Golden Accessories – more on the Acorn
I need to learn to pay attention to the instructions.
Acorn With Outline
Outline Removed
Still, before we get to that – I’ve finished the tent stitch on the Golden Acorn!
Here you see it, first with the outlining for the strapwork still in place, and then in close-up with the outlining removed. That was exciting at times – the gold thread had been caught in a few places by the green.
Bullion Knots
Broad Chain Stitch in Place
Next, there was a pattern of bullion knots to create an interesting effect on the cup of the acorn. Several different lengths interlock here. I’m not particularly keen on Bullion Knots, but I’m glad I included them – I think they look really good.
The beginning of the strapwork was a row of Broad Chain Stitch in each of the narrow channels left in the green background.
Ceylon Stitch Straps
Strapwork Looking Clunky
All is still well in the first of these pictures, where I’ve put in the Ceylon Stitch strapwork in gold.
Then, concentrating painfully on my Braid Stitch I went on to add the second lot of straps, and didn’t stop to think until I had finished all four corners. At which point I looked at it and thought it looked rather clunky and that it really didn’t have the delicacy or charm I’ve come to expect from Tricia’s designs.
That’ll Larn Me!
So then (not soon enough!) I went to have a look at the instructions.
The Braid Stitch should be in silver.
Out it all came.
That’ll larn me!
(“Larn” is a dialect word, so what I mean is “That’ll teach me!”)
Oh, don’t you just love messing up and then re-doing it??=)
I rather liked it in all gold but I dare say it will look even lovelier in silver!
I love the bullions on the acorn.
Ooops! We should learn to love re-doing I guess.Gold looks good to me,but silver will look even more better with green I think,love the bullion texture.
I messed up with counting the threads in my hardanger doily project a couple of minutes back,decided to take a break and read blogs while I re-group myself,here I’m to read about yours 🙁 !!!!
We quilters give our quilts names ……. one of my friends once named a quilt “now read the instructions” ….. as after she finished it she realised that it was all wrong!
You have very great patience to redo all that stitching … I would hide it in a cupboard!!
People with a spectral Miss Hunter at their elbows know to take it out before she does! Grandmama would have been proud of you.(as well as having a certain fellow feeling)
I hate un picking but I hate looking at some things that is wrong even more. It just had to be done. But those bullions are stunning they make that thistle.
Love the bouillon knots – Tricia Nguyen-Wilson is a wizard!
I know “That’ll larn me [or ‘that’ll larn you!’ usually from a parent] ” as a rather old (well, old for America) ‘Southernism’ – I can’t tell you how much it tickled me to read it in an Englishwoman’s blog!
Urghhh! Tho silver would lighten the colours. At least it wasn’t the bullions that needed undoing – they are so textural!
The bullion knots really add something – they’re lovely. I agree, the gold did look clunky – the silver will look much better. That’ll teach yer ter lake about wi’t gold thread wi’out reading t’ instructions prop’ly.
Severalcharactersfromthetoprowofthekeyboard! When all else fails, read the instructions. Still ,clunky or not (knot?), the gold did look very sumptuous. I know you have a magnifying glass but the size of the stitches still makes my eyes water and my head ache in sympathy.
Oops!
But I really do like the rest of the pattern. It’s lovely.
‘Bullion knots’ obviously is a new one on me, but I do think they look good here – it makes the piece tactile – I am sure I would want to stroke my fingers over it! The overall design of the piece is really attractive though. Hope you’ve ‘larned’ from the experience! xCathy
you don’t like bullion knots???? and you have created them so beautifully….
Ouch!! Your careful, painstaking work never ceases to amaze me, Rachel. You are made of much tougher stuff than I!!
(…but you will be proud of me when you hear that I actually embellished a felt journal cover recently…with an embroidery floss running stitch and quite a few different kinds of beads!!) Giggle.
You work on such tiny, meticulous projects sometimes. I marvel at your abilities with very detailed work and gold work. Your skills are well beyond me, but I love seeing what you create.
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