Monday 6 February 2012

Things To Make & Do - Crewel Embroidery

Morning, I hope you all had wonderful weekends & if you're in the UK that you had lots of fun playing in the snow! Not so much fun this morning though but still, it makes walking to work a bit more interesting, to say the least, even if does mean occasionally slipping landing on your behind in front of a bunch of giggling teenagers!

Well on to my third project on my to-do list and one I never thought I would compete as I really didn't think I had the patience, but I was wrong as I have become totally addicted to embroidery!


It has been years since I have done any kind of embroidery, that was cross stitch and I was bad at it. To be fair it was probably down to my laziness, I found it to be frank a bit dull, the easy pictures were twee, and the ones I liked were difficult to do and required hours before they resembled anything at all (I did I mention my attention span) and the counting of squares and marking out always terrified me into giving up after a few frustrated hours. I think you need to have a bit of a mathematical mind, which I don't, so I never found the joy in it that my Mum and Aunties could so I decided that embroidery was just not for me.
 
Satin Stitch butterfly with gold couched thread.
After receiving a crewel embroidery kit from the fabulous Shirl in the Pre-Christmas swap, I thought I would give it a go. Crewel embroidery though is soo different and I honestly think I am in love! I started into the kit with a little trepidation, honestly believing I would be adding this to the long list of UFOs...but no...once I had done my first few stitches I was hooked, time flew by, boyfriend paced anxiously waiting for his tea, while I was absorbed in my world of stitchery.
I love the fact that you can be a bit more freehand than with cross stitch, you can make it as individual as you like and mistakes can be worked with and around much more easily...I totally got the greens muddled up when doing the leaves but I doubt anyone but me would spot that!
Within a few days, I was done and gazing at my first finished embroidery! I had learnt a new skill and I had a cute quaint woolly masterpiece! result!
 
I have mounted it in a box frame so the stitches didn't get squashed and I think it looks a treat! It's not the greatest example of embroidering skills I grant you, but it has given me the confidence to tackle something a bit more difficult!

Wendy x

7 comments:

  1. Well done, that looks awesome! I agree about the counted cross stich, I just can't get on with it but I do like to embroider sometimes, probably why I like to handsew so much. X

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  2. Wow, the embroidery looks lovely, great job. xxx

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  3. I used to really enjoy embroidery, I love those think woollen 70s versions! I would love to do more. Your pictures are wonderful.

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  4. It's so pretty! be proud! You might be interested in http://www.sublimestitching.com/ - I bought their transfer design book ages ago and still haven't used it but some day I'm going to embroider the hell out of something...! x

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  5. How sweet! So pretty, well done.

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  6. Wow, I'm in love too, those are amazing and yours are just beautiful! Bloody well done girl, I'd be hanging them all over the place too!

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