This and that...my random thoughts

Embroidered fabric from spider silk

2012-01-27T09:21:00.008+05:30

Creating fabric from spider's silk - intriguing,isn't it?

(image courtesy V&A Museum)

The technique goes back to about 300 years. A special tool is used to collect silk from female Golden orb spiders and the fabric of bright yellow is woven from it. In case you're wondering if the spiders are killed during the process- no,they are returned to the wild after extracting silk.

This cape is currently on display in Victoria and Albert Museum in London . Admission is free. In case you're somewhere around you could pay a visit.

For those like me who can only watch from afar,there is a lovely video showcasing the creation of this cape which took about 7 years of making and silk from 1.2 million spiders .The fabric is in itself beautiful,but the embroidery - ooh,la,la...
The artistry of the people of Madagascar deserves a salute .
Golden Spider Silk Cape / Exhibitions & Galleries / Happenings / V&A Channel

Enjoy!!

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

What color combo would you choose?

2012-01-25T16:44:00.006+05:30

Would you go for

Complementary - colors on the exact opposite in the color wheel.

This looks to be me :)

Monochromatic- colors of the same shade.

Analogous - colors close to each other on the color wheel.

Or Achromatic - No colors -just black,white and grey .

Here are all the four combos together.Each looks good in its own way. Next time I stitch,I think I'll experiment a lot more with colors. How about you?

Will be back with another set of combinations,
Till then,
Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Learning about colors and the first stitches of the year

2012-01-18T14:07:00.009+05:30

New year wishes to all of you!! A little late, but better late than never!!

As the year began, I got an opportunity to learn about color theory through a free online course run at StitchMap.Color selection has always been a weak point of mine.Solid colors are fine,complementary colors are also fine,but ask me to differentiate between the minute shade differences of a color- I am gone!!

Well,anyway, the first half of January had me rummaging through the pages of magazines,pamphlets and brochures looking out for different colors .I made a color wheel with those...

Click on the pic for a better view.Primary colors are shown in heart shape,secondary in diamonds and tertiary in rectangles.Did you notice the warm and cool colors separated by the dashed line? Yellow to red-violet on the right side are warm. By warm, we mean colors that strike you instantly.Violet to Yellow-Green on the left are cool colors.

Once the initial paper cutting work was done with, we had to demonstrate the color combos.

I used Petal stitch for those big flowers,filled up with stem stitch and french knots in the center.The small flowers are done with blanket stitch and fly stitch .Those were inspired by TAST. But here the stitches are not important;we're talking about colors,aren't we? Let me tell you the categories.There are three combos here-warm,cool and mixed.

The red petal flower is warm,the purple and yellow petal flower is mixed and the purple petal flower is cool. Though I like all the combos, I think my color values are warm and mixed . I'll never go for that purple, blue,green combo unless Iam forced,like in this case :)

What about you? Have you given a thought about your color values?

A few more exercises are to be completed; once that is done, I'll show you another set of color combinations.
Till then,

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Comparing two patterns-Anthuriums with Kamal Kadai

2011-12-02T09:40:00.008+05:30

While posting the Anthurium with Kamal Kadai, I had written about not being satisfied with what I'd done. Had a feeling that something was missing there,but could not place it. I tried again. The same flowers, the same technique,but with a slight variation in the pattern.

Instead of the stiff stems, I made it curvy; the leaves were modified too. The size of the flowers too were reduced .And the tip of the flower has come out better than the other one.

Here is a comparison.The pattern on the right which I posted last time is based on an actual photograph. The leaves are more real. It looks good as an individual pattern. But it looks firm & staunch.
Today's is a fancy version of the same. It looks dainty ,I just wish I had used a brighter color for the leaves.

What do you think? Do you like fancy embroidery patterns full of curves and swirls ? At present, I am kind of vacillating between both - I like 'em both,but the left one slightly more.

Till the next post,
Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Two lovely dimensional embroidery pieces

2011-11-24T14:34:00.008+05:30

A few months back, when Anu of The Creativity Within Me.. posted about her work in progress, I never imagined that one day that lovely piece of embroidery will be in my hands. Let me show you some pics... (click on them for a better view)

I love the way she has used the raised cup stitch for the flowers,and of course, those beads in the center.

