How-To

Rejoice! I have finally posted the tutorial for Dark Fabrics: Part Two! 

Let me take you to some dark places. I'm going to show you how to get a design onto dark fabric...

After I released the Ryan Berkley Embroidery Patterns. I promised to show you a really neat stitching trick that would go oh-so-well with this design. I am keeping my promise. Let's get started: Here's my stitched example of Mr. Fox (above). Hmmm. Needs something. I know! A frame.

It just so happens that there's a frame design included in the PDF. As if by amazing coincidence, this frame will also fit around each of the animal heads on the sheet! To center the fox's head, I decided to cut out the inner portion of the sheet so I could see where I was positioning it. Of course you can do this in different steps if you prefer: outline the frame first and then put the animal head within it. Personally, I think this is easier. I like how this looks here, so I'm going to tape it in place.

Now, how do you transfer the frame design? I'm so glad you asked!

 

Slip a piece of carbon transfer paper between the design and the fabric. Now, trace along the lines of the frame. Be sure you are working on a hard, smooth surface!

TIP: If you are not using a stylus to trace, then watch the ink from your pen and make sure it doesn't get on your hands (and on your fabric). Also, using a pen of a different color helps you see where you've already traced and where you haven't. How many times have you lifted up the design only to realize you skipped over a whole section? Just me? Okay. Well, that's a bummer. I hate it when I do that.

Now that you have the frame outlining the animal's head, here's the stitching trick I promised to show you:

Think of this as mixing paint without the mess. As I was about to stitch up the frame, I wondered "How can I make it look more like wood?" I went deep into thought, closed my eyes and finally had it: Floss blending is the answer! There's really not much to it:

1. Pick two colors. For a wood effect, I chose a light beige and a dark brown from the portrait palette.

2. Separate away the strands.
(Here's help on how to separate strands of floss.) Basic, cotton embroidery floss is made up of six strands (also called a "ply"). You can strip away individual strands for finer detail, but I often stitch with all six strands (because I like the chunky look it gives my stitches).

To blend floss colors, separate away three strands of one color, three strands of the another color (or two and two if you want a finer line). Now, re-combine the lengths, making sure they are lined up and not all tangly. Just make sure the ends meet, and give the length a long stroke between your thumb and index finger. Thread Heaven is always good to have nearby.

Make sense? You should now have a single, combined length of floss, made up of six strands total: three of the light brown, three of the dark brown. We'll say 3/3 for shorthand, okay? Thread your needle with this new length and let's see what happens... 

I tested different stitches to see what the effects would be. A back stitch, split stitch, stem stitch and chain stitch. Hmmm. Verrry interesting. See how each stitch gives different results? Entirely up to you which you like best. I decided I liked the results of the split stitch the best. I also made another important change...

I decided that the colors I chose were too similar, so I picked an even lighter beige to contrast with the dark brown. I also made another change: instead of 3 and 3, I worked with 4 and 2. In other words: I used 4 ply of the light beige and only 2 of the dark brown. Who said the strands had to be evenly balanced? Not me. You do what you want to do. See the results above? I liked it! That's what matters: that you are happy with the results.

Stitch, stitch, stitch. I stitched up the whole frame this way. Instead of just being solid brown, it has this unpredictable, mottled "wood look" to it. Don't you think? I think I'm going to keep stitching on this piece even more. Maybe sprinkle the background with blue French knots, or continue building up the frame. See ya! I'm off to do more x-x-x'ing.

Now that you know how to blend your floss, does this give you any other bright ideas?

Meet one of my very best friends: Jessica Vitkus. I first met Jessica years ago on the set of Craft Corner Deathmatch, a too-short-lived TV show about, what else? Competitive crafting. (I was a judge on two episodes, and she was the co-creator.) She has written for The Daily Show, Wonder Showzen, worked on Martha Stewart and has even authored her own craft book: Alternacrafts. Needless to say, Jessica is a complete bada** comedy writer and passionately creative crafter. She is always finding ways to combine comedy and crafting (my favorite is her Homeland Security Blanket). Lucky for you- she emailed me the other day offering a re-use for those cinch-top cloth bags that are too nice to throw away. Jessica? Take it away:

PROJECT IDEA! Re-Usable Holiday Gift Bags

How's your chain stitch? I know, it can take some time to get the hang of it, so don't sweat it too much. Mine is hardly ever perfect, and it's not really a traditional chain stitch that I do (I return my needle outside the loop). But, that's cool! I'm happy with how it looks. Chain stitches take more effort to work, but they're worth it when you want some chunky lines like my "Sweet" lettering.

Looking for this pattern? It's a mashup of designs all found in this book of mine. Embroidery pattern mixy mashups are aces as far as I'm concerned.

Made with Under the Sea 

Did you know that I have an embroidery pattern of a huge coral reef? I don't! Want to see how I made this large design from a small one? You do? It's really easy, and a great weekend project that will take a whole hour of your time:

How-To: Build a Coral Reef

Some of you have asked me to do a little tutorial on how to apply Thread Heaven. Okay! Here then, is a little tutorial on how to apply Thread Heaven.

I've added a new tutorial in the How-To section under "Stitch Recipes": Lazy Bow!

I was thinking I would hand over the blog today to Emma Gene (that's her on the left) and Myrtle Lee (that's her on the right) who will teach you some basic embroidery stitches. They might have a different perspective for you. Ladies? Take it away...

Emma Gene: What is it you want to do, hon?

Myrtle Lee: I think Ginny wants us to show her readers how to do some embroidery.

EG: Shooot. I ain't stitched a thing since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Do you need to have hoop? 

ML: I never used one. All I know is that the back better look just a perfect as the front, and no knots.

EG: Right. Never a knot, and if the back isn't as purty as the front, you might as well not even bother.

ML: Hon', I know you said you wanted to stitch, but don't you think we should talk about that outfit you're wearing, Ginny?

EG: It really isn't doing you any favors.

ML: Ginny, have you learned how to cook yet? Great gramma Kate used to make the best giblet gravy...

Hold up! You're going to scare off my stitchers! (And, what's wrong with what I'm wearing?) Look, they'll never learn embroidery that way. Try my...Now-I-Get-It Stitching Diagrams!

(And keep away from the giblet gravy.)

x - x - x - x - x

p.s. Now, before you go off googling the source of this image (you won't find it), let me tell you: these are actually two of my great-aunts. There were more of them. They were the real deal. Their southern accents were thick as custard, they spoke in colorful expressions, and they could cut you down to size with a critical remark and a snort faster than you could say "okra". With love, they are missed.