Phewee!

Starting to look like an angel?

So here I am 8o'clock on a Sunday evening and finally, I think I have got the blessed doughnut and feet right. My shoulders, elbows and wrists are just about worn out as I have struggled to get that needle through carpet felt, leather and or nue but I only broke two needles this time so must have been doing something right!

I started off putting some hair on the head - it did look a little like a helmet ( that storm trooper association again?). However, once I'd got the leather stitched down it didn't look too bad.

It's hair - honest!

........see!

Now on that bit there are just the facial features to sort out. Don't you think the hands look better than they did now I've reduced the stitch size?

Close up of the feet.

The feet were so fiddly. Tiny little scraps of leather over felt and carpet felt but at least this time they look like they are standing on the wheel. I finished it this time with No 3 purl pearl and then No 1 on top of that to make sure the edge is covered and I want to put some cut work on the wheel but that was what did my arm in so I'll have to wait for that. 

I finally feel like I am getting somewhere but is probably a good thing as we're nearly at the end of term. Only the mounting to face now :(

Finally coming together.

Well, apologies for the lack of post this last week or two. You know how it is – you never seem to be getting anywhere and there are only so many times you can write about the same area of embroidery – and then it all comes together all of a sudden. I had got to a critical place in the angel and just had to keep going but as you can see I did manage to take some pictures as I went along!

Only joking.....

Those hands are just not right!

Halo couched in silver plated No 6 Passing.

I said to Mark that yet again I have chosen a project that pushes me to the limit! The design looks to be fairly simple, as it is. But then comes the interpretation of that into goldwork technique. I have had a bit of a problem with the large wings on the angel as the curves of the feathers have been done freehand without any design lines on the fabric. 

Feathering - No 1 silver plated pearl purl applied freestyle.

This allowed me not to be constrained by the fairly tight curves of the drawing but ‘aaargh’, I then had to DO something on my own. Fortunately Tracy gave me some guidance and we decided to lay small pieces of pearl purl as a representation of the feathers. This is then filled with chipwork in gold, silver and copper bright check and a bit of wire check purl. It will fade away as it moves towards the centre.

Where did that random thread come from?

Chip work in bright check and wire check  and rough purls.

 The ‘wheel’ or doughnut was another niggle. I have had to appliqué the wheel onto the area of or nue – not easy on the fingers – without damaging any threads and at the same time pulling it tightly down without damaging the leather. I did it once and couched down some No 2 pearl purl around it but didn’t like the way it looked, so I unpicked it all carefully and have to reattach it.

Kid leather over carpet felt and cotton felt, gilt super pearl purl centre chipwork

 The feet have been a pain as they are so small and they will not be outlined so they have to be attached with tiny, tiny stitches; the same with the hands, which I have replaced as their stitches were too large. But, that is about par for the course – seems like two steps forward and one back all the time. Hopefully it will look good when it is finished. Sometimes you just wish you could start all over again from the beginning.