In the Strawberries and Cream collection I have included Strawberry plants and runners which are perfect for embroidering borders and corners. Here are some ideas and guidelines on how to use them.
Continue readingGuest blog by Jean: My Jacobean Sampler Wall hanging
This was a project I set myself to help me try to overcome the loss of my daughter some twelve months ago. Knitting & sewing have been my hobbies for many years & for the last twelve months It has obviously been a struggle to concentrate on anything, but the time has come to try & work through the sad loss.
Having watched several Tutorials on Hazel’s website I decided to set myself a challenge.
So, I set about collecting the various materials needed to produce the finished article.
For my background material I purchased the Raw Silk Material, & from my large collection of Embroidery threads I selected my colours & purchased the Jacobean Sampler designs with the PDF instructions from Hazel.
I decided to start with the tree as my centre image, so I set about the work using my Brother Innov-is V3 Embroidery Machine.
Following the PDF instructions, the tree required the use of 3 hoops & after some careful thought I succeeded in getting all the joining’s together.
Having been successful with this first stage I now had the drive to carry on.
My next challenge was to place the corner images correctly. That is not easy as I am Partially Sighted, so I enlisted the help of my husband. We marked the corners ready for embroidering the pattern & with some trepidation set the machine up & set too, all went well!.
From then we moved on to the centre left & right edges followed by the centre top & bottom images.
Then came the time to set out all the remaining separate images required to fill in the rest of the material, using the sample pictures in the PDF I placed the individual pictures in the order I wished them to be.
Once I was happy with my selection, I again took the help of my husband to position them correctly before embroidering them in place.
Having now completed the embroidery I had to decide how it would be best displayed, initial thoughts were to stretch it myself & have it as a wall hanging but not keen on doing it myself, I opted for a professional job to be done.
I took my finished work to our local picture framing gallery & with their guidance I went for a framed & glazed mount.
Now that I have the completed work at home I am happy with what I have achieved, pleased with the professional framing & thinking about my next challenge. The most difficult part was thinking everything out, and then the positioning on the fabric. If I were to do it again, I would spend more time thinking about it before going ahead. The best thing I learnt was that I have now the courage to do it and go on to do many more Projects.
Hazel comments: “WOW! What an amazing project you produced. I am sure that it gets many compliments as it hangs in pride of place in your home. When I began to created these designs I could never have imagined what would be embroidered with them.”
Happy embroidering from Hazel
🧵 My quilting in the hoop journey
A finished embroidered quilt block is a delight, but a great deal of careful consideration needs to go into both the digitising and the stitch out process. When I created the Jacobean Sample collection I realised that the smaller elements would be perfect for a series of complimentary quilt blocks, but I wanted them to be different. If you are familiar with my work you will know that as I begin each new digitising project, my intention is always to create much more than yet another set of embroidery designs.
Continue readingA guest blog: A Table scarf by Pamela Cox
A “Perfect Storm” of inspiration hit me as I cleaned out some attic boxes. In one, I found this large gauze-weight fabric sack probably used to store pads from an old dining room table. It just begged to be made into something more useful and pretty. Remembering the Cassandra White Work Collection, the beautiful free designs gifted to us all by Hazel during her celebration of Graceful Embroidery’s 2020 Anniversary, I knew the fabric and designs would be a perfect match in making a covering for an end table that had sadly been water-marked by a plant.
Although you are welcomed to reproduce the featured table scarf, the purpose in writing this blog is more to share the thought process and steps that go into making any table linen so that you can create ones that are tailored to your needs.
Planning the Design
The square top measured 14” by 17¼ ” , so I began to plan a design to fit within that area, aiming for a finished layout about 12” by 16” which would allow the embroidered design to display completely on top rather than draping over any edges.
First came the basic configuration that I envisioned the designs would delineate.
Next I set out to review the lovely designs and chose #36 thinking that several repeats of the design might show well in a circular pattern.
My embroidery software, my Sewnet™, has a wonderful feature called “Encore” which allows a design to be automatically combined into various configurations. A large workspace (420mm x 300mm) was opened to reproduce the tabletop.
Since the software would align the designs, the OAS stitches (Color stops 1 and 2) were deleted, setting the parameters in Encore to include 5 repeats of Design #36 in the shape of a circle.
The auto-generated circle was then modified simply to close the space between each element, just my preference. It looks great as is!