Very creative use of beads for the dress,don't you think? Good choice of herringbone stitch and trellis couch for the dress too.

Cast on stitch and french knots for the flowers..and the colors..yum,yum...

Here's the complete piece. The background is crayon tinted. I have never tried that method.Will have to one day... Thank you Anu ,for this lovely gift...I enjoy looking at it everyday.

While I was recovering from this surprise, another one landed on my doorstep.Here it is..

This one is a first attempt on dimensional embroidery by my classmate,friend and fellow embroidery fanatic Preethy. We had lost touch , but she found me through this blog and our correspondence started. This piece is inspired from the book Three dimensional embroidery stitches which I have reviewed here. Did you notice the signature line at the bottom? (big grin). Thank you Preethy for this awesome beauty. I often wonder how long would it have taken for you to stitch those sunflowers.Wow!!

Does this look like a first attempt? Pat Trott would be proud of her.I have left the pics big enough for you to see the close up...

Till next post,

Kamal Kadai experiments

2011-11-15T10:03:00.008+05:30

Atlast!! Picked up needle'n thread after a long long time... :) and yeah,it felt good...mmmmm

For a while, I have been thinking of trying Kamal Kadai on shapes other than the traditional ones. Kamal Kadai or Navar work is a needle weaving technique and is quite popular in India.You can find a couple of tutorials on basic Kamal Kadai and beaded Kamal Kadai in the sidebar of this blog.

Most of the floral designs in this method follow the basic step petal pattern shown below and that's what I was looking to change.

Needle weaving involves weaving on straight lines.These lines cannot follow curves.Now how do I fill a curved area?

After a bit of trial and error, I ended up doing this...

I outlined the shape with back stitch and then filled the inside with the foundation lines. From the back stitched outline, I weaved over and under in the usual manner. In this case, the outline too was considered as a foundation line and I always passed the needle over and under the backstitch or vice versa. It looked good!!

This the first of my many trials. Although happy with the filling part, every time I looked at the overall pattern, I felt it lacked something.

After looking at it,walking across it umpteen times,pondering over it,I decided to redo this pattern with a few changes... But about that,not now... in the next post...

Till then,
Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Between the devil and deep sea

2011-11-10T18:05:00.005+05:30

A quick update....

I had a CT scan done on last Saturday to check the current condition of my sinusitis -the doctors have changed my health status from Pan sinusitis to Chronic pan sinusitis .This means that damage is extensive and the surgery is inevitable,but at the same time since it involves part of the skull, the consultant doc has told us that it is going to be risky and complicated ,irrespective of whether a machine does it or a surgeon.

Now I have to decide what to do - to go for it and risk it or not go for it and let my health deteriorate gradually. Iam on steroids for another thirty days.

We are also mulling over the option of going for the Indian system of medicine - Ayurveda. The doc has also suggested the same.Since Allopathy has given us no hope, we'll give it a shot.

Thanks everyone for your mails .Apologies for not replying to some of you ,especially Jana and Anita . I am not keen on turning my nice pleasant blog into a chronicle of my health ,but I thought I owe an update to all who visit deepashome regularly.

As far my mood is concerned, Iam cheerful, pleasant,doing all my daily activities and look absolutely healthy (atleast externally) :)

Before I take your leave, I thought I'll share a pic of a brazilian embroidery project which one of my students, Sobha did as part of the online course.I love the way the roses have been stitched and the colors too.

Will be back with my stitchy posts soon...

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

All'z well...almost!!!

2011-09-08T16:59:00.004+05:30

Hi everyone,
Finally got a chance to update on what has been happening in my life...

About a month back,suddenly fainted, while falling hit the corner of a wooden shoe rack, daughter screamed,neighbors came and called DH back from work,did rounds of the hospital multiple times , a brain and cervical scan and some more tests, walked around with a big black eye for a couple of weeks,finally,yesterday, the name of the culprit was revealed as pan sinusitis.And it is bad!!!

