Module 2 chapter 3 stitched strips

following my latest feedback from Sian, I have created some blocks of stitching rather than strips.

sample a: Butterfly wing as inspiration

Black thread top and bottom, zig zag and straight stitch with dog feed up. Sian suggested giving this a try and I am pleased with the resulting piece. it has the delicacy of a butterfly wing but as a design rather than trying to replicate the pattern exactly.
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Chapter 8 module 1 Complex samples

Sample 1.

Bonded background with bonded silk shape on top (the silk was bonded with some transfer foils).

The top layer is just machine stitching.

Sample 2.

The background fabric is hand dyed orange silk. The next layer is the transfoiled blue silk which I machine stitched and cut away. The middle shape was stuffed from the back. Next I bonded on a machine embroidered star in orange and blue. (The star was stitched onto sheer fabric which was heated with a hot air gun to get rid of the fabric).

Sample 3.

Bottom layer is the turquoise printed fabric to which I bonded a star made from one of the bonded samples from chapter 6. Orange silk was applied and two star shapes machine stitched. I can't remember exactly how I came to get the layers,more luck than anything I think! Once the two shapes had be completed I didn't feel I could see enough of the bonded star so I made a cord and couched this around the shape.

Sample 4.

Bonded background which I covered in sheers and machine stitched into I then added two bonded star shapes which overlapped slightly. These two stars were then stitched and a third silhouetted shape was stitched, I then stuffed the overlapping shapes from the back. Hand stitched chain and crosses added.

Sample 5.

Although this is the simplest sample of the six it is probably my favourite. Both fabrics were hand dyed and then printed. The cross shape was bonded and stitched in place (I only had the sprinkle bonding powder and felt it was not holding in place well enough to withstand stitching and stuffing without some for of stitch). Machine embroidered star worked as the top layer. The space left after machining was then stuffed.

Sample 6

Two layers of fabric,bottom from my stash and the next layer I a piece of nuno felting. Star shape was first machine stitched, hand stitched and then stuffed from the back to create a highly raised star shape. The rest of the felt was cut away and a lace like machine embroidered star bonded on top.

This shot shows the raised surface better. I really enjoyed working through this chapter. Now for some Mola work.

Chapter 7 translating layered designs into embroidery two more samples

After my feedback from Sian I decided to try out her suggestions. I had felt that In my first sample the top shape dominated too much, Sian suggested using long stitches in a contrasting thread to help emphasis the red shape. Here is the result.

The stitching definitely brings the piece together and shows the middle shape more.

Sample 2 I had incorporated scrim as the top layer. Sian suggested trying to use 3. Layers of scrim. I struggled to work with several layers of scrim but was quite pleased with the final sample.

I added  French knots and machine embroidery to help the shapes stand out more.