I really wanted to stitch a TASER. I did.
I spun the floss for this project. I dyed it all by hand. I’m fairly pleased with it.
I’ve gotten a lot of negative comments for stitching such violent subject matter. What I’m trying to do with this work is to soften what is harsh, cushion and protect what is vulnerable, and connect with my husband. The heart of the matter is that David is a calm and kindhearted man. He’s working for peace.
Sorry it took me so long to get back to everyone. I started a new job on Monday and I’ve been exhausted.
Only 6 people signed up for the giveaway, so I’ve decided to send some wool to everyone who entered. Yay! One of you will receive the book, but I’m going to keep it a surprise. Send your mailing address to: alexcateye@msn.com. I’ll get the stuff mailed Friday or Monday.
Thanks for playing along!
Some tips for using handspun floss: use a thread conditioner, like beeswax; use short lengths; stick to loosely woven fabrics; and try a large eye crewel needle.
I thought I’d post a bit about what steps I take to finish an embroidery. The first step is the idea, of course. A good idea will keep me up way past my bedtime.
Then I sketch. For something inorganic (like guns, pills, other objects) I sketch directly onto tracing paper. If you were stitching a portrait, you might need a few sketches to get your lines right.
Then I trace the lines on the back of the paper with an iron-on transfer pencil. (Remember that the image will reverse.) I have no problems with ironing on transfers because my lines are always bold and chunky and permanent marks will certainly be covered. Any time I use a chalk transfer, I lose and smear my lines. Yuck.
Then I either choose floss colors to make a palette, or I spin from a pile of wool, blending the fibers like paints. (My favorite!)
Want to play along at home? I’ll give away a set of handspun embroidery yarn to a random lucky reader. I’m also including a copy of The New Crewel. I really want to give the embroidery bug to someone.
How to win? Leave a comment below before I post again. Make sure that I can contact you some way. I will choose a winner at random.