If your embroidery software does not have an “Encore” feature, this circular combination can also be reproduced by rotating the top original design clockwise 72° and then rotating that design another 72°, continuing to rotate each addition element the same amount until 5 designs are available to visually place in a circle.
Once satisfied, combine the elements, color sort and save the file under a new file name preserving the original design file for future projects.
Now to the corners! Design # 30 was already in a shape that could define each corner so, one element was placed in the upper workspace with another flipped vertically and placed in the lower right area.
Matching the OAS blue box to workspace grid lines, the two designs were perfectly aligned in a straight vertical line with equal spacing between them. Once the two designs were combined and color sorted, the OAS stitches were deleted since my machine could handle a design 211mm x 214mm.
Since the combined designs were to be placed on each side of the circle embroidery (the same unit just flipped horizontally to create a right and left embroidered side), I needed a way to help insure equal distancing and proper placement.
In the “letter” program of the software, a large (20mm) plus sign (+) was added to the workspace. It was moved to match the center indicator of the combined design.
Now combine the plus sign to the embroidery elements. Make sure it is in a color that is not found in the embroidery elements since it will not be stitched out. It is a placement marker only! Remember to re-save the file now that the red plus sign was added to the mix.
You will find that this large plus sign will provide a visual when placing the side designs equal distance from center especially when viewing the full layout in the software. It also provides a visual for measuring distances between center and side design center.
Prepare the fabric
I cut my fabric larger than my final planned project (17” x 35”) for several reasons. First, I intend to have a bit of UN-embroidered fabric hang over the sides of the table with self-fringed edges. Machine embroidery tends to “shrink” the fabric a bit as the design is stitched out. Extra fabric will allow a piece to be re-squared if necessary. Finally, although we plan and try our best, sometimes the design is not placed exactly straight, or in exactly the right area and a bit of extra fabric will afford some corrective wiggle room.
With the embroidery planned, it is now time to begin stitching! First divide the fabric into quarters by hand-basting the guidelines. Baste well beyond the design lengths since only the basting that falls within the stitching area will be removed allowing the remaining lines to aid in re-cutting if necessary.
The intersection of the quartered fabric lines marks the center of the circular element. Measure out on each side, the same distance from fabric center to the side design center (red + marker). This measurement will depend on your chosen designs and combinations. Notice in the full layout already shown, there is a slight difference between the measurement I documented from my software. It doesn’t matter which you choose, or round up to, in my case I rounded up to 6½” while the diagram above shows 6.45” and 6.4”. The absolute exact measurement is not as important as marking the same distance on each side of fabric center. Once again, hand-baste the lines at the proper distance you need. Horizontal center line is the same for all three elements.
Get Ready to Stitch
I love Sulky® Soft ’n Sheer™ stabilizer and use it for almost every project. In this case, it was a must since the fabric was so thin. The stabilizer was secured in a large hoop preparing to first embroider the middle design. The fabric was laid on top of the stabilizer centering it in the hoop as close as possible. This is one advantage to hand-basting guidelines; they show on both sides of the fabric and the sheer stabilizer allows grid lines from a quilters mat to show as well. Helpful in keeping everything centered and straight.
Place a few pins to hold the fabric while the hoop is locked in place on the machine. Match the machine-needle center position to intersecting lines which indicate the middle design center. Once satisfied that they match, secure the fabric to the stabilizer by basting a box around the design area, a feature found on many embroidery machines. Use the machine’s foot-pedal when stitching this box for full control in keeping the fabric as straight, taut and wrinkle free as possible.
Go ahead and embroider the center design!
Once finished, remove excess stabilizer.
Hoop another piece of stabilizer, matching side design center and hoop center, (intersection of lines measured over from fabric middle) then match with machine needle position.
Baste the fabric to the stabilizer and embroider one side design. Do not remove excess stabilizer at this point. Repeat for the other side remembering to flip the side design horizontally!!!
Finishing Touches
Fold the scarf in half and pin matching the edges of basting boxes around the side designs to square cut the fabric piece to its desired size.
The table-runner can be finished in many ways. I chose to hemstitch the top and bottom edges. ¼” of fabric was turned to the wrong side and then folded over again. Rayon embroidery thread was used with a wing-needle. An applique stitch was selected slightly increasing length and width.
The wing-needle makes small holes in the fabric as it penetrates, and the stitches then hold that space open
Self-fringe is made by pulling threads from the fabric.
The freed threads can be left as is, cut to any length desired or bunched and tied to create tassels. Save the long, pulled fabric threads if making tassels and use it to tie the grouped threads.
