California Poppies and Lupines

California poppies remind me of sunshine. The little Glory B! thinks so, too. When I wrote my book, An Artist's Garden, if I had space on a page, I added a traceable pattern.

In addition to the poppies, I stitched a few lupines to finish this California landscape idea.





If you scroll back a few posts, you'll find more information about the book and more pictures. As I mentioned, I'm posting these photos for those who have the book and want to see the flowers in color. Feel free to save them to your own computer.

If you are interested in following all of these posts, just add your email address to the box on this page.

Rosalie

Bunny and Butterflies in Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery

Here are some additional Brazilian dimensional embroidery designs from the book An Artist's Garden by myself (Rosalie Wakefield) -- available at my www.Millefiori-BE.com website or from Amazon. 

Today I have this cute little bunny and some butterflies for you. You can see that these little critters are put together with very simple stitches, some dimensional and some traditional hand embroidery.

The buddleia, or butterfly bush, is stitched with easy knots. These flowers are differ from lilacs by the shape of their flower heads. I also have a lilac that I'll share later, stitched with a different technique. Buddleia flowers are very attractive to butterflies. From this close-up, you can see that this swallowtail is very simply stitched.

By the way, if you like butterflies, you might enjoy Millefiori design #951 "Seasons of the Butterfly" -- those flowers and their flying friends are more detailed; larger flowers, larger butterflies. (It is one of my favorite designs, brag, brag...)

 

Meanwhile, here is another butterfly from An Artist's Garden.  I named this one a Bluet Butterfly:

It can be very pretty stitched with a glittery metallic thread. Think about shopping the Sulky Threads of Kreinik fibers the next time you are at your local fabric store -- lots of pretty metallic and other thread textures. Sulky makes a very pretty thread called "Prism". These are sewing-machine weight threads, lighter than Glory, but still nice. 

     And, of course, you can see that I like to add beads whenever I can.

 

This is the Fly Stitch Butterfly.

And I named this one "Prairie Butterfly". Stitched it with some prairie grass - how easy is that!

Once you make a butterfly -- teardrops or heart-shapes for the wings, bullions and beads for the bodies (exact instructions are in the book, hint, hint...).

These butterflies are such fun to add to your embroidery, or they can become a lovely motif for a crazy quilt patch.

    If you are adding butterflies or bees or little birdies to your Brazilian embroidery, charms and beads are also nice, but don't overlook earrings - some can be up-cycled very nicely for your project. The main suggestion would be to keep them as close to scale for your flowers as you can.

 

I'll post again soon. Right now, I gotta fly. Oops!  I already said that in the last post.  Well, I guess I'll hop on out of here.

Rosalie





 

The B.E. Bluebird of Happiness

Look what just flew into my blog - the little bluebird of happiness! From time to time, I've promised to post color photos from my book, An Artist's Garden, by me, Rosalie Wakefield. Here is a picture of the book cover:

It's available at my website www.Millefiori-BE.com and also at Amazon. The book has all traceable patterns with instructions, but if you'd like to have them already on fabric to stitch, this print (print only) is available, too. It's #958 "I Spy - Flower Patches". Here's a picture of mine; I made it into an art quilt:

All instructions are in the book. And all are fairly easy embroidery using mostly lighter-weight floss on a fabric print approximately 16" x 16".

 

You'll recognize some of these little treats from two earlier Millefiori designs #828 (Flower Patch) and #829 (Veggie Patch) -- still available.

 

More photos later, but here is another - the little Blackberry Lily:

I'll be back later.  Gotta fly!

Rosalie





Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery From A to B: Astilbe to Beetle

More flowers in color from my book "An Artist's Garden" (by Rosalie Wakefield). This is an astilbe.

 

The book is available at my website: www.Millefiori-BE.com, also at Amazon.
See how easy the astilbe is! You can just look at a flower shape and decide which of our dimensional stitches translates it best. 

The pesky little beetle is stitched with Kreinik threads, but now we also have Candlelight threads and DMC metallics, plus others. The beetle is from the Barbara Demke Johnson book, "Brazilian Embroidery Instructions". I made some changes, but you can easily tell more from the pattern in my book.

      (He's harmless -- don't squish.)

Rosalie

Asclepia and Asparagus Have Been Planted in An Artist's Garden

 

Asclepia is commonly known as The Butterfly Weed. I designed this stylized version for my book, An Artist's Garden, which is available at my www.Millefiori-BE.com website and also at Amazon.com. I thought this version would make an interesting little border or addition to a crazy quilt or wearable item. Instructions are in my book, but you can see the stitches are fairly simple. Here's my book:

I'm posting these little designs in color for those who have the book but would like to see the finished pieces. An Artist's Garden has traceable patterns with instructions; these color pictures are just a guide.

