{"id":9890,"date":"2016-06-14T09:05:18","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T08:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blog.virtuosewadventures.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=9890"},"modified":"2016-06-10T19:08:38","modified_gmt":"2016-06-10T18:08:38","slug":"the-stumpwork-violets-finally-planted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blog.virtuosewadventures.co.uk\/wordpress\/2016\/06\/14\/the-stumpwork-violets-finally-planted\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stumpwork Violets Finally Planted"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Assembled<\/a>

Assembled Violets<\/p><\/div>\n

I wouldn’t care to do much real hand embroidery on a fabric “doped” (after the fashion of early aeroplane wings!), with the mixture of inktense and aloe gel. Once it had dried, the calico had something of the texture of a cheap printed furnishing fabric, and did not recover well from having holes poked in it. I suspect it would prove rather abrasive on more delicate threads, but in this case I was simply using stranded cotton.<\/p>\n

And there were many holes poked in it – one for each of the elements. I turned back one of the two wires at the base of each, to help to support the curves I was trying to set into them, using the wires around the edge. The other wire I poked through a hole which was in turn poked through the fabric using a stiletto. Bending that wire back on itself should have kept the elements in the place, but as with all of my embroidery adventures – it wasn’t quite that easy!<\/p>\n

\"Cut<\/a>

Cut And Padded<\/p><\/div>\n

When I fished out the packet of stamens from my second Frostings Box<\/a>, I found that there were three strands of each of three types, and picked the most delicate gold ones, so as not to overpower the flowers. So that worked out nicely – one strand for each flower! – and caused three more holes in the calico..<\/p>\n

The elements were still wriggling a bit, though, so I decided to put some padding behind the clump to help to entrap the wires, and also to enhance the domed effect that I was hoping for. That meant that it made sense to trim the padding and enclose it with the calico, creating a single, “free-standing” clump of violets. The elements are held in place with minimal stitching, the curves nestling together, and the wires and threads entrapped in the padding. It wouldn’t stand up to much handling, but then it won’t get any!<\/p>\n\n\t\t