Embroidered Book Cover Progress

Since the embroidery video tutorials are temporarily suspended (don’t worry! we’re looking for options!), I thought I’d update you on the spontaneous project I started last Saturday on the road.

The free-style embroidery sampler – rather whacky and completely spontaneous – will serve as a cover for a needlebook. Supposedly, when I finish it, I will have the “ideal” needlebook. Boy, have I got plans for this thing! But we’ll see if they actually materialize the way I picture them!

In the meantime, I’ve been stitching away on the cover, and this is it so far. For me, this spontanious approach is rather different. Basically, I determined that I would reach for a color and decide on a stitch (or variation) and just stitch away, without any set plan of design or anything. It’s actually rather fun to go about things this way – and very relaxing.

This is where it was last time I posted.

Here’s the cover now, though by no means finished. (Although I am beginning to realize that one can definitely go overboard on this kind of thing!)

I’m not so keen on the big scrolly things in the middle now. I’m going to have to tone them down a bit. I’ve started added in some little flowers here and there, but haven’t finished them. The whole thing is 5 x 7 inches.

The stitches on this section are pretty clear – portuguese knotted stem, buttonhole, whipped backstitch, daisy, and stem stitch, with some puffy and twisted couching at the very top.

Here, you’ve got some interlaced chain, somewhat modified. I ran through the center with little running stitches in coral on the blue chain, then laced the coral through. This is perle cotton #5 – in fact, all of the thicker threads in this thing are #5 perle cotton, and then I’m using some overdyed cotton and silk here and there, and a little bit of purple coton a broder.

Here’s a close up on the puffy couching, which I twisted a bit. It’s a bit whackier looking than I had planned, but it’s “ok.” In other words, I don’t plan to take it out!

So there it is so far.

I was thinking of all the applications for free-style embroidery done like this. An embroidered purse, pouch, book covers, pillows, Christmas stockings, and whatnot. In fact, for my youth class this coming summer, I think we will “sampler” like this, and make pencil cases for them to use the following school year. Or Christmas stockings – I like that idea. Well, I’ll keep you posted!