"I begin with an idea ... and then it becomes something else"
~ Picasso

Sunday 22 February 2009

Hand stitches and patchwork piecing














Still working on the project inspired by Wassily Kandinsky's "Squares with Concentric Circles", I stitched this sample of circles on squares. It was useful because I tried a few new hand stitches, practised some favourite hand stitches and by stitching the squares together I was able to show the examiners I could "piece" fabrics together

Left to Right
Square 1
- Green "fly stitches" in tapestry yarns, cottons and metallic threads on a purple/silver metallic synthetic fabric

















Square 2
- A long length of pink/green variegated Sari Silk yarn couched down with tiny stitches in one ply green cotton on pumpkin coloured satin fabric






























Square 3
- Weaving - the background fabric is cotton linen which I dyed green. I hand stitched seven points then used a long length of spaced dyed cotton in shades of orange to weave under and over the points in a circular way. I used a zig zag machine stitch with a copper metallic thread on top to help secure it and a little more interest

















Square 4 - A wheel of blanket stitches in different lengths. I stitched these in layers too. I layed down the thicker yarns first, then used a spaced silk yarn on top (I think it was a Stef Francis silk thread) in shades of pale pink/dark pink into various shades of purple


















Square 5 - Long stitches in yarns of various thicknesses and shades of orange/yellow, overlapping the threads to fill in the gaps


















Square 6
- A circle of french knots (my favourite stitch!) stitched in a slinky silk thread which was an absolute pig to use for french knots, but I persevered because I liked the colours so much. The variegated shades of pinks and purples kept my enthusiasm going I think!


















Here are some of the knots in a bit more detail ...

2 comments:

Aileen Clarke Crafts said...

Hello. I really like square 2. Beautiful colours and I like the way you have made up the swirly pattern : )

CAROLYN SAXBY said...

Thanks Aileen