An experiment with variegated thread

I posted the above picture on Instagram. It's my Summer Solstice pattern with a skein of DMC stranded cotton, shade 90. As you can see, it perfectly matches the shades I have chosen for the pattern and I think it will make a great alternative if you want to give your version a completely different look.

I received a comment from Elizabeth Braun of the Sew In Love blog who correctly pointed out that variegated threads can give "a random, unpredictable" result and may not always work out the way you want. This is a very good point and I thought I'd better do some experimenting to see what happens.

Here is a length of the thread. Usually when I work with stranded cotton, I use a length that reaches from my finger tips to about an inch below my elbow but with variegated threads, I like to use a length that has all of the different tones in it. This is because you always lose a little of it when you cast off and snip the thread. This means the tones may not change as smoothly as you want them to.

The tones in this thread change from a deep, golden yellow to almost white.

Next, you have to think about how you're going to work your stitches. I usually work in rows making the first diagonal in one direction and then coming back making the second diagonal. You may prefer to complete each cross as you go. I wanted to see what difference each of these techniques would make to the appearance of the variegated thread.

I began with my usual method.

My first length got me this far...

When I threaded my second length, I threaded the opposite way to the first so I could carry on with the tone I had finished the first length with. Here is the finished circle...

 

It looks better in 'real life' but you can see it gives a very pleasing result.

The second circle (on the right) has been worked one cross at a time. There isn't a huge amount of difference in how the individual tones look but this technique uses more thread and so there is a bit more variation in the overall result.

I also stitched a circle working one cross at a time in a clockwise spiral, starting at the bottom.

I think they have all given interesting results but I prefer the first one because I like the subtle blending of the different shades.

The circles I used for practising are smaller than those in my design and so you may get different results when working on a bigger scale. However, I definitely think it's worth thinking about and having a play with. As with most of my patterns, Summer Solstice (and it's sister pattern Winter Solstice) has the potential to be adapted to different colours and there's no 'wrong' way of stitching it.

Have you ever used variegated threads? What projects have you used them for? What did you think of the results? Let me know in the comments below or by getting in touch on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

To buy the Summer Solstice pattern and browse my other designs see my website hawthorntreedesigns.com

You can read Elizabeth's blog Sew In Love by clicking here.



New Patterns: Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice

 

How quickly January seemed to pass this year! It's now early February and the snowdrops are coming out all over the Amber Valley. The days are also growing noticeably longer. The cycle of the seasons and the changes in nature throughout the year are an endless source of inspiration to me and I look for these natural signposts whenever I am out and about.

 

This connection to nature was also very important to the ancient people who lived in these islands over a thousand years ago. In fact the sun has been observed and worshipped by cultures throughout the world for millennia. Different points in the sun's yearly cycle were marked with various festivals and the two most important times were the Summer and Winter Solstices.

 

For a long time I have been wanting to create designs which celebrate these two events. I came across illustrations of a highly decorated mirror that was found at Trelan Bahow in Cornwall. It dates back to the first century and is housed in the British Museum. The beautiful circles etched into the metal perfectly lend themselves to a design celebrating the sun.

 

 

Summer Solstice is worked in hot fiery shades of yellow and orange while Winter Solstice is worked in cool icy shades of pale blue.

 

 

They both fit perfectly into 8-inch hoops and would also look great on cushions. You can buy each design individually or together at a discount. They are available as instant downloads in my Etsy shop as well as my Payhip shop so be sure to take a look.

 

 

You can find more information about the Trelan Bahow mirror here.



Time to Reflect

 

 

As I write this, we're just a couple of days away from the Winter Solstice, the shortest and darkest day of the year. This is always an important turning point for me as it means that the days will soon be growing longer and lighter again (very good for us stitchers!). It is always a time to reflect on the passing year and looking forward to the swiftly approaching new year. This time I have been reflecting on my first months of trading and making plans for my business in 2015.

 

I've already learned a lot about what has worked and what hasn't. I'll definitely be working to improve my photography and I will be opening a Flickr account to share more of my behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as my inspirations.

 

I'm very excited about the patterns that I'll be releasing next year. There are some Celtic designs inspired by ancient artwork; some designs inspired by the natural world, including my favourite bird, a colourful finch and his mate; there are some fun and quirky ones too. I haven't yet finalised the order in which I'll be releasing them but as soon as each one is ready, I'll be telling you about it here.

 

I'm also planning to create some one-off pieces. Not necessarily to sell but just to share my love of embroidery with like-minded people and to grow as an embroiderer. Although all of my patterns are either cross stitch or blackwork, I enjoy all kinds of embroidery and I want to make time to really enjoy the craft and learn new things. I'll be sharing my progress on Flickr when my account is set up.

 

The best thing about this year has been the contact I have had with other designer-makers on Twitter. It's lovely to know there are so many creative people out there who enjoy sharing ideas and giving each other encouragement. I am very happy to be part of this community. Working on your own at home can be difficult at times so it's good to know you're all out there.

 

You may be aware that from 1st Jan 2015, the EU have decided that anybody selling digital products to EU countries will have to pay VAT to whichever country the sale was made in. This is mainly aimed at large companies who choose to funnel their taxes through the countries with the lower rates. I have no sympathy at all with such companies and it's about time they were made to pay tax in all of the countries that they trade in. The problem however is that there is no threshold being applied so no matter how small the business, VAT will have to be paid. Businesses will also be required to collect customer data and store it for 10 years. This is extremely difficult for small businesses and will add a huge administrative burden as well as a financial one. It won't affect me as I only sell through third parties but I was planning to eventually trade independently. That will not now be possible. If you'd like to show your support for small businesses you can do so by signing this petition:

 

https://www.change.org/p/pierre-moscovici-a-unilateral-suspension-of-the-introduction-of-the-new-eu-vat-laws-for-micro-businesses-and-sole-traders

 

To end on a more cheery note, tonight I'll be watching my favourite Christmas film It's A Wonderful Life. Last year it inspired me to make an embroidered piece to hang in my room. So all that remains is to wish you all a Merry Christmas and thank you to everyone who has supported me.