Blanket challenge
It is not always difficult stitches or intricate designs that I find the most challenging...
... this time around, embroidering a blanket in three weeks almost got the better of me. An embroidered woollen blanket can be a daunting project at the best of times. This one is for Inspirations magazine and the time for photography was brought forward by two weeks - so my time frame to get it designed and stitched was kind of tight to say the least.
Of course I could have kept it really, really small and simple I guess. Well in a way it is. There are no tricky stitches and everything is big and bold. If I was to count the individual stitches there are actually not that many. It was the colours that caused me more trouble than usual. It is kind of puzzling, because teals and blues are among my favourite colours but for some reason they proved rather tricky to work with and get right for this project. As so often when I design, I find there is no way of really knowing if something will work or not until the stitches are in. I had a rough colour sketch but no matter how or what I use for colouring in, it always look so different once done in thread.
I can't help but thinking if working to such a tight deadline somehow made it harder for me to get it right, but this project certainly gave me some grief. That large daisy for instance was stitched three times before I was finally happy combination of colours and stitches - not something I really had time for. And the dots - all gone now. I usually like dots, but after having scattered them all over I stood back and took a second look and they just didn't work...
... so out they came. With all that 'reverse stitching' the birds will be happy. The birds? Yes the birds. I usually throw all the thread tails into the garden - my friend Di told me how she did it, and I like the idea of softly lined nests all through our garden. So yes, the birds will be happy
Is it going to be finished in time? Yes, just one more little flower to go and overall it has worked out pretty much how I envisaged. Do I regret having to unpick? No, as always, seeing the finished embroidery makes it all worth it - it might just be a while before I throw myself into a super short, shorter than normal, deadline.
Now back to those last few petals.
Anna x
Of course I could have kept it really, really small and simple I guess. Well in a way it is. There are no tricky stitches and everything is big and bold. If I was to count the individual stitches there are actually not that many. It was the colours that caused me more trouble than usual. It is kind of puzzling, because teals and blues are among my favourite colours but for some reason they proved rather tricky to work with and get right for this project. As so often when I design, I find there is no way of really knowing if something will work or not until the stitches are in. I had a rough colour sketch but no matter how or what I use for colouring in, it always look so different once done in thread.
I can't help but thinking if working to such a tight deadline somehow made it harder for me to get it right, but this project certainly gave me some grief. That large daisy for instance was stitched three times before I was finally happy combination of colours and stitches - not something I really had time for. And the dots - all gone now. I usually like dots, but after having scattered them all over I stood back and took a second look and they just didn't work...
.
Is it going to be finished in time? Yes, just one more little flower to go and overall it has worked out pretty much how I envisaged. Do I regret having to unpick? No, as always, seeing the finished embroidery makes it all worth it - it might just be a while before I throw myself into a super short, shorter than normal, deadline.
Now back to those last few petals.
Anna x
I too love blues and the blues in your blanket are lovely! I look forward to seeing more of the blanket in the magazine.
ReplyDeleteI used to put out threads for the birds until I heard that they can knot around the legs and result in injuries. I'm not sure if this is true or not but it has made me wonder about it.
I never thought about the bird's legs getting tangled... I think birds are more clever than that don't you? Judging by the wonderfully lined birds nests we find in the vines later in the year, I think they know exactly what to do with the thread :-)
DeleteSo very pretty! I love the colors very much. The fabric looks so soft..is it?
ReplyDeleteyes the fabric is very soft. It is cashmere velour blanketing, which is thinner and softer than pure wool blanketing, which I find a bit heavy and cumbersome to work with.
DeleteThat looks beautiful - I can't wait to see the full blanket! And I love love love the tip about throwing trimmings into the garden - I'm definitely going to try that out!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful design -- I'd love to see the finished blanket! Trimmings in the garden for the birds... how very neat!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beata, for something that caused me a bit of trouble during the process it worked out really well in the end. I wish I could share it - but it is being published in Inspirations magazine in the February issue so I am not really supposed to prior to publication :-(
DeleteHappy Birthday, Anna and I hope you have a wonderful day. Just love the colours in the blanket and it matches perfectly with the colours on my deck. I would be lovely to snuggle under on a cool, windy and sunny afternoon. Ahhhhh.......bliss!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog and thank you for it.
Birthday greetings and best wishes on your special day. The blue blanket I feel is your best piece up till now. It is so French and restful, and also my favourite colour. The setting shows it off beautifully. Well done, Anna!
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely design and embroidery by you.