Retake: 'Ornamental Pool' piece

Fans of hers will immediately recognise Helen M Stevens' wonderful 'Ornamental Pool' design from the book 'Embroidered Gardens'.  I worked this for my in-laws for their 20th wedding anniversary, but never got a really good photo of the finished item.  We took the original pictures in over-bright sunlight and the end result wasn't as distinct as it could have been.  So, I took the chance whilst over at their place earlier this month of getting it down off the wall and getting some better photos for my own enjoyment.

As you can see, it had never been properly stretched as MIL did it herself rather than having a pro do it (which was both a shame for the finished result and good in that it was easier for Sir to remove the glass for photography!!), so there are some 'waves' showing in the fabric, esp. the top half.  However, try to ignore that and see if you don't love this masterful design as much as I did.=)

Here are some detail photos of various parts:

Worked in 2008, in Anchor stranded cotton, Anchor pearl cotton #12, Anchor Marlitt and Kreinik cord.

To be honest, the light was still a little too bright, but, for the first time that I can remember, I reduced the brightness on Photoshop Elements and then increased the contrast slightly and sharpened some shots a little.  Have you ever had to do this?

I'm quite pleased with the results and will have to remember to try that again when something looks rather bleached out.

By the way, have you updated your RSS reader links to Sew in Love?  I noticed on the last day of Google Reader's 'life' that I had 591 subscribers on there.  Imagine how desperately gutted I was to see only 124 when I checked on Feedly today...=(  So, don't forget to update your feeds so you can keep up to date with what's happening in my textiles world.  I'm hoping to make it well worth your while over the months to come, and feel free to make reader requests too as I'd like to know what you like to read and see.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013

Home again and the 'Pool' finish

Well, here I am, back from doing about 3500km across Central Europe. I was going to post a picture from each country we went to in this post, but that would take a lot longer than it sounds going through all the photos and choosing one etc!! So, I'll be uploading them to my new Webshots travel album soon and will post the link when it's done. We went to France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria though, which was all great, although I was disappointed that we couldn't drive the way the SatNav first suggested from Germany to the Austrian Tyrol - through Switzerland and Leichtenstein, but there are tolls to pay on many European motorways, so we tried to avoid those as the budget was a bit tight.

Here's the completed Ornamental Pool embroidery. MIL said she would rather have it as a framed picture than as a cushion which might get damaged with all the kids she has charging around her living room. She was toying with the idea of a rectangular frame with glass and put glass over it to see how it looked, but we persuaded her to a square frame with a light mount, wooden frame and no glass as the glass really dulled the sheen on the rayon and metallic threads. So has this photo actually. DH took it in strong light and I'm a bit disappointed with it as the shiny bits have all but vanished from sight and the right hand leaf is so affected by the light that you can't see the stitches anymore, (well, you can now somewhat, after auto focusing several times with Photoshop, but it's not as I'd have liked it). So, don't try taking embroidery photos in too strong a light or you'll miss a lot of the textural effects. Won't be able to get a photo of the framed piece until we next visit there and I don't know when that will be.

One of the things I got in the post when I got back was a flyer for the 2008 Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch show, which will be the first weekend in October up at the Great Yorkshire Showground. They advertised this year's Madeira Embroidery competition, theme being 'Glimpses of China'. Well, I wish I'd known about it before, as now there are only about 6 weeks to get the pieces worked and entered and I'm not sure I'll have the time and umph for it. I haven't finally decided againsgt it, I want to look through all my Taiwan photos etc first to see if there's something that might make a winner, but as I'm not that fussed for the prizes, if I'm honest, I wouldn't hold my breath. I think I'd be most interested in the prestige of winning than the goods!!!! We'll see about that one anyway.

Thinking about developing my language learning through blogging, I'm seriously considering opening parallel stitching blogs in Chinese, German and also one in romance languages - basically Spanish with some parts also 'duplicated' in any or all of Italian, French and Portuguese. Spanish and Portuguese speakers, how can I roughly translate Sew in Love so that it will work in both languages? 'Bordar/labores de amor'?? Any ideas from anyone??

