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Search Press - Hazel Blomkamp

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Crewel Freshideas for Jacobean embroidery creatures HAZEL Blomkamp Following the success of Crewel Intentions and Crewel Twists, which introduced embroiderers to needle-lace and loom-weaving techniques in their designs, comes Crewel Creatures, the third title in this series by renowned embroiderer Hazel Blomkamp. Animals and birds are popular subjects in crewel embroidery, and here Hazel introduces needleworkers to the beautiful, exotic creatures found in the African wild. Using the Jacobean embroidery style for which she is well known, and incorporating the subtle influence of the fractal designs found in zentangle art, Hazel also brings beads and other three-dimensional elements into her designs to capture the stunning and colourful art that is traditionally associated with Africa. Those new to Hazel's work will find the essential crewel stitches, needle-lace and needle-weaving techniques needed in an easy-to-follow how-to section and stitch gallery inside the book, and all embroiderers will be impressed by the wealth of design ideas and inspiration Crewel Creatures has to offer. With every project, step-by-step instructions and gorgeous photographs are included, along with a template of the design. All the projects are stitched and embellished on natural coloured linen, making them not only perfect for framing for display but also wonderfully economical for embroiderers to work on.

Informations

Publié par	Search Press
Date de parution	09 juin 2023
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781800932357
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	304 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0800€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Crewel Freshideasfor Jacobean embroidery creatures HAZELBlomkamp

Following the success of Crewel Intentions and Crewel Twists, which introduced embroiderers to needle-lace and loom-weaving techniques in their designs, comes Crewel Creatures, the third title in this series by renowned embroiderer Hazel Blomkamp.

Animals and birds are popular subjects in crewel embroidery, and here Hazel introduces needleworkers to the beautiful, exotic creatures found in the African wild. Using the Jacobean embroidery style for which she is well known, and incorporating the subtle influence of the fractal designs found in zentangle art, Hazel also brings beads and other three-dimensional elements into her designs to capture the stunning and colourful art that is traditionally associated with Africa. Those new to Hazel's work will find the essential crewel stitches, needle-lace and needle-weaving techniques needed in an easy-to-follow how-to section and stitch gallery inside the book, and all embroiderers will be impressed by the wealth of design ideas and inspiration Crewel Creatures has to offer.

With every project, step-by-step instructions and gorgeous photographs are included, along with a template of the design. All the projects are stitched and embellished on natural coloured linen, making them not only perfect for framing for display but also wonderfully economical for embroiderers to work on.

For readers looking for something different and new to stitch, and for those keen to challenge themselves with more complex embroidery techniques, this latest addition to Hazel's Crewel series is an absolute must-have.

This book is dedicated to the memory of Ivan Naudé, a gentleman and a genius.

Freshideas for Jacobeanembroidery

Crewel Fresh ideas for Jacobean embroidery creatures

HAZELBlomkamp

SEARCH PRESS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & THANKS

Louise Grimbeek, Sandra Kloppers, Margie Breetzke and Alexandra Cullen for proof stitching the designs in this book;

Pat van Wyk and Melanie Shrives for keeping the studio running while I took the time to write this book;

Di van Niekerk for the use of her beautiful studio during the photoshoot and, along with Wilsia Metz, for friendship and support.

Buyers of the book are allowed to reproduce the designs for personal use without permission from the publisher or author. Copying for any commercial purposes whatsoever is not allowed under any circumstances.

Every effort has been made by the author and the publisher to ensure that the information and instructions in this publication are correct. The results cannot be guaranteed and no warranties are given. No liability can be accepted for any injury, loss or damage suffered.

First published in Great Britain 2018 Search Press Limited Wellwood, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3DR

Originally published in South Africa in 2018 by Metz Press, 1 Cameronians Ave, Welgemoed 7530, South Africa

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.

Suppliers If you have difficulty in obtaining any of the materials and equipment mentioned in this book, then please visit the Search Press website for details of suppliers: www.searchpress.com

Templates Extra copies of the textured prints are available from www.bookmarkedhub.com.

