Chapter 7 - Embroidery at last!

So good to have a needle in my hand at last! But first things first ... a photograph of me working on my coursework, which I've kept forgetting to add.

I think that the following six samples are self-explanatory with the notes alongside, but just in case ...

I used three different designs for the first three samples - one symmetrical, one with two symmetrical shapes placed off-centre and one completely asymmetrical also using a negative shape.
Sample 1 consists of two layers of printed cotton and the top turquoise star is a painted wet-wipe, stitched with running stitch in stranded cottons.
Sample 2 has two layers of purchased patterned cotton fabric with many rows of running stitch in perle thread. One of these rows is in orange to add contrast . The top layer is painted cotton attached with small cross stitches.
Sample 3 uses the starfish shapes with a background of printed cotton, a negative shape in satin fabric stitched with running stitch and straight stitches at right angles over the edge of the fabric to enable it to fray. The top layer is silk dupion stitched with backstitch. I buttonholed around the edge of this sample as the fabric was fraying so badly.

Samples 4, 5 and 6 all use the same design in three different colourways and I really like the way this has impacted on their appearance.
Sample 4 consists of two printed cottons and one painted cotton, stitched with running stitches and french knots in stranded cotton. This one is my favourite - I'm pleased with the effect of using contrasting coloured thread to stitch each layer and the slightly more muted colours are more pleasing to my eye.
Sample 5 - I decided to use three blue fabrics this time, two of them printed and the top one made with painted bondaweb. I used a mix of chain and running stitches using orange perle thread for contrast but I think the thread is too thick on the middle layer and the orange somewhat too bright.
Sample 6 has a dark orange silk background with two painted cottons on top stitched with french knots and running stitch using perle thread. the orange thread is variegated and, although it's the same as used in sample 5, it looks less offensive on the orange fabric.