For over a year I’ve been adding hand stitches to a 17 by 21 inch bit of cloth I had dyed and then stamped with leaves. This piece began with sprayed on “failed” dyes that were too pale for my taste. A play session with fabric paint resulted in the leaf impressions.
It’s taken so long because I worked on this project only when I had time to kill on a volunteer job. Two weeks ago I chain stitched a line on a leaf and decided the piece was done.
I’ve added a few machine stitching lines to hold the batting and top together. Next I plan to wrap this around a stretcher frame and staple it on.
The blog And Then We Set It On Fire has been featuring hand stitching lately, and the examples that show the expressiveness of the humble running stitch have been real eye openers for me.
My previous post about big stitches focused on big stitch quilting. Now I’m considering how the softer lines of hand stitching can add subtlety and depth to a design. Yes, I hear laughter in some quarters as subtlety and I are barely acquainted.
The Snarky Quilter 
The hand stitching adds just the right amount of detail, something you couldn’t have gotten if you had machine-quilted it in. Thanks for showing your work. I need to come visit you and have you give me some lessons. 😉
Please drop in anytime you’re in the neighborhood – northeast Ohio, that is.
I will. Thanks. 🙂
Lovely, beautiful, ethereal!! The hand work adds immensely. And subtle too!
Whoa, ethereal! I’m coming to you if I need to write copy for my work. Thanks.