Publisher Wilsia Metz Design and layout Liezl Maree Proofreader Glynne Newlands Illustrations Hazel Blomkamp Photographer Kenny Irvine, Di van Niekerk Printed and bound by WKT Company, China

Contents

Introduction 8 General tips before starting 10 Materials 14 Tools 17 Stitches and techniques 18 Embroidery stitches 18 Bead embroidery techniques 32 Three-dimensional beaded elements 32 Flowers 35 Buds, calyxes and other elements 54 Beaded embroidery worked directly onto the fabric 58 Needle-lace stitches 62 Needle-weaving techniques 68

Norman the tortoise 75 Audrey the ostrich 89 Maureen the owl 101 Janet the snake 123 Shirley the elephant 139 Roger the rhino 151

Templates 170

Introduction

Some years ago, walking through a quaint and arty area in Montreal, I spotted a painting of an owl in the window of an art gallery. He was largely made up of metal parts but what really stopped me in my tracks was the clock face that was his pot belly.

It inspired me. It just did and for hours I found myself thinking about how I could translate that idea into embroidery. By the time I got home from Canada I knew exactly what I wanted to do and the moment I was over my jet lag, I sat down and drew an owl with Jacobean flowers in his belly.

It started me on a most enjoyable journey and inevi-tably, whilst stitching Owlfred (as he later became known) it dawned on me that the journey doesn’t have to end with him. Why stop at an owl? What about other animals?

This book is the result.

There are so many animals that could be given a crewel or Jacobean treatment but, living in Africa, I decided that I would like to concentrate on animals that live on my own continent and, moreover, that I would like to do them in the colours of Africa.

These colours are usually represented as the bright orange of the sunsets, or the primary colours of Nde-bele art. They are so much more than that. The khaki of some of the grasses, or the gold of those same grasses in winter, the purple of distant mountains, the grey of the sky when there is a storm brewing, desert shades, blue skies and the many shades to be found in the wild flowers, particularly in the spring. I could wax lyrical for pages about the colours in an African

landscape. Suffice to say, that it is colourful and it is probably safe to state that not a single shade goes unrepresented. Even white because sometimes, very rarely, it snows.

In this book you will find: •Norman the tortoise. Normally a rather dull crea-ture, the shell of a tortoise provides a canvas for Jacobean embellishment which, in turn, makes this tortoise colourful and fanciful. •Audrey the ostrich. Also a reasonably colourless creature, I chose to work Audrey in the colours of the Klein Karoo, a semi-desert region of Southern Africa and home to many ostrich farms. •Maureen the owl. This project is big. I wanted to do an owl in full flight, about to pounce on the rat that ate my Internet cables at about the time I was considering the design. If the Jacobean elements in the bird were going to show up at all, then they could not be too small. The result is that overall, the bird is big. Satisfying though. •Janet the snake. Although snakes feature in many old Jacobean Tree of Life pieces, is not usually a sub-ject that would be embroidered nowadays, mostly because people have a primal fear of snakes. Includ-ing me. They are, however, rather beautiful crea-tures with the hood of the cobra being the perfect place to play with Jacobean embellishment. Despite being a person who lifts her feet off the floor when snakes are discussed – in case one chooses to slither past – I enjoyed the stitching of this project pos-sibly more than the others. She has a smiling face, the pearls make her pretty and there is a wide and interesting combination of stitches in the lower coil.

INTRODUCTION

•Shirley the elephant. The population of these giants of the jungle decreases every year, partly because they are hunted for their ivory and partly because as human populations increase in Africa and Asia, there is less territory left for elephants. I am privileged to have come across many elephants in my life and it saddens me to think that in years to come they may no longer exist. Shirley is a fanciful depiction of an African elephant – because she has big ears. Asian elephants have smaller ears. •Roger the rhino. Owing to the myth of aphrodi-siacal properties in the horn of the rhinoceros, this species is on the critically endangered list. On an almost daily basis there will be mention on our local television news of rhinos slaughtered. Despite the energy and funds that go into stopping the poach-ing of these magnificent animals, the numbers decrease steadily.

Animals have personalities, feelings and emotions. I have tried to convey some of that in these projects. They are as deserving of a given name as a human being and, because I am really just a sentimental old thing, I named them after the Boxer puppies in a litter born to my precious dogs last year – each one with its own distinct personality. Whilst one is not able to get to know a wild animal in the same way that one would a precious family pet, I have a sneaking suspicion that these animals have similar quirks and characters.

I hope you enjoy working on these projects. I have certainly had fun.

HAZELBlomkamp

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YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SEE PROPERLY One of the most common inhibiting factors for embroiderers, especially those of a certain age and older, is being able to see properly. This is of impor-tance when one is doing fine work and there is a lot of that in this book.

