205 - Little Quail

Teacher: Lynn Payette
Class days: February 18-19, 2012 (Saturday-Sunday)
Style: Needlepoint
Skill level: Intermediate
Kit fee: US $79.50

‘Little Quail’ is a non-charted design created with the use of sheer and opaque fabrics, silk ombre ribbons, metallic threads, floss, and stump-work techniques. Student will make the decisions for the placement of stitches and colors of the leaves.

Techniques will be demonstrated for the stitching and application of sheer and opaque fabrics (using a bonding technique with a product called Wonder Under, a fusible web). Some of the leaves will be superimposed on the ground fabric after being wired (between two layers of bonded fabric) and will curve out from the piece in the student’s choice of placement. Some of the leaves will be bonded directly to the ground and then overstitched. This will give a 3-D effect around and partially over the quail, and the leaves bonded to the ground fabric. Also taught will be the overstitching of fabrics with threads, working with novelty and metallic threads, and creating a color scheme that demonstrates cast shadows and perspective. The wheat is created with pearl cotton and metallic threads in whipped back and straight stitches.

The quail’s body and head will be stitched separately on muslin, and then applied to the ground fabric with padding created with one to two layers of felt. Long and short stitch will be worked on the upper breast of the quail, and buttonhole stitch for the lower breast. The quail’s head is worked in a variety of stitches, including satin stitch, outline stitch and whipped outline stitch, chain stitch, French knots, and beading.

This piece allows the student to experience the use of a wide variety of media, and will have a heavy emphasis on creating perspective and shadows with the use of threads, metallics, beads and fabrics. The student will also learn to recreate an object (quail) using stitches to create photographic realism. ‘Little Quail’ is the first piece in a bird theme series.

Design Size: 6" circle

Student will Supply:

12” x 12” stretcher bars and tacks to mount the piece | small, very sharp scissors | paper scissors (sharp) | a variety of sharp and blunt needles including: #5, #6 or #7 crewel needle, #22 and #18 chenille needle, a beading needle | glue-stick (not the blue or purple type) | invisible thread | beeswax | sharpened pencil | additional lighting and magnification, if desired | wire cutters | a few common pins | extra small bags for separating threads and fabrics | a “C” clamp or other method of attaching the working frame to the table | a pillowcase, or other cover for transporting the piece.

Kit contents:

Pre-drawn Congressa cloth ground | fabrics – sheer, opaque | all threads and fibers necessary to complete the piece, including: floss; metallic threads; metallic sewing machine threads; novelty yarns and threads; beads; wire; felt; instructions and diagrams, and a color copy of the finished piece.