Fantasy Flower - Part 1

A few weeks ago I put aside the other things I was working on , the commission piece and exhibit work and picked up a threaded needle to do some hand embroidery. I haven't really found the time to work at my first love so when I was asked to teach a workshop for the local chapter of the  Embroiderers Association of Canada , Pleasant Vally Stitchers, I didn't give it a second thought. Some where in my 2 blogs there is a picture of a an Echineaca that I have been meaning to do something with it. It was the perfect subject to experiment with thread shading. It really isn't the tradition thread shading as I introduce the students to using the stem stitch to fill in and shade .I love the affect ,and the stitch allowed for the little ridges that you see on the Echineaca . I took artistic licence and worked the head in rows of Turkey knots. The class has two weeks to work on samples and if they are comfortable with that they will work on the pattern which they paint the  ground with Dye-na-Flow. It was a busy 3 hours but fun and I have a couple of surprises for them in Part 2..
Steps have been upload to this blog to help with the embroidery

I'm sharing on the Needle and Thread Network