Jacobean Embroidery Designs - A Little Treat For Myself

Last month I decided to treat myself and purchased 4 patterns and 2 kits for embroidery needlework and Goldwork in real size, let's say a little rest from mini petit pointing.

I started with a pattern that is called "Minuet" designed by a talented embroidery artists Colleen Goy. "Prelude" is one of a series of miniature Jacobean designs. They are called "miniature" because they measure only 11 cm x 9 cm.

I was very excited to start this design and finished it in 3 days.

The picture doesn't give a justice and the quality of it leaves much to be desired, so I decided to give you a step-by-step description of a process itself. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoined stitching it.
This is how it looked like before I started

The 2 top Petals were worked with Cretan stitch and outlined with Chain stitch. Edges were worked out with a Buttonhole stitch on side of each Chain stitch but not through the background.

The 2 Large Gold-edged Petals have been done with alternating Long stitches of Light Brown, Light Blue and Gold Metallic thread. The edges are done with Buttonhole stitch using the Gold Metallic thread.

The small, heart-shaped Petals in Light Brown are covered with diagonal Satin stitch after padding. Then I did 3 horizontal Straight stitches evenly spaced across the Satin stitch and added 6 Fly stitches of Dark Turquoise over the horizontal stitches.

The tip of the centre section is sewn in padded Satin stitch.

The scalloped centre is sewn in padded Buttonhole stitch using Medium Blue, Dark Blue and Dark Turquoise.

The lower part of the centre of the Flower is filled in with rows of Chain stitch.

The 2 Trellised Petals are done in Straight stitch using Dark Blue and Gold Metallic thread. The shape was outlined with Double Knot stitch.

The Lower Petals are sewn with Buttonhole stitch over diagonally padding stitches and are finished with Back stitches around.

The Calyx is sewn in Whipped Spider's Web stitch and the stem is sewn with Stem stitch in the Dark Green

The Spray of Round Buds are done in Blue with satin stitch and back stitch around.
The Stems are sewn in Stem stitch of Medium Green.
The Vine with Leaves at the top right of the Flower are done in Stem stitch and the Leaves in Satin stitch.

The Large Brown Leaf is outlined in Chain stitch with Dark Brown and the Stem of the Leaf is outlined in Stem stitch in Light brown

The pointed flower on the left-hand side.
Each Petal is sewn in satin stitch fanning out from the centre with Light Brown, the a few stitches of dark Brown are sewn fanning out from the centre on the top. In the centre I used Gold Metallic thread in Chain stitch, filled in a bead in the centre. The small leaf shapes are sewn using Lazy Daisy stitch. The Vine is sewn in Stem stitch and the Stem is sewn in Stem stitch in Dark Green.

The tips have a glass bead sewn, the Stamens are sewn in Stem stitch with Medium Blue.

The Ground is done in Herringbone stitches across the middle section in Light Brwon and Light Green threaded together in the needle at the same time. The top line is sewn in Twisted Chain stitch with Dark Brown and the Lower line is sewn in Twisted Chain stitch as well but with Light Brown.
I put my name and the year under the ground: Natalia 2012.

I really had a lot of fun working out this design and wish I will be able to implement some of those incredibly beautiful stitches in miniature! Unfortunately, I am little bit disappointed with myself choosing the DMC floss for work. With all my respect to the DMC company, I don't like to work with this brand and didn't get the effect "WOW' after finishing the project.

Three designs more to go and certainly I will go with silk on those:

Thank you for looking and your patience!

Have a great weekend,

Natalia