Restarting on the Hittite Amulet
Progress On The Hittite Amulet
It is months since you last saw the Hittite Amulet. I put him away in a boxfile before Christmas and refused to get him out again until the embroidery on the Glittering Nightcap was finished.
Of course, it takes a while to gather ones’ wits, and restore the “flow” of a piece like thisl. Since there are two alternating tasks – laying the silver thread and then covering it with silk as appropriate – it is hard to develop a sense of momentum. If I succeed, I may find he gallops away with me – which would be gratifying, because I have a lot more ideas for Dreams of Amarna pieces that I want out of my head and onto fabric!
Oblique View
I’ve tautened the fabric again, and I am trying hard to remember not to let the lines of couching sag in the middle. Sometimes I forget and stitch too tightly, but usually only for one row, so the situation does not get out of hand!
This close-up, oblique view, gives you a sense of the ribbed, “grosgrain” type effect of the background, and the speckling of stitches across the Amulet himself that give the light and shade.
I really think it’s working!
It’s looking good!
Yes, I see what you’re doing – working across two lengths of the silver but varying which two and also varying the colour to achieve the shade. I have never done anything like this so don’t know if that’s the normal way to do it or your invention! But it is looking very effective, and I hope you continue to make good progress with it.
this is really interesting Rachel. It’s the first time I’ve seen this project as i’m quite new to your blog, and the first time I’ve seen this stitching technique. It works really well to show the shading!
I enlarged the photo for a closer look – what amazing stitching!
It is working. looking good.
Wow! It’s really lovely! You have such a wonderful sense of design!
Its definitely ‘working’! So nice to go back to an ‘older’ piece and resurrect it by stitching.
Very good texture and color shades. Another inspiring piece!
I never tire of seeing how you achieve different textures in your work, Rachel. You are a sculpter in needlework! X Cathy
this is such detailed work…my eyes ache just looking at it. I take my hat off to you….