'Ornamental Pool' - the Great Leap Forward

Well, it feels like a great leap to me and it's a fitting expression for a stitching sinologist to use, isn't it? (If you don't get this one, do a web search for 'great leap forward' and you should soon see what I mean!!) Anyway, the rayons and metallics are now done and the rest is mostly good old stranded cotton and relatively simple embroidery instead of all this couching and messing with tricky threads. It feels good to be getting on with it though and I must say that my music lesson on Tuesady afternoon did me the world of good. Just doing something purely for me for an hour just scratched the self-nuture itch and I felt much more like doing stuff straight afterwards. So, the appearance of a picture of my viola at the top of my 'bits and bobs' sidebar is in grateful recognition of her contribution to keeping me the right side of insanity boundary!!!

Back to the 'Pool', I'm hoping I haven't made a goof in choosing to use rayons for the coloured sections of these elements as the contrast between their sheen and the ordinary cotton is quite stark. Still, they go well with the metallics, which may have looked out of place with cottons, had I used those instead. I wanted the fish etc to stand out, but I may have overdone it. We shall see when it's complete. Here are close-ups of the two recently completed bits. I just need to get the embroidery done by Saturday, I've decided, as it doesn't take too long to finish it up (less complec than COS was!) and I can even do that en route to Germany. Wouldn't be the first time as I distinctly remember finishing up a wedding bell-pull in the car on the way to the ceremony!!!

Well, it's mid-year and time for a stitching review. Actually, I really haven't accomplished much at all, but here's what there is:

*Finally got 'Child of Spring' finished up into a scatter cushion.

*Finished Derwentwater's 'Bluetits and Seedheads' cross stitch, which was started last July.

*Started and worked about 40-50% of Derwentwater's 'Goldfinches and Thistles' cross stitch, but that's now on hold whilst I get all the obligation stitching done, (so much for my 'learning year' without multiple events to stitch for!).

*Worked one small ribbon piece, 'Rose Arch' and mounted it in a card.

*Worked one small gold- and rayonwork dragonfly, but haven't used it for anything yet.

*Worked the 'Branches of Your Life' as a leaving card for my old boss.

So, not really that much in total. Come to think of it, there wasn't much movement in the six month period before that either, with 'bluetits' being started, some bedding made for one wedding and the waterlily and dragonfly pic being done for another, and that was it!

I finally delved into the murky depths of the laundry basket and dealt with all the 'special treatment' stuff in there - hand-washing and bleaching, so that's something, but all that ironing, yack!

Getting nowhere fast....

....well, it feels like it anyway! Not my fault really though as I've been unwell with women's troubles, then a bug, which I still have, but have been able to do a little bit on the Pool the last day or so. Apart from the usual, incessant health issues, I'm finding this one difficult and unwieldy. It's hard to do freestyle in such a large frame (14"), although I didn't have that problem with the dog when I was doing that in a 12" hoop. Add to that that it has to be done and finished up by close of play on Saturday and you can see why this one is turning out somewhat of a thorn in the rear quarters! I can't believe this is all I've got done over the last week and now I'm having trouble with the rayon thread I've started doing the dragonfly with. That stuff looks great in the skein and even in any project you have the patience and endurance to manage to stitch with, but it's a nightmare to work with! I used to think metallics were a bit challenging, but even silk is well behaved compared to rayon.... Grrrr!

The threads and fabric for the next 2 projects have still not arrived either, which is really annoying. I e-mailed the on-line store (who usually despatch within a day or two) and she said she is waiting for the threads to finally come to colour match with the fabric, but as I then told her, some of the threads are not to go with that fabric, but still nothing has come. I really wanted to be able to take a certain project with me when we go away on Monday, but it looks like it's going to have to be the one I planned on doing after these two! Oh well, at least that will make September more relaxed, but the next one is needed for mid-August, then the third for mid-Spetember! Then there's a wedding in November to do something for. Honestly, my hobby is becoming a task, not a thing I do for fun.=( Ugh! I need our forthcoming holiday!

