My little beach huts are finished! They were such a fun, colourful little project to do and I love how they've turned out. I must admit I was a little worried about this one earlier on today as the huts looked so flat in their environment and the sea wasn't sitting right....it was all going wrong. But previously, I've managed to make buildings stand out slightly more by stitching a single strand of a dark colour along the edges of the buildings (Lionel's Lighthouse is an example) so I gave it a go here with some dark navy and the huts immediately popped out! Such a relief! I think it's because it adds an element of shadow to the edges, especially in this case where the huts are lined up so closely together as it gives the effect of tiny narrow passages between them.
I decided not to use any kind of stabiliser like bondaweb for the hut shapes so it is all cut and stitched free hand. The huts were done first to minimise fraying and I think they've turned out really well! I mentioned in my last post that the fabric used for the huts is from the same piece and I knew the second I saw it that it was pretty much destined to become a beach hut stitchscape of some sort! I love the three toned stripes per hut, it gives them so much character.
The layers in this are super simple. The shell pattern is part of the fabric print so I've just enhanced it by working a single strand of back stitch around each shell shape, and then adding in smaller stab stitches where the colours hint at a curve or shadow, with straight stitches following along the grooves of the outside of the shell.
The seed stitch around the outside has two different colours in it to mirror the slight spotting in the fabric print. The majority is a single strand seed stitch in the light brown colour, and then just around the shells is a two strand ecru colour which picks out the colours of the shells and adds little glints of light to the 'sand'. The bullion knots edging this layer are made up of a single strand of both of these colours and they appear in a lovely, marbled stripe effect which is rather cool - what do you think?
The beach huts themselves have quite a few stitches worked in them. The roof tiles are back stitch following the scallop of the print, then couched embroidery threads around the roof edges and a darker back stitch behind that to add shade. The stripes have whip stitch on the edges and around the hut itself, with running stitch to support the fabric, and the doors are a single strand of blanket stitch with french knot door handles!
The sea, which was annoying me earlier, has been improved immensely by the addition of a single strand of metallic blue DMC thread. I love adding metallic threads to water scenes as it really helps to bring the whole piece alive when it's glinting and moving in the sunshine. The stripes within the print have been stitched and edged with stem stitch, then really rough french knots added to the edge of the layer to try and make them look more bubbly and spontaneous, madly crashing against the shoreline in a desperate attempt to reach the beach huts!
I haven't tidied up the back yet I'm afraid, please excuse the random navy threads floating on the back. I enjoy that the general scene can still be viewed on the back of the piece!
So, the stitch roll call for this piece is as follows: straight stitch, running stitch, back stitch, stem stitch, whip stitch, seed stitch, stab stitch, blanket stitch, french knots, bullion knots, satin stitch (sort of), fly stitch, couching and cross stitch.
Now I just have to stretch this over mountboard and it can be stored away! Sadly there is no more room in my studio for framed pieces so I have an entire stash of them waiting patiently for their time to be properly framed.
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