Once the rose and leaves were done, it was time for a butterfly - all the Elizabethan things seem to have a bug of some sort. I decided on a blue butterfly to be done in detached buttonhole lace. First I laid the wire, then I started the fill. I tried first with some filmy sort of thread from a kit I cannibalized, but it was horrible to work with as detached buttonhole, so I switched to silk. The bigger wings I did from the tip in, and the lower from the body out. I made sure there was enough separation between wings when I set out the wire so it would be easy to stitch, but later realized it might be a problem when I wanted to push them a bit closer. It actually turned out fine - though I'm sure there is a better way.
Here are the finished bits, ready to go on the box.
And here is my finished box. I'm rather pleased. Actually, it isn't really finished since I need to cover the wires with some material on the underside of the lid, but that will be easy (knock on wood - famous last words).
4 comments:
Lovely - and love the rose.
You know you've changed my world on sepals!
I would have done the butterfly half and half (cut down vertically) - extra wire just goes into the body, and it's just a bit less fiddly. Tho it was marvellous seeing the whole 'fly done as a single piece.
Would you consider starch for thickening the silk? Or is that no good?
The starch comment was meant for the horse's mane, obviously.
Norbert is very good looking!
So you are using that same bullion/picot pattern for the rose leaves, huh?
I haven't seen startch since i was a child, and even then it was in a spray can. But it is a though.
and yes, bullion picot on the leaves, I'm rather fond of that stitch.
I'll try to post some photos of the mother - Lenora is rather attractive as well. She is yellowish with spots, which is a dalmation colouring according to my daughter.
Thanks.
Yeah - in a spray can. Or even a tiny bit of (oh, what IS it called - no frizz- the stuff you use on the edge of material to stop it fraying) rubbed on your fingers and then on the mane. Um, fray-stop?
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