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Crewel work in progress, RHS Certificate

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  The stitching has begun.  After using the prick and pounce method to place the design onto the fabric, the outline is painted in. This wasn't as easy as it appeared, and you can see I didn't achieve a very smooth result, more practice required! First stitches, battlement couching, a lovely filling stitch. Moving on. Adding burden stitch, van dyke stitch, laid work and couching, which was later removed and replaced with something lighter. The Stem. The green stem began as burden stitch but I couldn't get this work for me nor did I like the result here, so I researched some other ideas and decided to go with a more freehand block shading idea. I think it's quite fun and a nice textural contrast to the red stem. I added the pompoms using woven wheel, French knots and satin stitch, these were lovely to do and I had 3 sets of 3.  Beginning to come together. It was difficult to really predict how the stitches would work together. The colours, chosen over the internet were n...
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Crewel design and detail stitch plan.

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 Well under way now - going to record things with pictures! Final design decided by week 5. Stitch plan considered. This is a guide, and has already changed but without it there would be nothing to start with. Lots of unpicking has been avoided but not all! Doing the course on line has shown just how difficult it is to see colours on screens. I chose my colours from Appletons Wools, 5 shades of 2 colours and 2 highlight shades of another colour. This diagram shows I chose red and green, not the actual shades which turned out to be more plum, the green is quite close though. Golden yellow highlights. There has been instruction in how to put together the slate frame and stretch the fabric. Then transfer the design using the prick and pounce method. 
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First weeks - design

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Well it has begun, with the first two week being nice and steady with Jacqui MacDonald as our tutor. My group is all over the world so it should be interesting. The design is 'The Tree of Life' and can include an animal, stylised flowers, leaves and stems. My designs have evolved and will be completed next week when we will also choose the colours for our design.  I have tried landscape and portrait, this is my latest design I expect some editing when I discuss it with Jacqui and I will also be working on improving it before next week. It may well completely change again! It has evolved from some of these ideas, I keep putting detail in the drawing but is only the outline that is required with the detail coming from the stitching which will fill the shapes. The shapes have to accommodate a specific set stitches as outlined in the course documentation.  I find it hard to design in advance, I like to improvise as I go along which is one of the things I am here to un-learn!! All ...
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Welcome

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 The beginning - better late than never! It's only taken me 12 years to get the nerve up to do this! At last I am taking my stitching journey beyond the hobby it has been till now and undertaking the certificate at the Royal School of Needlework.  It is very intimidating! Very exciting and daunting.  I am an experienced stitcher, I've completed many kits and designed my own work. I'm going to outline my stitching story, to refresh my memory and in case someone decides to read this diary. I stitched at school and took art A level with a printed fabric element. I studied Art and Sociology at university and did a module in textiles which I loved, producing a number of textile pieces for display but generally I was a poor student, I wasn't motivated to learn and didn't follow any career path.  I had up to this point only completed works begun by my Mother, she was very keen to stitch  making  clothing for herself and us,  but when she started creative proj...
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Location: Kent, UK
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