Stitched Book Cover Project

I’ve missed a couple of the sessions at “In the stitch zone” this half term, and it’s a project I was really excited about, bringing together my love of embroidery and books. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about a book to use, as I struggled with the idea of damaging one. I’ve managed to overcome that mindset in two ways, one by the idea it will enhance the cover, and two by not using the original book that was my nanna and grandad’s. Many hours were spent on Saturday afternoons and evenings reading it and looking at the many pictures. It is dated 1973.

The one I’m working on is a 1981 edition that I found in a charity shop, marked down from £1.50 to 50p. It was likely to end up in landfill, so although I’m still struggling with “harming” it, it is a better option.

The first thing to do was to make holes where I was going to stitch, which wasn’t easy as the cover is quite thick and sturdy. However, with a self-healing mat inside the front cover and a pair of scribes I started making holes up the daisy stem, then using one of my “special” variegated threads doing Quaker stitch at Alex’s suggestion.

I’d tried stem stitch which was not working well, much better coverage with the Quaker stitch.

I was now back to making more holes, hard on the fingers so best done in short bursts.

And my go-to reverse chain in a much thicker variegated perlé thread (the one I used on my “How does your garden grow” for the “Monthly Stitchalong” for the heavier stem; working from top to bottom here.

The colours are perfectly toned with the cover.

The stitches are barely visible when looking at the whole cover, but the texture feels lovely with my fingers.

This is the inside of the cover, which may be hidden at the end.

The raised surface is more visible from the side at the moment.

I now need to decide how I’m going to do the daisies, and how to make much smaller holes for the delicate grasses; it needs something fine and very strong. I’ve already broken one needle on the stitching.

Castle colouring-in finished

I finished stitching the entrance section and added some detail to the sentry boxes, and then stitched the draw bridge in a variegated thread to mimic the planking effect. The chain was done in Quaker stitch with French knots at the top.

The door had some detail added. I did the little sign at the bottom in satin stitch, and added my initials logo. I do try to remember to sign my work.

I did the petals of the flowers in organza to make them a little more 3D……

……. with french knots in the centres. The stitching is all finished, but how to frame and mount it? I wasn’t happy with the fraying edges, but didn’t want to cut it out and lose the remaining black outline. I did want to use a matching white Ikea frame, like I used for my “Blue work castle.” A couple of weeks later I woke up with the idea of painting a background, not quite sure how it would work , but only one way to find out.

I marked the size of the frame on a fairly heavy watercolour paper, and traced the castle outline in pencil.

I really only intended to put in a sky, but added some tree shapes in indigo on either side.

When it was all completely dry, I carefully cut out on the pencil lines.

Then took the stitching off the frame…..

….. and laid the paper over the top.

I cut it to size, and laced the fabric over mount board before putting it in the frame.

I put the odd touch of glue on the paper between the turrets. It needs a few tiny tweaks before it’s ready to hang with its companion piece. There’s a huge contrast between the two pieces, the precision and detail of the traditional stitching and the naviety of the felted / colouring-in piece. They both bring back happy memories of visiting Neuschwanstein with our lovely German friends many years ago.

Lincolnshire Textiles

Lincolnshire Textiles are having an exhibition in the Chapter House at Lincoln Cathedral at the end of August, and the banner they have used needed updating to say “Lincolnshire Textiles” rather than “Lincoln Embroiderers Guild”. To go alongside this, the newer members have been asked to do a 6-inch square with something that represents some aspect of the county of Lincolnshire. The obvious landmarks have already been done.

What struck me as missing was Lincolnshire Poacher cheese. I’ve had a few ideas, but have finally got to roughing things out when I was on library duty this week. I started with trying to use Publisher on the computer, which I found extremely frustrating, because it has changed so much since I used it years ago. In the end I managed to get the lettering going round in two semi-circles, which at least gave me an idea of placing the letters. I did a couple of quick sketches of wedges of cheese. I’d cut the one out before I photographed the rough sheet (see below, toward the end).

I ended up drawing a couple of circles and hand-sketching the letters, then I altered the placing slightly when I went over them in permanent marker.

I could then trace them through on to the fabric with water soluble pen. It was then hooped up and the Quaker Stitch started, a cross between backstitch and stem stitch that is ideal for lettering, I was told.

I used a blue perlé 8 to give a fairly bold line. It is also a relatively quick stitch to do.

I used the soldering iron to cut out from organza some “lettuce leaves” to serve with my cheese.

The rest of the letters were stitched.

The paper pattern was cut down to scale for the wedge of cheese, and flipped to face the other way.

I’ve found fabric for the cheese, and one the perfect texture for the rind.

I also had a recollection of doing grapes for a travelling book several years ago, no idea whose it was or what the theme was! Does it look familiar to anyone? I thought it might give me some ideas how to tackle a few grapes.

I’ve also found some potential grape-coloured fabric. This is as far as I’ve got so far, but there’s another week before it needs to be handed in.