As you can see, the photo posted in my last update (#2) from only a couple a days ago was actually quite old – lots done since.
Three Tears at the top of the piece
The “tears” up the top of the piece are my favourite part. A distinct 70′s feel (rather like Tanya B’s Lollipop Tree ) with the brown/orange colours to the fore.
The leftmost tear is a plain lattice (trellis) fill over laid stitch, as shown in Mary Corbet’s Lattice Work tutorial. The lattice is in orange thread couched with yellow. I swear the orange thread is actually variegated red and orange, caused by the reflections of light on the combined colours, rather like I was getting reflections on the Griffin Stitch lattice fill (described in post #1)
The alternating squares in the middle tear are filled with 3 vertical stitches covered with 3 horizontal stitches (effectively satin stitch with thread padding). I started with just the vertical stitches but they looked a bit flat and ragged, looking much better with the extra layer of stitching. I can’t find where I got this fill from.
The idea for the rightmost tear came from an Anna Scott piece (the left motif). They look like little puffy buttons.
The edging is stem stitch edged in a mixture of coral stitch and scroll stitch.
This is where I ran out of purple. I’m waiting on re-supply, so meanwhile the rest of the piece is missing it’s purple bits. (There’s a story, involving Tommy and thread down the back of an immovable couch - don’t ask).
I was looking at the black and white photo of the Squared Fillings in Erica Wilson’s Embroidery Book, where I got the idea for the orange laced filling (the motif in the middle) which I’d mentioned in the first post on this piece. The photo showed the lacing done in both directions, not just the one as I’d done, so here’s the updated version :
Corrected Squared Filling #2, Erica Wilson
I didn’t do well at all at trying to lace the partial squares at the top of the motif, but I do really like the hexagonal shape given by the double lacing. The filling looks a lot more finished and effective this way. Perhaps leaving those partial squares unlaced would have been a better solution?
I got the idea for the motif on the left here from another Anna Scott piece. Those are blue French Knots over the orange crosses over the lattice, where the intersections are couched over 3 times in the brown. Very dimensional!
The right motif is simply two horizontal stitches then two vertical stitches over alternating squares. Because the actual lattice is dark brown, there is a feeling of depth and shadows.
If you pop back up to the main photo, you’ll see I gave the Battlement Couched motif with the fat tummy a simple lattice top in brown. I’ve also got a woven wheel in the middle (in contrast to the whipped wheel on the left of the piece in purple and yellow) that is awaiting some purple to finish it off.
I’ve got lots of edging of motifs to do. I’m just starting to edge the right motif in twisted chain stitch in light lilac and blue. Today’s photos are a little washed out – because it’s lovely and sunny today! 