This ATC is a one-off, started as an example for the Brighton Embroidery Group ATC workshop a few weeks ago. Amazing how time flies as it only seems like the weekend that I was there.
The workshop was focusing on the July Patchwork Fields/A Birds Eye View theme from the Stitchscape Swap and really the whole point of the workshop was to encourage some of the ladies to join in with the swap so we will have to see if anyone will. It all came about when I emailed all of the embroidery and stitching groups I had spoken to or did a workshop with last year to see if they wanted to share the information of the swap around to their members. The Brighton group decided that they'd like to learn more about them first so invited me back for another workshop which was really lovely of them. I've already shared their work made during the session in a previous post.
But this little piece was just a demo and I've finished it much quicker than my usual demos because I had so much fun with the set I made for the swap. It's actually slightly addictive I think and a real challenge to look at something from a different view. Whereas usually I'm among the woodland close up with the trees, or looking at the rise of the hills and landscape with my feet on the floor, here I'm flying up high and looking down so you have to think slightly differently.
The cross stitch fabric is a Makower cross stitch print so each of those crosses was already printed on the fabric and I've worked actual cross stitch across them, using two strands for the different coloured colours and just a single strand for the main colour - just to try and make it a bit different really, give some height or weight to certain areas. I honestly don't know how people do lots of big cross stitch kits one after the other. Just doing crosses is so boring! Perhaps the challenge is in counting the crosses and revealing the pattern? It's not for me, a little segment this size was plenty enough, and even then I played around with weight of line to make it more interesting, and added single strand, one twist french knot cornflowers, and two strand fly stitch birds over the top!
I've used the fabric patterns more in this piece rather than make them into a texture like the other cards. So for the green flower print I've worked back stitch along the stems, straight stitches and french knots in two colours to match the colour of the print underneath. For the yellow piece I've used a single strand and worked back stitch around the shape of the print, then added french knots to edge that one side and also to add some texture around the fabric (perhaps hay bales piled up on the side of the field?), with the little cornflowers scattered through as well.
The plain green layer has got seed stitch for texture and has been edged in several strands of a deconstructed jute tape which I've pulled them out of and twisted as I couched. Not all of the strands have been couched at once so the stitching has sort of been lost under the twisting lengths. I've then used stripped down acrylic yarn to make my taller french knot trees, scattering these further around the card (also to cover up some frayed and pulled edges where I'd made the edging, then done the internal layer stitching which had moved the fabric - which is why I prefer to fill my fabrics with stitches first and then edge afterward!). My french knot sheep are also back because they are too sweet not to be included.
The 'ploughed' field has been made with rows of back stitch, and the final green batik layer has been satin stitched over big white patches within the green so that it all blends in together.
Slightly different colours used but I think it looks right at home with the Patchwork Fields set!
The final stitch round up for this card is; back stitch, straight stitch, french knots, bullion knots, satin stitch, cross stitch, fly stitch and couching.
So much fun to make!!
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