Threads Across the Web

Thursday, 19 July 2012

Queen Stitch

As soon as I started thinking about this post I could see that I might run into difficulties. Queen stitch is made up of four vertical* stitches, each of which is actually two stitches, a vertical stitch bent into a 'V' and held with a couching stitch – much like a fly stitch. It is going to be a nightmare knowing which 'stitch' is being referred to!

*At this point is it worth mentioning that Queen stitch can be worked vertically or horizontally. In addition the four vertical stitches can be worked from right to left or left to right and each vertical stitch can be done top to bottom or visa versa. For the purposes of this post I will refer always to vertical stitches that are worked from right to left.

Queen stitch is a counted thread technique worked over 4 by 4 stitches. The method suggested by Tricia in Lesson on of the Gold Work Master Class gives the same order of stitching that I have seen described most frequently.

1. Bring the needle up at the top centre of the stitch.

2. Take the needle down 4 threads below the start point.

3. Bring the needle up 2 threads below and one thread right of the start point keeping the vertical stitch to the right of the needle.

4. Take the needle down one thread to the right couching the vertical stitch in place.

5. Bring the needle up at the same start point as in step (1).

6. Take the needle down in the same hole as step (2).

7. Bring the needle up 2 threads below the start point keeping the new vertical stitch to the right of the needle.

8. Take the needle down one thread to the right couching the new vertical stitch in place; n.b. this is the same hole that the needle came up in step (3).

9-12 and 13-16 repeat steps 5-8 moving the couching stitch one thread to the left each time.

I tried stitching this way to begin with but after a while I changed the direction of the couching stitch for the third and fourth vertical stitch so that the thread was always on the 'outside' of the needle.

Tricia's instructions include some helpful tips regarding tension; even so I felt that my stitches looked bunched at the top were all of the vertical stitches start. I tried changing the order of stitching; completing the inner two stitches first followed by the outer two stitches.

I stuck with this order for some time, I felt that the stitches were less bunched but I was not happy with the couching stitches, they looked higgledy piggledy. A nagging doubt was telling me that you should take your needle down into a hole that is already occupied by a previous stitch rather than bring the needle up.

Eventually I reverted to the Tricia’s method. Whether this is truly the best method or whether practice has improved my stitching, I definitely feel that these stitches look better than my earlier attempts.

Referring back to my early note about direction of stitching, I found that it is worth thinking ahead to the next Queen stitch so that your thread is travelling in the ‘right’ direction to maintain tension on both the last couching stitch and the first vertical stitch of the following Queen stitch! On the face of it this is a simple stitch but there are a lot of factors to concentrate on to achieve a neat and consistent look to your work.

Happy Stitching

Thursday, 5 July 2012

One Stitch does not a Motif Make

I have a dilemma. The Pouchette that I began in Atlanta is slightly too long for a 29 inch frame, it really needs to go on my 39 inch frame but at the moment Queen of Flowers is on that frame. QoF would fit onto one of the smaller frames but I am very reluctant to move it from one frame to another. Truth be told, I don’t really like framing up! The other truth is that I want to be working on both of these projects! While I ponder this dilemma, I’ve started work on a different project – the Gold Work Master Class sampler. Truth be told, I want to do this project as much as the Pouchette and QoF! So many things to do, so little time!

Before I start on the gold work, which is what I really want to be working on, I need to do the silk motifs, most of which are done in Queen stitch. I have only ever worked Queen stitch on the Strawberry Gobelin Fob needlework nibble that I did a few years ago. A total of 22 Queen stitches, if you include the half stitches.

Queen stitch is made up of four stitches that all emerge from the same hole, end in a second hole, and are couched at their mid point. The couching stitches fan the main stitches to form a diamond. Eight stitches per Queen stitch done over 4 x 4 threads of linen. I need some magnification and good light to ensure that my needle goes between the linen threads, not through them, and to do all of the counting involved.

I found the first stitch tediously slow and the thought of doing nearly all of the silk motifs in this strange little stitch was a daunting one. I reminded myself that you eat and elephant one bite at a time. You make a sampler the same way one motif at a time and a motif one stitch at a time. After a few more stitches I began to settle into a rhythm and pick up the pace a little.

Approximately 9 hours later (spread over 9 days) I had completed the first motif and felt a lot less daunted about doing the remaining motifs.

There are a couple of errors in this first motif some in counting and a little bit that I missed but only spotted when I looked at the close-up photograph. The left leaf is one thread out, I don’t think anyone but me and readers of this blog will ever know, and the top blue petal has an extra row of stitches making this petal larger than in the original. I did not do that intentionally but I like it that way. I will not correct the counting errors but I will go back and fill in the missing half stitch.

Now I have a bigger dilemma – I have three larger projects in progress, all of which I want to be working on!

Happy Stitching

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Tulip Slip

When I go away, I like to take a small embroidery project with me – even when I am on a stitching break! I had a couple of Needlework Nibbles not done so took one of those with me to Atlanta. It may have been a little ambitious to think that I could have the energy to do anything on top of the beading and certainly for the first week, I did not even think about stitching in the evenings but during the second week I made a start on the Tulip Slip.

