Embroidery progress May 29, 2011
I'm still unable to just focus on hours of embroidery, but I've been doing what I can on the project. The photos and more are under the cut...
Little leaf
Little leaf satin stitched in two colors, with a third color for the veins. No padding was used.
Leaf padding
Upper portion of leaf already padded and covered in laid stitch. Lower leaf showing the padding layer, using light green cotton embroidery thread.
Leaf satin stitched
Lower leaf portion covered in dark green satin stitch, which uses nearly double the thread, compared to laid stitch.
Leaf veins
Covered with thread for veins and stitched to hold in place. Used two different colors for the veins.
Leaf back view
Upper portion showing back view of laid threads. Lower portion showing back view of satin stitch.
I wanted to show the progress of the larger leaf that I padded before putting on the laid stitch and satin stitch, and then holding it down with veins. The veins were almost with gold passing thread, but I decided to make it more subtle with silk thread instead. The little leaf was done first, and I realized that anything larger would need padding (little one didn't since it was narrow).
For the larger leaf padding, I went with the Chinese method of laying down a light layer of padding, which is enough to support the thread over it, but still leaves room for me to use my needle without pushing hard. Long ago I'd done a fully padded knotwork design, and did what most modern books teach, and padded it fully underneath - it was overkill as I had a hard time working stitches through it. Knowing I had to put stitches through this padding, I went lighter and I like it much better.
I also learned that putting on a really light vein thread just was too jarring to my eyes on the dark green, so on the larger leaf I put in veins one color shade lighter (medium over dark, light over medium). The original veins were also curved but I didn't like how that looked. I'm not sure I like the straighter lines, either, but for now they remain. I do like how the veins changed the look of the satin stitches when the lights hit it. Less shiny, and definitely gives a subtle change to the texture of the leaf.
These are the rest of the leaves and flowers I've finished the silk on. They are in long & short stitch.
Pansy silk done
Finished pansy on 05-25. With a little leaf that is partly done. I may add a little more dark red; maybe; not sure.
Leaf clump
Long & short stitched leaves and balls. I'm not sure what style of leaf or leaves this was supposed to be, and yes, the round things were originally in green and greenish/yellow cast thread. Not sure if they were supposed to be unripe berries or what.
Progress back view
Progress image as of May 29, 2011.
Progress front view
Progress image as of May 29, 2011.
Today I looked at some original glove images that I had snagged from Thistle Threads blog (posts that start here) some time ago that are very detailed. The long & short stitches there are far more specific, with fewer lines of silk threads, and a lot less blending. There might be multiple colors, but it appears more as bands of color in jagged stitches. Considering the back view of my piece shows just how much thread is being wasted on the back, I can understand why the economy of threads in the period piece. I am also understanding why late Elizabethan & Jacobian embroidery focused more on keeping the threads on the front of the embroidery with needlelace style techniques (thinking of the buttonhole stitches, plaited braid, etc.), and not as much on the back.
But I will also admit, I like the look I'm getting in blending the threads more. While I may run out of the medium green threads sooner than expected, this just appeals more to my own eye. But now I understand the difference.
(later edit) As I am starting the carnation/gillyflower, I am seeing that in this project, there is more color blending going on. My project is pretty close to the original in size, and the main petal is rather large, but there appears to only be three colors in the main floral portion, although I can't see how the threads are placed (which speaks to its blending). I'm just going on the faint gradations of remaining color. I have to base this on the upper flower, as the lower one is missing portions of its threads, as if they were rubbed away.
I am now facing one of the items that is stumping me... what to do with the narrow leaves (I think they are leaves) that are on each side of the gilleyflowers. I think they are barberry leaves from my class notes, as they are usually near a round ball that in the original is done in gold purls (here's a photo of common berberis). One of my books of embroidery, however, notes in a woodcut that these may be mistletoe leaves by their narrow shape. Either way, in looking at images, both would be rather dark green.
However, the faded threads do not match any of the other green leaves I have. There is no faded green, blue or yellow to the threads. The closest I might call them... is medium & dark beige.
Davis66 1587 satin & embroidered bookbinding
Inspirational image for this embroidery project. From the British Library bookbinding database. Click twice to view much larger original.
If these are mistletoe, there is a yellowgreen leaf style that might work, as seen in this image of mistletoe in winter. But against this idea is again, the lack of faded yellow on most of the narrow fingers/leaves, whatever they really are. You can see the levels of faded yellow on the pomegranate, honeysuckle, pansy, and marigold for comparison.
The other oddballs are the white leaves. Really not sure what to do with those, other than go for rather light yellows and greenish yellows, with cream and white.