The doc has prescribed medicines for two weeks,if no improvement is seen, a surgery has been advised.

The first thought when the doc uttered the word surgery was...oh my god!! she's going to cut open my head!!! After returning home, I looked around a bit on the web and found that the procedure is through the nose. Well, I can resort to anything to do get rid of the constant headache,the heavy feeling on the head, the occasional fainting and vertigo.

Anyways, two more weeks and we'll know.

I hope all of you are doing well...I haven't been able to visit my fellow blogger's posts as frequently as I would've liked to and I genuinely miss you all...

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

The winner of Anchor embroidery Kit is...

2011-08-16T14:27:00.003+05:30

Thanks a million to all those who stopped by to wish me on my Birthday. I am trying to get back to posting regularly ...

Thanks to all those who participated in the giveaway . I included the name of all who commented in the Birthday post irrespective of whether they wanted to be counted in or not. Who doesn't like to win ?

And the winner picked via random.org is....

Anusuya from Delhi !! Congratulations,Anu. Please mail me your address.

Thanks for the wishes once again,

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Happy Birthday to Me....

2011-08-10T11:43:00.004+05:30

Hi everyone,

Iam back!! :))

When I reviewed the Anchor Embroidery Kit about a month back and said that I am planning a give away on my birthday, I had never thought that my very next post will be exactly a month and five days later.

Life and health came in between and I had no option but to restrict my hobby time. Hopefully very soon my stitching will be back on track and with that this blog too.

And since I don't break promises.....here's my giveaway for my dear blogger friends....

I am gifting one lucky visitor a free style embroidery kit,Pretty Safe, from Anchor. You can read all about it here .

To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this page anytime before August 15th 2011. I'll draw a winner on August 16th. The winner should contact me within 24 hours or else I'll pick another one from the list.
I hope you all have been doing good. Thanks to all those who emailed and enquired about my well being. Your mails mean so much to me.Thank you!!

Love,luck and sunshine..
Deepa

Anchor embroidery kit

2011-07-05T09:31:00.006+05:30

Around this time last year, I had lost a bunch of threads ordered from the U.S. I attributed to my bad luck and fearing a repeat stopped buying stuff from abroad. And I was happy that at least couriers from within India manage to reach me .....almost on cue, last week I lost a packet once again,this time sent from within my city... waaahhhh..

Either someone in the postal dept loves embroidery or the security guy at our apartment entrance (he collects the post and delivers to each flat) dreams that he will take up embroidery one day.This time for sure its not the postman. The courier agency informed that the packet had been collected at the gate.He claims he knows nothing. Every day since the loss, while passing in and out, I stare and growl at our security officer...grrrr... if looks could kill... grrr....

So, yesterday, when another gentleman(muah,muah..) delivered an order which I had placed couple of months back..I was a relieved woman.

Let me show you what I got,

Its a free style embroidery kit from Anchor. In India, we get only cross stitch and long stitch kits in craft shops. Surface embroidery kits are not available (and I mean it). I had to order this using an order form from the magazine "Needle 'n' thread".

The kit comes with the fabric with pre printed design and the required quantity of threads.While the quality of the fabric is questionable, I can vouch for the threads ;) There's some bead work too.

The people at Anchor assume that you know embroidery and have kept instructions to the minimum. Just one sheet of paper with the picture on one side and stitch instructions on the other side.

As a subscriber of Needle'nthread, I've seen many such kits being offered to the readers. Some of their offers are wonderful.But the ordering process is manual and cannot be done online. There's a two month waiting period too.

If you're keen on getting kits like these ,then you need to subscribe to "Needle'n'thread magazine" . At present they deliver within India only.There are 4 issues per year and each issue costs 75/- .

And you know what? I've got two of the above kit. One for me and the other for one amongst you.

Very soon I'll announce the give away.. hmm..may be next month..on my birthday :)

Till then,
Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Kutchwork shisha tutorial - Part 2 , the interlacing

2011-06-16T11:45:00.009+05:30

At last I have managed to take the pictures of interlacing the kutch framework . There are a lot of pictures ,so you may have to wait a while for all of them to get loaded. It is difficult to explain this method verbally, so I've relied more on pictures rather than description.

