I'm participating in Take a Stitch Tuesdays and in the Crazy Quilt Journal Project this year (links in the sidebar). My project for the year will be a wall hanging of St. Francis of Assisi. I've posted my preparation notes for this project on the Tuesday Stitchers blog.
I get my best ideas when I'm waking up in the morning. The idea for using fly stitch to make a dandelion came to me this way.
I remembered I have this old embroidery book. If you look closely, you can see the thrift store price tag.
Sure enough, this book has outlines of wild flowers, including a dandelion (below right).
I sketched the drawing I wanted to use on a piece of scratch paper, and then traced it onto iron-on, tear-away stabilizer. If it was an intricate drawing, I would have traced it directly onto the stabilizer.
Once the image is ironed on, I stitch directly over it.
I used cotton floss for the leaves, and perle cotton for the rest of the image. The dandelion fluff is made up of the fly stitch. I think it makes a nice companion to the thistle in the printed focus fabric.
Once the stitching is done, you (carefully) tear away the stabilizer. I'll get some tweezers to pull out some of the paper from under the leaves.
I'm working on seam embellishment next. I realize I'm going to have to keep up the pace to finish a block a month.
10 comments:
Beautiful work, Barbara! I LOVE that dandelion, just waiting for a puff of wind to scatter the seeds!
I used waste canvas this week and had to get out tweezers too.
I have lots of tearaway stabilizer scraps from machine embroidery so will have to give your idea a try. Thanks.
I love it! The stitch reminds me of wishbones.
It looks very realistic!
What a beautiful way to use that stitch. Makes me want to make a wish and blow.
If I wanted to add a dandelion like yours to my quilt ... would it be OK? I LOVE it. You also reminded me of a wildflower coloring book that I have (a Dover publication) that probably has some other great flower ideas. Thanks.
What a great start! You may have to develop a habit of embellishing seams during lunch hours or something in order to stay on pace for the year. I toyed with the idea of participating in the CQJP but made the decision to stick with just the Bead Journal Project for the year. ;- )
You're brilliant! I love this! And thanks for the tutorial about the stabilizer too.
Thanks again for sharing how you did your transfering... beautiful work here Barbara
Love that Dandy Lion, Barbara! As I was reading your tutorial, I wondered whether you could use the washaway kind of stabilizer? Might save the picking? I agree that keeping up is going to require some discipline, not my forte1
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