2/09/2012

Cording Problem and Word in from Susan

When I did this piece I couldn't remember having any problems with the cording shifting but as I go back and really look at it I see I either:
1. put the flat braid down first and braced the cording against that or...
2. I put multiple rows of cording together which were bracing each other..

If you look closely there are three layers of couched cording on the circle with the flat braid.  So when I design the work for Kerry's piece I will keep that these two things in mind....

Just as a point of interest here, the wings on the dragonfly are wired gold Christmas ribbon..




With the owl I wasn't using cording but I did use two adjacent rows of chain stitching and I believe using chain rows in conjunction with cording would also help...

I kept thinking it was the couching thread I needed to keep more taut but Susan said she thought that it was the cording that needed to be kept taut and sent the following suggestion:

"I put the thread that I am couching on a spool and make it taut.  Let's call that cording and the couching thread, couching thread.  In fact when you wrap your cording around your spool, you should hold the spool in your right hand with arm extended...and cording in left.  Stretch cording until taut between your two arms and wind the spool toward you, wrapping the cording around the spool as you go.  If you need to put a rubber band around it to hold the cord tight until you use it, so be it.

You don't need to keep the couching thread taut.  It's really easier to use this technique if your hands are both free...your right hand to hold your cording spool taut  and your other hand to couch the cord.  I'll be interested to know if it helps."

She also believed working on a hoop with material taut would help which I had also thought would help..... I might have to call in some extra hands or toes to do what she suggests but I sure going to try..  But with her advice and a better design to begin with, it should work better next time...  Stay tuned... 

2 comments:

Cristina said...

Qué cosas tan maravillosas haces, me encantan!! Soy una amante de la aguja, de las telas y la costura y estos trabajos demuestran un gran dominio de todos ellos. Mis felicitaciones por este magnífico blog!

Susan Elliott said...

How did I miss this before? As for the extra hands or toes...you have to remember that I stitch with my frame or hoop on a stand, so both my hands are free. I learned this in Japanese embroidery and have been doing it ever since. Right hand above the frame, left hand below. It's a much more efficient way of stitching.

That being said, I will sometimes use a c-clamp to hold my hoop or smaller stretcher bar frame to the side of the table. Of course, if you're successful in growing extra hands and toes..I"d like to know more....xo Susan

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