For those joining in late, we're doing the shisha using Kutchwork.The first part of the tutorial is here. I am not using the mirror for this tutorial ,but once you learn how to stitch this pattern,you can always tack or glue a shisha in the middle and do the weaving on it.

In the last post, we have completed the framework .Here, I'll show how the interlacing is done.

I've used a light colored thread (six strands) for the interlacing .

Step 1. The starting point is between 1 and 8.Come up between the points 1 and 8.

Have a careful look at the pic above. The three white lines correspond to the sequence in which I'll interlace the squares (or diamonds).

The sketch for reference!!

Step 2 : Follow the over ,under sequence. You're going inside the square.

Step 3: Now move out.Check the pictures below.

Your frame will look like this after step 3.

Step 4: Moving back into the square - over and under the purple thread

The kutch base looks like this.

Step 5: The top part of the square is complete. We'll now move to the next square. Once the top section of three squares in the line are interlaced ,on the return journey we'll interlace the bottom half

Repeat the same sequence as in the first square for the next squares in the line.

Step 6 : Start the return journey.
In the picture below, I've shown a common mistake we tend to do. The over,under sequence needs to be followed based on the purple (the base) thread,not the current interlacing thread.

Step 7: Go back into the last square to interlace the second half. Follow the pictures to complete the interlacing of the first line.

Step 8: Once you reach at the starting point,go down and come up at the next line (9 and 16)

Step 9 : Repeat the above steps from 1 to 8 for the second and third line too.

The completed pattern!!

Now you can try the same with big sequins or mirrors or even with four small mirrors,glued in the appropriate open squares. I hope you enjoyed learning something totally new :)

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Kutchwork Shisha tutorial - Part 1,stitching the frame

2011-06-09T15:50:00.010+05:30

Hi everyone,

For all those who wanted to know how the kutch work pattern with mirror was stitched,here's the tutorial. I have tried to show most of the steps,but since this pattern is slightly different from the usual,you may have to put your thinking cap on and use a little bit of your logic too.

Oh, and one more thing - Iam not showing the mirror fixing here.Once you learn the stitching part, you can just tack the mirror down in the middle of the pattern and do the weaving and interlacing as usual.

Since there are a lot of pictures, I've divided the tutorial into two parts. In Part 1 I will teach the frame and in Part 2 I will show the interlacing.

Shown below is the pattern diagram. I've numbered each corner in the order of stitching. If you look at the picture, you'll find that there are three boxes (1 to 8, 9 to 16 and 17 to 24)

I've used all the six strands of anchor stranded cotton for the stitching. 6 strands gives a nice filled look to the pattern. But it is entirely your choice.

Kutch work is essentially weaving and interlacing. The point that you need to remember here is that in weaving we always have to pass the threads in the over and under sequence.

Let us start.

Step 1 : Come up at point 1 as shown in the picture below.You can see that I've not come up at the exact corner of the square,instead it is slightly below the actual corner of the square.

I've used the diagram for comparison and I've also marked the relevant points.

Step 2 : Go down at 2 and come up at 3. Again note that I do not go down at the exact corners. You can imagine that the sides of the squares are extended a bit.

Step 3 : Go down at 4 and come up at 5.

Step 4 : This is where the weaving logic starts. From 5 ,you have to go to 6 and come up at 7. Note the horizontal thread marked with black arrow . It went over the thread from 1 to 2 ,so its sequence will be as shown in the picture below.

Step 5 : Follow the same logic from 7 to 8. Go down at 8 and you'll get the first rectangle.

Step 6 : Now come up at point 9. To go to 10 ,you have to weave through the existing threads. Have a look at the horizontal thread marked with black. It is passing under the thread from 1 to 2 (first step) . So now it should pass over the thread from 9 to 10.

Step 7: Weave in the below mentioned sequence.

Step 8 : Go down at 10 and come up at 11.

Step 9: Go down at 12 and come up at 13

Step 10 : To go to 14, repeat the weaving sequence.

