Embroidered Book Cover - Trellis Stitch and the Latest Strawberries

I've updated my last entry (A Collection of Strawberries) to update with the stitch suggestions from Paula and Celeste, and a bit more thought about the strawberries.

This is my second attempt at a trellis stitch strawberry.



The tension is just all over the place, as you can see.

I read the instructions provided by The Embroiderer's Story, (ThistleThreads), and after this attempt, the instructions in the back of Jane Nichol's Stumpwork book and made a better attempt.



Jane Nichols suggested that silk was best, and I think she is right. The top looked a bit furry by the time I was finished.

I'd been a bit chicken of learning trellis stitch, but it didn't turn out to be too hard. I don't know if I've gotten the tension correct. The hardest thing was picking up the straight line bits in the row above to add new knots while I was working so small.

I've had a bit of fraying of the brocade on the right hand side where the material is made of gold thread. I've sewn the edge, and Fray-Stopped all of the edge (which I should have done in the beginning). The 3 strands of DMC might have to be a bit closer on that side that I intended.

Here's the panel as it appears at the moment :

The trellis stitch strawberry is the leftmost one at the top.

I've also done one in the middle (above the beaded one).
That was done in shaded satin stitch, with a lattice laid over the top. And yes, the French Knots sunk in again. I did them between the intersections, as the strawberries spots from the historical pieces were all done (shown in the last entry). Should have done them ON the intersections. I'll probably take them out and re-do them on the intersections so they don't sink.

I was thinking with laid stitch - you'd have to do the Knots on the intersections of the base threads, the same as doing them on a lattice, or you'd have the same problem.

Now to watch Mary's woven picot video, so I can put some on my latticed strawberry :-). I watched the one on making a lattice before.

It's my birthday in a month and I've asked for plants and Amazon vouchers as presents. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that I'll get enough in vouchers to get :-

18thC Embroidery Techniques - which I have out from the library at the moment, and I just love. The embroidery style isn't quite me, but the goldwork is! That padding with string thing.

Trish Burr's Long and Short Stitch - which has heaps heaps more on stitch direction that the Redoute book, and some lovely flowers. I'm going to do two of them for the dreaded "my two best friends who have their birthday's in the same month" (August), which I think is also a good idea before attempting a Redoute flower.

Country Bumpkin Embroidery Encyclopedia - Mary's recommendation

and

Mary Brown's Embroidery Encyclopedia which I've seen highly recommended around the Net.

If there are a squillon dollars I've got other books in mind. The Batsford Book of Canvas is coming to me from another library in a few weeks, and I'll be able to check it out. Funny that I'm getting special permission to have it at home, since it's kept by the State Library but it only costs $9 to buy from Amazon. I guess it's because it's the only copy held by a library in Australia.