Double Chain Stitch

This stitch can be used with fine or heavy threads. It can be straight or curved, and the width can be varied as well.

Photo 1

To begin, mark two working lines on your fabric with a disappearing pen. I like to use the FriXion™ pen by Pilot. These come in several colours and disappear with heat. 

Work this stitch from top to bottom. Begin with a waste  knot.  

Photo 2

Bring your thread up. (Photo 1).  Keeping your thread below and to the right  of your needle, take your needle down half  a stitch length above starting position but on the right line and take your first stitch, bringing the needle up at half a stitch length below starting position, still on the right line. Pull the thread through creating an open chain stitch. (See photo 2)  Again. this stitch should be long enough to extend a half stitch below point.

  

Photo 3

The next chain stitch will be made from your initial starting point to a half stitch length below where you ended your first stitch, along the left  side line. Keep your thread under and to the left of the  needle. The chain stitch should extend a half stitch length below. (Photo 3)

  

  

Photo 4

Continue by starting your stitches inside the chain, keeping your thread below and to the right of the needle, coming up a half stitch length below the last stitch, but on the right side line. (Photo 4)

Work alternating open chain stitches along the two lines and finish with a small stitch over the last loop. Weave in threads. 

Blackwork With a Bit of a Twist

Blackwork Sample On Burlap

In Module Two, City and Guilds Level Three Certificate in Hand Embroidery, we are asked to do a Blackwork sample. However, we are also asked to do something that is not traditional.  So, I decided to do my blackwork on lime green burlap. I also used some ribbon floss as my "grout lines" and some tulle for some shading in a few of the sections. 

This sample started with some design work, of which there is a lot in the City and Guilds courses. I am taking my courses through The School of Stitched Textiles.  They provide online courses of study broken up into distinct modules and I have been enjoying my studies through them. 

Oil Pump Sketch

Motif from Oil Pump Sketch

Module Two is based on an industrial theme, at least this is where you start. Among the many sketches I did, at least a couple were of oil pumps (being from Alberta!).  From the sketches, you develop designs. For a few of my designs, I chose to work with the motif of the most recognizable portion of an oil pump.

Cut up pump motifs 

One "design exercise" that I used with this motif involved cutting out three of the motifs, then cutting those up. I used a marbelized paper for this. I moved the pieces around until I had a design that I liked. Some of the pieces were simply moved apart and others moved to fill in spaces. Finally, the pieces developed into a "fish", of sorts and I felt that the design was finished. From this "fish" I made my design for the blackwork and got stitching.

What I really enjoyed in making this sample, was doing the blackwork patterns. There are such a vast array of potential patterns you can make. It was different doing this on burlap as burlap is not exactly an even weave fabric, but I was pleased with the final result.  The black really stands out on the lime green and the little bit of shading that the tulle provided added something a little different to the patterns.

Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch

I have been doing a lot of embroidery lately, and have been enjoying learning some new embroidery stitches. I am glad to share these directions for a stitch that you do not see very often:

Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch

Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch (Also known as Braided Chain Stitch) 

This stitch is worked as a reverse chain stitch. This raised stitch very good for making bold lines of stitching.  

#1.

#2

Initially take a small stitch and make this into an isolated chain stitch, or daisy stitch. (See photos 1 and 2)

#4

  

#3

Now, Make another chain stitch, using the first stitch made, but do not pull this stitch tight. (Photos 3 & 4)

#5

#6

Make another chain stitch, putting the needle under the loops of the first chain stitch made. These are the inner loops. Before pulling the thread through, pull the thread fairly snug around the needle, tightening the loops of the previous chain stitch. (Photos 5 & 6)

#7

Continue making loose chain stitches, bringing the needle through the previous chain stitch loops, and then tightening the outer loops after putting the needle under the inner loops.

I am involved in an upcoming show with the Surface Design Association.  Here is the poster:

Spray Hand Sanitizer Image Transfer

To begin the new year in my Fibre Optics Group, we experimented with different types of image transfers. We used Transfer Artist Paper, gel medium, glue, acrylic paint, Citra Solve and hand sanitizer. To see the results, please see the Fibre Optics Blog.

What I want to describe is using the spray hand sanitizer.  I had seen this done on an art journalling video in order to transfer an image to a carving block to make a stamp.  I researched on the internet, but no one was doing any image transfers onto fabric with this method. People are using gel hand sanitizer, but not the spray.

I decided to give it a try and I loved the results. 