Step 11 : Come up at 15 and go across to 16. The square is complete. Come up at 17 to start the next rectangle.

Step 12 : Weave across to 18 and come up at 19. Go across to 20 and come up at 21.

Step 13 : Weave to 22 and come up at 23. Complete the rectangle by going across to 24

This completes the basic frame for this particular pattern. I hope the explanation is clear. I've not learnt Kutch work and this pattern has been worked out entirely by me. Hence I am not sure if I am breaking any basic rule of this form of embroidery. If I've gone wrong somewhere please do let me know.

I'll be posting the pictures of interlacing in the next post.

Till then,
Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Handmade Lace - Anyone knows the name?

2011-06-05T08:45:00.006+05:30

Some days back, I had visited a friend of mine recuperating after a surgery at her mom's place. While conversing on different forms on handwork ,which is our common interest, her mom showed me some laces she had made. She had learnt it from a relative of hers many years ago. She wanted to know if I knew the name of the method and if other patterns were available.

I've no knowledge of laces or lace making,so I clicked a few pics of some of the lace strips made by her so as to show you all. If anyone of you know anything about this method and resources ,please do let me know so that I can pass it on to her.

She makes these laces with two long spokes she has resourced from a cycle wheel.From what she has told me there are some formulas involved and the creation requires lot of time. But isn't all lace making laborious and time consuming?

I've left the pictures big enough so that you can have a closer look. What do you think? Is this knitting lace? Iam making a guess since it uses two needles.

If anyone is aware of this method ,please leave a comment here in this post.

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

A child's pleasure v/s aesthetic sensibilities

2011-05-29T18:12:00.004+05:30

If there is a conflict between the two, who wins in the end?

The little one,of course :)

After the kutchwork shisha on the pyjamas, I tried my level best to put an end to the little lady's demand for more bling on it. But she was persistent . So I buried all my artistic senses and added these ....

Flowers with Kundan and a round of seed beads in the middle and two layers of flat sequins as petals.

These are the kind of flowers found commonly in Indian dresses .Since stitching these flowers take some time, more the number of flowers , the more expensive the dress will be.

Needless to say, she was in seventh heaven and wore it immediately without even allowing me to add some connecting vines .

Thus the pyjama saga ends!!

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Fixing Shisha(mirror) with Kutch embroidery

2011-05-21T18:39:00.009+05:30

Have you tried fixing shisha with kutch work?

That's what Iam doing now. After the doodling on my daughter's pyjama , Iam trying shisha on the remaining one.
The inspiration came from a couple of pictures of a pouch which Anne mailed me asking about the stitch used. Anne bought this piece while on a trip to Jaipur,Rajasthan.

Kutch work is also known by the name Sindhi stitch, Sindhi taropa, Kutchi kadai or Maltese cross and is related to Armenian embroidery .The embroidery is believed to have travelled across continents thanks to nomadic tribes.There are quite a few tutorials available online which teaches the basics of this interlacing work.

But the tutorial for this pattern was not available .So I had to experiment a bit on it.

First I tried the stitch without mirror/sequin.

The squares were too big. This wouldn't do for little one's pyjama.

Second attempt. Still not small enough.

Third attempt on the pyjama with small square and a big sequin.First I tacked down the sequin with red thread(sheesh!!) Never thought that the thread will be visible through the gap.In the second attempt (the incomplete one) I didn't even bother to tack down the sequin.

Her royal highness was happy to see this one...but then, she again asked the question ....ma,where are the beads?

So, I am off to add beads now and complete the rest of interlacing.

If in case you need a tutorial on how to do this particular pattern,do let me know.

Love, luck and sunshine,
Deepa

A good deed takes you a long way...

2011-05-20T18:07:00.004+05:30

This was one of the forwarded mails I received today from a friend. Imagine my surprise on receiving this in my inbox, just when I had my own doubts about doing good to others .

I wish there many more young woman like the one in this story who would do good to others and a few like Dr.Howard Kelly (you cannot expect all to be like him,right?) who would at least acknowledge the good deeds.

I do not ask for money or a favor back ,but a smile on your face when you see me or a just a call to say hello would be more than enough.

