Sunday, May 4, 2014

Split-stitch Celtic Motif



I was given a book of Celtic animal motifs at Easter, and the recent embroidery efforts of some of my SCA friends inspired me to try one in split stitch on a linen band.

I traced the motif out with craft carbon and started sewing the sections in split stitch. The stitch direction followed the shape of the animals' muscles. I used DMC cotton floss instead of silk to save money. The base fabric is linen.


 
Part way through the project I was finding it very difficult to keep track of where I should be sewing as the carbon started to fade. So I went over the outlines in black split stitch and then just went back and filled the sections. Much easier!

 
I added some highlights around the face and feet. The head curls look white in the photo but are actually a very pale green. 

 
I used this piece as a 'sampler' to develop my skills in a technique that I am not very experienced in. It was very time consuming and challenging to keep the stitch tension correct, but I am pleased with the result and can already see more split-stitch projects on the horizon. The resulting piece has a pleasing weight and texture and would look good as an applied motif on clothing.

2 comments:

  1. This has to be one of my favorite posts! And on top of that's its also very useful topic for newbies. nice one a lot for the information!...Cardsharing Server

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  2. The next motif is a cat... I will post pics when it is done.

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