, only one wing of each butterfly is appliqué, the other is embroidered with flowers similar to the background. Both wings of the butterflies on the left are embroidered with flowers and although the wings are outlined with gold metallic, the butterflies gradually merge with the background.

This was a bold design choice for me, but I am really pleased with how it has worked out. On one side the black and white Hitta-gake reflects my Father's rigid views and though parenting style; the other represents his love of not only flowers, but the world around him, that he passed down to all four of his children. More than that, it represents the passion, loyalty and strong sense of family that we also inherit from him.

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

I still have the antennae to embroidery but I want to complete at least the next butterfly so that I can decide how heavy or light they need to be, so for now, this is finished.

Happy Stitching

Sakura

Cherry blossom (sakura), which falls at the height of its beauty without withering, is one of the symbols of the samurai warrior, who had to be ready to give his life instantly. I do believe my Dad would have given his life for ours if he could, so he is my Samurai.

Also, Dad is passionate about all things horticultural, and has always filled the house and garden with flowering plants. It must be from him that I get my love of gardening and flowers. Sakura is a very appropriate emblem for my Dad.

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

Cherry blossoms are so delicate, I wanted to keep these light and delicate, so used a single strand of flat silk. I have used some white silk that I had left over from Suehiro, it is finer than the white that I ordered for this project and is not as bright. The middle blossom is not white but very pale pink, there is barely any difference between this pink and the white but I like that they are subtly different, as are real flowers.

Behind the three small flowers I have outlined one larger blossom by couching a single strand of twisted real gold #1. Gold is often couched with a red thread, it is thought to enhance the gold. Here I have used a gold couching thread because I wanted the couching stitches to be insignificant.

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

Happy Stitching

Hitta-gake

I first did hitta-gake (tie-dye effect) on Suehiro and really liked it, although I thought my first attempt was heavy handed. A tutor advised me that I should use a more tightly twisted thread. I would say that Shizuka Kusano also has a fondness for this novel effect as it is a recurring theme in her book "The Fine Art of Kimono Embroidery".

At first, I did not fully appreciate why this design is called tie-dye effect but recently I have become interested in shibori and now I can see what this novel effect represents. This article by John Marshall explains how kanokoshibori is made and the meaning of its name.

Like all the novel effects that I have worked so far, hitta-gake starts with a foundation, this one is a weft foundation worked in flat silk (white). A grid of threads is then laid diagonally over the foundation. The threads are space 5mm apart and this time I remembered the advise I was given and twisted the thread tightly.

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

Where the laid threads intersect, they are tied down with three short stitches in the same twisted thread.

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

Finally, in the center of each square, two short stitches are worked over a sleeper stitch, still using the same twisted thread.

© Jennifer Ashley Taylor/Carol-Anne Conway

This time, I think I have achieved the lighter touch that I was aiming for, but I do not think that the foundation is as good as on Suehiro, that may be because I worked this foundation in a single strand of flat silk, but on Suehiro I used 1.5 or 2 strands. The threads that I am using for Flutterbys is naturally thicker than those I used for Suehiro so I thought that 1 strand would be sufficient. Even so, I am satisfied with this hitta-gake.

Happy Stitching

More Comfort Doll

I’ve been making some progress on the comfort doll, stitching in the evenings. I half wish that I had not decided to stitch it in Rajmahal Art Silk; it has been a real trial. I’ve taken several bits out and reworked them and am still not totally satisfied with some bits. Perhaps I am being over critical, as this will be a gift for someone, I want it to be the best I can do. I think that I could do better, but not with this thread. Perhaps, I should be content that I have tried my best! Would the recipient look at it and think, she didn’t do that very well?


Now that I have nearly finished the embroidery and have started to think about making up the doll, I am wondering what to stuff it with. I have never made a stuffed anything before.

Happy Stitching