Wondering what the story is about?....Read on...

GLASS OF MILK

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! . She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?"

You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said ... "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit

Many year's later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.

Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.

He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words ...

"Paid in full with one glass of milk"

(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You,
God, that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands."

There's a saying which goes something like this: Bread cast on the waters comes back to you. The good deed you do today may benefit you or someone you love at the least expected time. If you never see the deed again at least you will have made the world a better place - And, after all, isn't that what life is all about?

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

update : Vicki W(Ryan) posted a link in the comments about this story which has been doing the rounds of the internet for quite some time. While the story is true, some embellishments have been added to make it touching.Still, whatever be the exaggerations, I like the fact that Dr. Kelly recognized and acknowledged the girl's good deed.

Doodling and studying

2011-05-07T18:34:00.006+05:30

Hi everyone,

How are you all?

Though I would love to show you some stitching progress in one of my projects, I haven't had much time to pick up needle and thread because of these..

The top four I've to teach and the bottom two I have to learn.So whenever I think of embroidery,these loom large before me and I pick them instead.

But couple of days back a demand from my daughter put me back into stitching mode again. Like all the thrifty moms around, I too have a habit of saving fabric pieces with the thought of using them for some purpose. Many a times I get them converted to pyjamas for the little lady. This time around the fabric used for pajamas were plain and the little one wasn't too keen to wear them. She wanted flowers on them. I was not in a mood to take an actual design and do some serious embroidery.

So I doodled...

I wasn't too concerned about the design or the stitches. Since it is for a five year old, I knew I had to concentrate on the colors .More the number of colors, happier she would be. And no delicate stitching too. The colors needed to be prominently visible. So I used 3 strands in most of the swirls.

Here is the close up. Perfectionists would grimace, but this is instant embroidery and that too with a doodled design for the first time in my life :) You can still see some of the lines which I've left off from stitching.Anyway, this was a good way to finish off all the left over thread bits and pieces from previous projects.

In spite of the less than perfect satin stitches and stems ,I was pretty happy with the look and thought she too will be. After all, she's not going to wear it for years..she'll soon grow out of it in a few months. But do you know what she asked when she saw it - Where are the BEADS?

Sigh!! I pacified her saying there's one more pyjama, I'll do the needful on them your majesty!!
Very soon you'll get to see a pajama with beads and buttons :)

Till then,

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Luzine Happel's Schwalm Whitework Exhibition

2011-04-20T09:40:00.011+05:30

I had a pleasant surprise awaiting me in my Inbox yesterday . Among the mails there was an invitation from Luzine Happel, the author of Basic Principles of Schwalm Whitework , for her exhibition in Eschwege,Germany.

The exhibition runs from April 2011 to November 2011 on wednesdays from 10.30 AMto 3.30 PM, during which Luzine will be displaying all her works as well as her personal collection of Schwalm embroidery. If I had a chance to visit, I would especially want to see the sampler with 321 different filling patterns .

Iam reproducing the contents of the invite for the benefit of those who would be in that part of the world during April - November. I'd be happy even if one person visits the exhibition after reading about it here.

Luzine Happel

The Art of Schwalm Whitework

- An Exhibition -
2011

As a child, I was fascinated by the splendor of the Schwalm traditional costumes. Later,my aunt, who lived in the Schwalm, introduced me to the secrets of Schwalm whitework. Such were the beginnings of my singular enthusiasm which has held me captive for these many years.

I have embroidered many articles (certainly, far more than 100) of which small items, such as doilies, account for only a small fraction. Indeed, tea cloths and a several extravagant tablecloths have been completed. Of particular note is a sampler measuring 1.70 m x 2.70 m which includes 321 different filling patterns.

Now, for the first time, I have decided to exhibit these embroideries, as well as my personal collection which includes embroideries done by others - traditional, modern, vintage and historically significant Schwalm Whitework.

The exhibition will be housed in a charming old building in the historic city of Eschwege. It is important to note that the building does not have an elevator (lift) and, to reach the exhibition, one must be able to climb 61 steps to the third floor.

