Are you sitting down? I only ask because...
...here is my finished embroidery - yes, I have actually finished! The bark pattern took me a while because I tried a couple of different stitches with a couple of different numbers of strands of thread, but in the end, decided on one strand and stem stitch again, so undid it several times before I got it right.
You can still see the purple pen lines but these will fade in a day or two.
Then I started on making it into a decoration. Here's the underside (I was surprised by how neat this ended up).
Here's the finished decoration from the front...
...and the back, using some vintage fabric (originally used for curtains by someone, but given a new life by me in this project). Chris and I both felt that the colours suited the tree very well.
Here's the decoration on the seasonal tree, alongside some woodland animal pegs (excellent and unexpected find at Wilkinsons). However, I think I need to make some felt leaves to add a bit more interest to the tree, which still looks a bit bare.
I am delighted with the finished decoration and have really enjoyed this little project. I have a few more in mind, so will be continuing Stitching Sundays for a while longer yet.
Oh Ellie, it's wonderful! You should be very proud of yourself - those leaves are great! I especially how some are falling and more are piled on the ground. It gives the decoration such life! And I was just musing about what to do with finished embroideries on my blog today...here's a perfect example! Chrissie x
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chrissie. I was really pleased with the end result. I probably wouldn't ever have got round to it without Stitching Sundays, so thank you for starting it up. As I said in my post, I have other ideas which I would like to work on in the coming weeks, so this is just the start!
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
Ellie, you've done a fab job - from start to finish, I love it! Well done and I'll look forward to seeing your next beautiful project!
ReplyDeleteJoy x
Thank you, Joy. I did enjoy it and think that 'Stitching Sundays' really helped to keep my motivation up. I think my next project may be some stitching onto a felt piece...
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
Aww, I just love your little embroidered tree - and the wooden one it's hanging on too! And those animal pegs are the cutest - going to have to keep an eye out for those. I agree with you - I've wanted to do some stitching for ages but probably wouldn't have got around to it without Stitching Sunday's either. It's the perfect motivation and encouragement, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping over and saying hello at my blog too and I'm looking forward to following your crafty adventures. Have a happy week,
love Gilly xx
Dear Gilly
DeleteA big welcome and thank you. The wooden tree was made by my lovely husband, Chris, from a picture in the Tilda Christmas Homestyle book. It has been decorated with different pegs and felt flowers, but does need some leaves on it at the moment as it looks bare. I am really enjoying Stitching Sundays too.
Craft adventures, here we come! Have a lovely week too.
Best wishes
Ellie
Well done you, that is lovely and so evocative of this time of year. Looking forward to your tree additions. Jo x
ReplyDeleteDear Jo
DeleteThank you. Having said I'm going to make some felt leaf decorations, I need to get on with them now!
Best wishes
Ellie
Ellie I love your tree it turned out so so beautiful!! I am really just a little in love with it, well done you and you finished it too!! I think it looks gorgeous as a little decoration and your backing fabric is simply fab. You must be so proud!! Happy stitiching for you this week xoxo
ReplyDeleteDear Hannapat
DeleteThank you - I am really pleased with the way it turned out. Finding the backing fabric in the stash we have was very lucky too as it suits the autumnal colours really well. Happy stitching to you too!
Best wishes
Ellie
It looks great Ellie, the perfect autumnal hanging decoration.
ReplyDeleteDear Anne
DeleteThank you. I have surprised myself with how much I have enjoyed this little project - probably because it was little and developed relatively quickly. I do need to make some leaf decorations for the seasonal tree though!
Best wishes
Ellie
Your tree looks lovely...well done! Clever idea to make it into a decoration! Looking forward to the next ones...I haven't managed anything this week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, leeanne. I am pleased with the decoration and the fact that it was a small project definitely helped me as the progression was quite fast.
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
Well done on finishing your project. The bark really adds the finishing touch, and making it into a dec is a good idea. Looking forward to seeing what you start next week.
ReplyDeleteS xx
Thanks, S. I am really pleased to have completed this project (I have many WIPs hanging about so it makes a change to actually finish something!) I have a couple of ideas for next week - either embroidered felt leaves or a WIP which has been around for at least a year...decisions...
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
This is beautiful! I love the way you turned it into a decoration and I don't think you could have matched that fabric more perfectly if you'd tried. I'm enjoying some embroidery lately and all my work is covered in purple pen lines too. x
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gillian. The vintage fabric was a really good match for the tree (almost as if I'd planned it - which I hadn't!). I am loving the freedom of Doodle Stitching embroidery where you sort of make-it-up-as-you-go-along. The purple pen was really useful and I used it a lot although I found that if I didn't get on with the sewing, the lines faded before I had a chance to sew and then I had to draww them again (note to self, only draw the lines when ready to actually sew!) Hope your embroidery is progressing well too.
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
It looks great! Well done, you'd never know you were a beginner. I like stem stitch for trees, another stitch that work well for bark is the chain stitch.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy. I'll have to give chain stitch a go in a future project. I would also like to include split stitch too. I think Doodle Stitching is great for beginners as it looks 'easy', but more experienced embroiderers can create more complex patterns within the motifs.
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie