Tuesday, June 07, 2011

I have to show you these beautiful cards I got!


Suztats has been following a challenge regarding painting with watercolors. I have to admit I haven't taken the time to find out how this originated, but I've been enjoying her results. Awhile back, she participated in one that used glue on the paint surface and then watercolors. The results were so gorgeous and she said she would make cards and the first 5 or so comments could get one. Ha! I was fortunate enough to get not only one but TWO cards! I hope you don't just read about her tatting but also check out the other talents she shows when you go there. These cards are so nice I'm thinking about framing them both just for MOI!

I did do some tatting this evening but haven't blocked it yet. I even have a motif from the other night that I haven't blocked yet so there is still plenty to show in future posts.

I did think I would show my second attempt at this embroidery. I learnt how to damp stretch my embroidery from a tutorial on Karen Ruane's blog. I've only ever known how to finish off embroidery by pressing it face down. This method makes the fabric so smooth and flat, a really nice finish. I was disappointed though, in the way the water washed out the dye in a few threads. It was not bad thread. It was thread I dyed with easter egg dyes a long time ago. I knew it still ran a bit, even with vinegar and heat setting but had forgotten that's what these particular threads were. The 3rd flower from the left used to be a very pretty blue. Gone now. In fact, when I saw the blue had bled into the fabric, I used a bit of soap and damp stretched it again. THEN the pink one on the left did the same thing. I tried a bit of soap and wetting that one too, but it didn't work. You can still see a faint pink haze around it.

Still, I had fun doing it and I'll still make a little sachet or something out of it. Embroidery takes time and skill like everything else and it's not something I've really had a lot of experience with so exploring and playing is well worth it. I do still plan to do a third version with some tatting added into the embroidery so I'm glad that wasn't the one I used the poorly dyed thread on.

7 comments:

  1. Her cards are beautiful! I don't know much about painting, but I enjoy reading about the process. I figure any bits of information I pick up just make my life that much more enriched!

    I love your embroidery. That button flower looks great! Bleeding threads can be very discouraging. Part of the reason I stopped cross-stitiching years ago was because I would get so upset if a color bled into the fabric. And now, I'm in to tatting!

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  2. The embroidered flowers look pretty. Hate it when colour runs. The flowers also look like stick figures. I love how the leaves curl.

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  3. Very pretty cards :)

    I do quite a bit of embroidery, and yours is really beautiful, you did a nice job, I like all forms for different reasons, and I really really like this simpler outlined form a lot, I use it a lot on things I do, reminds me of a country rustic like feel. I really am enjoying looking at your picture, even with your colors not turning out the way you wanted :)

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  4. oh, one of the things you can do , forgot to say, to help the colors not wash out, is pre wash your thread, use a little hand soap and just sort of soak and gently rub in warm water, then roll up and squeeze after gently rinsing, again in warm water, in a towel, it does quickly dry, but be sure to use an old towel or rag towel for any excess water still ringing out. it helps a ton
    :)

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  5. This is some thread I dyed a long time ago with easter egg dye, long before the HDT's of today which are more permanent and richer in color. I rinsed and rinsed and treated with heat (as well as vinegar) but the color still leeches out. I have only 3 or 4 floss cards of it and often forget when I'm using them. I need to just pitch them.

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  6. Gina, your embroidery is very whimsical, and I love it! Such a shame about the threads bleeding, though.
    So happy you like your cards! Hugs

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  7. thank you for the warning. I too dye my own threads and plan to start on embroidery.

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