Boyneburger Tor 3
37269 ESCHWEGE
Germany

Exhibition Information:
6 April 2011- 30 November 2011
Days and hours of operation: Wednesday, 10:30 - 15:30
Entrance Fee: €4

Special days of operation:
• Sunday, 10 April 2011, 10:30 - 15:30
• Sunday, 15 May 2011, 10:30 - 15:30
• Saturday, 30 July 2011, 10:30 - 15:30
• Sunday, 11 September 2011, 10:30 - 15:30
• Saturday, 5 November 2011

Will consider special circumstances of small groups or people unable to visit on posted days, please email your request to Luzine at leuchtbergverlag (at) aol (dot) com

If you live in the nearby area or plan to visit Germany, do take the time to check out the exhibition. I would love to see some pictures of your visit.

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Learn a stitch-Knotted chain stitch,a Tutorial

2011-04-17T14:12:00.011+05:30

I came across the knotted chain stitch while looking around for a new stitch for outlining. It looked like a good stitch for decorative lines and borders. But different sites had different interpretations for the same stitch . The Wikipedia showed the stitch this way :-

On the other hand, artsanddesigns had a slightly different version. This stitch is also known by the name of link stitch and I think the above picture justifies the name.

The arrow points towards the original stitch as shown in Wiki. Click on the photograph for a better view. If the knots are placed slightly far apart or pulled a little tight , we get the other variations.Have a look at the close up below.

Let us see how a knotted chain stitch is made :

Step 1 : Come up at a point A on the reference line. This stitch is worked from right to left.

Step 2: Insert the needle at a point B above the line and come out at the point C. Make sure that the gap between B and C is not too large. If it is too long, the knot will have two legs jutting out .

Step 3: Pull through to make the base stitch.

Step 4: Now starts the knotting part. Pass the needle through the base stitch from B to C ,without piercing the fabric.

Step 5: Pull through- but not completely, to form a small loop.

Step 6: Now pass the needle again in the same direction (B to C ) but this time through the loop only .Do not pass through the foundation stitch.

Step 7: Pull and you have completed the first knotted chain.The knot formed depends on how you pull. It takes a bit of practice to form even loops

Step 8: Repeat from step 2 to continue.

In the next post ,I'll show you where I've used this stitch. I hope the steps are clear enough for you to try. I've used it for outlining, but are there other possibilities?

Till the next post,
Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Embroidered apples

2011-04-14T15:24:00.004+05:30

The latest attempt...

Initially the idea was to fill both the apples, but this appealed to me. I used only two stitches - stem stitch for filling and outlining and satin stitch for the stem. While I was stitching ,it suddenly occurred to me that I had missed out the stem stitch filling in my earlier embroidered bedlinen. Sometimes we fail to see the most obvious things,right?

In the filled apple ,I've left a gap to be embroidered in white.But from afar it didn't look as if it needed it.What do you think?

Notice the variation in thickness of the leaves? The one in the background is completely with one strand of red and green. The foreground apple is stitched with two strands of Rosace embroidery thread.

This was my first attempt with Rosace stranded cotton and yes, the thread is good. It is a little pricey for the Indian market(19 Rs) , so I'll persist with my anchor threads for now.

That's about it for now.

Last week, out of the blue I received a call from another institution for handling one of their courses. Since it was more of a request for help rather than formal appointment, I agreed and now I've a packed schedule for the next couple of months.By the time this ends, my university classes will start again and little one's school too...sigh!! our vacation plans have evaporated into thin air..
On a more positive note, if I do not work now,when else will I?

So,I am off to prepare for tomorrow's lecture...ta ta,

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Three-Dimensional Embroidery Stitches by Pat Trott - a Book Review

2011-04-05T13:01:00.001+05:30

Today I would like to show you a book I have in my possession.It is a pretty little book and has been making its mark in the world of embroidery since 2005. Here it is..

Like everyone else, I love a good cover - if the cover manages to grab my attention,then the book has to be checked out . Three Dimensional embroidery stitches has been published by Search Press and the author is Pat Trott.

