Sunday 3 November 2013

Stitching Sundays 9

 Stitching Sunday has rolled round again and I have a partly finished piece to show you.  It has turned out to be pretty much how I imagined (and designed it to be), even though I am still not sure what I'm going to do with it next.
 Here it is - I used a mixture of brown and khaki coloured embroidery thread for the 'vines' and used my favourite split stitch.  However, I could do with some advice now.  Do you think the leaf shapes should have some kind of veining, perhaps just one centre line, or would that be too much and should I leave well alone? (Any advice/ideas/opinions would be gratefully received.)  That's the difficult part, knowing when to stop!
On a totally unrelated topic, I have signed up to a great fun blog swap.  (There is a link to the details if you click on the button to the left on the sidebar).  I joined in with this swap last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The idea is that you fill a kitchen roll with lots of little goodies and wrap it up in a piece of Christmas material, so that the recipient gets the goodies and the material to enjoy using. 
The material I received last year inspired me to make some Christmas Bunting, and seasonal bunting has become rather a theme with me this year.  Winter bunting is being considered as I type, material has been gathered (perhaps including some snowflake embroidery!) and yet another project is starting to take shape!  You just never know where a blog swap might take you...

14 comments:

  1. I love the cushion! I would leave it just as it is, lines and veins in the leaves might detract from their colourful felt loveliness! Chrissie x

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    1. Thanks, Chrissie. I am pleased with how it is looking and even more pleased that I have finally got around to doing something with it!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  2. Hello Ellie - I think your cushion is absolutely gorgeous as it is but can also see that a few light veins here and there would look very much in place too! I'm not much help cause decision making in such situations is not always my strong point - one thing I do know, it is a beautiful work of art and I love it! Well done!
    All the best with your decision making! Joy xo

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    1. Thanks, Joy. Decisions like this are never easy to make. The one good thing is that if I do add some veins and decide they look horrible, I can always take them off. I may give it a go.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  3. Hi Ellie the leaves are looking lovely but I would definitely vote for a vein...possibly just a single center vein and one or two side veins on one side -sort of asymmetrical and possibly just on a few odd leaves if you can figure what I mean? But its your stitching so you decide! Thanks for the link to the cracker swap -it looks like a fun idea!

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    1. Thanks, Leanne. I may have an experiment with the veins idea and see how it looks. The cracker swap is great fun and the good thing is you know the size limit, so it gives you more of a challenge to find lots of little things.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  4. Love your appliqué and embroidery, Ellie! I too find it hard to know when to stop adding and leave well alone! I think it looks lovely as it is but I might be tempted to add a cautious vein or two to the leaves in the same colour as the leaf itself and just see what I thought. Nothing that I couldn't unpick easily though in case it's better plain! Would make a lovely cushion cover! E x

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    1. Dear E
      Thank you. I think I'll add a vein or two to see how it looks and then decide whether to add more or take them away! At least stitching is easy to undo. I'm still not sure what to make it into, although a cushion was the original inspiration, so perhaps I'll go with that.
      Best wishes and have a lovely week
      Ellie

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  5. Really tough one. It looks fab as it is, but I think some veins would look fab too - possibly in a contrast colour rather than a matching colour.

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    1. Thanks Wendy. I am thinking that I shall try some veins and see what it looks like.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  6. Hello lovely Ellie, it is looking FABOLOUS dear my I say!! Now I would most definitely add a vein in the middle of each leaf, for me it really needs that detail, but it is a matter of taste at the end of the day. I would only do a simple vein down the centre of each leaf and see how it looks before doing anything else. It is going to make a wonderful cushion, so well done you!! I am missing my stitching sundays and can't wait to start again, but for now I am beavering away behind the sewing machine. The Christmas swap sounds like heaps of fun, I might have a look into it, thanks for sharing. xoxo

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    1. Thanks, Hannapat. Are you going to post about what you've been beavering away sewing, or is it a gift for someone? Sounds intriguing...
      The consensus seems to be add a vein onto the leaves, so I'll give it a go. The Christmas cracker swap is a lot of fun and thinking small means nothing takes too long to make. There are lots of little bits and pieces out there to buy as well.
      Best wishes
      Ellie
      Ellie

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  7. Ai, what a dilemma Ellie! When I am in doubt about issues like this, I always leave it like it is for a little while. And then when I still miss something about it I can always choose to add something.....
    The danger is ofcourse that you never finish it at all... ;-)!
    Anyway, it's lovely!
    Good luck and best wishes from Mirjam.

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    1. Thanks, Mirjam. Most comments suggest a vein on the leaves, so I'll try and see whether I like it - if not, I can always undo it! This project has taken me a year to get to it, so another week or so won't be a problem!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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