Inspirations found in a Fron Isaf Experimental Pack
by Christine Benson
photos by Ian Cole

Finished size: 31 x 17 cm.

Most embroiderers are tempted by the mouth-watering 'experimental packs' that are available. But once you get the pack home, what do you do with it? To find out what can be done, we sent packs to several embroiderers and asked them to share their ideas and inspirations with us...

What you need

An Experimental Pack from Fron Isaf - the pack contains:

• an inspirational photograph
• linen (natural)
• chiffon (blue/green)
• Sinamay (blue/green)
• 3 silk rods (2 natural, 1 dyed)
• silk tops (dyed blue/green)
• silk form (dyed peach/pink)
• Semi-precious chip beads
• Threads:
  • stranded cotton (blue/green)
  • fine silk thread (peach/pink)
  • single thread soft spun silk
  • luxury thick silk thread

Inspiration

The colours and textures found in this pack are very soft and natural and the photograph accompanying the pack provided all of the inspiration I needed. The photograph, of a rock pool on the Pembrokeshire coast, revealed amazing colour, texture and line, and my first step was to isolate a detailed area that I felt could be interpreted to give me the essence of the subject matter. Once I had defined the area I was looking at, I had to decide how I was going to translate it in an abstract manner using the contents of the pack.

Initially, I thought of words: layers; scrunchy; fluid; line (hard and soft); movement; overlap/beneath; entwined; twisting; gentle/rugged; encrusted; silky; rhythm; continuous; broken bands.

Looking at the materials and threads, the same words came to mind: the mix of silk in various forms, from the smoothest, silkiest tops through to the textural, sculptural rods, was echoed in the threads, which ranged from a single piece of stranded cotton to thick silk rope. The inclusion of semiprecious chip beads added yet another dimension.

I find that having the subject matter broken down like this is very helpful, and indicates the best way to approach the design

If you would like to create a similar piece, use the enlarged design source photo (above) as your guide for colour and texture, and refer to the photos of my finished piece.

The Experimental Pack

What you do

These instructions are guidelines to help you create a piece of work that is uniquely yours.

1. Use the piece of linen as the background fabric. I worked this piece freely, without using an embroidery frame, but you may prefer to work with a frame: the choice is yours. Allow a border of at least 2.5 cm all round the worked area to enable you to lace the finished piece onto a piece of firm board.
2. With the fabric set vertically in front of you, lay down horizontal bands of silk tops in fine, sensitive layers. Work from top to bottom allowing areas of the background linen to show through.
3. Cut three bands of Sinamay about 5 cm deep and the width of the worked area. Manipulate the pieces to distress and distort them slightly, and lay them across the silk at irregular intervals.
4. Add small amounts of peach/pink silk form in areas as indicated in the source photograph, teasing it out to give the desired shape and effect.
5. To trap the fibres, carefully cover the whole piece with a layer of chiffon, pinning it in place at intervals to secure. You now have a coloured, slightly textured background on which you can continue to stitch.
6. Silk rods are structural and multi-layered. For this design you are going to stitch on the inside of the rods and use the curling edges to advantage. To separate the layers, carefully run your nail along the sides, working your fingers towards the middle. You should be able to lift three or four layers from each rod. I usually manage to do this when the silk rod is dry, but it is sometimes necessary to relax the fibres by spraying them lightly with a little water to start the separation.

7. Set the separated silk rods in random zigzag bands across the work, leaving pleasing spaces between them. Use one or two of the rod layers in their original width, cutting others in half along their length. Also, to soften and break the strong lines the rods create, cut finer slivers from a coloured rod and inset within the natural rods. Pin them in place and stand back to check the balance of the overall piece so far.
8. Referring to the design source photo for colour and scrunchy areas, add more silk form in both peach/pink and blue/green. Tuck it into/on top of/under the silk rods and pin in place.
9. Check that the lines you have created are showing movement and texture. You should be able to see areas that will be smoother. Once you have identified these areas, you are ready to stitch. Using threads that vary in thickness and texture, your stitching should:
   • integrate the fibres and fabrics
   • enhance the lines
   • embellish.
10. Finally, embellish with the semiprecious chip beads, placing them in random groups, as shown. Stitch the beads in place with the stranded cotton.

Threads - how and where to use them

Stranded cotton: Use 1 strand throughout. Work running stitch and free cross stitch freely over the whole piece. Use also to couch silk form in place. Varying the size and direction of the stitches, work free cross stitch in areas where Sinamay shows. Work gentle fluid lines of running stitch in the top half of the piece.

Fine silk (peach/pink): Stitch natural-coloured silk rods in place with rows of running stitch, taking care to allow the curling edges of the rod to remain free. In the top half of the design, intermingle rows of running stitch with the previously worked lines of stranded cotton.

Single thread soft spun silk: Work french knots in the small textured area at the top. Add free cross stitch in the textured areas in the middle of the design.

Luxury thick silk thread: Work large, scrunchy French knots in the lower textured areas and also in the central area, following the lines of the silk rods. The knots should be worked closely together to create dense stitching.

To finish

Stretch and lace the finished embroidery onto a piece of firm card (see Back to Basics) and frame as desired.

Supplier

At the time of writing the Fron Isaf Experimental Pack used here was available from:
Art Van Go, The Studios
1 Stevenage Road, Knebworth
Herts SG3 6AN
www.artvango.co.uk.