Ocean Blue

I have completed my ocean themed #inthehoop stitchscape. I hope that you like my title for this group of 'scapes, it seems to fit with them. This embroidery is quite simple, no major bells and whistles, but lots of french knots! Just how I like it.

I have a lovely new sandy beach fabric print with smashing little pebbles to bring out with satin stitch, and I've teamed this with a sandy grass print and minute spotty fabric to complete the beach. Satin stitch, kantha (running) stitch, back stitch, bullion knots, seed stitch and french knots complete just this one little section.

The sky is another specific print which I really love, fluffy clouds and faint blue wavy lines which I have treated with back stitch (two strands for the white thread and a single strand for the blue), and satin stitch which covers a slightly thicker print on the white fabric. It keeps the slightly light and fluffy look I think.

Aren't those pebbles gorgeous?

I am trying to lighten up on my stitching and not be quite so tight (mad I know), and have been experimenting with big overlapping, not-so-neat satin stitches. In this case the idea was to follow the space dye print and create some movement with the choppy stitches. Little white french knots are the frothy bubbles that appear when waves turn over and tumble.

As mentioned before the back of each of the #inthehoop 'scapes is pulled up with running thread, securely knotted at one end and then tugged until all of the fabric is drawn up. I go around a second time and also put a running stitch through the different layers which normally stick out. This essentially makes things much easier for when I go back over and stitch a circle of felt to finish it off and hide the rough edges. Neat huh?