New Embroidery To-Dos

I do all kinds of needle work but I started with embroidery.  I was about nine and received a crewel embroidery kit of a tree and squirrel.  I remember it was like a sampler in that in that I learned to do all kinds of stitches.  I loved it.

I have done embroidery on and off since then.  One of my prized possessions is old, very old, iron-on transfers that belonged to my maternal Grandmother. I still use them to trace the designs (I am not sure the iron-on ink would work anymore and the paper is so old, I am afraid the iron would scorch them.)  I also have some wood thread spools that she kept her embroidery floss on with her hand written color codes on the spool end.  I now collect wooden spools for my embroidery floss.

Lately I have wanted to see how far I can take my embroidery skills.  There is a new style of embroidery called Free Form embroidery or Improvisational embroidery.  You really don’t use an iron-on pattern or design like my grandmother’s transfers.  You pretty much paint with thread. You do what you want and try to create designs pretty much as you go along.  You pay attention to your color use, and texture of the thread and the pattern you create as you stitch.

I love the idea of improvisation in any form: acting, music, quilting but it is not something I am comfortable doing.  I am one who needs a plan, needs a design to follow.  So I decided that with embroidery I was going to try to improvise.

As with a lot of things I try, I started small.  Every year I make an ornament to share with family and friends.  This past Christmas I wanted to make something without having to buy any new supplies.  So I pulled out my craft felt, my embroidery floss and started stitching.

Christmas ornaments

I had seen a quilt with various size circles appliquéd on top of each other.  I liked how that looked so I started with circles.  I made various combinations of red, green and white circles.  What was nice about the felt was it stayed stiff enough so you didn’t need a hoop and since they were small for tree ornaments, they were small enough to carry with me. (I received some interested stares as I stitched in the hallway outside my classes last semester.)

I limited myself to the button hole stitch, the French knot, the running stitch,  the seed stitch and then a combination of some of these stitches to create a nice design (like the star design in center of some circles and a running stitch-French knot combo along the edge).

I never decided ahead of time what I was going to do.  The only plan I had was not to use the same thread color as the felt.  I became more comfortable with impromptu designing as I went along.  And if something didn’t look right, I just took it out and stitched it again. 

I decided to try something similar for Valentine’s day but I have to admit I didn’t get it finished and in fact am still working on it.  Don’t you hate it when life gets in the way of your crafting.   These little hearts are going to be a small wall hanging to put out every holiday.  I will post a picture when I get it done.

My Hearts- still in progress

So maybe with a little practice and some bravery I can do more free form or improvisational embroidery in a bigger size.  And maybe branch out and use some more stitches.

PS- just so you know I finished the Christmas ornament by stitching the same color circle as the biggest circle on the back.  I stitched down with matching thread so it wouldn't distract from the embroidery on the front and then added a thread as the hanger.

© 2019 Cheryl Fillion