Saturday, April 07, 2007

'Pirate Bunny'

OR 'Death's Head Bunny With Cross Carrots'. 8cm square.
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Finished couching of base outline or supports.

Part done couching.

Bottom: Template on brown paper with adhesive plastic.
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This is a new lace piece I'm working on. I'm still doing this one (and you must be sick of looking at it) but I wanted to put the idea down while it was there. I get a bit of time at work when I have to stay-put but can doodle and work through an idea, trying different things on paper before I put it in concrete, so to speak. There's quite a committment in making lace, in any embroidery really, so ideas do well to be well developed. (Of course I decided to put this post in now, being the action-man type of woman that I am, and it's too dark to photograph proper-like, but you'll get the gist.)

HOW TO:
1: Put your design on firm brown paper. Brown paper seems to have good fibre and takes abuse.
2: Cover with clear contact and rub it down.
3: With double (?) thread of whatever colour you're using and a contrasting couching thread, BOTH MACHINE-THREAD THICKNESS, couch the outline. Fold in ends. Nothing on the back of course (except couching thread) because the back (paper) and couching will be taken off.
4: 'Colour in' with lace stitches.

AND MORE AGAIN...(EDIT):

IMPROVED INSTRUCTIONS:
A: The 'Bars' or 'Supports' are done also with Detached Buttonhole, but every so often you do a Bullion back on itself.
B: Finish everything, then go around the edges of the main solid pieces, again with Detached Buttonhole. This raises the edge and defines the section. For example, one would probably edge around the carrots first, then the foliage and skull... all after having done the bars. Get it?

Go HERE for stitches and thanks to Peggy Crawford and Loretta Holzberger.

You can see in the drawing I have added a background grid, which supports the design and must be part of the overall 'vibe'. Baby.

If you want to know anything about the method, email me at: rmsquare@connexus.net.au or better still, put a comment so others can see.

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