May Textile Challenge

This month we had to work on a patterned fabric.  I decided that a patterned fabric was just something that wasn't plain, so I settled on trying to put together a check pattern using some ribbons saved from chocolate boxes.  It was suggested we make a needle case.  The colours were determined by the gold and purple ribbons.

I wanted to try to weave the ribbons and yarns into a fabric and then stitch over it.  I ironed some Bondaweb onto a piece of felt first.  Then did the weaving on top of the felt so that I could then iron the ribbons down so they would hold together whilst I did the top stitching.  I then got carried away with the top stitching, my motto being 'if in doubt add more'.  I remember this phrase from attending a Kaffe Fassett evening where he discussed his knitting.... he said if in doubt add more colour.

I've never been quite happy with just a satin stitch edge onto this sort of project, I always get a few pokeys showing through the edge, so I tried something different this time.

First I went round the edge in zigzag stitch, 4.2mm wide and 1.0 long, then a second round in 5.5 wide and .8 long.  I used Madeira Classic 30s embroidery thread.  Then I used the saddle stitch to sew down the middle on the satin edge in metallic gold which stabilised the edge a bit more.  Finally I added some cord which I made on the sewing machine - I stitched this on by hand.

The finished needle case is quite busy and glitzy, but yet again the Textile Challenge has encouraged me to try the weaving technique which has been on my list for long enough.