~ Color-Shaded Embroidery ~

 

 Hello Friends & Folk!

here is a very short primer
on how I have done my color-shaded embroidery project,
"Spring on the Farm"

which the pattern is now available in my Etsy shop as PDF download or Paper/Mailed versions...

 I used coffee stained osnaburg for my ground cloth, then drew on my motifs with a FINE point black Sharpie pen...{YOU will be using a lightbox to trace your template onto your osnaburg}

 
Once my pattern drawing {tracing} is complete,
I then use my PRISMACOLOR pencils to color in the motifs...
this is NOT A NEW TECHNIQUE, by any means...there are wonderful designers who use crayons and other types of pigments to shade their work, but for me...these work the very best.

the pressure of my hand allows my coloring to be as dark or light as I'd like,
and I actually prefer the more-faded look of a light hand.

Once the coloring part is finished, I will use 3 strands of floss to stitch my motifs...
most all of my straight lines are done in stem-stitch, while I have made tiny 'X' stitches for the letter "S" and the flower stems...I also did a running stitch on the flowerpot.

once all that is finished, I iron my project, front & back to 'set' the pencils...
{{ not that I mind the fading of them, just 'saying' lol}}

So I decided to 'finish' this project into a simple sewn mat,
then added a patch of scrap fabric and a few old buttons for charm...

 

 After I was COMPLETELY finished,
I took my pencils to the project once again, to deepen and shade my motifs just a bit more...

 

~ The finished look of this is truly folky...
and combines both my love for drawing and needlework ~

I hope you try it and that you enjoy it as much as I do!!

❤

Blessings from the Farm
~ Lori