I've finally added my donation to the campaign I've got the widget for. I don't think that charity work is the real solution to the mental/emotional health problem (although it if manages to save one person from killing themselves, it's worth it), as they are deep symptoms of a sick society and it will take God himself to sort that out. However, I wanted to help those ladies reach their goal as I know how important it is to feel that you're doing something for the person who's died, especially as, with suicide, you always feel you've in some way failed them and need to compensate for it.

The new counter part way down my bits and bobs bar is progress on the using up of things I've had hanging around the place for years! I counted up the personal care products that needed using up, some of which I've had for more than a decade already, and they came to about 100! Some are just sample sachets, travel sizes and hotel shampoo thingies that DH has brought back from business trips, but they need using up out of the way. Saves money in the short term too as I won't need to buy soap, shower gel, bath 'additives' and so on for many months to come!! DH is helping by using up the shampoos and sharing the soaps and I hope to get the total to at least 20 by the time we go away for a fortnight on Monday and to deal with another 5 or more whilst we're away. We're probably going to be moving, likely internationally, in early 2010, so the fewer things we need to pack and move then, the better! The next thing will be to go through the cleaning cupboard and see what needs using up from there.

NOT exactly impressive!

Let me explain what isn't impressive before I go on to the better stuff, and that is my progress on the Ornamental Pool. I had only a few minutes' stitching time during the time we had house guests and have only just been able to pick it up again now. I have yet to make a stitch today though and will get on with that once I'm through with this post and the back-up CDs I'm creating at the same time.

What is rather nice, though, is this certificate I got yesterday morning when I did my viola Preparatory Test. It's not a qualifcation as such, but it was a type of exam that required preparation to a set syllabus and helped me to feel that I could indeed do OK at proper graded exams. I don't think I'll be taking my Grade 1 in November as I fear it would take over my complete lesson time again and I'd like to be able to work towards it alongside my regular course, but I think March next year might be possible. I also took my Grade 2 Theory of Music on Saturday 14th and that was so do-able that I'm aiming for Grade 4 in November and Grade 5 in March. It's nice to achieve something and I like to learn and be tested on things. OK, go on then, call me odd!!!

I forgot to show these, the needlework tools I got as part of my anniversary gift this year. Here we have a stuffing tool for small things (so good for trapunto etc), a stilletto for making holes, a hedebo stick for making various ring shaped things and a set of 3 half cone sticks, most of which will be great for stumpwork things, esp. needlelace stuff. Looking forward to one day having time to do some of that. I'm aching to start a C&G course, but there's no money just now and I have too much other stuff to do anyway. I'm so sick of things being like this! Even the stitching I have planned is all for gifts and feels like work, not hobby fun. My visitors last week were having a great time using some of the fab pencils I showcased earlier in the year and I've been borrowing one library book on drawing buildings for several loans already in the hope of ever getting chance to have a go at working through it. Well, it's still on the shelf virtually untouched. Ever wanted to dump all adult responsibilities and just be a child again who only had to do her school stuff and then play all day long?? I may not have a full-time job or kids, but I still wind up feeling that I'm working all the time.....=( Waaah!

Snail slow progress

Here's what the 'Ornamental Pool' design is looking like just now. Haven't been able to do much as I've either been mad busy, or dead tired!!! Boom and bust is my life!!! Had a couple of low key days though and hope that will help a bit. I have to do some interpreting tonight for which I don't feel at all well prepared, (the fact that I hate prep doesn't help!), but I expect I'll feel better when that's out of the way.


Home is still in chaos after the redecoration and re-carpetting of the study, so there are still piles of stuff all over the place, just look at the hall here seen from the study doorway! I can't really get the vac out very well! Carpets are dreadful! This is something DH got for himself in Taiwan and has put it on the study door.=) Well, he is the president of his own business, so it's accurate!!! He's also the office junior and the tea-boy..... Cute, though, isn't it? I bet that shop sell as many for fun as they do for serious business!

Made a start

I keep thinking it's Sunday as it's Bank (Public) Holiday here in the UK and we've not been doing normal stuff. Feels like it's still an ordinary weekend day!!

