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.