Optometrists’ machines are set to magnify at about waist level. This does not work for embroidery because you will generally hold your work at chest level. When you visit your optometrist, take a piece of your work with you so that your spectacles can be made to suit your working style.

The best spectacles are bi- or multi-focals with a small spot in the bottom part of the lenses made to magnify, by two or three times, at chest level. Alter-natively, you can have your optometrist make you a dedicated pair of spectacles for needlework. I have a pair of those and they’re not pretty. The lenses are so thick that they look like the bottom of whisky glasses. So what. They work and that’s the main thing.

There are times, though, when even those are not enough and that is when I put on a second pair. That is, a pair of plus 1.5 readers in front of the whisky glasses. This creates a telescope and is more comfort-able than grappling with one of those magnifying glasses that hang around your neck, or craning your neck to look through a beauticians’ magnifying light. If you are travelling, this system works very well. So little to take with you.

e Śtati

GOOD LIGHT You don’t want to have to restrict yourself to only being able to work during daylight hours, so you will need a good light or lights.

Over the years I’ve tried just about every single lighting system out there and have now gone back to basics. Two inexpensive metal angle-poise lamps fitted with 15-watt energy saver bulbs. They are set up on either side of me as I stitch. Because they are angle-poise, I pull them closer or push them away, depending on what I am stitching. This really is the best lighting system for me.

And here’s the thing. My life is filled with mad and crazy big dogs who knock things over. If they destroy either of these very affordable lights, it doesn’t hurt quite so much when I have to buy a replacement.

TRANSFERRING YOUR DESIGN The line drawings for all the designs in this book are at the back. The easiest way to transfer them onto your fabric is with dressmaker’s carbon. Like most things in life, I do what works best for me. And dressmaker’s carbon, or chalk paper, is my choice.

1.Make a photocopy of the drawing, adjusting the size where recommended; 2.Pin the photocopy to the fabric, taking care to place it in the centre. Don’t get too fussy about the grain, just get it as straight as you can; 3.Place a sheet of dressmaker’s carbon, ink side down, between the photocopy and the fabric; 4.Using the hard tip of a ballpoint pen – preferably one that has no ink in it (I have a dry pen in my toolbox for this task) – go over each and every line, pressing hard. And I do mean pressing hard. You should end up with a sore finger. If you don’t press hard enough, the lines won’t transfer.

Another alternative is to pin the photocopy to the underside of the fabric. Place it on a light box and trace the lines on with a pencil, a blue washout pen, or a Pilot Frixion pen.

And if the above is all too much for you, order a print pack from our website (hazelblomkamp.com)!

GENER AL TIPS

PENS If you have transferred your design with chalk paper, you may find that the lines fade. This is because as you stitch, your hand rubs over those lines taking some of the chalk off every time. It is advisable to draw over those lines with either a blue washout pen or a Pilot Frixion pen.

The blue washout pen is controversial because it has been known to cause brown lines that won’t wash out. Brown lines and stains can be avoided if you follow two simple guidelines:

• Always rinse your embroidery in cold water before putting it into any detergent; • Do not allow the lines to fade. If you draw some-thing onto fabric with a washout pen, grow bored with it and put it away in a cupboard for a while, when you come back to it those lines will have faded to brown and you won’t get rid of them.

Provided you avoid the above, you can use a washout pen with impunity.

The Frixion pen is fairly new on the market and I have to say that, until recently, I had resisted using it. I was taken in by the idea that the chemicals in the ink may cause damage to the fabric a hundred years down the line. Well, who cares. I’m long gone by then and what is more important is that I need to use something that works well today. And this pen works very nicely thank you.

The lines come out when you apply heat and press-ing the fabric with an iron is generally advised. I find, however, that a hair dryer works better.

It has become my favourite pen.

HOOPS AND FRAMES I reject so-called rules when it comes to any kind of creativity. I do think, though, that if there has to be any single rule for embroidery, it is that you must work in a hoop or frame. It improves the tension of your work and for many of the techniques it prevents the fabric from puckering. You cannot produce good work without them.

The projects in this book use: • The Morgan no-slip hoop 12" and 14" lap stand; • A 30" heavy duty scroll frame; • Edmunds stretcher bars of varying lengths.

The type of hoop or frame used is mentioned in the general notes at the beginning of the instructions for each project.