The whole design is outlined with brown silk so I began by stitching that. I have to concentrate hard on counted techniques and even though I counted, recounted and counted again, I managed to create a different outline to the one charted. I decided not to worry about it as my version still looked like a tulip and I figured nobody would be checking my finished piece against the chart.

After the outline was complete, I did the details on the petals and leaves one colour at a time until eventually I had only to fill in the spaces with the last colour. It is a while since I have done counted work and I quite enjoyed it. The tulip design is rather sweet and the colours are lovely.

Then came the finishing! I did not enjoy any part of finishing this other that the fact that the materials were gorgeous. First the stitched slip had to be cut out and appliquéd to the velvet back ground. I had read on Rachel’s blog that the slip had a tendency to creep on the velvet. Fore warned is fore armed, right? I positioned the linen on the velvet with the tulip in the centre and secured it with plenty of pins. I then trimmed away the excess linen a small bit at a time and began trimming away the excess linen, turning the selvedge and stitching the slip in place a little at a time. I did a little bit on the left, then a little bit on the right, and when the central section was secure, bit by bit I worked around the whole slip. It was horrible! The linen frayed, the little sticky-outy bits didn’t want to turn under, and some of the stitching was in danger of unravelling. But I eventually got there and after all of my painstaking care ... the slip had slipped down and to the right some considerable amount! There was no way I was going to redo it so I trimmed the beautiful silk velvet to re-centre the tulip.

The next step was simple enough, I hand stitched the silk backing to the velvet front, right sides together (I nearly got the silk the wrong way round!), turn, stuff and close. And attaching the gorgeous gilt fine Grecian Twist was not difficult except for the decorative corners which I found extremely difficult!

All in all I am pleased with my Tulip Slip. It is smaller than it should be, which is a shame and I would have liked to do a better job of the appliqué but this was my first attempt at this technique.

Happy Stitching

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

The World Nuido Collection - Review

Every four years the Japanese Embroidery Center stage the Nuido World Exhibition, a show case of some of the fabulous embroideries stitched by JEC tutors and students from around the world and by professionals at the Kurenai-kai workshop. In 2007 the Exhibition was held in Cambridge and I was lucky enough to see the exhibition and take part in one of the Special Classes.

The fourth Nuido World Exhibition (2011) was held at two venues; University of Kentucky, USA and OzAsia Festival, Adelaide, Australia. The JEC have now published a book of the Exhibition, "The World Nuido Collection".

An important component of the Exhibition, and of the book, is the Fractal Project. When complete the Fractal Project will be a geodesic dome composed of approximately 700 individual pieces designed and created by embroiderers around the world, drawing on the art, history and traditions of each country.

The project is a work in progress and will take many years to complete. Three completed hexagons measuring 5 meters high and 4 meters wide and comprising 61 pieces each were displayed at the Exhibition. The Project is explained more fully in “The World Nuido Collection” and over 200 of the currently completed pieces are featured.

The book includes some of the Phase pieces and challenge designs stitched students that were exhibited, many of which I have not seen before.

The Hoitsu Scrolls and the Konbuin Fukusa, stitched at Kurenai-kai and first exhibited in Cambridge, were again on display at the Exhibition and are included in the book, in brief. These were fully featured on the World Exhibition 2007 CD-ROM.

For those who, like me, were not able to attend the 2011 Nuido World Exhibition this book is the next best thing to being there; for those who were able to attend or those whose work featured in the Exhibition this book would make a wonderful souvenir.

Happy Stitching

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Bead Workshop

On the middle Sunday we had a day of rest and by then we needed it! Week two was a six day workshop. During workshop we could work on any previously started bead project. No specific tuition is given but Uematsu-sensei is still on hand to give advice and guidance. I wanted to use this time to continue with my Pouchette. I was beginning to feel better and the break from Pouchette had allowed me to take a step back and consider how I wanted to progress.

I still wanted to emphasis the gold lines but I felt that some of my initial beading was overly fussy. I decided not to take anything out at this point but to continue in a different area; class time is far too precious to spend it reverse stitching!

I wanted to include some moriage in the design and the centre of this paisley seemed a perfect place for it.

I also wanted to try out my thoughts on beading some flowers in a simpler, less fussy way.

And I wanted to play around with colour blending with the beads.

As the week progressed, my health improved and I was becoming more confident about how my piece was progressing. By the end of the second week, which simply flew by, I was beginning to feel a fit of bead-fatigue and I was longing be back home but I was also sorry that the adventure was over. At the end of final class, Sue and I needed to leave immediately for the airport; there was no time for lingering fair wells. One minute we were beading, the next we were on our way home.

