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Blog > A little Fairy....
Good afternoon Stitching World ♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪ …hope you are having a good day
Today I thought I would show you how to make a little girl’s hair
and a lovely flower garland.
This example is from the little girl fairy in the Black Medick Fairies design from my Flower Fairy ™ book…
Embroider the hair
With two strands of medium brown silk thread
work over a spare tapestry needle in straight stitch.
Use a very loose tension for a natural effect.
Click on the images to enlarge
Work between the stitches and
do keep going back, inserting the needle
between the stitches for a smooth finish.
Change to darker brown thread and add more locks of hair.
Lift the stitches up off the surface of the design
with a spare tapestry needle to form looser curls.
To form the curls at her ear, hold the thread as you
form the stitch so that it curls towards her cheek.
If necessary, use one strand of matching thread
(on a separate needle) and a make a tiny stab stitch
to position the curved stitch on the design.
Work over previous stitches to form a soft layer of curls.
Lift the stitches every now and then
with the spare tapestry needle.
Curve the stitches in place with your fingertip.
Lift the stitches as you did before.
Keep going back between the previous stitches.
Be careful not to split the threads and alternate
between medium and dark brown thread
for natural highlights.
Or use one strand of each colour on the same needle.
Work towards the nape of her neck.
Stitch over the spare needle to form soft, raised curls.
Make the stitches a little shorter as you reach
the end of her hair.
Repeat for the other side of her parting.
Make long, slanted straight stitches.
Lift all the curls with the tapestry needle.
…and Voila!
Make the garland
Form the garland stem with green
7mm silk ribbon
and twist the needle so that the ribbon
forms a thin stem.
Insert needle back into the fabric.
Still holding the needle at the back of your work
(so that the ribbon does not unwind) gently lift the
coiled ribbon to fit loosely on her head.
Cut the ribbon at the back, leaving a small tail
in case you need to change the position of the stem
while you stitch.
Use green thread to secure the stem
with tiny stab stitches.
End off at the back, securing the tail.
Make the yellow flowers
The little yellow flowers are made separately,
cut out and applied onto the hair.
Trace four flower shapes (about 1cm or 3/8 inch in diameter)
onto a block of fine cotton lawn or interfacing.
Place the fabric in a hoop.
Use 4mm yellow ribbon and loop stitch
to form the petals.
Work over a spare tapestry needle
and secure each loop with brown thread
by stitching along the base of the loops.
Use the same thread and make tiny stem stitches
along the edge of the shape.
You could also use tiny split stitches.
Hold the loops out of the way
as you stitch around the outline.
Cut out the shape, leaving a small seam.
Once you are holding the flower in your hand,
cut it out neatly along the stitched edge.
Hold the petals out of the way as you cut.
Secure the yellow flowers on top of her hair.
Use brown thread and tiny stab stitches.
Work through all the layers with a gentle tension
so as not to flatten her hair.
Hope you will find this technique useful
for one of your projects!
To find out more about this lovely Fairy,
you are welcome to have a look at the Fairy book here
Enjoy the rest of this lovely Tuesday – or what’s left of it!
Love
Di ♥
Work between the stitches and
do keep going back, inserting the needle
between the stitches for a smooth finish.
Change to darker brown thread and add more locks of hair.
Lift the stitches up off the surface of the design
with a spare tapestry needle to form looser curls.
To form the curls at her ear, hold the thread as you
form the stitch so that it curls towards her cheek.
If necessary, use one strand of matching thread
(on a separate needle) and a make a tiny stab stitch
to position the curved stitch on the design.
Work over previous stitches to form a soft layer of curls.
Lift the stitches every now and then
with the spare tapestry needle.
Curve the stitches in place with your fingertip.
Lift the stitches as you did before.
Keep going back between the previous stitches.
Be careful not to split the threads and alternate
between medium and dark brown thread
for natural highlights.
Or use one strand of each colour on the same needle.
Work towards the nape of her neck.
Stitch over the spare needle to form soft, raised curls.
Make the stitches a little shorter as you reach
the end of her hair.
Repeat for the other side of her parting.
Make long, slanted straight stitches.
Lift all the curls with the tapestry needle.
…and Voila!
Make the garland
Form the garland stem with green
7mm silk ribbon
and twist the needle so that the ribbon
forms a thin stem.
Insert needle back into the fabric.
Still holding the needle at the back of your work
(so that the ribbon does not unwind) gently lift the
coiled ribbon to fit loosely on her head.
Cut the ribbon at the back, leaving a small tail
in case you need to change the position of the stem
while you stitch.
Use green thread to secure the stem
with tiny stab stitches.
End off at the back, securing the tail.
Make the yellow flowers
The little yellow flowers are made separately,
cut out and applied onto the hair.
Trace four flower shapes (about 1cm or 3/8 inch in diameter)
onto a block of fine cotton lawn or interfacing.
Place the fabric in a hoop.
Use 4mm yellow ribbon and loop stitch
to form the petals.
Work over a spare tapestry needle
and secure each loop with brown thread
by stitching along the base of the loops.
Use the same thread and make tiny stem stitches
along the edge of the shape.
You could also use tiny split stitches.
Hold the loops out of the way
as you stitch around the outline.
Cut out the shape, leaving a small seam.
Once you are holding the flower in your hand,
cut it out neatly along the stitched edge.
Hold the petals out of the way as you cut.
Secure the yellow flowers on top of her hair.
Use brown thread and tiny stab stitches.
Work through all the layers with a gentle tension
so as not to flatten her hair.
Hope you will find this technique useful
for one of your projects!
To find out more about this lovely Fairy,
you are welcome to have a look at the Fairy book here
Enjoy the rest of this lovely Tuesday – or what’s left of it!
Love
Di ♥
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