GRIME GUARDS No matter how often you wash your hands, or how clean you keep your working environment, a grubby ring is likely to form at the place where the fabric meets the outer ring of the hoop. To avoid this prob-lem, make a fabric guard.

Measure the circumference of your hoop. Add 50 mm (2") for a small hoop and 100 mm (4") for a large hoop. Using that measurement, cut a strip of fabric that is 250 mm (10") wide.

Fold the strip in half, with right sides together, and sew a seam to join the ends of the strip, making it into a tube.

2 Stitch a 15 mm ( ∕ “) casing by turning in a hem at the 3 top and bottom.

Calculate how much narrow elastic you will need by tightly stretching a piece around the circumference of the hoop and adding 25 mm (1"). Cut two pieces and thread them into the top and bottom casings, stitch them together and close the gaps of the casings.

Once you have stretched the working fabric into the hoop, stretch the grime guard around the perimeter of the hoop, protecting the edge of the embroidery, and tucking the excess working fabric on the outside of the hoop into the part of that grime guard the lies below the hoop.

USE A THREAD CONDITIONER It strengthens your thread, makes silk and rayon threads less lively and delays the stripping of metallic thread. It certainly prevents tangles and knotting when you are working with long pieces of beading thread.

Beeswax is good, but the best is a silicone thread con-ditioner. This leaves no residue.

THE WONDERS OF SUPER GLUE I don’t like using a thimble but find that a hole devel-ops in the tip of the finger that I use to push the needle through the fabric. It is very sore if I happen to push the needle on that spot which, inevitably I always do. I place a blob of super glue on the pad of my middle finger and hold it in the air for a few minutes. Once that blob is dry it will be rock hard and a needle will not penetrate it. It peels off after a few hours. Ignore the neurotics who predict dire health problems. They’re wrong. I’ve used it for years and I’ve never had to go to the emergency room.

START AND END YOUR THREADS WITH A KNOT We do needlework for our pleasure, not to be judged. Whilst the back of your work should not look like a bird’s nest, it does not have to look the same as the front. It really doesn’t. This is the 21st century.

THE STITCHES IN THIS BOOK Like all girls of my generation, I learnt embroidery at school and from older members of my family. Since then I have developed in my own way, working stitches and techniques to achieve the look I want as opposed to conforming to what somebody else tells me I should be doing. The way that I have worked the stitches and techniques in this book are illustrated and described in the techniques’ galleries. If you have been taught or have learnt differently, then you should use the way that works best for you. This applies, in par-ticular, to long and short stitch shading. Do each stitch in a way that works best for you.

SLOW AND METHODICAL IS THE BEST WAY It is important to remember that, as mentioned above, we do needlework for pleasure. I enjoy the journey that is each design I stitch and when I reach my desti-nation, I am often bereft.

Focus on the pleasure of working each square inch, aiming for it to be as perfect as you can possibly make it. If a stitch is not sitting at the right angle, take it out before you move on. The same with beads. If you don’t do that, others may not notice but you will. Every time you look at it.

Enjoy watching each part come alive before your eyes.

GENER AL TIPS

WASHING YOUR EMBROIDERY We are living in the 21st century with good dyes and non-shrinking fabrics. You can wash your needlework. Provided you have checked that all the dyes are colour-fast – which they should be if you have used good quality thread – you MUST wash it. It brings the colours to life and the sheen of the thread reappears.

• Rinse it well in cold water to get rid of any lines that you may have drawn with a washout pen. • Soak it for a few hours in tepid water mixed with a tablespoon or two of good detergent. • Swish it around a bit before rinsing it in cold water. • If you find there are marks – perhaps chalk paper lines – that haven’t washed out, scrub them gently with pure soap on a toothbrush. • Rinse again to make sure that no soap or deter-gent remains. • Squeeze out the excess water, place it flat on a towel and roll up the towel. • Squeeze the towel with the embroidery inside it to get rid of any remaining excess water. • Stretch the damp embroidery in a hoop or frame that is larger than the embroidered area and place it in front of an open window, out of direct sunlight, to dry in the breeze. • If you have stretched it well you will probably not need to iron it when it is dry. If you do need to iron it, turn it wrong side up on a folded towel and press the back with an iron set on medium heat.

