Yesterday we added the first layer of meadow grass to Sadie’s background……
Now it is time to work my way UP!!
I prepared the next (dark green) section in the same way that I did the first one. I started with wool, added some strings and other bits, and then added LOTS of thread……
Since this section is much darker, I decided to use King Tut #989 (Malachite) thread for the stitching. Since it is another variegated thread, it adds a nice movement to the stitching.
When I washed it out, I was upset that it had shrunk so much and didn’t come close to covering the dark green painted area…..
Fortunately, the piece stretched in width a WHOLE lot…..
I made use of that overage and filled in the blank areas and Sadie now has TWO layers of meadow…..
As I moved further up the piece (and further BACK in perspective) I wanted the threadwork to become more dense with less detail.
I also wanted to add an area that had a different look to it.
To accomplish this I started my stitching with a line of “back and forth” stitching…..
…..and filled in with overlapping small circles…..
I also threw in some areas of straight stitching among the circles.
Note that these circles are NOT perfectly formed and are really messy. To me, that is part of the charm of this technique!!!
Once these two sections were pinned in place……
….it was time to tackle the final “really dark” area.
Again, since this is even further in the back, I wanted it to be denser stitching.
I chose to do larger overlapping circles. In my free-motion quilting class, I call this “Messy Hairdo” and it is one of the easiest FMQ patterns to master…..
Since I wasn’t adding any wool roving or other items to the sandwich, I decided to use a non-fusible washout material……
It can be purchased on Amazon….
I ended up using three layers of the material so that I would have a good base for my stitching. This may have been overkill but it gave me more confidence in stitching.
I was happy with the look…..
….but it REALLY looked good when it was attached to the meadow…..
The reason I have a “fill-in” Sadie is because I was worried about continuing to move her back and forth. She was starting to fray a bit!!!
So the ONLY things left to do are the trees in the very back. They concern me greatly!!
Come back tomorrow and see how I solved this problem!!!
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