Embroidering faces

Hi everyone!

I'm doing a fairly major project as part of an even bigger project at
a local church in Oxford. The plan is to depict each book of the Bible
in an A5-sized piece of felt. I've taken on the four Gospels (I'm a
Hindu!!!) and I've already finished one. I chose the texts about bread
and vine in St. John to embroider an intertwined vine and wheatsheaf.
That was the easy bit. For the other three panels, I've got to do
figures and faces: Sermon on the Mount for Matthew, calming the storm
for Mark and the Good Shepherd for Luke. In most cases, I'm hoping to
get away with cutting out figures on different cloths and laying them
as appliques. But I've got to embroider the face in at least two
cases, and I have no idea how to go about it. I've never done this
before, and my instinctive idea is to follow the traced outline. But
just before putting needle to cloth, I decided to ask for expert
opinion on this forum.

Regards,
Shanti.

Shanti wrote:
Hi everyone!

I'm doing a fairly major project as part of an even bigger project at
a local church in Oxford. The plan is to depict each book of the Bible
in an A5-sized piece of felt. I've taken on the four Gospels (I'm a
Hindu!!!) and I've already finished one. I chose the texts about bread
and vine in St. John to embroider an intertwined vine and wheatsheaf.
That was the easy bit. For the other three panels, I've got to do
figures and faces: Sermon on the Mount for Matthew, calming the storm
for Mark and the Good Shepherd for Luke. In most cases, I'm hoping to
get away with cutting out figures on different cloths and laying them
as appliques. But I've got to embroider the face in at least two
cases, and I have no idea how to go about it. I've never done this
before, and my instinctive idea is to follow the traced outline. But
just before putting needle to cloth, I decided to ask for expert
opinion on this forum.

Regards,
Shanti.

If I'm accurately understanding your assessment, you want to outline a
face only.

That's easy enough to do: either tiny chain or tiny stem stitch will
give you a smooth edge.

If you want to fill in the face and then add a couple of features
(eye/s, nose, mouth as straight stitches) you can either use long/short
technique (needlepainting without shading) or Rumanian couching. If the
face is very tiny, you can simply satin stitch it, and then add details.

Dianne

On Jun 7, 12:08*am, Dianne Lewandowski
wrote:


(eye/s, nose, mouth as straight stitches) you can either use long/short
technique (needlepainting without shading) or Rumanian couching. *If the
face is very tiny, you can simply satin stitch it, and then add details.

Dianne

Thank you, Dianne. I will probably try all of these. It would help, of
course, if the faces looked like people and not like caricatures. But
probably my skill levels need to be higher to accomplish that.

Regards,
Shanti.

Shanti wrote:
Thank you, Dianne. I will probably try all of these. It would help, of
course, if the faces looked like people and not like caricatures. But
probably my skill levels need to be higher to accomplish that.

Regards,
Shanti.

Shanti . . . straight lines to designate nose, mouth, and eye (with a
dot for the eyeball) doesn't necessarily mean a caricature. Some really
lovely art is done with little else for features. It's positioning them
correctly (proportionately) that is the trick.

Dianne

says...
But I've got to embroider the face in at least two
cases, and I have no idea how to go about it. I've never done this
before, and my instinctive idea is to follow the traced outline.

Of course Dianne's advice is wonderful but I can't resist adding my $0.02 g

If the cloth you're using already has prints of the faces, you could ignore the
outline. Instead see if you can make the facial features stand out with a few
stitches.

Whatever you decide, use one strand of floss for a fine line.
--
another anne, add ingers to reply

anne wrote:
says...
But I've got to embroider the face in at least two
cases, and I have no idea how to go about it. I've never done this
before, and my instinctive idea is to follow the traced outline.

Of course Dianne's advice is wonderful but I can't resist adding my $0.02 g

If the cloth you're using already has prints of the faces, you could ignore the
outline. Instead see if you can make the facial features stand out with a few
stitches.

Whatever you decide, use one strand of floss for a fine line.

And a good two cents it is! :~)

I've seen the finest whitework of faces. Unbelievable workmanship. If
only I had the eyes.

Dianne

"Dianne Lewandowski" wrote in message
...
anne wrote:
says...
But I've got to embroider the face in at least two
cases, and I have no idea how to go about it. I've never done this
before, and my instinctive idea is to follow the traced outline.

Of course Dianne's advice is wonderful but I can't resist adding my $0.02
g

If the cloth you're using already has prints of the faces, you could
ignore the outline. Instead see if you can make the facial features stand
out with a few stitches.

Whatever you decide, use one strand of floss for a fine line.

And a good two cents it is! :~)

I've seen the finest whitework of faces. Unbelievable workmanship. If only
I had the eyes.

Dianne


And don`t forget what they teach you in art classes - if you think of the
face as an egg - the eyes are only half-way up - NOT near the top! Remember
that and you`re halfway there!

Pat P

In the exhibition i just hung , and opened , "SEAM +TEFER"
There are several works with faces , one is done only with White
+several shades of Gray and Black " xst not with regular threads .
One is made with Straight stiches , one is crocheted , and two are
done in a mixture of drawing and sewing ,

mirjam

Thank you, everyone, for all your suggestions. I had a longish chat
today with the lady who's co-ordinating the project, and she seems to
think that it's best to avoid any facial features. If I do have to put
some features in, I shall be sure to incorporate some of your
suggestions here.

I'll put up some pictures or paste in a link when the project is
finished.

Regards,
Shanti.



On Jun 7, 5:10*pm, "Pat P" wrote:
"Dianne Lewandowski" wrote in message

...



anne wrote:
says...
But I've got to embroider the face in at least two
cases, and I have no idea how to go about it. I've never done this
before, and my instinctive idea is to follow the traced outline.

Of course Dianne's advice is wonderful but I can't resist adding my $0..02
g

If the cloth you're using already has prints of the faces, you could
ignore the outline. Instead see if you can make the facial features stand
out with a few stitches.

Whatever you decide, use one strand of floss for a fine line.

And a good two cents it is! *:~)

I've seen the finest whitework of faces. Unbelievable workmanship. If only
I had the eyes.

Dianne

And don`t forget what they teach you in art classes - if you think of the
face as an egg - the eyes are only half-way up - NOT near the top! *Remember
that and you`re halfway there!

Pat P

says...
Thank you, everyone, for all your suggestions. I had a longish chat
today with the lady who's co-ordinating the project, and she seems to
think that it's best to avoid any facial features.

smart lady -- I'd rather have a piece with an artsy face with no features than
one with simplistic ugly ones
--
another anne, add ingers to reply