Page 63 - The Digital Cloth Issue 6

the emphasis was very much on the
stitch construction and neatness of That one stitch which seemed a for my embroideries which I
individual stitches. mystery to begin with and yes did separate up and use a single strand
I loved that I could use just straight cause a few grey hairs and much of, as I prefer working in extra fine
stitches to give the impression of a unpicking is now mostly the only detail. I choose to use it mainly for
petal curving or a leaf turning over. type of stich I use for my art. I use the vast range of colours available
I loved the idea of studying an it predominantly for nature although I do occasionally use a
object in such detail that I could then studies, birds especially, and love very fine silk floss thread for
create an embroidery that looked like how it replicates feathers in a way smaller projects as the glow and
a painting. After starting my first no watercolour or oil paint can. sheen the silk brings is
thread painting project I abandoned With many embroidery techniques unbeatable. My needles are number
my wild rose botanical print that I the look and construction of the twelve crewel/embroidery needles
had based some of my design on and individual stitch is one of the most or number eleven sharps.
picked a wild rose from the garden to important parts of the piece, The backing for my thread
influence my colour choices. conversely with the style of thread paintings needs to be closely
Those first few pinks I naively picked painting that I use the individual woven, so I use flat silks and fine
out before starting were added to stitches should disappear. linens but after writing my thread
with greys and creams and much You are looking at the whole piece painting book and exploring the
more subtle colours than I had of art without being distracted by subject further I have since brought
originally chosen or seen. I enjoyed varying characters of thread and needle felted balls and intricately
learning to look for colours that were stitch construction. In fact, when I printed surfaces into my work.
there, rather than what I presumed teach, I always stress the Writing my book was a challenge,
were there. importance that the rows of but I loved it. It also forced me to
From that first thread painting, I was stitches should not show, they need think of new and original ways to
hooked. Long and short stitch was the only to flow into each other seamlessly. use my one beloved stitch that I
one for me. I use stranded cottons as the ‘paint’ had embroidered with traditionally