I just finished a project that I'd been working on for a long time, and I'm so happy that it turned out as well as I had hoped. I really enjoyed working on it, and I'm enjoying the finished product too! Allow me to share it with you!
I started making this pillow cover during my last few days in Germany, and when I needed to pack up and leave for Spain, taking only one suitcase with me, it was something I chose to bring. I still remember working the satin stitch in the antlers while I was waiting to start my first job in Spain, and how it calmed me after all the stress of moving around and looking for work.
I laid the project aside for a long while, because I got overwhelmed by the thought of doing all the branches. Normally in embroidery, branches are done with some kind of simple stitch that goes in the same direction as the lines, but I had chosen to do them in tiny perpendicular stitches, a much more time-consuming process. But I recently got it back out and finished it.
Next I added the flowers and leaves. The design was at least a little bit inspired by the Forest Spirit in Princess Mononoke. I wanted the antlers to have the same sort of feeling as the branches, as if the deer and the trees somehow shared one spirit. I used silk ribbon, working the flowers using French knots and the leaves with ribbon stitch, a special stitch only used in ribbon embroidery.
My next challenge, which again caused me to lay the project aside for a few weeks, was figuring out how to fill in the area of the deer's body. It was too big to use satin stitch, but I didn't want to break it down into areas that would look separated. I had already added some white spots using running stitch, and finally discovered a solution called long-and-short-stitch, which works to stagger the thread ends and at the same time creates a pleasant texture.
Putting in the last stitches was a proud and happy moment for me. Next I hand washed the unbleached cotton and lay it out to dry.
After that, I trimmed the edges, sewed the seams, and put in the zipper. All the stitching was done by hand, which is just the way I like it.
So here's the finished piece. It's for sale in my Etsy store, but I don't mind if it hands around for a while. :) www.etsy.com/shop/TheMermaidIsland
