Finally back to your tutorials, hopefully the routine will be correct next week.
As a refresher, we were working on a felted and embellished beach scene using lutradur
We have laid down the main elements and added felting. In this tutorial we will add embroidery and beading.
I usually start at the top or the furthest away part of my scene.
Prior to embroidering, I test out the threads I have selected for suitability.
These were the first three threads I chose. The first was a pale blue solid thread, the second was a tonal variegated with a short change, and the third was an ombre variegated. I chose to use the ombre because the sky shades from dark to very light at the horizon and since the colour change was a long one, I could move from area to area depending on the shade.
I used a wide zig zag and moved side to side in a diagonal fashion. This is very like stem stitch, which was covered in my machine embroidery stitch lessons.
You can see above how I moved around depending on the shade.
Next, I moved on to the sea. I know the distant headland is next down, but it will be dealt with when I do the rocks, later.
Here is my colour sample for this section.
The first thread was a pale blue green, the second was an ombre variegated in blue green and the third was a white thread specked with dots of other colours, which I tested to use in the wave tops.
Again, my choice was the ombre for the water, not because of any colour change in the water, but because it will give the water depth.
I have used a straight stich in a wavy overlapping, back and forth manner, across the water. This gives it both depth and texture. Now for the frothy bits.
Still using a straight stitch and using the flecked white thread, I filled with a variable granite stitch, and a bit of scribbly stippling thrown in. I did not work over the grey and brown areas. These will be done next in the next post, tomorrow and I will spend the evening picking out the beads for the sandy area.
The next in our series of free motion embroidery stiches, is stem stitch. I talked about this last week when we were looking at weave using the zig zag. We will also look at a stem stitch derivative, the stem stitch extension leaf.
Stem stitch
When you are doing stem stitch by hand, the stitches look like the picture below.
To accomplish this in free motion, we use zig zag.
Satin stitch is a closed zig zag stitch. This means that it has a short stitch length. In free motion, this is controlled by how fast or slowly you move the fabric under the needle. If your movement is not even, the satin stitch will be uneven too, but you can go back over it as I have done in the video to even it up.
Above, you see a normal satin stitch. In order to create a stem stitch, with overlapping stitches like in the hand stitch we rotate the hoop 45 to 90 degrees or one eighth to one quarter of a turn. A quarter turn is easier to accomplish.
When we rotate the hoop, we do not change the direction we are moving in. In the top example, I am moving the hoop to the left and I am facing the machine at the left. This is much easier to see in the video.
So, really stem stitch is quite and easy stitch, however, it does require a little practice to master curves using it.
Stem stitch is used for, obviously stems, but also for any definite lines in a piece of work.
Leaves
I use this technique usually for grasses and long leaves. I use another technique for small leaves.
Basically, we start with a satin stitch and end up with a stem stitch as in the diagram below.
This looks easy, but you will find that it requires a fair bit of practice. If you have a digital or sliding stitch length dial, you might find it easier to just do a satin stitch that gets narrower by moving to a narrower stitch as you stitch (or pausing often to shorten), You may also be able to program in a narrowing stitch that you can select when you get to the end of your leaf.
As my machine has neither of these things and to boot I am left handed and the dials are on the right, i have developed this method.
If we look at the leaf from the right, I have started with satin stitch, then as we go left, the stitches angle so that at the tip they become stem stitch. This is much clearer in the video.
You might find it easier to stabilise the fabric near the leaf and allow the rotation by using a bamboo skewer (cut short to make it easier to manage.) I use use my finger, but I DO NOT RECCOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE.
This stitch takes lots of practice as you can see below.
But remember, little irregularities can usually be remedied by more stitching (to a point). None of us is perfect.
Video
This short video shows both stitches being made on the machine.
Hope you are enjoying this series.
I have designed a sampler (it is actually a little landscape) to go with the stitch course and will have the pattern ready for the next lesson. I will also go back over the previous lessons so we can do some homework with it and get our stitches in the right places.
It has been an extremely long day and I am finally off to bed. Happy Stitching
“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”
