Australian Homespun - February 2016_

Preparation

1

Trace the designs from the

Pattern Sheet onto the centre

of the linen squares with an erasable

fabric-marking pen; take care to

ensure that the designs are parallel

with the grain of the fabric. Putting

a light source such as a lightbox or

well-lit window behind the designs

makes them easier to see through

the fabric.

2

Trace the peacock body shape

and the large and small circles

for the owl’s eyes onto the matt side

of the freezer paper and cut them

out on the lines.

3

Using a warm iron, fuse the

peacock body shape and large

eye circles to the dark turquoise wool

felt and the small eye circles to the

light turquoise wool felt. Cut all the

shapes out carefully around the edge

of the paper, then remove the freezer

paper from the felt.

4

Stretch the fabric in an

embroidery hoop while working

the designs to prevent the fabric

from puckering.

Embroidery and beading

5

Work all the embroidery first so

your threads don’t get caught on

the sequins and beads. Refer to the

Stitchery Guide on page 108 for the

stitches and colours to use for the

various areas of each design.

Owl

6

The owl’s feathers are worked in

open detached chain stitch (lazy

daisy). This is similar to regular

detached chain stitch, except that

you don’t go down in the same hole

at the top of the stitch, but 6-10mm

(^11 ⁄ 4 -^3 ⁄ 8 in) away. To keep the stitches in

a nice rounded shape, don’t pull the

loops too tight and couch them

down at each side as well as the

base. Refer to Diagram 1. Work the

stitches side by side in rows – the

forehead feathers are a bit smaller

than the body ones.

7

Referring to the photographs,

position the large and small felt

eye circles and large gold sequins

on the face either side of the nose

to establish their placement. Using

Light Topaz (726), attach the small

eye circles to the large ones with

radiating straight stitches two-thirds

of the way around, leaving space for

the sequins that sit slightly off centre

towards the nose.

8

Put the large eye circles in place

again on the face and with the

same thread, attach them with

radiating straight stitches that are

slightly longer than the previous

ones, again over about two-thirds

of the circumference.

9

Finish each eye with a large gold

sequin, held in place with a clear

seed bead. To do this, thread the

beading needle with white machine-

sewing or beading thread. Bring the

needle up to the front of the fabric

through a sequin, go through a seed

bead and pull the thread through. Go

back down through the hole in the

sequin and secure the thread at the

back to keep them fi rmly in place.

10

Sew a small assorted colour

sequin and clear seed bead

inside all the open chain-stitch

feathers on the body as you did

for the eyes.

Peacock

11

Position the felt body shape

on the traced design and,

using very Light Avocado Green

(471), sew small radiating straight

stitches around the body to keep it

in place, leaving the neck and head

unstitched. (The sequin eye will

keep them in place.)

12

Refer to the Stitchery Guide

on page 108 for the stitches

and colours to use for the remaining

embroidery.

13

Using paper scissors, trim

16 of the large sequins into

equilateral triangles by eye.

14

Using the method described

in Step 9, sew a medium gold

sequin in place for the peacock’s eye

through all layers, securing the head

in place at the same time. Then

stitch a triangular sequin at the ends

of the longer Light Topaz (726)

feather quills. To do this, come up

in the centre and go down at the

middle of one edge of the shape.

Repeat this step for the other two

edges so the triangle is fastened on

three sides; don’t use a seed bead

in the middle with these sequins.

15

Mixing the colours as you

go, sew two layered sequins

(large+medium or large+small) at

Owl

Peacock

Open detached chain stitch

HELEEN’S COLOUR

TIP I was inspired by the colour

scheme of the sequins and chose my

other colours around that. Choose

a colour scheme based on what you

can find before you start buying

everything. I use my phone to take

photos if I can’t find everything I need

in one shop. That way I can keep track

of everything before I commit.

Homespun 107

HSP1702_p104-109_Two Birds One Tone PROJECT.indd 107 12/17/2015 12:25:11 PM