Sunday, June 5, 2011

Refinery

Sometimes I make a lot of progress on a piece but that doesn't necessarily mean that I've stitched a lot on the piece.

Since the last progress report, I decided to add one more bit of cream chantilly lace to extend that floral spray to just slightly cover the black motif...


I wanted the black motifs to recede in the "picture" while bringing the cream flowers forward.

I also stitched two very simple seam treatments on the seams that lie underneath those cream flowers...


And I added some silver chain stitching to the "stems" on the cream lace. That's about it as far as real stitching goes...


But as far as mapping out the progress of the stitching on the bock...I have made lots of very important decisions in the past two days.

The biggest one was deciding to really honor that beautiful chantilly lace by converting the lace flowers into three-dimensions using stumpwork.

From the beginning, I've always known that Audrey and the chandelier would be in the foreground...


But I always thought I would do a jewel cluster or something in the upper right hand corner where that Chantilly lace is...

Not anymore. That lace is too beautiful not to showcase in some way.


Now the hard part. Figuring out how to stitch the stumpwork petals and leaves...so that I respect the beauty of the original lace...and hopefully....enhance it.

That leads me right back to materials...Everything is going to have to be tiny. 2mm silk ribbon...tiny beads...tiny stitches...

I'm playing with some organza and lace for the stumpwork petals...and perhaps using the tiniest bits of tulle.

Here's a picture showing a 1/4" strip of tulle gathered on a needle. The silk tulle is one the left needle and trailing away to the left on the bottom. The polyester tulle on on the right and is on top as it trails away.


I was trying to capture the difference with my camera...The silk tulle has more character and appears a little more fragile...which I like.

Also...when working with those flowers...the spaces are quite tiny. Here are some size 20 and 22 degree beads that I may be using...


They are about half the size of a normal size 11 seed bead...and require size 15 beading needles and size 00 nymo beading thread. They just look a little "bigger" in the photograph because of the macro lens I'm taking the picture with...

As you can see...things are becoming very delicate and tiny around here...And I think I have approximately 20 or so tiny stumpwork petals to make.

I think I'll practice on a sample first to make sure my idea will really work. Practice makes perfect.

Looks like my end date, just got a little farther away.

14 comments:

Shirlee Fassell said...

OMG its going to be fabulous!! I love tiny tiny beads and silk tule is so soft!!

Teresa said...

Your work is just amazing. Can't wait to see what you do next.
Teresa's Heartfelt Stitches

Ingrid Mida said...

Dear Susan,
You obviously have an extraordinary amount of patience and talent to undertake such delicate work. I don't think I could even thread the tiny needle that you would need to work with those beads, let alone have the patience to do anything with them.. I can just see the whole lot spilling onto the floor of my studio and disappearing into the cracks of the floor like I do regularly with my box of pins....
You are building up great suspense and anticipation to see the end result. Good luck!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Your work is amazing! I look forward to watching this piece progress. ~Kelly

unDeniably Domestic

The Heart in Hand Project

jollyqueen said...

such joy to see your beautiful and intricate needlework...enjoy & take care.

allie aller said...

I love the scale of work that you do!
It's very great seeing your design decision process too. And to think I had never heard of silk tulle!

Suztats said...

Wow! Delicate and beautiful!

Wendy said...

I love your blog!
I love your projects
I love your photos
I love your *everything*!

Thank you for sharing with us.
=-)

Lynne Neal said...

Susan, How big will this Tiffany peice be when you have finished it? I am loving the colours and the lace.

Marjorie said...

Just love your blog. Had to go back and read from the beginning. Thanks so much for all that you have shared about your life. Love the pictures. You inspire me to get my crazy quilt blocks out and get them finished. Love the colors you are using on the Tiffany block. Might have to play with that color too. Ordered those velvets today also. Thanks.

Mosaic Magpie said...

The colors and textures are ummmmm yummy! Thanks for sharing the decisions and how you made them. Silk tulle, I have never heard of it either. The beads so tiny yet will add so much. Seam treatments.....all of it...wonderful! I would love to sit at your side and watch this progress.
Deb

Rachel said...

There is certainly a lot of delicate work ahead of you!

Isn't it interesting that so much of the work involved in a piece like this isn't the stitching but the thinking...

MeganH said...

Gosh, it's looking beautiful!

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