For Valentines everywhere !

A lovely embroidered red & white silk case - read more about it from the Stitcherydoodaa Collection

Covering an embroidery hoop ...

If you want to handstitch any fabric in a hoop, it should first be covered. It stops the fabric slipping in the frame & ensures the fabric remains taught ... it actually 'grips' the fabric & prevents it slipping on the wood (or plastic) frame. Once done, it lasts for ages & is an easy job to replace if necessary.

I've just had to cover my extra large embroidery hoop (click here if you want to see what I'm using it for) - it didn't take very long & something I've been meaning to do for ages.

If you'd like to know how, here's the instructions:
First cut some bias lengths of fine cotton fabric (appx. 2"/5cm wide) then just wind them tightly around the inner hoop (ie. the one without the screw). Secure the beginning with a pin & when you have covered the entire hoop, remove the pin when you cover it with the fabric, then secure firmly in place with a few stitches.

Patchwork & Embroidered Waistcoat: Step 6 - Embroidery on Fronts & Back ...

Here's the waistcoat pieces finished & now pressed - they have shrunk in stitching so a good job I'd left them oversized. They're now pending a fitting with the customer before I can get to the next stage.

Fronts

Back

Patchwork & Embroidered Waistcoat: Step 5 - Back ...

I've just finished the embroidery for the back (more close-ups of the stitching are here), working it in a similar manner to the fronts. Because the colouring of the 'plain fronts' fabric has some lavender/purple in it, I decided to use a purple thread for the last stage.

The 1st row (worked  using 3 different stitches - feather, a floral & a cross) is stitched in white thread on all pieces & worked close to the edge, removing tacking as stitching.

Another row, in blue thread, worked on the patchwork edges to hold the pieces down & flatten them. This time only the feather & floral stitches have been used.

Another blue row was then stitched on the inside of the lighter colour pieces & using a slightly smaller cross stitch than the original.

Finally, a purple row on the inside of the darker colour pieces, again using the smaller cross stitch.

Patchwork & Embroidered Waistcoat: Step 4 - Fronts ...

I've now finished with the embroidery (pre-programmed machine) on the 2 fronts (further close-ups of the stitching are here).

The 1st row (using 3 different stitches - feather, a floral & a cross) is stitched in purple thread on all pieces & worked close to the edge, removing tacking as stitching.

Another row, in pink thread, worked on the patchwork edges to hold the pieces down & flatten them. This time only the feather & floral stitches have been used.

A further pink row on the inside of the lighter colour pieces & using a slightly smaller cross stitch.

Finally, a white row on the inside of the darker colour pieces, again using the smaller cross stitch.

Crinoline ladies ...

I've just uploaded 2 crinoline ladies (above just 1) that have been worked on a 1940s linen tea set. All floral stitchery on both items were in buttonhole stitch - the remainder in straight stitch. If you're interested in this type of embroidery, click the above link & you'll find more designs from the period as well as others.

Pansy Scissor case ...

I was given a 'Pansy Scissor case kit' a few years ago - self-contained & ideal to fill in odd moments. To assist with stitching, I usually use the method below for marking chart & canvas. It acts as a very quick visual reminder of where you are in your work ... especially when the phone rings !

Being quite a simple piece of stitchery & small, just a single colour (red) marker was used. However, had the design been larger, other colours are marked on the chart at intervals as well as stitched as guidelines (in the same colours) on the canvas. For this chart, the stitching chart was first marked at 10-hole intervals in red pen. The canvas was then marked by TACKING lines (as per the same number of holes) in red sewing thread (before the design was stitched). 

Here (below left) it's on my floor frame with lots of threads 'on-the-go'.

FINALLY .......... (above right) here is it finished. (The machine-stitched fabric edge at right was added to prevent the canvas being unravelled while being worked.)

Currently undecided as to WHAT NEXT ?

Book cover in the making (perhaps) ...

Another item completed is this Bronwyn Hayes kit (hung on magnetic clips after pressing).

Started when all my things had been packed up earlier in the year, I managed to finish it in odd moments. Being a kit, it was all self-contained & ideal to carry around & not get lost. I rather like the 'verse' & instead of using it as a picture, it's likely I'll adapt it to a book cover (or similar).

Verse:

1. Weed the flower beds
2. Water the vegetables
3. Sow the seeds in a row
4. Trim the lawn
5. Prune the roses
6. When all is done - to sit and sew

Pandora's Pillowcases ...

The self-inflicted exercise below has made me once again ponder the thought:

" How many fabrics made today will still be around in over 75 years

... especially if first boiled up in a saucepan & then thrown around in a washing machine !! "

Back in February I mentioned my 'lace cleaning' project ... so to refresh your memory:

Lace in February

Anyway since then (& with the trigger thumb problem), I'd not been able to finish & at the weekend, decided to have another go with the large box of scrap laces etc. I 'boiled' up a solution of the 'magic liquid' & cleaned 2 saucepan loads of scraps. I then proceeded to stage 2 ... a boil wash in the machine.

I gathered together all the pieces (above) including those done previously (but that hadn't had a final wash), put them all into several pillowcases & into a 90 degree boil wash they went. None of the bits were 100% white (more off-white) - several were very greyed - many were yellowed & all looked 'sad & tired'. As most pieces were only smallish lengths, I didn't bother to check any for wear or tear ... putting them in pillowcases would stop any machine blockages of looses bits! & in any event, they were, after all, only scraps.

The machine completed its wash cycle & I decided to leave everything to dry intact within the pillowcase (mainly because its quite difficult to prise apart any laces twisted together whilst washing). I hung them all in an airing cupboard for appx 24 hours & on Monday, although each parcel was still damp (but not wet), I filled my steam iron filled & then came the best bit ... OPENING EACH PANDORA'S PILLOWCASE!

And guess what ... every piece of lace or fabric (except 1 which had partially disintegrated & lost its stitches) had washed up like new. Opening each bundle 'parcel' was a surprise & delight. Each scrap piece that was pulled out & went under the iron was a pleasure to watch & witness its transformation ... from a crumpled mess into a piece of history brought to life. Every sample bit was brilliant white & one in particular that I'd almost thrown away, as I pressed it the term 'flowerings' sprung to mind.

After drying then pressing, they were sorted into their relevant types - here they are now:

Machine Embroidered book – Page 14 …

The final page shows a variety of uses for other needlecrafts – designs once again having simple shapes and colours being bright.

Some suggested ideas are: dolls from wooden spoons, accessories from blankets and matching fashion accessories.

Machine Embroidered book – Pages 12-13 …

These 2 pages concentrate on the use of yarn or thread.





The first of these pages shows some examples for different thicknesses. The upper example shows creating a new fabric by weaving on net; the central example decoratively stitching on a plain knitted fabric and the third example shows a yarn being used in a different manner – the example of rug wool used to make some shoes.








The second of these pages shows some knitting samples of the period – typical stitch patterns and colours of those suggested items of clothing. Swatches of patterns were knitted using yarns and colours as close to those as recommended within the original instructions.

Again on this page, I continued with the theme of a photo album to display the samples with machine embroidery used to ‘write’ notes (eg. bright colours were cheerful) and secure swatches and photocopies of patterns.

Machine Embroidered book – Pages 7-10 …

These 4 pages reference the variety of transfers that were available for stitching for varied uses and on many different fabrics.

With wide ranging uses, transfers could ‘brighten up’ any recycled material as well as enhance drab (fabric) colours.


The samples shown were stitched using today’s threads but in colours as close as possible to the ones of the period.

There were also suggestions to use other items of haberdashery for making or enhancing clothes and home furnishings.