Hand Stitched Fabric Collage – Part 1
When creating a hand stitched fabric collage the first step is to cut the fabric roughly 2” larger than the embroidery hoop you are intending to use. Choose a fabric that is lightweight and transparent enough to see the object you wish to trace. Using a Lightbox, trace the art onto the fabric with a pencil.
As you can see in the first photo, I have also traced the embroidery hoop. This will allow me to know the exact area I need to cover with fabrics and Inktense.
In order to add interest to the background I chose to sketch in swirls of warm colors leaving some space between the colors for them to blend naturally. You can learn more about how to use Inktense pencils by reading my Inktense blog.
Look closely and you will notice I extended the paint beyond the traced edges of the frame.
Once it was dry, I pressed it flat and began to build the fabric collage.
When building a fabric collage it is important to select fabrics that will help fill in the form. To learn more about how to choose fabrics and colors please see my fabric collage part 1 blog.
I used a photograph of an Eagle owl which I also traced and kept both at my workspace to act as guides.
Before adding the fabrics, I inserted the art into an embroidery hoop. Now is the time to check to be sure the painted edges are completely covered. Using tiny sharp scissors, I began to snip out the fabrics and laid them onto the fabric covering the traced art. Using a TINY smear of a glue stick in the center of the fabrics only, I pressed them gently into place with my fingers.
*Note: adding too much glue will make it very difficult to stitch through, LESS IS MORE. I use a Sewline glue stick to tack them into place.
I love experimenting with many different types of threads. By layering different textiles, it allows lights and shadows to appear reflecting what we see in nature.
Next, I carefully studied the photo of the owl’s eye and stitched it in a radial blend.
I used dyed silk floss I purchased from a shop in Australia, ColorStreams. The silken strands change color much like nature and add a beautiful luster to the work.
I also used a thread conditioner to keep the floss from tangling and fraying. Thread Heaven is the brand I use, but they have discontinued, so do a bit of research to find something similar.
Slow stitching is meditative yet tedious, however the results are quite beautiful.
I’m a firm believer of experimenting when doing this type of work. There are many wonderful embroidery tutorials and books on the market. One of my favorites is, “The Intentional Thread” by Susan Brandeis.
When creating birds, I study the direction of the feathers and carefully lay the stitching in the same direction. As you can see, I am stitching the feathers in stages. I lay in the fabrics and then stitch carefully allowing the fabrics to peek through.
