Grapes and Butterfly Crewel Work

          Hi, its been quite long time blogging !!!   Well here is my first " Stitch Along on Grapes and Butterfly Crewel Work (GBCW) " .  I have tried to keep it simple, hope you all enjoy working it !!!

Grapes and Butterfly Crewel work

        You can get this pattern here " Grapes and Butterfly Crewel work ".

  Fabric, Needle and Thread :

       For this project i have used ' Kora ' fabric, you can use any cotton cloth with fine weaving or linen. Threads are Anchor threads and crewel needle 8 or 9 is suitable.


      Lets begin working butterfly. The center portion of Butterfly is worked with ' raised stem stitch ' , its blue color - no 170 ( anchor threads ). Both base stitch ( horizontal line) and stem stitch is worked using 3 strands of  anchor thread ( shade no 170 ).
   

Working center portion of Butterfly

            Before working wings of Butterfly, add guild lines to work ' Trellis stitch or Jacobean couching ' 
Spacing between parallel lines is less than half centimeter or 4mm.

Add guild lines to wings 

             Work horizontal and vertical lines over the wings of Butterfly using shade no 189 and 3 strands of thread.

Wing of Butterfly

Wing of Butterfly

           Work cross stitch on intersecting points ( horizontal and vertical lines ).

Butterfly Crewel work

                Cross stitch is worked with shade no 401 (grey color) with 2 strands of thread.

                 

Butterfly Crewel work

              Have a look at ' Trellis stitch or Jacobean couching ' on wings of Butterfly.

Tent stitch on Butterfly wings

         
                      Keep watching, more to come on ' Butterfly ' !!! Happy stitching. 

Crewel Work

         Crewel work is worked in fine " crewel 2 ply wool " on linen in its traditional form.  It was popular in 17th century and earliest forms of English surface embroidery, which is also sometimes known as " Jacobean Embroidery ". Crewel work patterns are bold,stylized flowers, birds, animals, trees, insects which links back to Elizabethan era of working style.

Crewel / Jacobean work

                  Most of the design is worked with " laid work " across the pattern from one side to other with only small stitch on back of fabric and then these laid stitch are held with couching , later finishing is done with stem stitch across the pattern.


            Most famous piece of  Crewel work is " Bayeux Tapestry ", commemorate the battle of 1066 between Britons and Normans using only eight shades of wool on linen.

Crewel / Jacobean work

             Above my work is done using cotton threads and not with wool. Many embroider say if a crewel work is not worked with wool, just say it as surface embroidery and not crewel work.


               Crewel work uses most of surface embroidery stitches, but laid work and different forms of filling stitches like brick satin filling, honeycomb filling, trellis, battlement couching are majorly worked. Apart from these stitches, chain, stem, buttonhole, herringbone, satin, long and short, bullion, french knots.... are used to complete a pattern.

              This being my first attempt, i personally enjoyed working it and simply loved this form because any shape can be worked with filling stitch in no time, time consumption is less compared to other form if we use filling stitches. And it gives bold effect.

Ahir Embroidery of Kutch, Gujarat

     Ahir Embroidery of Kutch, Gujarat was practiced by a group of Ahirs who migrated from Mathura with Lord Krishna and later settled down in North Western part of  Gujarat including Kutch. Embroidery researchers believe that this embroidery is at least 500 years old.

           Ahirs were inspired by nature which reflects in their embroidery. Like Sachu phool ( real flower), Zad ( tree), Sedh phool, Mor (peacock), Tunaro Phool, Chatoodiya phool, human figures, Deities like Lord Ganesh and Lord Krishna which formed their spiritual motifs.

Sedhphool 

                 
                      A circular motif created using mirrors was known as " Dhungo".

Dungho Motif Variation ( Half Dungho)

                       Ahirs firstly, "Aarekhani", ie., they draw the pattern using Geru stone from river shore or Golaado leaves with which traditional ink is prepared. Then outline of motif is worked using "Saankdi" (open chain stitch), later filling is done using " Vanno" ( herringbone stitch) and lastly highlighters are added using Back stitch. Aablas ( mirror) are widely used and most important aspect of this embroidery is , Ahirs use varied shapes of mirrors like round, square, triangle and almond ( tear drop shape). Aablas are worked using buttonhole or herringbone stitch. "Baavadiyo" ( interlacing or maltese cross stitch) are also used as highlighters.


                  Ahir embroidery is done using "pat" thread ( untwisted silk threads) and they also do use twisted silk thread for Saankdi stitch.

Depicting Lord Krishna Motif

Lord Krishna Motif, Ahir Embroidery

                 Ahir embroidery is very dense and  hardly base fabric is visible. Even if a small space is left they cover blank area with highlighters like 'Danno, Baavadiyo'.

Fun Stitch !!!! Basket Weave with Open Cretan

           Hi, i am back. Schools started and its time for me to start blogging.  All these days although i couldn't  do much of work, but .............but still kept doing my homework, in the sense, i came across few different types of embroidery which i had not heard much about them. Well its embroideries of Gujarat, apart from Kutch work, many other types of embroidery like Jat, Soof, Karaek, Rabari, Ahir, Pakko, Mutawa ..., etc. list goes so on. I will soon talk one by one on these types.

              Today's post " fun stitch" is influenced by Gujarat. Its very simple like basket weaving. Have a look at below picture!!!!!!

Basket weave using open cretan

               Simple embellishment on a tunic and teamed up with kutch work.

Basket weave with kutch work

            To begin, i simply draw guidelines as below        

Guidelines to Basket Weave

               
                    Come out at point 1 and start working open cretan stitch on inside square ( same as base stitch in kutch daimond ).

Basket Weave

             While ending first square at point 1, pass needle under the thread. Next begin second square, here worked with green color thread. After working cretan stitch at point 2, pass needle under pink thread, same thing is worked again at point 4. While ending second square, pass needle under green thread at starting point of second square. In the same way try to finish rest of 3 squares, following weaving  pattern as shown in below collage.

Basket weave with open cretan

First part of weaving

First part of basket weave

                  Now start with second part of weaving in same way as first part. Click on below image for better view.

Second part of weaving

   
       This type of work is usually done on " Dowry Bag " at the time of marriage in parts of (tribal )Gujarat and is teamed with kutch work, mirror work and other simple stitches.

Basket weave with open cretan on tunic

               Sit back, relax and enjoy this very simple and fun filled stitch .