Stumpwork Iris

I bought this kit from the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design.  It is called Stumpwork Iris #200-007 and was designed by Lauren Yeager who taught a couple of the other classes I had taken with the school.  This is my first wirework piece and the directions are pretty decent, but I learned a number of things.

I would place all the frames (cordonnet) with the wires to the outside instead of the inside next time.  It can be annoying to work around them being inside though it probably is outside.  I only had the one piece of silk, so had to make do.

When tacking the frames down, the tendency is to want to get full coverage over the frame.  if the color thread you are using to tack is different, I have learned you can paint them to match the thread better.  The reason you don't tack the frames down using the button hole stitch as tight as you can as you want to be able to get a needle beneath the frame for certain stitches such as needlelace.  

I'm still not fabulous at long/short or silk painting.  My brain is not built for that much "letting loose".  At least not yet.  They were done using 2 strands in each color.  I went back and added the fourth color even though the instructions hadn't to give it a little something more.  More what?  No idea.

In the instructions they painted the two largest petals.  I chose not to.  I did needlelace also called Corded Buttonhole stitch, or Corded Brussels stitch in thicker threads to the first two done in the solid dark color.  The dark colored petals are using 2 strands, the fatter stripped one uses 6 strands and the shaded one uses 4 strands.  I considered doing one with the stitches going the long way, but talked myself out of that madness and instead thought to try blending of threads.  I kind of like that one best.

So it used a silk rayon or very slubby silk cotton material.  Anchor 6-strand cotton floss in 00072, 00042, 00055, 00103 and 00267.  I used the 00103 to tack down the cordonnets and the 00267 is a green used to hold all the stems together during/after construction.  DMC 972 cotton Perle size 8 was used on the stamens.

Finished piece

Adding the wires for the cordonnet

Starting the first needlelace

First needlelace leaf done

2 needlelace leaves done - starting one of the "silk painted" leaves

Almost done with the first silk painted leaf

4 leaves done.  Starting more needlelace leaves

Decided to try and stripe this leaf

For the second one, I put 1 strand of each color together for the shade changes - I like it better.

All 4 leaves ready to be cut out.  I  hate this part.

A pic of the finished piece.  I wrapped the green thread around all the wires gathered together to achieve the final piece.