Finished Stitch Off Traycloth
StitchOff Traycloth
So here is the completed traycloth, laid on a convenient tray and assisted by the hand-me-down cutlery (from my grandparents) and the hand-me-down Willow Pattern (from my cousin). We were very entertained (and very pleased for them!), when going around a stately home last year, to find that Willow Pattern was the servant’s hall crockery, although I don’t know quite why.
Traycloth Elements
I didn’t attempt to stitch the two motifs identically. The original sketch of the patterns didn’t look identical, and to my mind that form of perfect repetition is overrated in any case. This shot also shows the machined “satin stitch” border, of three very narrow bands. I suspect they may be padded in some way because the bands are very heavily ridged.
StitchOff Motif
I chose to use very few colours – a yellow, two oranges, and two greens. The stitchery is simple, too, stem stitch and satin stitch, with bullion knots for the stamens. I don’t much like doing bullion knots (a holdover from early attempts) but sometimes they are simply and unarguably, the right stitch for the job.
They didn’t take long, and the completed traycloth does have a very cheering look to it!
That is so very pretty!
I like the fact that they don’t perfectly match. It just proves it was handmade 🙂
I agree, it looks lovely, and your bullions came out fine. Personally, I love them.
that would be lovely for Easter. It’s so cheerful. Actually- I’d use it every day!
It is a bright morning piece isn’t it? Just right for a tray cloth but I was thinking when you said that it was quick to stitch. Was that just the motifs or did it includ all those drawn thread borders?
It’s gorgeous Rachel! And as I have daffodils out in the garden at the moment…
Lovely stitching and great colors.
Cheering indeed – especially with the blue willow… lovely stitching!
beautiful!
Very pretty and beautifully stitched. xx
I love the non-matching!! Except for the china set (which only came out on holidays) nothing matched in our house growing up. Even today with our everyday pottery we have a mix and match group. Makes meals more interesting. *smile*
So pretty! I like that the flowers don’t match exactly. They often don’t in nature and I think that they are more interesting that way. Bravo for finishing another project.!
It’s exquisite with such beautiful set. Having tea with them is heavenly.
very pretty Rachel….
interesting to hear Willow pattern china was allocated to servants. My mum collects Willow pattern china…I must tell her.
Just the thing for breakfast in bed! I love cheerful yellows with willow pattern, and the differences between the sprigs gives them individuality. (When I got this flat, I deliberately bought a set of willow pattern and a set of blue Windsor pattern, and use them together along with various other bits of blue and white china. I like my crockery slightly mixed too.)
How beautiful those flowers are! I love seeing each thing you do for these magazine stitchings.