Here's how far I've got on the Pool design. Just done about 2/3 of the leaves in the foreground and I'm glad they came first in the working instructions as they really are the boring bit! I'm hoping to get the whole of the foreground design done by the end of next weekend, then get the middle, landscape part done the following week. That should see me well ahead of schedule and able to get on with the first of the two hardanger cushions.

Of course, the card for dh needs doing pronto too as our anniversary is in two and a half weeks, on 12 June! Not long, so I'd best get on with it even before I get this one finished, huh? Gosh! 9 years already. Doesn't seem like that long though, so it must have been good.=)


We went to a barbecue this afternoon/evening at friends' house. There were 60-odd there, so it was quite bustling. I put that vegan baking book to good use and made two types of buns/cupcakes - lime and coconut and chocolate mint as well as a fruit flan. First time making my own pastry and I must remember to put more sugar in next time I want it for something this sweet. Couldn't resist taking a photo!! It's not often that I get to do fancy baking like this, but I hope to take advantage of many more opportunities in the future!!=)

Plant Life and Pool

This is how far I got on the Goldfinches up to Thursday evening. I had hoped to get the right hand thistle totally done, but those thistle heads are quite 'bitty' and take a lot longer then working on the birds or the leaves. Anyway, it's coming along nicely, but will slow down a fair bit now as I'll be concentrating on the Ornamental Pool design instead. Will still do some here and there on the birds, but I need to get gift stitching done in time and the birds are for us. I also need to get DH's anniversary card done, which should be the blackwork heart design I'd planned for last June. Well, we'll see how that goes. I don't like having too many things on the go at once, although two large-ish projects and one small one isn't exactly a lot, is it? I know some have a dozen or more on the go at one time and rarely, if ever, finish anything. I remember one lady telling me she'd never finished anything in her life! Can't quite see the point in that myself, but, well, each to her own, huh?

I got the fabric, front and back, prepared for the Pool cushion/pillow last night, including tracing on the design, as you can see here. It's too big to work even in my 12" hoop, so I've put it in the 14" R&R Craft Frame and hope that that will work out OK. It's a tough thing deciding if R&R Frames or Q-Snaps are best. As an American lady once rightly said, the British product is better quality (DH said so too, that the Q-Snap wasn't well machined - the edges were rough etc), but I like the fact that the clips on the Q-Snaps are longer and therefore hold a better tension all over the piece than the R&R ones. They're also a bit tighter, I think, but that might just be the ones I have as I've had the R&R ones longer and have used them more. They also have a very handy 14" size, which the Q-Snap doesn't. I've got 8" and 11" Q-Snaps and 9", 11", 14" and 17" R&R Frames as well as 4", 5", 6", 7", 8", 9", 10" and 12" wooden hoops, so no-one could accuse me of being short on working frames!!!! I think they're very important and I hate working anything other than a cross stitch bookmark piece (or something equally small, like one of those Textile Heritage needlecases, like this, this and this) 'in hand'. I find it quite painful after a few minutes as well as harder all round. The frame holds things nicely and I just can't imagine doing a larger piece without using a frame and moving it around, if need be. Not that I can see myself doing one of those 3 metre hardanger tablecloths, like!!!!

Oh, I did go to the marlet yesterday and found a fabric stall, but as I didn't have a sample of fabric to match with me, I couldn't seriously look for COS backing stuff. I did go and look at the outdoor produce stalls though and, how cheap are they? I bought a few thing for just over £5 that would have cost me about £10-11 in the cheaper supermarkets! DH and I have decided to become market shoppers instead and I've just made a note of all the farmers' markets in Leeds as well as that might be even better value - local stuff and cutting out the middle man. We can save about £150 a month, which we can put towards something more interesting!=) No, I really don't need any more stash....

I think I've worked out what made me lose my uumph stitching. It seems to have been mad dash stitching for wedding pressies last year along with the job-related problems that just took away a lot of pleasure in a lot of things. Now that's all history and I have a decent amount of time to do the things I want for this summer, I feel much more like doing it.=)