All stitched up ...

Good afternoon!  No card today ... I just couldn't come up with a new idea!  So instead I have tried my hand at free motion machine embroidery ... this is something I have wanted to try for ages but didn't really know where to start.

I began with a simple heart shape and some varigated thread ...

The heart is about one inch (2.5cm) tall

It looks tidier in real life!  My second attempt was a simple heart in a square ...

The heart is about one inch tall

This also looks tidier in real life ... it is difficult to see the imperfections on such a small piece.

I then moved on to a larger project.  I am attending a Printmaking course at the moment and this last couple of weeks we have been doing dry point etching ... whatever technique we are learning I try to print at least one image on fabric with the intention of adding texture and interest with machine embroidery.  Up until today this has only been a dream - I haven't had the courage to give it a go - this is my first attempt!

I began with this print:

The before photograph doesn't reflect the strength of colour

This is how it looks after adding some stitching:

I'm reasonably happy with the outcome ... maybe next time a better image and more practise will improve the finished image.  My biggest surprise was to turn over the piece to find that the reverse of the image is actually quite interesting!

Something I definitely wasn't expecting!!

Enjoy!