I made many new friends in Atlanta. Some I had already ‘met’ on the internet but it was wonderful to meet them in person and spend time together simply beading. I shall always be grateful for all the help and advice I was given while I was an alien in Atlanta and am especially indebted to those who ferried us around and showed us the best places to eat. I’d like to thank Mr and Mrs Tamura, their family and all the JEC staff who worked so hard to make the course run smoothly and to make my visit to the Centre a memorable experience. Last, but very definitely not least, many thanks are due to Uematsu-sensei for her excellent tuition and to Kazumi-san for acting as translator. I had thought that this would be a ‘once in a life time’ trip to the Japanese Embroidery Centre but now that I have been there I want to go again!

Happy Stitching

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

The Exotic Elegance Pillow

On the fourth day of class we began another project – the Exotic Elegance Pillow. This class was very different from the Phase V class. The pillow is a set design like the earlier phase pieces. At the start of each lesson and periodically throughout the day Uematsu-sensei would instruct the class on which area we were to work on, the beads and the techniques to be used. After all the decision making of the previous three days, my poor aching brain was happy to leave the planning to someone else. The pace of the class was fast and there was plenty of note-taking needed but there was also plenty of time to just bead.

For the most part, the design uses some of the simpler techniques. The complexity of the design comes from the variety of beads used and blending them to give subtle colour changes along the twisting tendrils. This design includes clear beads lined with real gold – the colour is fantastic – and some gorgeous crystals.

I really enjoyed the Special Project Class and was really reluctant to put this piece aside after 3 days. This has to be hidden away for the time being because I want to complete my Pouchette before I work on any other beading project.

Happy Stitching

Sunday, 20 May 2012

Beading Class - Pouchette

In early March 2012, we received the devastating news that Matsukawa-san was unwell would not be able to travel to Atlanta for the bead class. Our first concern, of course, was for Matsukawa-san and I am happy to report that her health is improving and we wish her a full and speedy recovery. On a personal level I was so disappointed that I would be denied the opportunity to meet and study with Matsukawa-san. Fortunately, the Center had arranged a substitute tutor so at least the classes could go ahead. Ms Kiyoko Uematsu is an extremely experienced Japanese embroidery professional from the Kurenai-kai workshop who teaches both silk and bead embroidery. We were very fortunate that Uematsu-sensei was able to step in at such short notice and to have her as our tutor.

For Phases I-IV you are supplied with a design outline printed onto plain fabric, a set of beads and a picture of the finished item. Following your tutors instructions and with reference to the picture you basically replicate the original. It is beading to a pattern but the first four phases are designed to teach technique.

Phase V is totally different. Prior to the first class we were offered a choice of five printed fabrics. Two of the fabrics had small floral motifs on a black background. The remaining three fabrics all had paisley type designs. The one that leapt out at me was available in two colour ways; one in lovely, soft shades like a faded tapestry, the other in more vibrant colours on a black background. I am a bit of a ditherer when it comes to making decisions. The small flowers on the first two fabrics reminded me of the smaller motifs on Floral Melody but the paisley designs also reminded me of Floral Melody, for any one of them I could see myself looking to Floral Melody for inspiration. Two fabrics jumped out at me. I thought that choosing one of those would be taking the easy option but in the end that is what I went for. On display in the classroom was a finished bag in one of the fabrics I liked most. It had been exquisitely beaded by Adele and I knew if I chose that fabric I would be sorely tempted to replicate her work so I decided against it. The fabric I finally chose was the one that had leapt out at me in the first place. There were seven students taking Phase V. Six of us chose this fabric; four opting for the black background and 2 going with the beige version.

There was a sample selection of beads for each fabric design. We could change any or all of the beads if we wanted to. If choosing the fabric was difficult, selecting the beads was 10 times harder for me. I have absolutely no confidence with colour. A couple of beads in the sample pack looked out of place to me but everything I tried to replace them with looked totally wrong or made the palette very flat. In the end I decided to start with the beads as provided and see if any ideas presented themselves as I worked.

It took all morning to make my selections, frame up and stitch transfer the outline to the fabric. I was still feeling unwell and was having trouble sleeping. I was very relieved when we stopped for lunch but I just wanted to BEAD!!!!

Invigorated by some food, a cup of green tea and a walk in the garden I was raring to go.

The main difference between Phase V and the earlier Phases is that the student decides for themselves how to bead the design; which beads and what techniques to use where. It is a very daunting prospect. The main thing that had attracted me to this fabric was all of the swirling gold lines. I decided that I wanted to emphasis those so I began by couching a row of gold lined crystal beads along one of the motifs. This turned out to be a very good starting point. For me, couching is a very relaxing technique so this settled my nerves and allowed me some time to contemplate what I wanted to do next. The problem is, there is no time to plan the overall design. Phase V class is only 3 days so you choose your fabric, you choose your beads and away you go.

Because of the no photography rule at the Center, I took my frame back to the hotel at the end of class. This gave me a chance to take pictures but also to think about what I would work on the following day.

Phase V class lasted for three days and was very tough. It would have been difficult enough if I had been firing on all cylinders but my sore throat had developed into a hacking cough that conspired with the jet lag to keep me awake for much of the night. I was feeling very under the weather and it took all of my resources to get through the day. I didn’t feel that I had made much progress but at least I liked what I had done.

Happy Stitching