W.I.P. Pomegranate Challah Cover, originally uploaded by Carly & Art.

Almost done with this challah cover. The embroidery work is actually done, and I’m just down to the finishing work. I find that far less inspiring so I often stall there.

The design is based on tambour stitch patterns, but tambour stitch is done with a special hook and this is done with a plain old needle. It’s really just a chain stitch. I saw an article about tambour stitch in an Australian embroidery magazine I stumbled across at the book store and really fell in love with the style. It’s stitched with DMC Pearl Cotton, which had a nice effect.

I stitched most of the flourish around the pomegranates at my last Kohenet training intensive. I felt like a positive Madame DeFarge, capturing all of the stories and magic of that experience in my stitches.

I’ve decided that I’m so in love with tambour stitch that my next project will be a tambour-style stitch Mizrach. I’ve already drawn the design out on the fabric and it’s a sun rising over the water with rays in the sky and rays in the water. Of course, I finished the outline and realized I didn’t really have a palette of colors at my finger tips to begin stitching.

Technorati Tags: wip, tambour stitch, chain stitch, challah cover, judaica, pomegranate

Bob Ross

Originally uploaded by merwing

I love artist Aimee Ray. Her embroidery is just so sweet and simple. She recently posted this embroidered homage to Bob Ross, as well as several other portraits of her childhood heros.

Seriously — check out those happy trees!

Well done, Aimee. Well, Done. (*applauds*)

Size: 2.25″ H X 3.5″L X .75″ D
Materials: Linen, Cotton, Modeling Compound, Altoids Tin
Stitches: Running, Colonial Knot, French Knot, Sheaf, Algerian Eyelet, Fly
Status: Available on Etsy

This is the first in my series of altered Altoids boxes. I’ve developed a bit of an addiction to the chocolate covered and sours, and decided I needed to do something with the boxes!

The Altoids tin is covered with a hand embroidered cover featuring an original design. The artwork on the cover is intended to represent the scent of the spices swirling through the air. The stitches include running stitch in bright blue, white, pink, and green; french & colonial knots, sheaf stitch, seed stitches, and fly stitches. The edging was created using a heated modeling compound with which I cut an “egg and dart” border.

The box is filled with my own blend of spices which includes bay leaves, rose hips, rose petals, cinnamon, cardamom, and citrus. The sweet and spicy scent is sure to return your soul to you after Shabbat!

Altoids is a registered trademark of Callard & Bowser.

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