Serinde's Stitching Adventures UPDATE 11 Dec 2019

[Mabel Figworthy]

Beautiful project, and the braid is worth it! ( I once did the bars in a complete spider's web in black PTB, and the dragonfly uses it too - as you say, challenging [not to use a ruder word] but it's got such a lovely sparkly look)

[RosemaryD]

So pretty, I really love how the colours work in this.

[rcperryls]

That is stunning as is!!! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

Carole

[karen4bells]

Absolutely beautiful!!

[Serinde]

Thanks!

Now, I've put away Sugar and Lace to concentrate on Firebird, which is for my branch of the Embroiderers' Guild. It's our Ruby Anniversary, so red stitches and birds (not sure why the birds) are the order of the day. It took a while for me to realise I wasn't ever, ever going to be able to do what I had first planned (to do with the Bamberg Eagle, leather and goldwork), so I fell back on a slightly different medieval design. Here is how far I've gotten with the outlines, and I'll take a photo of my doodle cloth, so you can see where I'm going with this. (Then you can let me know, ok?) It will eventually be about 7x7 inches.

[Squirrel]

Oh that is looking so interesting Serinde and going to be great watching it coming into the fullness of its beauty.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I like the effect of the beads! Will it be beads all the way or filled with other stitches? Will have to wait for the doodle cloth!

[DisneyStitcher]

Your stitching projects are so lovely. There is magic in your hands!

[rcperryls]

I love your creativity! This is a wonderful design!

Carole

[wendywombat]

I love your creativity! This is a wonderful design!

Carole

A wonderful design indeed!

Very heraldic! Perfect for a Ruby Anniversary.

[kingfisher68]

Ooohh, I like that. Look forward to seeing it when completed

[Serinde]

Here is the doodle cloth. I highly recommend using one if you are experimenting at all with colours, stitches or combinations you've not used before. Ideas that work in your head, might not do so in real life -- an excellent example is the long black beaded "wing" (it is actually one of the Firebird's wings), but the jet seed beads make the whole thing too ponderous. Also I have experimented with various sorts of fly and feather stitches for the inside of the wings, but I think that closed herringbone is the answer. The black bead wing is fly stitch; to its left with the (wrong) gold beads is arrow stitch with backstitch down the centre. To the left of that, in red and gold, is closed herringbone, stitched horizontally (turned the hoop!). Other stitches dotted about are various couching one, including underneath couching, long-armed cross, various weights of cloud stitch with different threads and different sizes and colours of beads, closed cretan stitch... actually doodle cloths are great fun...

[Mabel Figworthy]

I absolutely doodle cloths and always have a few lying around - this one os a work of art in itself! Did you use blended red and gold for the closed herringbone?

[Serinde]

Yes, it is, Mabel. A Soie Perlee 106 (red) and a gold Kreinik ＃4 braid. I wouldn't normally use something as precious as the perleé on a doodle cloth, but it was to see how the two fibres worked together, really, and it was a colour reject from the Edinburgh exhibition in 2012. I'll probably use a red (681?), but, well, we'll see. Also wanted to see if the richness of the silk really made a big difference.

One little bit over to the left is the cloud stitch in black sulky 12 (cotton) combined with Petite treasure braid Black Opal (PB68). Yum! Even the Black Opal on it's own (also an example there) is wonderful, and I've bought some rich red petite seed beads in the hope that they will be flamboyant enough for the eagles breast feathers! (Should take a pic of my working box... )

[Serinde]

And here it is. Stuff on the left is in use; things on the right are surplus to requirements for this project, but seemed promising when I was planning colours and textures. Still haven't made up my mind about the coppers... and the fire aspect may need more oranges... and, well, ain't stash grand! (How lucky am I?)

[rcperryls]

Very lucky!! Beautiful colors in that stash box!
I didn't know that "practice fabric" is called doodle cloth. When I am attempting new stitches (especially for Mabel's beautiful designs) I usually try at least one on a practice fabric first Also when deciding on color combinations since I have to visually see what it looks like. My mind's eye isn't very good at imagining end results.
I love your Firebird!

Carole

[fccs]

Your firebird is going to be stunning!!!

[Mabel Figworthy]

A box full of treasures! Gorgeous to look at, let alone stitch with. What is cloud stitch?

You've got me into stash buying mode now - I've already purchased the Silver Moon beads you used in another project, and now I will have to buy the Black Opal PTB! I've got a black (its used for the bars in Eek!) but this seems to be a very special black...

Talking of special blacks, have you got Mill Hill's 00374 Rainbow beads? A sort of "playful black", like oil on water. very effective.

[Serinde]

A box full of treasures! Gorgeous to look at, let alone stitch with. What is cloud stitch?

You've got me into stash buying mode now - I've already purchased the Silver Moon beads you used in another project, and now I will have to buy the Black Opal PTB! I've got a black (its used for the bars in Eek!) but this seems to be a very special black...

Talking of special blacks, have you got Mill Hill's 00374 Rainbow beads? A sort of "playful black", like oil on water. very effective.

Ah, well, enabling is a gift.

Indeed Rainbow beads are lovely (the firebird's head is outlined in them). Here's another tip for exciting blacks: Kreinik 005HL blending filament, which is holographic! A bit tricksy -- more like a strand of film than thread, but fun. And it's companion 005HL ＃4 very fine braid, more subtle but along the same lines. See it at top left of doodle cloth in feather stitch and long-armed cross stitch. Plan to use that for firebird's head. (This Firebird was originally an eagle, and really wants to return to its roots. Er, nest. Or something.) Pictures don't do them justice, of course.

Wave stitch, sorry. See here (click on small diagram): https://www.artsanddesigns.com/glossary/W" target="_blank

[phoebefreckle]

Ooo, yummy workbox, love the colours. I'm very excited to see your bird grow