I was please with the finished project and know that you, too, will be happy with your handiwork.
It’s kind of hard to go wrong when a project features designs by Graceful Embroidery.
Thank you Pamela for this wonderful blog. All the designs that she used come from Cassandra’s White work 1 which has now been released along with 4 other sets. They are all on offer until 10th April 2021.
Check all the designs out here.
Happy embroidering from Hazel
How the Cassandra’s White Work collection can be used
I am often asked for suggestions on how to use my designs. As I digitize each individual design I try to imagine how it can be used, so in this post I will share some ideas on some of the possible uses of the designs in the Cassandra’s White work collection. Even though these are heirloom embroidery designs for christening gowns and other white work projects they can be used for so much more…..
Continue readingAn update on my Epic 2
My Husqvarna Epic 2 has been keeping me busy for well over a year now, which is probably why I have not got around to sharing my opinions and experiences on this machine. Firstly I have to say that it is true to its name: EPIC!
Continue readingA green and gold Father Christmas
I am not a great fan of the truly traditional colours of Christmas, preferring some of the more unusual colour schemes. My Father Christmas can be embroidered to be a dimensional figure but he also work very well as an ordinary embroidery. Here is my story of one of my “flat” versions embroidered on smooth gold silk dupion.
Continue readingGuest blog: Lock down Up-cycle
I bought my first embroidery machine secondhand approximately 16 years ago but never really used the machine for embroidery. I bought my current machine when I retired 4 years ago and thoroughly enjoy machine embroidery in my spare time. I currently own a Pfaff creative 4.5
We decorated the bedroom during the first lock down and I wanted a picture to replace our faded print picture, which had always been the perfect size for above the bed. The project cost me nothing as everything was from fabric, stabiliser and threads, Madeira Rayon 40, I already had. The frame for the picture was also sprayed silver from a can of spray I found in the garage and the finished embroidery mounted over the previous picture with the edges slightly trimmed.
In planning this project I did some test stitch outs to determine my choice of colours. The majority of the designs came from the Summer Meadows Collection. Hummingbirds were added from Renaissance Fuchsias collection and Dandelion clocks from Hazel’s Graceful Silk Sampler.
I used white even weave fabric, stabilized with medium weight woven iron on interfacing. Tear away stabilizer was used for hoopings. I found my inspiration in Hazel’s Summer Meadows Collection. I wanted something bright and cheerful but also something I could complete from my existing materials.
I originally planned to make a sampler but quickly realised I did not have sufficient embroidery threads for blending colours.
I therefore looked through designs for something bright and cheerful. The summer meadows collection was perfect and I felt I had enough threads to make this work.
I separated and grouped mainly single flower designs from the collection and printed the separate flower designs off.
Printed designs were arranged into the picture frame until I was happy with the lay out, with hummingbirds and dandelion clocks added to the top of the designs for balance. I then replicated the layout into hoopings through my software.
Getting the layout right in the first place was the greatest challenge for me.
The project was relatively easy to accomplish, but upon reflection I would have preferred a couple of different greens for the flower leaves and stems, but due to lock down this wasn’t an option.
If did the sampler again, I would probably emphasize the metallic grass area more, but overall I love my picture and more than pleased with the results.
I learnt that planning, practice and preparation give the best results. The whole project took me a week to complete and it now hangs in pride of place in my newly decorated bedroom.
Hazel’s comment:
“I think you will all agree with me that this was an amazing project, especially as this lady used only what was available in her home. Well done!! She won second prize in the 2020 annual competition at Graceful Embroidery. Thank you for sharing it with us all.”
Happy embroidering from Hazel
Guest blog: Renaissance Fuchsia Tea Party
I began my project by combining, on my computer, selected designs from the Renaissance Fuchsia Collection and a single scallop from the May free design from Graced in Petals for the tray cloth, tea cosy, napkin and heat pad to keep the bottom of the tea pot cosy and protect the tray. Robson Anton Rayon threads were used throughout on self patterned organza backed with a a darker shade of fine cotton broadcloth and Insul- Bright heat resistant batting.
Continue readingCreating an embroidery card for Christmas 2020
Those of you who have followed my blog over the years know that each December I set about designing a machine embroidered card for my sister. This year I decided to do something a little different and I used a freebie to make several cards to send to family and friends. A word of caution, plan ahead and make sure you have some good quality blank cards with cutouts with matching envelopes.
Continue reading