Embroidery on Wool

This embroidery is stitched on black wool. Anyone who has stitched on black wool knows that each of those words presents a problem. Wool is impossible to draw on no matter what color it is. You can make some broad general lines to follow but nothing this detailed. 

And of course marking a pattern on any black fabric is difficult because of the lack of good transfer choices.

For this design I used a product called Transfer-Eze. It is a water soluble, adhesive backed, stabilized that you can run through your printer. After I finalized the design in Photoshop, I printed it out and stuck the white sticky back fabric to my black wool.

 

Here is the piece when the stitching is complete but I have not yet dissolved the pattern, which is the white background area in the picture above.

In hindsight the only problem I had with the product was not rinsing the piece long enough. I thought I was getting some dye discharge from the wool, and perhaps I did. But a bigger problem was not letting the transfer dissolve enough to enable the ink to rinse away. Just something to keep in mind.

One other advantage to using this type of pattern transfer is that you can make design changes as you work using the pattern only as a guide. Since the drawing will disappear you are not locked into a design.

Another caution I would add; don't press the piece with the stabilizer still on it. It seems to make the product harder to stitch through, as though it was partially dissolved and then re-hardened, which may be what happened.

My favorite part is the chain stitched border.

More Machine Embroidery Possibilities

Here are two more possibilities when it comes to machine embroidery. The design above is an applique design from my WOW! Book. (See Sidebar) This is a 3-D embroidery version.
This is my little Chinese stage. The figure is connected to a wire slider, so she glides across the stage.

Embroidery Machine Rockets

I spent about 8 years playing with digitized machine embroideries. That was the period when the carpel tunnel problems wouldn't allow me to hold a needle. In the long run, hours at the computer digitizing were just as hard on the hands as stitching, but what fun the hours were!
Above is a drawing of a rocket, below is it's digitized version. Teddy bears on sweatshirts on very nice, but embroidery machines can do so much more.

Stumpwork Embroidery

As promised here are pictures of my stumpwork embroidery efforts. Each is still a work in progress. In the picture above, the curtains, window frame, the bed, the coverlet and the headless creature are all stumpwork.


This segment is from an arched border and was worked several months ago. The berries are wrapped beads, some of the leaves are needlelace worked separately then attached, some are woven in place.

Thank You Heidi!

Heidi Kaisand has been a dear friend and kindred spirit for many years. A few weeks ago I was finally able to share my studio with her and Maureen for an evening of girl talk and a little wine, oh and a funny video of me explaining the Red House. Now all is posted for the world to see at blog.heidikaisand.com. Thank you Heidi!
When you visit her site be sure to check out the photo of her 3 beautiful children on Mother's Day. Too sweet!

New Embroideries

Embroidery has always been my first 'Making Things' love. The drawing, the stitching, the colors, the textures are all a part of the process and the pleasure.
Recently I have begun to explore needle lace and stumpwork embroidery. No pictures yet. Check back soon.