I’ve got Kate’s Crow back! I’d heard from Brian Russell at Little Newsham Forge a little while ago to tell me that they’d started on the fire screen and it was coming along nicely, but it was still a surprise to hear from him to say it was finished and ready to be delivered. A…
I mentioned last time the I felt the very bottom spiral wasn’t quite circular, but I hoped it would right itself when taken off the frame. And to an extent it did, but not as much as I’d hoped. Further action would be necessary. For years, I’ve always ironed my embroidery, always from the back,…
Sorry for the long gap between posts – I went down with what might have been the norovirus, but which wasn’t a whole lot of fun whatever it was. This meant a few days when sewing, and everything else, was out of the question. I’m a lot better now, though, and Kate’s Crow is now…
All being well, this should be the last of the updates; next time you see Kate’s Crow, it should be finished! It’s not quite there yet, though. Here’s what I’ve just been working on: So not too much more to do now! I wanted to finish all the spirals round the crow to make it…
Last time, I had a chunk to finish, and then I’d have stitched all the design above the crow. So, how have I done? Not bad, actually. Going in reverse order, here’s what I’m currently working on, complete with some of the running stitches marking out the design, just as a reminder of how fiddly…
While I’m working on Kate’s Crow, I thought I show you something else I’ve done that uses the same technique, at least in part. This is a slip case for Stories from the Arabian Nights, by Laurence Housman and illustrated by Edmund Dulac. The book itself still has its original dust jacket, which includes the…
A further update on how the spirals are coming along. I’m quite pleased with progress: The silhouette effect of the unfilled-in crow against the background is really starting to take shape now. Again, you can get more of an idea of the stitching in a close-up: Once I’ve got that last corner filled in, I’ll…
First, the obligatory weather report: it’s not snowing. But, as it’s currently -6° Celsius (21° Fahrenheit) and falling, the snow we already have is not going anywhere any time soon. I don’t have any scenic photos for you I’m afraid; I live in a city, and right now I’m very glad of it, as at…
The spiral design behind the crow silhouette is now under way. I’ve decided to start from the top and work down; I’m doing this a bit at a time, and this is why: As I mentioned before, I’m transferring the design by stitching over a transfer of it ironed on the back with small running…
Happy new year! Best wishes to everyone for the coming year, and a big thank-you to everyone who took the trouble to read my blog or to leave comments during 2009. This has been my first venture into blogging, and the warmth, support, and generosity of spirit I’ve found in the online sewing community has…