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2014-10-15 08:14:26-04 |
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Since it’s Wednesday and you’ve successfully made it almost halfway through the week, I’m going to reward you with something really pretty!
This is a photo album cover hand embroidered by Jan Conners with a gorgeous monogram, front and center, and a lovely floral vine down the spine.
Let’s take a look at it! We’ll chat about the embroidery and supplies used, and about the construction of the cover.
You may click on any of the images below for a larger version.
First, the Monogram!! What a beauty! Jan’s color choices – especially the regal blue – are striking. I think she did a gorgeous job on it.
The monogram itself comes from Sajou Album 612 (PDF), which you can download from the Antique Pattern Library.
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If I had to pick my favorite part of the design, it would be this area, right here! Jan’s stitch & shade choices create a wonderful dimensional illusion at the top of the J.
I love the splash of the color from the central flower.
Her choice of working the satin stitch in a basket weave pattern on the main part of the J was smart. It adds texture, and it also keeps the satin stitches from being too long.
Here’s the front of the photo album, finished.
Jan worked the project as a learning piece. (I think her learning piece was pretty darned successful!)
To be able to source her materials locally and affordably on a piece that she intended for practice, Jan used DMC’s satin rayon floss for the whole project, along with Mill Hill Petite glass beads and seed pearls. The ground fabric is a synthetic dupioni backed with cotton sateen.
To assemble the album, Jan cushioned the embroidery with felt and laced the piece to the album cover. She glued a square inside the front and back covers to conceal the lacing, with a beautiful gold ribbon between the lacing and inside cover, to tie the book closed.
She added a pearl edging (from the bridal department at a local craft store) by overcasting it onto the edge of the book.
Now that Jan’s worked her “practice piece,” she says she’s building her stash of silk bit by bit, and her goal is to embroider the cover of a box.
I can’t wait to see it!
Thanks, Jan, for sending the photos and the details to share with everyone here on Needle ‘n Thread. I hope you all enjoyed your mid-week burst of inspiration!
If you’d like to add your oooooo’s and aaaaaaaah’s to mine, you’re most welcome to leave comments below!
If you’d like to browse through other pieces of embroidery from readers here on Needle ‘n Thread, you’ll find lots of inspirational needlework filed under reader’s embroidery.
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