Category: Embroidery

I really shouldn’t stay up so late sewing but I have again, at least I didn’t sew a corner in and so no unpicking today.

I’ve finished the outlines of the ‘pinecones’ and have started to fill them in. The book ‘Dorset Feather Stitchery’ by Olivia Pass suggests using satin stitch and feather stitch.

It shouldn’t take too much longer to finish this sample and then it will form the from cover of a needlecase.

I think I should take a leaf out of Sock’s book and go to sleep! First though I will take a peek of all the work at Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching why not take a look yourself

In a word – don’t. This is what happens when you do

The annoying thing is, the stitching was ok on the other side but had to be unpicked

So I went to bed and started again in the morning with better results ha ha

As you can see from the photos below I have been working from a book by Olivia Pass printed in 1957. A group of ladies from a Dorset WI (Womens Institute) had fun reviving simple stitches in a new form that they called Dorset Feather Stitchery.

Mostly they were inspired by the stitching decorating English smocks worn mainly in the Nineteenth century although they were worn as late as WWII in a few cases. Principally worn by male agricultural workers they were a practical and beautiful coverall – I intend to make one myself as I have another lovely old book by Alice Amess called English Smocks with Directions for Making Them. I particularly like one worn by a milk maid from Essex. As I am from Essex and have milked a few cows I think I can wear one!

You can find more about them here

Before that though, I will pop over the Slow Sunday Stitching to see what everyone else has been making, why not see for yourself!

Done and dusted – unless I decide to quilt it and make it into a dolly quilt.

I don’t have to quilt it but it would make a useful little mat to put under the fruit bowl. I managed to complete another sample too; hand-stitched reverse applique. I quite like the stepped appearance and it certainly highlights the centre. It would be a good way to mount any hand work and  this little piece of Botanique from Joel Dewsbury almost looks like embroidery.

I really must concentrate on the main assessment piece now – a wall hanging. Here are a few pages from my sketch book mostly worked from photos I took in Australia.

I made a printing block of a simple leaf shape and roughly painted it to print these

Next I will try it on fabric.

I have sketched a few possible designs but that is for another day, now it is time to link up to slow Sunday Stitching here

The penultimate sample. The first curved one and it came out better than I thought it would.

Definately not perfect but it will do. I have also sketched out a second curved design but realise that it needs to be lowered by half an inch as it is too close to the first sample.

Again, it comes with free cat hair ha ha

One more to go and another sample finished! As a hailstorm has started outside it might be a good time to start – the snow may be gone but winter has not.

The cat has settled on my knee so I will be popping over to Kathy’s Quilts to look at everyone’s work for Slow Sunday Stitching which you can see here

What are you stitching?