Monday, February 1, 2010

Goin' Fishin'

 First posted by Creations by Michie'

We are goin' fishin' for this next project. This is the bubble for my youngest daughter to give as a gift. Michie highlighted her Pleated Bubble Pattern on her blog several days ago. Youngest daughter saw it and decided that is what she wanted me to make for her to give as a gift. The embroidery design was featured in a 2003 issue of Creative Needle magazine. No problem.  I was a charter subscriber to Creative Needle and have every issue. There are many things I would use for kindling before I would get rid of one issue of Creative Needle. My all time favorite, hands down.

I reduced the pattern on my printer/copier by 10%, traced it onto a cotton fabric with a blue wash out marker and gathered my flosses.


I purchased a floor stand for my sit on hoops last summer while attending La Broderie Bayou in Louisiana. Of course like many things we have to have right then and right there, I haven't used it until now. But Oh boy! Is it a dream. Very comfortable to sit in my chair, have my embroidery stable, at a great height and ready to stitch without having to readjust either my hoop or my position in the chair. Love it.

 

I have several different sized hoops "on a stalk" designed for the sit on hoops. Using the large hoop I was able to hoop both collar pieces at once. These deep birch hoops really hold your fabric taut. I used a combination of shadow work, back stitch and stem stitch for this simple design. The design looks darker on the left as opposed to the right, because I didn't feel like retracing the design for the opposite collar. I'm lazy, so I just traced it on the wrong side to give myself a mirror image. If this were a more complex design I wouldn't have been able to do that. For four little fish, a few water waves and hooks, it was fine.

I have bee asked how I "tie on" for a design so that it doesn't show. There are many many methods for that. None of them more right than another, but this is one I use often. My order of work for these fish was, back-stitched tail, back stitch the side fin, shadow work the body, stitch the French knot eye, back stitch the top fin.


I tied on starting at the tale using an invisible running stitch. Looking at the photo you see that my running stitches are more on the wrong side of the fabric with only two tiny stitches, covering one fabric thread each, showing on the front. As I begin to stitch, I pull my thread through until the tail just disappears to the wrong side. I am going to back stitch back onto this invisible running stitch.

 
I have really brightened and blown up this photo so you can see the floss and fabric threads.

This is my needle heading back into the line of stitching, sinking down into the fabric, making sure I pierce that floss. 

 

The pink square highlights that first completed back stitch. My needle is emerging up from the back to start my second back stitch, again piercing the floss on the back. I will re-enter the fabric in the same hole where my first stitch went down into the fabric.  I will then continue on outlining his tail with the back-stitches.

Next up is collar construction.

7 comments:

  1. how cute! I love the hanger too.

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  2. So sweet. I love that pattern.

    I also miss Creative Needle. I'm still finding myself looking for it in the bookstore.

    I know this is not a fun part of making a bubble, but could you one day explain how you fasten the bottom and how to do it neatly. Thanks!

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  3. Martha-I noticed you visited and wanted to come over and "meet" you. Other than your obvious needlework talent, I think we have a lot in common! I am working on a little needlepoint right now, but it is elementary. I can certainly understand why christening gowns would be your favorite. What a joy and privilege. Thanks for visiting me.

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  4. That will be one sweet bubble! I'm thinking we benefit from the purchase of the floor stand, too! It probably made those fantastic photographs a little easier.

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  5. Oh how sweet is that bubble. Love the embroidery!

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  6. Love the blow by blow you are giving us on this. Great info on the "start" dilemma. That is one gorgeous little boy bubble.

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  7. Amazing! Thank you so much for doing that tutorial--incredibly helpful. Hallie

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