sampling for resolved sample

Hand stitched sample using mainly herringbone with a few loose french knots. I dyed scrim in very soft pastel colours and stitched an overlarge square to a square of heavy twill with large soft tucks. Some of the tucks were stuffed with a rusty fancy yarn and the scrim slit to pull through a few strands. A piece of silver birch bark was enclosed.  Its not a greatly successful sample - the bark looks like an add-on rather than well-integrated, the scrim was a little too large and I didn't get the swirly look I had anticipated. I think the colouring was a little too soft also.

I put the windows over a couple of my papers to show how transparent they are. The top is white tulle twin needle tucked with a fluffy mohair yarn in green. Then tucked over the top with a finer variegated yarn.

The bottom is twin needle corded tucks with three different cottons on nylon organza.

The darker sample has a centre of birch bark I peeled off one of the stove logs. It is surrounded by a peachy-lilacy shot satin tucked on to pelmet vilene. A ribbon yarn I discharged-dyed was sewn in between the tucks.

The lighter sample was cream silk tucked with a large twin needle and heavy wool yarn. Ribbon yarn was hand-sewn in between the tucks and a centre of freely worked french knots. A litle copper lustre was added to the ridges and the large centre.  I think this would also be better if the silk was lightly coloured first. These are a bit too smooth for my hedgerow theme.  The words I'm wanting to represent include - twining, twiggy, tangled, secret places, knobbly, rough and small spaces.

The windows are corded twin needle tucks in various sizes. The bottom example is lovely, but it is not see through and I don't want to cut this one through because I have other thoughts for it.  I'll do another layered one and melt the organza in places to provide peep holes.

I've tried a few edges :-

1. A very light peachy satin ribbon which came as a tie round a fleece blanket. It was finely tucked first and then tucked to the edge of the pelmet vilene window.

2. Heavy wool yarn attached with a twin needle in rows with some fine free cross stitching on top.

3. Cotton scrim attached with loose french knots in rust, brown and pale turquoise with some beads. This would be better if the scrim had more colour variation - a dyed bit is even now drying!

4. A fine organza ribbon in a rusty brown attached with variegated thread with fine twin needle over tucking.  Herring bone with a pale variegated turquoise thread over the top and rocaille beads added at the edge. I like this one very much.

For texture sample 1 I machined lots of different whites on to a cotton background and then quilted over polyester wadding on to a twill base. This was  topped with a fine nylon organza in a light peachy colour and more machining in a darker shade added. I think it would be improved with hand stitching - close cretan in the valleys and spaced on the hills. It does have a lot of height.

Another sample for edges, borders and transparency with plastic canvas as the support this time.

The centre is tucked polyester sheer. This is held to a border of heavy plastic canvas with Rhodes stitch deliberately worked unevenly so it shows as texture rather than pattern. I got into a groove and made them all the same size as I had cut the canvas with the size of the stitch in mind  but I think it would be better with different-sized stitches and I also think better with them butting up to each other without a stitch space in between. 

In between the Rhodes stitches I have tried beads, long cross stitch in a soft chenille yarn, tent stitch in tapestry wool and tent stitch in a doubled variegated cotton.

Edges

-outside - interlaced rayon thread giving a plaited look to the edge, couched eyelash yarn, and couched knotted bulky wool yarn.  On the outside I am favouring one of the less even edges and the sheep's wool on the inside seems to fit the bill best.

- inside pearl cotton and a silk thread cross-stitched, tapestry wool tent stitched, variegated pearl cotton doubled and tent stitched, sheep's wool couched.

This is the back of the sample. I had thought of making two separate sides and then joining them together, but I like the less ordered look - hedges are scalped these days to look very spare and square after cutting, but inside the growth is still as wayward as ever. I have tried a little stitching over the top and like the staggered chain.