Tolpuddle Stitchscape

In a push on marketing for my Stitchscape Shop and the fabrics that I currently offer, I have decided to stitch little hoops, only 10cm ones, to show how you could combine some of the fabrics in the shop into a Stitchscape. Obviously there are lots of different ways and scenes you could create, and it may depend (especially with the batiks) which areas of pattern and colour you get in your FQ, but I thought this was a nice way to just get the inspiration flowing and to show how they could work together. 

I have, inadvertently already done one of these hoops - which I am calling Fabric Friday hoops by the way - with my Boggy Bottom Stitchscape made using four batik fabrics I had ordered last year - but this one is a deliberate choice from my fabric range, orderable online. 

There is something special about stitching these little 10cm hoops - they don’t take so long to stitch, can be stitched absolutely anywhere as perfect travel projects and look extra sweet when finished. 

This hoop is quite tonal with the blues and greens complimenting each other. Even though it’s based on a landscape, it doesn’t mean that you have to stick to actual earthy colours. 

I started stitching this whilst at Fibre Fest when it got a bit quiet in the afternoon. I try to take little projects to events so that I can demonstrate stitches, or lure people in by being creative. It can also apparently make people more at ease when browsing because I’m not staring at them so they linger longer and if it’s quiet then I’m at least being productive!

I do sometimes try and support other sellers whilst I’m there if they are selling something which would compliment the piece - in this case I picked up some hand dyed yarn from Folkestone Harbour Yarn which I’ve unravelled and couched down as plant life at the bottom of the hoop. The colour helps to balance all of that heavy green at the top. 

It reminds me of the green Northern Light photos you see with the big swathe of green blasting across the sky. I’ve sort of added to that effect with the vertical straight stitches covering the layer, and then I’ve edged the top of it with bullion knows, and also French knots at the bottom (actually edging the piece below) to give it a fluffier edge. 

On the batik piece I have used a single strand of back stitch to go round the obvious shapes in the batik print, then added some texture with small French knots, drawing down those bright zesty green knots but matching them to the colours underneath with more of the green and some turquoise scattered through. 

My favourite layer is the third from the top, which I’ve used in other colours but not personally in this blue. The swirling stems I’ve covered in stem stitch (one strand), then the leaves are single strand detached chain stitch, and the flowers two strand detached chain stitch in dark purple. There are two colours used on the stems and leaves as the print is two colours, but I've kept all of the flowers the same. Gaps between the pattern have been filled with running stitch following the stem lines like ripples working outward from a droplet of water. I love all of the different colours in this one layer, it gives it so much movement whilst still being quite calming. 

The fabric has been edged with quite a hard dark line of a navy waxed cotton cord - it was all I had in that colour. 

Working down is a striped sort of fabric which immediately says water to me so I've enhanced that with some single or two strands of long straight stitches vaguely following lines in the fabric print. I'm not sure how many colours I've used here, three I think with an additional metallic thread - a thinner Gutermann one which can be used through sewing machines so it's very fine and delicate. 

The fabric was edged first with ric rac, then the straight stitches came afterwards. I've had some fun stitching this ric rac down, stitching over it with a single strand (as I often do) but then working in those curves a french knot for some fun. 

The foliage on the bottom starts with the Folkestone Harbour Yarn, then I stitched these great cup flower sequins on the top - wedged on with the bead rather than stitched. Naturally I then decided that actually it needed pistil stitches worked around them (which should have been done before the sequins but never mind), using a variegated thread so the colour subtly changes. The bottoms of the stems have been 'bedded in' with some lovely clear green-tinged seed beads to give another element of sparkle and watery bubbles. 

It's a really cute little hoop!

The final stitch run down for this piece is; straight stitch, french knots, bullion knots, back stitch, stem stitch, detached chain stitch, running stitch, pistil stitch, couching and beading. 

You can find the Fabric Friday Bundle Two (for the colours in this hoop) HERE. 

You can find the first Fabric Friday Bundle (for the Baggy Bottom piece) HERE.