Materials

FABRICS 200 gsm 45/55 Linen Cotton blend All of the projects in this book have been worked on a 200 gsm 45/55 linen cotton blend. The subject matter of this book told me that I needed to use a natural coloured fabric and because I intend to frame them, I required a medium weight fabric that could be stretched for framing without creating too much bulk.

You may choose to work on a different colour or a different fabric. My preference is for fabric that com-prises natural fibres but, having said that, I can picture Janet the Snake on the back of a jacket. That jacket could be made of any of a wide range of fabrics. The rule of thumb is only that the fabric should be stable, washable and strong enough to accommodate the stitches and beadwork.

Cotton voile Each project lists cotton voile backing fabric. By back-ing your base fabric with voile, you provide stability and give yourself a place to end off the thread. Light-weight and smooth cotton voile in either white, off-white or ecru is the perfect fabric to use. It is unlikely to shrink but you should take the precaution of rinsing it in cold water before you use it. Once it is dry and pressed, cut a piece to the same size as the embroi-dery fabric, tack (baste) the two pieces together with horizontal and vertical lines through the middle and machine stitch around the edges to prevent fraying.

THREADS AND THEIR NEEDLES When embroidering, you should endeavour to use quality threads. Their dyes should be colour-fast, they should not break easily and should not develop fluff-balls while you are working with them. The threads used in this book are available worldwide and largely fulfil the criteria mentioned above.

Any country that signed up to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol undertook to, amongst other things, ban certain toxic chemicals in the dyes that are used in textiles. This means that it has become impossible to guarantee colour-fastness in any fabric or thread. Whilst many thread manufacturers still claim that their threads are colour-fast, this is not strictly correct, particularly with regard to the darker reds, greens and purples.

It is advisable to check all threads before use by dip-ping a small length into hot water, then dabbing it dry on a white towel. If no colour comes out it is good to use. If colours do run then dunk the whole skein into the hot water, dabbing it dry and repeating this process until the white towel stays white.

Stranded cotton Usually six stranded, this thread comes in skeins of 8 m (83/4 yd). It has a lustrous sheen and you can embroider with as many strands as you wish, depend-ing on the texture you wish to achieve. It is ideal for fine work. This book uses stranded cotton from the DMC and Chameleon ranges. For the projects in this book, use a size 7 or 10 embroidery needle when stitching with stranded cotton.

Perle thread This twisted thread is available in a variety of sizes and colours, with a sheen that is remarkably effective. It is easy to work with and provides alternative tex-ture to your work. It is ideal for many of the weaving and needle-lace stitches featured and this book uses thread from the DMC, Lizbeth and Presencia ranges of Perle threads. Because of the twist it is inclined to tangle. To guard against this, run it through a thread conditioner. Use a size 7 embroidery needle, a size 26 chenille or a size 26 tapestry needle when stitching with Perle thread.

Fine cordonette thread This book uses DMC Special Dentelles 80 for the finer needle lace and weaving stitches. Similar to Perle, it is a twisted thread with a light sheen. As with perle thread, because of the twist it is inclined to tangle. To guard against this, run it through a thread con-ditioner. Use a size 7 embroidery needle or a size 26 tapestry needle when stitching with special dentelles.

Metallic thread Although manufactured from polyester yarn, metallic threads have the appearance of metal and are guar-anteed to add an exciting dimension to your work, particularly when used in conjunction with beads. These threads shred easily so you should work with

MATERIALS

short pieces and re-thread often. Thread conditioner provides lubrication and protection, so should be used. This book uses metallic thread from the Madeira Metallic and DMC Diamant ranges. You should use a size 7 embroidery needle or a size 22 chenille when stitching with metallic threads.

Silk ribbon Soft and sublime, these ribbons are made from pure silk and are available in a variety of widths. This book uses 2 mm and 4 mm Di van Niekerk hand-painted ribbons to weave an extra dimension into some of the needle-lace fillings. Because silk ribbon is reason-ably fragile and damages easily, you should work with short pieces on a size 24 or 26 tapestry needle.

Beading thread Made from nylon, these threads are all but unbreak-able, perfect for working with beads that need to be worked with a tight tension. This book uses size AA C-Lon beading thread in a variety of colours to work the three-dimensional flowers and leaves that feature in most of the projects. Use either a size 10 or 12 long beading needle or a shorter size 11 sharps needle. You can also use a size 10 or 12 bead embroidery needle when working with beads. It is vitally important to check for colour-fastness.