 

By the way, the Butterfly Weed, a member of the milkweed family, is a larval food source for monarch butterflies. I designed another version of this "weed" [such an impolite term for a flower!] for one of my favorite Millefiori designs, #951 "Seasons of the Butterfly". Here's a picture:

And this is a close-up of another version of the Butterfly Weed, Asclepia:

Before I stop, I thought it would be polite to add a little nutritious supplement from An Artist's Garden. Here is my version of the Asparagus:

The foliage on this asparagus plant is my version of fly-stitch couching (sometimes known as carrot feathers).





Rosalie



 

 

 



Gardening Season for Delicious Brazilian Embroidery

Mom always said vegetables are good for you. They are also good for Brazilian embroiderin'.  This artichoke is from my book "An Artist's Garden". If you read the previous post, you'll know that I'm posting pictures of all of the little designs in color - instructions in the book.

This is a beet:

More later.
.....and the beet goes on.....

Rosalie

"An Artist's Garden" by Rosalie Wakefield - B.E. Designs in Color

As promised (seems like ages ago), I'm sharing photos from my book "An Artist's Garden" (by myself, Rosalie Wakefield). The book is available at my www.Millefiori-BE.com website and also at Amazon.

 

I'm posting pictures in color (no instructions; they are in the book). These two designs are "Achillea/Yarrow" (above) and "Apple & Occupant" (below). If you have the book and would like the pictures in color, just save these to your whatever. Enjoy!! (They will also be on my Millefiori Facebook page and  in the Embroidery-Dimensional Facebook group).

 

This is the "Apple and Occupant" design. Most of these designs are stitched in lighter-weight floss.

This is the book - An Artist's Garden:

This is "Formal Garden", the back cover design.

This is one of the cuties from the front cover design - a widdle bitty bunny:

Happy Easter a widdle bit ahead of time.

Rosalie



 

 

Raised Lace Bullion - The NEW Name for this Brazilian Embroidery Stitch

Raised Lace Bullion

...because that's exactly what it is.

 

This is the stitch I shared in the last two blog entries. I named it "Spinal" something which sounded a little too medicinal for me - so I thought about it on the way home from the grocery store this afternoon.

 

And THEN I thought about other things I could do to have my way with it. Now I'm sharing with you, and I'd love to see what you can all think up. You've read the directions already, so I'll share another idea:

First I'll write about the cast-on stitches on each side of the bullion. You can see that the lighter color shows points A, B, and comes up at "C". A-B-D and the down-and-out position at "D" are all in a straight line with just a couple of threads between A-C and later with D-B. 

I've mentioned previously that while I'm casting on with my left hand, I'll hold the loops on the needle and pull them down to the needle approximately the thickness of my fingernail (this keeps the cast-on stitch from getting too tight).

          After placing the loops on the needle, I wrap the floss to the back and then hold everything onto the needle as I settle the stitch in place.

You can see from the picture above how this helps the cast-on stitch to stay nice and even. The picture shows that I'm starting to whip stitch under the carrying cord on both sides and over the bullion on top. As I was doing this, I thought that I could have even more dimension by adding a row of up and down detached buttonhole stitches along that darker-color center rib. I didn't do it, but I thought it.

Instead, I made a second cast-on stitch (15 loops this time) on each side of the first cast-on stitch, and then I added a row of detached buttonhole stitch. (I stitch with the needle pointed away from me - or 'up' - when I do this stitch.)

 

I'll add my usual disclaimer here. I write about what works for me. Everyone should do these stitches in the way that works best for them.



Only one side is shown. Cuthbert, my Norwegian Forest Cat, hopped up on my lap and wanted to admire my work.

I let him. (I'm a sucker for compliments, especially from a cat.) I did manage to snap a couple of photos of the finished idea, upside down and right side up:

OK, I agree. I looks a little like a hot dog on a bun needing only mustard. Cuthbert did wonder where it was, because he was getting hungry.

Rosalie

......and Cuthbert

 











Spinal Double Stitch - A NEW Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery Adventure

I'm calling this a Spinal Double Stitch. And I'm explaining it in pictures.

In my previous post, I explained the process, but I used only one color:

Now I'll explain the stitch again with contrasting colors. I'm using Lola (EdMar Co. 100% rayon Z-twist floss).



