Queen Bee takes flight...
..well almost.
It is a good feeling to have reached the top of the main part of the body. I am deliberately leaving spaces between the stitches on the wings to allow the gold to shine through so the rest will seem like a breeze after the very, very dense stitching of the stripes.
I am using Pipers Floss Silk for the couching. This is a very fine filament silk with a beautiful sheen. It is probably not the best silk to work with if you have never used silk before - it is super fine and because it untwisted it catches so, so easily. Even the slightest roughness on your hands can get you into all sorts of trouble. Not good for someone like me who loves the garden but tend to garden without wearing gloves.
These pictures should give you an idea of how fine it is, I threaded one stand of cotton (floss) into a no. 10 embroidery needle (left) and a strand of Pipers Silk into a second needle (left) - then worked a few chain stitches with each for comparison. Yes, it is crazy fine and tiny!
So, why do I use it? I have found it to be PERFECT for Or Nue because the flat, fine silk lets me work very, very dense stitches over the metal threads without creating bulk. This is super important when the stitching is really dense in some areas and not in others otherwise you end up with 'bulging' sections.
I confess I sometimes wonder why I spend so many hours bent over something so tiny and fine it makes my eyes hurt. Then again, when I step away and look at it from a distance the next day - it does seem like it is well worth the effort!
She should have eyes next time you see her.
Happy Stitching,
Anna X
Does all the eyestrain qualify you as a suffering artist? I think it should! I suffer from carpal tunnel but when I finish something that gives me such satisfaction, it is all worth it. :)
ReplyDeleteAm watching the "growth" of the bee with great interest, and am keeping my beekeeping husband informed too!
ReplyDeleteThe silk thread is incredible - so fine and beautiful, and I completely see why you'd prefer it for less bulk. It really does make a difference! Love the wings, too...Chrissie x
ReplyDeleteCrazy fine is right! But so worth it, as everyone has said. How big is the entire piece, measured across the points?
ReplyDeleteHi Monica, It as 5.5cm (2 1/4") across from point to point.
DeleteIt did occur to that I need to photograph it with something to give a sense of size and proportion. Will do next time.
So which of the Pipers threads are you actually using? I have an Or Nue project in the planning stages and had not picked my threads yet and I would like to try these. Thanks, Kris
ReplyDeleteI am using the floss silk and usually buy the little 80 meter spools.
DeleteMay I ask what gold thread you are using? It is really coming together nicely. I have just read through all of the posts on this project and it has been such fun. I especially like your 'mood board'. Do you print out the photos you want from your computer or do you use photos from magazines?
ReplyDeleteThank you. The gold thread is a smooth passing thread there are a few different types and sizes around. This particular one is no. 6 Art Gold from Golden Thread.
DeleteMoodboards are a great tool for getting design ideas and colours. I find pictures everywhere - books, magazins, the internet, postcards.
Thanks.
DeleteYou work is so nice. I've only done rework style embroidery. Maybe one day I'll be more adventurous.
ReplyDeleteLovely work. I tried my hand at this type of embroidery recently, but it is so time consuming!
ReplyDeletedear lord above... i got pipers silk thread..i cant rmeember what kind... it is so fine i cant get it into even the largest needle eye i have. it is invisible. what is the fabric you are using her ei tmakes the threads looke enormous compared to what i have got. i must have go the wrong thing. it is really shiney on the spool but the minute it come sof the spool it unravels to look like a whisp of silk cap!! i am not even trying to embroider with it properly just to do some stitches over a silk sari two layers. i am losing my god forsaken mind.... and eye site. oh please tell me what to get for a beginner who wants silk but has enormous hands also best suited to gardening, veyr bad eyesight and very little patience. although i have just spent the entire afternoon trying. god i am a tryer. but damn its the most nasty ass dreadful horror i mean you wouldnt even think a kid did it. hours of my life and a mess to show fo rit:(
ReplyDeleteOh Dear! I don't think pipers silk is a good choice if you have not stitched much at all and have poor eyesight as well. Yes, it is very fine and required good light and a bit of practise to use well.
DeleteI recommend you start using stranded cotton for your embroidery. If you really want to use silk, Au ver a Soie stranded silk is the easiest one to stitch with. It is not as fine as Pipers.
The fabric in the photos is a calico (cotton muslin) and yes it is magnified a lot.
Best of luck
Anna