I will pass the fingers by and work on other things for now... but if anyone has any insight into what colors would be most appropriate for these leaves, please let me know.
Little leaf
Little leaf satin stitched in two colors, with a third color for the veins. No padding was used.
Leaf padding
Upper portion of leaf already padded and covered in laid stitch. Lower leaf showing the padding layer, using light green cotton embroidery thread.
Leaf satin stitched
Lower leaf portion covered in dark green satin stitch, which uses nearly double the thread, compared to laid stitch.
Leaf veins
Covered with thread for veins and stitched to hold in place. Used two different colors for the veins.
Leaf back view
Upper portion showing back view of laid threads. Lower portion showing back view of satin stitch.
I wanted to show the progress of the larger leaf that I padded before putting on the laid stitch and satin stitch, and then holding it down with veins. The veins were almost with gold passing thread, but I decided to make it more subtle with silk thread instead. The little leaf was done first, and I realized that anything larger would need padding (little one didn't since it was narrow).
For the larger leaf padding, I went with the Chinese method of laying down a light layer of padding, which is enough to support the thread over it, but still leaves room for me to use my needle without pushing hard. Long ago I'd done a fully padded knotwork design, and did what most modern books teach, and padded it fully underneath - it was overkill as I had a hard time working stitches through it. Knowing I had to put stitches through this padding, I went lighter and I like it much better.
I also learned that putting on a really light vein thread just was too jarring to my eyes on the dark green, so on the larger leaf I put in veins one color shade lighter (medium over dark, light over medium). The original veins were also curved but I didn't like how that looked. I'm not sure I like the straighter lines, either, but for now they remain. I do like how the veins changed the look of the satin stitches when the lights hit it. Less shiny, and definitely gives a subtle change to the texture of the leaf.
These are the rest of the leaves and flowers I've finished the silk on. They are in long & short stitch.
Pansy silk done
Finished pansy on 05-25. With a little leaf that is partly done. I may add a little more dark red; maybe; not sure.
Leaf clump
Long & short stitched leaves and balls. I'm not sure what style of leaf or leaves this was supposed to be, and yes, the round things were originally in green and greenish/yellow cast thread. Not sure if they were supposed to be unripe berries or what.
Progress back view
Progress image as of May 29, 2011.
Progress front view
Progress image as of May 29, 2011.
Today I looked at some original glove images that I had snagged from Thistle Threads blog (posts that start here) some time ago that are very detailed. The long & short stitches there are far more specific, with fewer lines of silk threads, and a lot less blending. There might be multiple colors, but it appears more as bands of color in jagged stitches. Considering the back view of my piece shows just how much thread is being wasted on the back, I can understand why the economy of threads in the period piece. I am also understanding why late Elizabethan & Jacobian embroidery focused more on keeping the threads on the front of the embroidery with needlelace style techniques (thinking of the buttonhole stitches, plaited braid, etc.), and not as much on the back.
But I will also admit, I like the look I'm getting in blending the threads more. While I may run out of the medium green threads sooner than expected, this just appeals more to my own eye. But now I understand the difference.
(later edit) As I am starting the carnation/gillyflower, I am seeing that in this project, there is more color blending going on. My project is pretty close to the original in size, and the main petal is rather large, but there appears to only be three colors in the main floral portion, although I can't see how the threads are placed (which speaks to its blending). I'm just going on the faint gradations of remaining color. I have to base this on the upper flower, as the lower one is missing portions of its threads, as if they were rubbed away.
I am now facing one of the items that is stumping me... what to do with the narrow leaves (I think they are leaves) that are on each side of the gilleyflowers. I think they are barberry leaves from my class notes, as they are usually near a round ball that in the original is done in gold purls (here's a photo of common berberis). One of my books of embroidery, however, notes in a woodcut that these may be mistletoe leaves by their narrow shape. Either way, in looking at images, both would be rather dark green.
However, the faded threads do not match any of the other green leaves I have. There is no faded green, blue or yellow to the threads. The closest I might call them... is medium & dark beige.
Davis66 1587 satin & embroidered bookbinding
Inspirational image for this embroidery project. From the British Library bookbinding database. Click twice to view much larger original.
If these are mistletoe, there is a yellowgreen leaf style that might work, as seen in this image of mistletoe in winter. But against this idea is again, the lack of faded yellow on most of the narrow fingers/leaves, whatever they really are. You can see the levels of faded yellow on the pomegranate, honeysuckle, pansy, and marigold for comparison.
The other oddballs are the white leaves. Really not sure what to do with those, other than go for rather light yellows and greenish yellows, with cream and white.
I will pass the fingers by and work on other things for now... but if anyone has any insight into what colors would be most appropriate for these leaves, please let me know.