Although I tried to call this a Ribbed Double Cast-on Stitch, I realized that it isn't a double cast-on at all - it just 'plays one on TV' - or looks like one.

It's actually a stitch with a spine. Yes. A Spinal Double Stitch will do until I think up something more clever (might never happen).

On a 5/8" fabric bite make a 15-wrap bullion.

With a contrasting color, make a 12-loop cast on stitch on one side.

Add a second 12-loop cast-on stitch on the other side.

 

Everyone should do the cast-on stitch in the way that is easiest for them. I learned to do all of my casting on with my left hand. When I want the cast-on loops to lie AWAY from the center, I'll tuck the floss behind the needle. You can turn your work for the second cast-on stitch, or you can leave the floss on the left side of the needle as you settle the loops in place.

In the photo above, I'm just getting ready to tuck the floss behind the needle and finish the right-side cast-on stitch.

 

I've mentioned before (this is just what works for me - and also saves a LOT of time and decreases kinks that pop up in our Z-twist rayon) -- after all loops or wraps are on the needle, hold that wrapped or looped needle and pull all of the floss on through the needle eye (this will lessen kinks) and then back it out to a short floss tail. Still holding the needle/stitch, settle everything in place.

 

Something else (I do tend to interrupt myself now and then...) that I learned is to work those bullions down tightly. However, for cast-on stitches, I like the loops to look nice, not all choked up and prune-faced, so I just cast-on to the needle, sometimes just the thickness of a fingernail. That way I can preserve the beautiful loops.

    OK, back to business . . .

Rethread your needle with the bullion color. You will whip stitch through the 'carrying cord' of the side cast-on stitches.

          Begin by bringing the needle up between cast-on loops (and under the center core thread). Next, slip your needle beneath the bullion and beneath the opposite-side (left in the photo) core thread (between loops).

         Whip-stitch down the bullion. Note, in the photo above, the thread twist. When you whip stitch in this manner, your floss will lie in the same direction all along the 'spine'.

Try to keep those horizontal stitches in a straight line. Your stitch will look nicer if you do. (Although, there isn't any reason you couldn't work a cross stitch - down and then up -- you could try anything). Remember, it's OK to play with your floss.

So you don't have to scroll up and down, here is a picture of the Spinal Double Stitch in two versions - one with a light bullion for the center core; one with a dark bullion for the center.

Yes, I have a flower that will be the beneficiary of this exciting new stitch. If you want to play with your floss, too, you might want to see what else you can think up. I love credit, credit is nice (all of our stitchers know the copyright stuff, so I won't wear out your eyeballs with excess reading), so if you just make a mention of where you saw this, I'll be forever happy.

 

Have fun!

Rosalie





 







 

Doodling Around With a Little Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery

I had an idea -- one of those "I wonder what would happen if...." exercises.  Here is what happened:

I call this a Ribbed Double Cast-on.

It's a major beginning experiment, so I think there are other things I could do to make it look better.

     First, I made a 15-wrap bullion with Lola.

     Next, I made a 12-loop cast-on stitch on one side of the bullion, right next to it.

     Then I made a second 12-loop cast-on stitch on the other side of the bullion.

    

To finish the stitch, I brought my needle up through the 'carrying cord' of one cast-on stitch, slipped it under the bullion and came up through the space between cast-on loops on the opposite-side cast-on stitch. 

 

I repeated this, whip stitching along the length of the bullion and cast-on stitches, connecting the two cast-on stitches together with the bullion in between.

 

It looks like a double cast-on stitch, but is just another way to get the same effect. Plus there are probably a lot of possibilities that I haven't thought about yet. Maybe some of our stitchers can come up with something wonderful. 

 

I know you could always make just the bullion and one cast-on and whip-stitch them together, maybe more loops/wraps on a shorter fabric bite?

By the way, the other day I made that little turquoise blue jobby up in the left corner.  I call it a Debbie Drizzle - it's named for my friend and fellow B.E. designer, Debbie Kelley of DK Designs. She will know why - ask her about her BDEIG Seminar Class Doodle Cloth....

     Up Close:



Yes, it's "The Comma", (described in almost all of my books about Brazilian dimensional embroidery).  It's "The Comma" but worked as a drizzle.  (I just LOVE Brazilian embroidery's 'no-rules' rule. . .)

To finish, I'll share something I don't usually do in public -- share a picture of my doodle cloth . . .





Here's why.  SOMEBODY was sleeping on my doodle cloth and I almost couldn't find it. Cuthbert! Tsk, Tsk...

      Have fun - let me know if you come up with new ideas for any of these stitches.

Rosalie