Here is a collection of photos for ideas on how to use my new 'stick and stitch' embroidery designs.
My 'stick and stitch' designs are simplified versions of my illustrations, printed onto a dissolvable stabiliser. They stick to the fabric and you can use them as a guide to stitch over the top. When the design is finished you can run it under warm water and the stabiliser washes away. This means you can use them as you like, using whatever kind of stitching you like, and you don't have to keep inside the lines because once you wash the stabiliser away only your stitching is left.
You can put them on any fabric (though they seem to stick best on woven, non stretchy fabrics). Here I have been using them on a plain cotton in embroidery hoops, just so I can quickly give all the designs a try and get photos to share.
I've sort of taught myself the stitches and techniques I use I may not use the right terms, and there are probably better ways of doing it, haha. But here goes...
First up I did the bluebell, forget me not and dog rose designs.
*It's important to make sure the thread you are using is colour fast so that the colour doesn't run when you wash the stabiliser away. I usually like to use DMC threads.
I separate out three strands of embroidery thread to work with and start with simple stitches to fill in the petals, then do the same with two other colours.
Then I made a start on the bluebell flowers, the direction of stitches makes a huge difference to the end result, and I wasn't too happy with the bluebells so I have altered the design a bit from the one used here.
I then did the stems and leaves of the forget me not and moved onto the dog rose. working on bigger flowers gives more chance to work with blending colours a little, so I used a darker pink on the outside, going into a paler one. The leaves on this one are nice and big so I used a stem stitch down the middle of them and then simple stitches out to the edges from there.
I then did a pale yellow and green for the centre and added French knots around it.
Here's the finished hoop before washing away the stabiliser.
And here it is after...
Hope you like it... There will be more to follow!