Monday, December 28, 2009

A Crewel Finish!

Oh, these tiny crewel embroidery kits are wonderful! They make me feel so accomplished! So on top of things! So capable of finishing something! Yesterday, I introduced you to one of the Tristan Brooks "smalls" - which are literally that: small crewel embroidery kits, that result in a small finished product (about 4" x 4"). Today, I'll show you the finish.

This little crewel embroidery kit is easily finish-able in a weekend, and on top of that, it's really fun to work! One thing I like about crewel work is the variety of stitches used in it. This little project, for example, used a total of eight different stitches, all in about 4" square. You can beat that for variety!

Crewel Embroidery: Charleston Small by Tristan Brooks


I made a few adjustments in the whole plan of the kit, substituting a few stitches here and there. For example, inside the blue flower in the original design there are some scattered French knots. I opted for seed stitch. The yellow tendrils are supposed to be plain stem stitch in Heathway, but the Heathway seemed a bit bland as a plain stem stitch, so on the top left tendril, I whipped the stem stitch with Gumnut Poppies, and for the lower right yellow tendril, I stuck with Gumnuts poppies for the plain stem stitch.

I set up another small right after I finished this one. They're so .... small and manageable! Which is great if you're pressed for time, still want to stitch, and want to enjoy that feeling of actually finishing something!

Some crewel topics that will be discussed in some upcoming posts, thanks to your input:

1. What is crewel work, anyway, and how does it differ from other forms of surface embroidery?
2. Threads for crewel work
3. Fabric for crewel work

I'll also discuss stitches and so forth, and give you some close-ups of these little projects. If you have any additional topics you'd like discussed, leave a comment below!

This week, besides regular blog upkeep, trying to catch up on e-mail, sneaking in some work on these smalls, and finishing up the lingering needlebook (!), I'm working out in the studio, which has been decommissioned for quite a while due to storage difficulties, household rearranging, and so forth. Once things are in order out there in my frigid workspace, I'll be setting up a project, taking pictures for various upcoming posts, and hopefully filming stitches. There is so much I want to do during my short break between semesters - I have to be careful not to turn my vacation into a pressure-cooker! After all, this is supposed to be fun, right?!

Enjoy your Monday!

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12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

HOLA,HERMOSO BORDADO,EL CREWEL ES UN BORDADO INCREIBLE,SOBRE TODO EN SUS MANOS.GRACIAS POR ENSEÑAR Y COMPARTIR.DESDE CHILE.UM SALUDO CON MUCHO CARIIÑO.FELICES FIESTAS

12/28/2009 12:17:00 PM  
Blogger Magpie's Mumblings said...

This turned out really pretty Mary. I did some crewel back in the 60's and I'm so glad to see it's coming back. I always liked the look.

12/28/2009 03:03:00 PM  
Blogger Elspeth said...

Mary, thank you for doing this little piece of crewel work, it's just so beautifully stitched. I am looking forward to your planned postings and information in the New Year. You always go the extra mile to show people the enjoyment of stitching. I have not done much crewel and will look forward to the feature you plan.

Thanks again,
Elspeth.

12/28/2009 03:32:00 PM  
Anonymous margaret c. said...

Mary, congratulations on finishing! I adore crewel, it's my first embroidery love. I am looking forward to hearing what you think of the threads. I used the Heathways on a little project earlier this year and enjoyed working with them very much.

12/28/2009 06:52:00 PM  
Blogger Elmsley Rose said...

I'm looking forward to your crewel posts - it's something on my list to learn. :-)

12/28/2009 09:35:00 PM  
Blogger WendyBee said...

Thank you, Mary, for always making the subject fresh and interesting! I can imagine you are an exciting and well-loved teacher by your students.
WendyBee

12/29/2009 08:07:00 AM  
Anonymous My 1st Bambina ! said...

Beautiful work ... as always ;-) !
Thanks for the review !
Enjoy your days off... yes... it is suppose to be fun !!!

12/29/2009 12:21:00 PM  
Blogger méri said...

Beautiful, Mary!
Looking forward your next posts!

12/29/2009 01:53:00 PM  
Blogger claudettew said...

Beautiful it is. I hope to reach your skill at some stage in my lifetime. Best regards.

12/29/2009 11:42:00 PM  
Anonymous Marian said...

Another lovely project to inspire people to try new things.

Thanks again for sharing, Mary.

12/30/2009 12:29:00 AM  
Blogger Meenakshi Hardikar said...

This is beautiful. R u going to frame this one ?

12/30/2009 05:04:00 AM  
Blogger lidia said...

gracias Mary el 2009 te e seguido,
aunque no puedo traducir... pero mi vida de bordadora ,a cambiado e aprendido maravillas que de a poco voy aplicando.
los libros increibles ,,ojala este año pueda lograr traducir para, seguirte en alguno de tus hermosos proyectos
ojala tengas un 2010 de mucha alegria y bienestar
un abrazo
lidas

1/03/2010 08:55:00 PM  

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