Color Palette Inspiration

 This illustration has so many beautiful colors, I think it would be a good color palette for a hand embroidery project!

I matched the colors to embroidery floss:

and added them to my color palette journal:

Autumn Embroidery Projects - Part One

 I have two works in progress to share.  These are Autumn embroideries, one is a sunflower table napkin - I need to find just the right color palette for the flower and the border:

The other project is also a table napkin - monogramed and will be stitched on a creamy colored, 100% linen fabric.  

You may remember that I stitched this motif before, in an almost monotone color palette:

I have the color palette for this project and I would love to add these beads and sequins...

but not sure they are a good idea for a table napkin!

I will post updates to these projects soon!

Cloud Filling Stitch

 Time for another 100 Stitches post!  This time it is the  Cloud Filling Stitch. 

I learned this stitch from the excellent embroidery book Embroidery Stitches from Mary Webb.

For my example, I used two different colors of perle cotton thread.  These are DMC numbers 890 {dark forest green} and 469 {avocado}

This stitch is really simple, but takes a bit of measuring to setup! 

Cloud Filling Stitch is composed of evenly spaced Straight Stitches which are then woven by a contrasting colored thread.  I found that the easiest way to keep everything evenly spaced is to make a grid.

The first step is to come up through the fabric on the top left corner of the shape:

Then go back into the fabric making a small Straight Stitch:

Then make the Straight Stitches all along the top edge of the shape:

Then start on the second row, working back from right to left.  This row has the Straight Stitches halfway between each vertical line:

Once all the Straight Stitches are done, it is time to start weaving.  The first step is to come up through the fabric at the edge of the first Straight Stitch.

Pull the thread all the way through and then slide the needle under the first Straight Stitch, without going into the fabric.  Pull all the way under and then 

Start weaving by sliding the needle under the Straight Stitch below:

and then through the next Straight Stitch on the first row:

Just keep weaving for the whole row:

Then go back into the fabric at the last Straight Stitch on the first row.

To start the third row, come up through the fabric at the edge of the first Straight Stitch at the third row:

 Continue weaving as before:

Row after row until complete!

Here is a look at the underside of this stitch:

So beautiful:

Cottage Garden Embroidery Pattern

Cottage Garden is a new pattern set available in my shop.  

I enjoyed drawing this set and am also enjoying stitching up the pattern samples:

  

Here is a look at the completed pattern set:

As you can see, there are flowers, a cottage, picket fences and more beautiful flowers!

Color Palette Inspiration

 I have shared on numerous posts that I like to keep a color palette inspiration journal.  In this journal, I match embroidery floss to the inspiration colors.  

I attach a floss swatch:

and the floss number:

The journal pages are filling up, so I will be moving into this larger 9.5" x 12" journal soon!

Beach House Welcome Sign Project - Part Two

 You may remember my previous post involving this Welcome project from my Beach House embroidery pattern set.  

I stitched the same anchor and text in three different color palettes:

I used a rusty pink {DMC 3778}and a light pink {DMC 3326} for this one:  

Seafoam green for the anchor {DMC 954}dark tan {DMC 729} and sand {DMC 738}for the rope and the text is a variegated perle cotton {DMC 4128}.

This one is navy blue {DMC 158} white {DMC Blanc} and bright red {DMC 349}:

My favorite is the red, white and blue.  

Double Darning Stitch

Time for another 100 Stitches post.  This beautiful one is the Double Darning Stitch.  

This is an easy filling stitch and it looks especially nice when stitched with variegated thread.  I am using perle cotton DMC color variations #52:

The Double Darning Stitch, also known as pessante can be described as a double Running Stitch.  In a Running Stitch, each stitch and the space before the next stitch are the same length. All stitches and spaces are the same length.  In the Double Darning Stitch, the first stitching line is done as a line of Running Stitch worked from left to right: 

When the end of the stitching line is reached:

 Then the spaces are filled in by stitching back right to left, making sure to use the same needle holes made by the original stitches: 

The next line is started working again from left to right and directly under the first stitching line:

and back right to left:

Then the next line:

and so on...

When I was finished, I brought my thread through to the underside of the fabric and secured it by weaving through some of the stitches formed on the underside:

I learned this stitch from the book Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.