Monday, April 29, 2013

Stitchers' backsides

Last week we looked at tips for making the backs of embroidery look neater and this week we're taking a look at some more stitchers' backsides. And a couple of weeks ago, we shared the back of one of Aimee Ray's pieces.

There are atleast a couple of approaches to backs here. I'm curious, do you worry about the back or do you stitch without giving it much thought? Share in the comments! :-)

Let's see what these three stitchers have to say!

Mimiloves embroidery back
...as for messy...well you've seen the state of my floss box but personally I think it's all part of the charm/working process...that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it! Mimiloves

Flossbox embroidery back
This embroidery is typical of how by backs turn out although the bird is stitched on a separate fabric, so you don't see the whole backside. I don't spend a lot of time worrying and stressing about the back, but I do make some effort to avoid getting lumps of threads and knots. I consider even the imperfections that come out of our needles to be part of our self-expression, so we have to allow for them.

I find having a backing fabric helps a lot. Occasionally I forget to pull the thread all the way through, so it helps to have an extra layer to fasten down the loose bits when needed. In general I try not to skip over more than an inch or so between stitches. It does happen from time to time in which case I take a few small stitches into the backing fabric along the way, so there isn't a bunch of loose threads hanging around. It also helps prevent pulling too tightly and adding puckers to the fabric. Emily at The Floss Box

Mother Eagle embroidery back
I have to say I don't worry about the back of the work as far as APPEARANCE goes. I'm not concerned with the way it looks, however I am concerned with doing things 'correctly' as in starting and finishing of threads, so that the finished piece is crisp and professional - especially as I am working for private clients or to sell on my website. So that means I start using the waste knot technique, and finish by weaving the end of the thread in to the back or by securing with a couple of stab stitches and trim at the front of the work (hope that makes sense!).

I also try and work in a methodical way so I'm not having to trail thread across large areas on the back, and don't use too long a thread to avoid tangling etc. All this is more out of a need for my work to be 'heirloom quality' - I want my work to have longevity and for my customers (and me!) to know that the piece isn't going to deteriorate over time because it's not been finished securely.

Overall I think if you care about your work, you will see the results in the back and the front! Katie at Mother Eagle

3 comments:

  1. I do not stress about the back. If anyone I can sell to cares about what the BACK of something (unless the back can be seen)looks like, I would no bother to sell it to them, no matter how much was offered. Embroidery is something I ENJOY doing, and if I have to stress about the back of my project because of what others might say or think, that reduces the enjoyment, and that is why I do not bother. :-)

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  2. Great post! It's fun to read how other people view their back sides!

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  3. I don't worry too much about the back of my work unless it's showing through to the front or being a bit poky.
    Love Mimilove's work ~ she's brilliant!

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