Ann-Marie Don’t you love the fun of playing with stitches? I think my favourite thing about canvaswork embroidery is that it is so easy to play – a piece of canvas, some colourful threads, a handful of stitches and some simple geometry. Numerous designs just unfold beneath your fingers!
For the last week I have been working on a new design to teach at the Embroiderer’s Guild of WA later this year. I wanted a small, colourful piece of embroidery that could easily be made up when completed. I came up with this simple wallet to hold my business cards.
The design is based on one of my favourite Threadworx colours – Hawaiian Flowers (No. 01068). I often work this way – choose a variegated thread and match it with a few solid colours for a perfect colour scheme. Here I have simply added the darker purple for contrast and cream for a background note.
Making up couldn’t be easier. A piece of cream pure wool felt lines the embroidery and creates a pocket all in one step. And then I simply added a snap fastener.
The really fun part of playing is all the spin-offs that come from developing one design. Here I have started work on a variation in a different colourway and size.
I will use a similar range of stitches and still maintain the braided heart as the focus, but this piece will be slightly different. And that is the beauty of playing with canvaswork – endless variation with such simple building blocks – I love it 🙂
