Slow progress and new design - Moon Cherries

Things have been quiet on the stitching front since I last posted.  I have made quite a lot of progress on the module 8 maple leaves, but it doesn't look much different so no pictures. 

I completed the design of a new piece for the Japanese Embroidery Academy last year.  It was inspired by hanging ikebana designs, an antique obi design sheet, and some lovely kimono silk.  I've been itching to get the embroidery started for the last couple of months so I gave myself a break from the autumn leaves and made a start.

The flowers in this ikebana design hang from a moon shaped vase and after playing around with some ideas I decided to use silver paste for the moon.  Not knowing how much of the paste I'd need to use for a good foundation I made a small template and used the end section of the fabric to try it out.

From right to left I used the lightest of applications and on the left the most.

I liked the darkest of the silvers best, so after transferring the design using chaco paper I pasted the moon shape. 

Opps, this photo is upside down! The moon actually faces the other way.

The design sheet for the obi gave me the inspiration for the colour scheme on the design, only three colours of silk are used together with some metallics.  I'm using a lovely cream colour for the cherries, grey for the leaves, with a pale pink for the pollen.

The cherries are padded with cotton or self padding and I used shell silver for the stamens in random lengths.

I've deliberately kept the Japanese embroidery techniques simple allowing the colour and the silk to do all the work.

The moon vase hangs from a cord with a tassel at one end.  I put in some random padding and then covered it with grey silk and a pewter coloured metallic.

I'm not convinced by this tassel, it looks lovely but I think it is too heavy for the design.  I've left it in for the moment, but I'm pretty sure it's going to come out.

The original plan for the cord was a double central.  The cord is thinner than the standard 7mm width and no matter how I tried I couldn't get it to look good, a change of plan was called for.  I ended up using woven effect for the cord, this has always been my favourite cord and it looks good, I'm much happier with this.

The design is coming along very quickly, and it has already been much admired by my fellow stitchers who have seen in 'in the flesh' as it were.  I am so pleased with the design, I'm really hoping that the JEA students will enjoy stitching it as much as I am enjoying creating it.

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