Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Chikan Embroidery - third lesson

I'm now working on the double back stitch.  That's the centre blue heart.  I chose the smallest piece first, there's lots more of that stitch to do.

Seed Bead Botany

Beaded feather stitch. Looking at Nancy's handout from the class, these will be grape vines.

And these, stems to flowers.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

East End Cake Decorators - February 2012 Meeting

We were treated to two very well-prepared demonstrations at our EECD meeting in February.  Cynthia L. showed members the correct way to do brush embroidery.  Lynne demonstrated pleating, different sizes and different methods.

Here Lynne has rolled out a large piece of fondant mixed with a bit of tylose for strength.  She begins by laying down  food-grade dowels, the first one in the middle under the fondant.  The next two on top and either side of the middle one.  She carries on in this manner to the size of drape she wants.

When the dowels are in, she trims to size and then carefully removes the dowels


She gently shaped the pleated piece, pinching each end together.

Here's the finished piece, several of which could be used on a tiered cake, and where the individual pieces of draping joined, place a gumpaste rose, for example.
Here she is working on a small fan-shaped piece

Here Lynne is demonstrating a pleating tray available from Creative Cutters, you can see the tray at the bottom of the photo.

This is a nice selection of Lynne's work.


Glenys tried her hand.  She's making a fan shaped piece.

Here it is finished.


Next, Cynthia demonstrated brush embroidery; for my embroidery readers this would be similar to long and short stitch.


Cynthia is outlining the leaf with royal icing

Next step is to gently brush icing from the inside edge of the leaf towards the centre of the leaf.  

There's definitely a technique to show that petals are overlapping.

Thank you both,  Lynne and Cynthia, for your interesting and informative demos.

The next meeting for members is on Sunday, 25th at 2pm at St. Margaret's in the Pines, Lawrence and Kingston Roads.



Glenys will demo gelatin flowers and wings.  If anyone has any gelatin items at home they've done before and would like to show them, that would be great.

 

Friday, March 16, 2012

Chikan Embroidery - second lesson

Finished the first two lessons.  I think it looks quite delicate.  I'm using a hoop and a lighted magnifier at all times.  For the chain stitch I tried it with two strands, but unpicked and used one only.  

Now I have to get down to Nancy Eha's first lesson in the Seed Bead Botany online class. 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Chikan Embroidery - first lesson

Almost finished the stitches for the first lesson.  With the magnifier my stitches are acceptable.  I'm finding it relaxing, and even the back is looking quite good.

Back side of work
The second lesson is already up on Anita's blog, Artistic Fingers.  I have her on my sidebar list of blogs. 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Chikan Embroidery

I'm taking part in Anita's stitchalong.  She's teaching a bunch of us an Indian embroidery style called Chikan embroidery.  Anita's blog is Artistic Fingers and is on my sidebar.
There are stitches at the back of the work that show through as a shadow.  I'm enjoying doing it, but have realized several things so far:

  • I need better glasses!  Towards the end I used my lighted magnifier, and there is a great improvement. On the left side where the darker pink starts, I began using the magnifier. 
  • Garbage in, garbage out, I think I remember that from computers.  And the same holds true here, do a good job of tracing the pattern and the little shapes will be more even when embroidered.




Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Beadoodlery



My finished beaded heart from the Joggles online course Beadoodlery with Christian Brown.
It measures 3
1/4" across the widest part. 

Friday, March 2, 2012

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012 - March's Blocks

This is my March block for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012.  I'm using Carole Samples wonderful book as inspiration for old and unusual seams.

This is also a block for March.  I want to complete the project at the end of 2012, but I'll need to have more than 12 blocks.  So when I can I'll make an extra one.  

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Fairyland

We haven't had much of the white stuff this winter, but this morning this is what I woke up to.  No wind, so it stayed on the branches.