Mabel's other stitching 2024

[richardandtracy]

Your painting with a needle is so fine & so expressive. Remarkable.

Regards,

Richard.

[Serinde]

I agree, Richard.

Mabel, have you been following the discussion at Needle'n'Thread about different types of crewel wool?

Useless piece of information: Wraps per inch is a useful thing to know in weaving, because it lets you determine the set of the warp and how many strands you'll need in the weft. Appleton crewel, which is good to weave with although not my favourite embroidery wool, has 30 wraps per inch, as has Heathway, making it about a 9.5/2 (or a 2/8 WC), about double the thickness Renaissance Dyeing crewel which is 45wpi (so about 18/2 --or 2/16WC), making it quite a fine "single". I didn't bother doing a wrap for my De Vere worsted 2/28s, as they are even thinner than RD. I'm too lazy to look up their actual weight. The "2" denotes the number of plies, and the larger the other number, the finer the yarn. This is why with some yarns you need more strands in the needle, or why you can only seem to get very fine detail with other yarns.

I'll just get my hat...

[Mabel Figworthy]

That's very useful to know Serinde, I always find those numbers rather confusing! Yes, I've followed her wool comparisons with interest.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I'll FoF about the details later this week (I hope), but here is the project I worked on at a two-day class at Hampton Court Palace last week. The first pic shows where I got to after those two days, the second one after some more work done at home. Just another 8 sequin flowers to add, plus another sequin-and-bead where the stems and leaves meet!

[fccs]

That is beautiful!! It’s so delicate.

[Arianwen]

Beautiful Mabel! I'm not brave enough to work on silk gauze I'd be so scared of messing up the fabric!

Stragenly, one of the youtubers I follow has just posted about doing the summer intensive of the jacobean crewelwork at Hampton Court - Its been lovely to get a peek at where you would be creating these beauties!

I would love to do one of the RSN certificates one day but I don't think I'll ever be able to justify the cosst and time investment - so I will just live vicariously through you!

[Mabel Figworthy]

I've done counted work on silk gauze (the finest I managed was 60ct) but this was a non-count silk organza. It's still quite a noticeable weave though, so it's difficult to get a completely smooth curve on the stem stitch for example. But very happy with this for a first attempt
Managed a few more flowers yesterday, hoping to finish it later this week.

[Serinde]

This is really lovely, Mabel. You have so much patience, it seems, and the results are glorious!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Finished! Lots more detail (including the fiddly working of the flowers ) on FoF.

[Steam.Jo]

Love it

Are the flowers single sequins?

Jo

[Mabel Figworthy]

Yes, sitting behind the fabric.

[Steam.Jo]

Oh, wow, not what I expected

Jo

[Serinde]

Mabel, that's beautiful!

[Steam.Jo]

I've just read through your FoF page Mabel so I can learn more about this. Very interesting shame there was only the 3 of you on the course. I did look at attending some myself but the price put me off: I wonder if they made them cheaper if more would attend?

I noticed you looking through the piece in front of the window which made me think I have just brought a light pad (A3 sized LED plate) I wonder if it may be of use to put that behind dark fabrics while stitching and would it help or hinder on the silk?

Jo

[Mabel Figworthy]

I've just read through your FoF page Mabel so I can learn more about this. Very interesting shame there was only the 3 of you on the course. I did look at attending some myself but the price put me off: I wonder if they made them cheaper if more would attend?

Alas, no - in fact I was surprised they ran the class with only three of us, but delighted they did so! I've just returned my feedback form, on which I added the comment that the courses, materials and tuition are top-notch, but the prices are very high. It's only because I had never done this technique before that I even considered doing it, and even then it was quite a decision.

I noticed you looking through the piece in front of the window which made me think I have just brought a light pad (A3 sized LED plate) I wonder if it may be of use to put that behind dark fabrics while stitching and would it help or hinder on the silk?

I've got a light pad (I use it for transferring designs), and yes I think it might help with dark fabrics although I've not tried it. With the sheer fabric it isn't really needed, the only reason I held it up to the window was because held against an unlit background it was difficult to show what I wanted to show in the photograph

[Mabel Figworthy]

As most of you know I'm not much of a finisher but after several hurdles (including uncooperative glue and an unforeseen moiré effect) my RSN shadow work project is framed and ready to be proudly displayed! (More detail on FoF)

Choosing a background colour:


How sheer the fabric is :


Seen from the back before putting the backing board in:


The finished piece:

[Steam.Jo]

Beautiful

You have more patience and skill than I do

Jo

[Serinde]

Mabel, that's magnificent.