 Here is how you do it:

You need to print your image to be transferred onto an inkjet transparency with an inkjet printer.  You can transfer in black and white, or in colour.  Make sure that you print onto the rough side of the transparency.  If you print on the smooth side, the ink will smudge as soon as you touch it.

Let the transparency dry.  (They work best transferring the image within 24 hours) Cut around the image if you are using only a portion of the transparency so you do not waste it. I print several images on the one transparency and then cut them up separately.

Have your fabric ready, as this works really quickly.  Your fabric should be washed, so any sizing is removed.

Dover Copyright Free Image
transferred to canvas

Next, spray the image with the spray hand sanitizer and immediately place it, sprayed side down, onto the fabric.  Burnish it with your hand, spoon, or other tool. Hold it in place with one hand while you do this to make sure the transparency does not move.  Lift up a corner, while still holding it, to see how the image has transferred. If it has not transferred completely, or as much as you would like, just spray that portion and push it down on the fabric again. Continue to do this on all portions of the transparency, until you are satisfied with the transferred image.

I really liked the images that I transferred onto the canvas cloth.

Image of "Portrait of a Man" by Luca Signorelli
also transferred to canvas

 

November at the Fibre Optics Group

The November meeting of the Fibre Optics Group began with another warm up collage. As we have mentioned before, we are focussing on a design principle or element at the beginning of each meeting. We then start the clock and have only a half hour to produce a collage illustrating the principle/element chosen for the month.We have a tub full of various supplies, and these are the only things we are allowed to use to make our collage. 

Half Hour Collages

In November, Judi presented the design principle/element of LINE.  Line is defined as “a mark, long in it’s proportion to its breadth, made on a surface with a pen, pencil, tool, etc.” Line is often referred to the “the most basic element of design”, yet it functions in complex ways and can express a variety of verbal and visual concepts.

Here is a photo of our collages. It is easy to see that we all have different styles in our approach and resulting collages.

UTEE embellishments and
shrink plastic embellishments

After this, we were ready to start our play time. We were working with Melt Art™ Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel™.  We dipped or sprinkled, then heated with a heat gun. We melted it in a Ranger’s Melting Pot®, and then poured, dipped and let it dry. We stamped into it, poured it onto stamps, and anything else we could think of to try. As you will see from the photos, we did some amazing things that day. 

Shrink Plastic flower formed
with a heat gun

You can also use the melting pot to shrink your Shrink Art Plastic. Everyone had at least one sheet of Grafix™ Shrink Film to try.

I brought along my Sissix™ Big Shot machine and some dies, so that added another dimension. Cutting out a large flower from the shrink film, colouring it with ink, felt pen, or even pencil crayons and then shrinking it with the heat gun was the start. We soon learned that we could manipulate the petals while they were hot. This pliability does not last long, but we determined you could re-heat it if necessary.  Yet another interesting discovery!

I also wanted to leave you with a snapshot of a few of us busy working at our tables.  We are messy, but Creative!

Alberta Rose

Completed Alberta Rose

I have just completed and submitted my 4" X 4" Alberta Rose canvas to the Alberta Flood Rose Project. So, here is a description of how I constructed my piece for this project.

Fibre background on black canvas

Close up view of the felted background

I started by painting my canvas black. My next layer was a section of a needle felted piece. This was made with several fibres sandwiched between pieces of organza and then needle felted with my embellisher machine.  Once the piece was completely needle felted, I heated it with the heat gun. This melts the organza and other synthetic fibres fairly quickly, so I had to be diligent in making sure it did not disintegrate.

The rose itself was made by thread painting on two layers of organza. However, the difference between what I did and what most people do when thread painting is that I did not totally thread paint the entire surface. I just outlined the petals and some highlighting on the petals. The petals were then cut out with a soldering iron. The petals were attached by sewing them at the centre.

Perle cotton stamens

The stamens were a little tricky to make. I painted Number 8 White Perle Cotton with yellow acrylic paint and cut the stamens to size. These were then coated with 3 coats of clear nail polish. I then dipped the stamen ends into hot glue to form the ends. Once dried, I embossed the glue using a Versamark stamp pad and yellow embossing powder. When you heat the glue to emboss it, the glue starts to re-melt quite quickly, so I simply just reformed the ends to the shape I wanted.

French knots added to build up the centre

These stamens were attached with glue and then I added the french knots in light green, white and yellow embroidery floss to build up the centre and help to hold the stamens in place.

I mounted the rose on the background with gel medium. I also coated the black canvas with gel medium to give it a bit of gloss.

All in all, I am very happy with the rose and am very happy to be part of this project.

Finished