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To choose a design, I usually begin by reviewing my collection of photographs and sketches. Landscapes and gardens inspire me, especially those of the English countryside where I grew up and the farms and parklands of western New York where I live. The changing light and subtle colors of an autumn sky or the bright colors of a formal garden on a summer day constantly intrigue me. |
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Once I have decided on a design, I reduce it to a series of lines that serve
as my background. I trace this layout onto a piece of blotting paper, which
I cut with an exactor blade to make a stencil. Then, I clip the stencil onto
a large piece of silk that has been stretched and placed on an easel. Using
silk dyes and an airbrush, I begin to paint the background for my design.
Sometimes I paint the dyes directly on the silk with a paintbrush, using
a “resist” to trace divisions among the colors. Next, I remove
the silk from the frame and iron it. This “sets” the background
colors. |
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To begin stitching, I stretch the fabric tightly, backed by a piece of
white cotton, in an embroidery hoop. Placing this circle of fabric beneath
the needle of my sewing machine, I begin to embroider the design. The original
sketch serves as the basis for my landscape, and I use two or three basic
stitches with DMC embroidery threads to create a rich texture. To create
a whipstitch, for example, I tighten the top tension and loosen the bottom
spool tension. I often create a more “painterly” effect by using
a different colored thread in the bottom spool.
You can see this in the thatched
roof of Cleeve Cottage. |
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To begin, I place the completed work over foam core, stretching it tightly
with silk pins. The piece is now ready for matting and framing, which is
also an important part of the creative process. |
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LAST
UPDATED January 2012
Copyright© 2012 Eve Botelho -- All Rights Reserved
Welcome to Eve’s Gardens. I hope you will enjoy my stitchery! Machine embroidery is a fascinating technique – and
the creative possibilities are endless! Using a technique known as “thread
painting, ” I
create my miniature landscapes on a sewing machine, which is my drawing
tool. My embroideries begin with designs on silk fabric, hand-painted and
airbrushed using silk dyes. Next come trees, foliage, and flowers, all
created with two or three basic stitches: the straight stitch, the whipstitch,
and the zig-zag stitch. The silk dyes provide a lustrous background and
the embroidery threads add rich texture to each piece. (For more details
on the process, go to the Technique page.)Whether you’re interested in taking a workshop or you’re
looking for a unique gift, you will find it here on my website. For orders
or commissions, please email me at eve@evebotelho.com (Eve Botelho Fiber Artist Specializing in Machine Embroidery, embroidery, embroideries, machine embroidery, thread painting, thread painter, thread artist, fabric artist, fiber artist specializing in embroidery, Rochester NY Fiber Artist)
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