Embroidered panel: Ruskin Roses

My latest piece is finished and framed: It’s an original design, but I was aiming for an Arts and Crafts look, hence the title! It was worked using the same technique I’ve been employing for quite a few things lately: hand embroidered with Madeira stranded cotton in long and short stitch onto gold organza. A…

Dog Roses: an embroidered panel

The final completed piece is of wild roses: This is worked in long and short stitch, then applied to a background of ivory cotton velvet. A close-up: I’ve covered in detail elsewhere the techniques I use for these pieces, but as a quick recap: the design is traced onto a gold organza, just a cheap…

Orchids: an embroidered panel

The next embroidery project I’ve completed is a surface embroidered panel of orchids, in long and short stitch: In a little more detail: I have one more completed piece to show you, so that’s next!

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 4

Last time, I showed you the third tambour beaded panel for the parasol, and here’s the fourth one: That’s as far as I’ve got with the parasol, but I have done a couple of other things too – I’ll show you the first one next!

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 3

It’s been far too long since I last posted so I have a bit of catching up to do.  To start with, here’s the third tambour beaded panel (of ten) of the parasol: There are a few more projects to show you, so check back again soon!

‘Teamwork’ bees: finished

The ‘Teamwork’ panel of embroidered and appliquéd bees has now been stretched onto some mount board and is ready to show off.  So here it is! And a close up: Back to the beading next, I think.

‘Teamwork’ bees: appliqué wings and honeycomb

The bees’ bodies have been completed but don’t look right at all without their wings, but that’s about to change, with the addition of some appliqué. Using little running stitches worked from the back, where the full design is marked up onto lining fabric, I transferred the wing outlines to the front, background, fabric. I want…

‘Teamwork’ bees: adding the colour

With the gold outline done, I can fill in the bee shapes with colour. I’m using Madeira stranded cotton in black (no. 2400), yellow (0104) and ivory (2402): Black first, for the heads and bodies and some of the stripes, worked in long and short stitch: Then the yellow stripes: Then finally the ivory, for…

‘Teamwork’ bees: starting sewing

With the design transferred to the back of the fabric and it stretched onto an embroidery frame, it’s time to start sewing. Firstly, I need the design on the front of the fabric, where I can see it. The background fabric is silk dupion in ivory; I don’t want to mark that directly as it’s…

‘Teamwork’ bees: small embroidered panel

Recently, as part of my day job, I was on a management training course. As part of that, we were divided into teams and asked to produce a short presentation on a management-related theme each team was given. The team I was in was given ‘Teamwork’. We decided on a metaphorical approach, using bees and…