I happened to find this in one of the Indian websites while looking around for embroidery books . The cost seemed to be reasonable (approx 500 Rs with discount) and so I ordered it online. The list price on the book says $17.95. Affordable, me thinks.

Let us see what's inside...

First and foremost - this is a small book - only about 64 pages. The pages are glossy and the photographs are all in color. I assume that the author and the publishers have tried to balance between the price and the quality of the contents.

Like in majority of embroidery books, Pat also starts off by giving a description of the materials needed for the projects in the books. She suggests a variety of threads to bring in texture and dimension to the embroidery. Additionally, she advocates usage of various elements for padding and fabric colors for depth.

Next comes the stitches. Seventeen stitches have been explained with step by step photographs.

The font in these pages are large enough for comfortable reading and each step is explained well.

Then comes the floral sampler. Using the dimensional stitches 13 different flowers have been presented. Those who are well versed with dimensional embroidery may find some of the flowers familiar.

The author also tries to explain the usage of fabric paints for added dimension. I am not sure if it is as simple as it sounds.May be if I attempt one of the projects in the book, I'll get to know where I stand :)

Coming to the projects, what do you think about this one?

or the one below?

Well, the pics above are two of the projects in the book. Good one's aren't they? Along with the seventeen stitches, the author also teaches us how to create dimensional pebbles,rocks and textured tree trunks required for these projects. It is my wish to attempt one of these sometime in future.

Negatives?? Of the seventeen stitches I knew quite a few - almost 13 :). But I've been doing dimensional embroidery for almost 5 years,so that shouldn't be surprising. Beginners and those who want to learn how to create textures and dimension in their embroidery will surely find it useful.

Overall, I am quite happy with this purchase of mine and feel that it is worth every penny I paid for it. What do you think?

Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

The foundation - tree trunk

2011-04-01T18:15:00.008+05:30

At last!! I've managed to stitch the tree trunk .It took a while - would've been faster and better filled up had it been machine embroidered.

Before I started embroidering it, I was pretty sure of one thing - the trunk had to look rugged,uneven and strong - not smooth and uniform. So one stitch for outline would not work - it had to be a mix of all. Thus the outline has stem stitch,coral knots,blanket stitch,straight stitches and chain stitch used randomly. Click on the photograph for a better view and zoom .I've left it large enough for you to see clearly. If you're not sure of any of the above mentioned stitches,just check this post on outlining techniques.

The inside of the trunk is mainly double running stitch (Holbein stitch) ,split stitch and chain stitch using anchor stranded cotton.

Some time back, Meri had generously gifted me some art silk threads (vegetable silks).I used those for the outline.The napkin bag in the background is also from her :)

The brown one in the above pic is Meri's and the green is mine. Notice the difference in twist? The brown thread seems to be untwisted. In the green the twist is more visible .I could split the Portuguese silk to eight strands .It frayed a lot,but never twisted itself to tangles like rayon.

What do you think? Are these untwisted silks? Have you ever used them? Do you feel that it makes any difference to your embroidery?
This question is specially for Indians -Where do we get to buy them in India?

Coming back to the embroidery ,I've left out the branches,that'll be done along with the greenery. What do you think the top part is going to have? :)

hint...26 ;)

Luv,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

Mysterious stitch or Indian bullion?

2011-03-17T14:06:00.003+05:30

Iam stumped!! Have a look at this video... The outcome looks like bullion,but look at the technique. And,ladies, we're among the first few to have seen this in the web world - it was uploaded just a few days back :)
Now, can anyone solve the mystery of the technique? I tried to copy his method,but messed up everytime.

Enjoy!!
Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa

And the BE kit goes to...

2011-03-17T08:50:00.004+05:30

From the list of 29, the random number generator picked up ....

NUMBER 23....RAYEESA.
Congratulations!!

Rayeesa,please contact me with your address at the mail id given below my blog title.

I'll wait for you to contact me till Friday evening 5.00 PM . In case there's no mail, I'll pick a second one from the list for the kit.

Still reeling from the Japan catastrophe and praying fervently for them and everyone else around,
Love,luck and sunshine,
Deepa