Daffodil Stitchscape

I started this Stitchscape in August last year, as part of a video demonstration on choosing fabrics and layering techniques. (You can see the video on my Youtube channel, here.) Since then it, and another piece I put together in the same video, have been loitering around occasionally being used as example pieces in workshops - when we were allowed them - but I felt that as I'm on such a stitching roll at the moment that it was time to actually stitch these ones and give them their finishing touch!

It's a good time of year to be stitching cheerful Daffodils, especially when it's often so grey and gloomy outside. We have actually had two Daffodils flowering in the garden since early January, although they appear to be the only ones brave enough this early in the year, all of the other Daffs are firmly green and shoot-like. 

The top layer of the 'scape is nice and easy, a single strand of running stitch worked in rows following the curves of the fabrics below and topped with a row of bullion knots. The gorgeous Bumbleberries fabric (from Lewis & Irene) has had each little obvious circle in the print gone round with a single strand of back stitch, and then some of the darker areas shaded with a different thread colour just using straight stitches. I think that this works better if the directions of the stitches go in different directions, it's amazing how different stitches can look depending on which way they go. If they all go in the same alignment then the light catches the thread the same (subtle though it is), but if you go in different directions the light behaves differently so the threads appear slightly a different shade each time. Can you see what I mean?

This layer has been topped using some of the leftover embroidery threads, couching them together over the edge to hide those slightly frayed edges. 

The green stripy layer has had single strand rows of back stitch worked up each line. The darker green colour is following a skinny line now hidden by the thread and the lighter green edges that thicker block of colour. Again this has been edged with bullion knots to finish - a fantastic technique to use on edging as they hide lots of frayed edges and have a character and texture all of their own. (If you are having trouble with bullion knots or don't know where to begin, try having a read through my bullion knot trouble shooter.)

For the plain green, I started with just the two stranded seed stitches covering the whole layer but it looked a bit odd and stark, especially with the hard straight edge of the lace I'd stitched down previously. To make it a bit more interesting I tried using my vertical whip stitch technique, which is actually in two colours as I ran out of one colour part way through using up odd ends. It still looked flat and boring so I moved on to the other layers whilst I pondered on what to do (a great tip if you're stuck or bored with one layer, move on to another and come back later when your subconscious has sorted things out for you) and later returned with the idea for the moss stitch (the loop stitches). These were worked over a stick from one of those oil diffusers so that they are all a uniform size. You do have to be slightly careful with using a stick like this otherwise you get too straight an edge and it doesn't look natural (also don't wrap the thread too tightly or you won't be able to pull the stick out afterwards!). I have tried overlapping different rows and also different colours to make it look more 'bushy'.

Little yellow french knots have been added to bring the yellow further up into the hoop and hint at Daffodils further afield. 

I think this grey/green layer is the one I like the least. Something doesn't quite gel with me (which could possibly be the harsh lines of the matching trimming?, or maybe just the grey colouring?) but as I can't think of any way to rectify it I decided to leave it as it was. The pattern underneath these stitches is exactly the same and I considered using pistil stitches which are a perfect match to the shapes, but sometimes the lines come out a bit wiggly so I instead plumped for straight stitches and a french knot on either end. 

The Daffodils took ages to do! And really hurt my fingers at the top of the layer where it overlaps several fabrics. I used three strands to make the petals quite plump looking and went over and over each petal to build up a three dimensional feel. The fabric pattern has each Daffodil the same colour but I've added a bit of artistic license and used three different colours of yellow in total. 

The trumpet centres have been gone over in the same technique but in ecru, with a little bead stitched onto the trumpet ends or at the centre where the flower is facing directly at you, to give the impression of it popping out of the hoop. 

The stems are whipped back stitch and the leaves have had a single strand of straight stitch going from end to end - although I have 'bent' them in most cases with a little couching stitch pulling the straight stitch into a curve. In most cases this isn't really visible but it really adds to the leaf effect. 

Final finishing touches are the birds in the sky which are fly stitches in dark navy, and little blue loose crosses at the bottom. 

All in all, I think this is a really sweet Spring piece and I am looking forwards to more Daffodils flowering so that I can have a little floral photoshoot with it!

The final stitch run down is; running stitch, bullion knots, back stitch, straight stitch, fly stitch, moss stitch, french knots, vertical whip stitch, whipped back stitch, beading, couching and whatever you might call the petal stitches.