Historical Sampler – A Snail

After the popularity of the googly eyed bug, how could I not do another creature? *grin*

I’m doing a snail.

The technique is outlined at http://blog.theflossbox.com/?page_id=1356

in Emily's The Floss Box’s blog.

which I found through Paula Hewitt’s (Beauty of Life blog) on-line stumpwork resources page

http://paulahewitt.wordpress.com/stumpwork-on-line-resources/

I also am going to use the description of raised stem stitch from http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/castalguidi.html

 

The snail’s body is done by couching down three strands of thick thread, then covered in raised stem stitch, which takes several steps.

The body is padded with two layers of felt, then the string with raised stem stitch is added over the top.

This is my snail so far :

It's on the opposite side of the laidwork rose's stem to all my other work so far.

• I used DMC bumpf thread as the couched thread. (DMC No.4 Soft Cotton col. 2725 yellow, which I actually have for padding string work in goldwork)
• I found it easier to couch the threads separately rather than all together. This helped in that I got a bit tricky and used a single string at the tip of the tail.
• I waxed the thread before using it, to stop any furries from sticking up. This is a tip from Berlin Embroidery’s Fleur De Lys tutorial – the part on sewing down string

"...and then pull all the strands together through beeswax, so that the string is entirely coated and stiff with wax. Waxing the string will ensure that it is firm so that the shape of the padding does not deform when sewing the purl chips over top and so that no fluffy parts of the string will stick up between the chips."

http://www.berlinembroidery.com/goldworkfleurdelys.htm

I originally saw this tip on using waxed string as padding somewhere else, but this is the only reference I can find in my notes at the moment.

• I think would be easier and quicker (although I didn't do it) to plunge the ends of the string as gold threads are in goldwork, rather than having to deal with fluffy cut ends and couching them down firmly.
• The second step in doing the raised stem band stitch is to cover the string entirely in a base thread, just going around and around it using a tapestry needle.

This is actually harder than it sounds. You don't want the loops to be so loose that they move, or so tight that they take the 'pad' out of the padding string. I'm sure I'll master it with practice.

• The next step is to put down more loops, these ones 5mm apart, to actually loop the stem stitch around.
• Then I get to do the stem stitching, which Emily says takes ages.

For the body, I'm going to use a single strand of the DMC variegated thread in brown (it goes from a goldy fawny mid brown to ecru).

Sally (DragonSally, LtlPengy, who are you on this forum?) and I have discussed the colour of the shell, and we both instantly thought of a deep rich blue-red (almost brown) for the body.

I am flirting with the idea of having it in stripes - a gold yellow and the red. The more comical the better, I've seen in extant embroideries when it comes to bugs.