Sunday, 1 May 2022

Big Stitch Embroidery

In March, my branch of the Irish Patchwork Society had a sit and sew night.  We try to do that once a year where all of our members gather round our tables and we all work on the same type of project.  We've done EPP (English Paper Piecing), Needleturn Applique, Hand Quilting and this year I volunteered to lead the group in what I call Big Stitch Embroidery (uses big stitch quilting with embroidery stitches).

Inspired by Laura Wasilowski, whose book Fanciful Colourful Stitches is in our branch library, I came up with this bird house and a flowers in vase design, that we could make on the night. It's a technique I had wanted to try and I had it in mind for this Endeavourer's challenge as a new to me technique.  I thought it would be fun to share with our branch too. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.

 
I love perle cotton (I've been told this is primarily used for crochet but quilters have adopted it for hand stitching).  I used size 8 and 12 for this project but embroidery floss works just as well.

Using scraps and Bondaweb fusible paper, I cut shapes to make the applique and took inspiration from Laura Wasilowski's book (she has a class on Craftsy too if you want video instruction) to add embellishment with embroidery stitches.

I used cross stitch, running stitch, stem stitch and back stitch to outline the shapes and french knots, pistil stitch, sheath stitch and stab stitch to add texture and it was a lot of fun!

It doesn't take very much scraps of fabric to make a composition and I found it very relaxing to add in the running stitch as a quilted background.

This was an odd size as I was winging it (?) with the composition.  Originally I thought about binding the piece but almost everything I have made in these challenges has ended up framed.  I searched through the frames squirreled away about the house and found this, that just about fits.  

Its a teeny bit tight, and I may have to look for a bigger frame, but for now I have some happy birds building a nest and are ready for Spring. It makes me feel like I could get on with the weeding and planting and get the garden all ready too.

This was fun and reminded me how nice it is to do handwork once in a while.

15 comments:

  1. Combining embroidery, applique and quilting that is my kind of project Ruth, I love it! I have never come across that book before but it certainly looks like I need to check it out :) The pistil stitches for the tail and wing feathers are a stroke of genius.

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    1. I learned the pistil stitch from Laura's book Fiona and I love it - it was new to me. I just love her colourful pieces and had wanted to try the technique so happy to have had an excuse to try and to make time for it.

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  2. Really nice. I love the stitching.

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  3. Glad you have a small group where you get to try new things. I like the stitching that you did. You made it look like air currents on the blue background. The birds are very cute. Is that a fabric that has words printed on it? Nice work;)

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    1. Thanks, yes I have a scrap piece of text fabric that is about 4" x 7" left from a layer cake square and I only used a little bit for this.

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  4. It is so cute!
    I love trying new techniques for these quilting challenges too.

    Did you have trouble stitching through the bonded fabrics?

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    1. No and that was surprising. I used bondaweb which is really light. I think its very like wonder under in the states. The wadding is scraps from 80/20 Hobbs Heriloom and no backing so the running stitches was so soft and easy. The stab stitch was difficulty only because random is hard!

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  5. This is adorable. I love what you've done with this. You motivated me to go in search of the book. I'd like to give this a try.

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    1. Thanks Barbara, it is a lot of fun and definitely a no stress thing to do.

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  6. What a jolly picture! I love all the tiny stitched details.

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  7. This is so whimsical and fun - I love the details on the little bird!

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    1. It was fun having them fly in opposite directions and to play with the wings. We have starling nesting in the eaves and they remind me of them.

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  8. This is a wonderful, joyful quilt. I like the idea of quilting with crochet thread. It shows up really nicely :)

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