Inspired by an underwater theme, Jennifer Rochester uses plain fabric and neutral threads to create rocky surfaces encrusted with growth.
by Jennifer Rochester
photos by Ian Cole

Calico (known as muslin in the USA) is a good firm cheap fabric for embroidery. It should be washed before use to remove any dressing that may stiffen the fabric. When washed, it becomes softer and easy to manipulate - perfect for experimental three-dimensional embroidery. Choose neutral threads of various thickness and texture, some with shine to contrast with the dull ones. The elimination of colour ensures that texture is the most important element of the work. Chunky texture represents the rocks, smooth areas of fabric become the sand, and the rough texture depicts the growth of plants, corals and weed.

Just as nature has variety of scale of growth, so must the work. For the greatest variety of encrustation think of three layers of embellishment:

• raise the surface by creating areas of interest and leaving some areas flat
• use embroidery stitches to create colonies of growth structures, gently overlapping and encroaching on the raised areas
• add raised stitches

Raising the surface

To create the raised surface, two layers of fabric are needed. Place the first piece of fabric in an embroidery frame or hoop, ensuring that it is pulled taut. Lay the second piece of fabric loosely on top of the piece in the frame. It is this second piece that is raised by sandwiching things in between it and the framed piece of calico.

Add trapped items gradually, one at a time, securing each item as unobtrusively as possible with small stitches and cream cotton machine thread. Vary the size of the items and the spacing between them to create a 'colony'. Excess fabrics around these items can be disguised by creating rippled areas using small unobtrusive stitches.

• Rings can be made by trapping any of the following: bunion pads, ring-file reinforcements (heaped), cut paper straws, round beads, flat disc beads, washers (not metal, which may rust), curtain rings, metal and plastic rings, slivers of plastic straw and narrow plastic tubing.
  To hold rings in place, the inner space should be stitched before the outside of the ring (see diagram 1).
• Circles can be made by trapping felt and vilene shapes (single and layered), bubble-wrap, buttons (holes useful for adding stitches later), bottle tops, blister packaging (from pills) stuffed so that it holds its shape, pithballs cut in half, large beads, card shapes.
  To hold circles in place, work four small stitches (see diagram 2).
• Trapped melon seeds and sunflowers seeds can create uneven structures.

It is not necessary to use all of these ideas in one piece. Be selective and create the effect that suits you. The scale of your piece will determine your choice of trapped items. Leave flat areas between the raised surfaces to make room for the embellishment stitches and to allow some flat areas to contrast with the texture. Keep in mind the theme and try to capture the essence of underwater structures.

Sandwiching rings and circles

To secure the ring between the layers of fabric, work four small stitches as indicated. To define the shape, work more small stitches in between the original four. Ease the fabric over the ring and work around the outer edge in the same way.

To hold circles in place, work four small stitches. To define the shape, work more small stitches in between the original four.

Create a raised surface with a colony of trapped items.

Create rippled areas around the trapped items to disguise excess fabric.

A variety of raised stitches including cup stitch, woven picots, needlewoven corals and button hole starfish.

Star stitches and a variety of wheel stitches build up the surface of the pebble.

Embroidery stitches

Use a variety of threads in neutral shades - shiny, dull, twisted, smooth (chopped tights and torn rags for large-scale projects). Colonies of similar stitch make the most interesting textures. Vary the size of the stitches and allow some stitches to overlap and integrate. Work the stitches less densely in some areas. Use a sharp-pointed crewel needle for these stitches, which pierce the fabric.

Raised stitches

These stitches are worked with a crewel needle on a framework of threads. Once the basic foundation is laid, all further stitches do not enter the fabric but are worked on it. For ease they should be worked using a tapestry (blunt) needle.

Allow colonies of french knots and seeding stitches to merge.

Encrusted pebble

What you need

• A selection of items to create the raised surface, such as a small ring, two buttons, one pony bead, one round bead and six slivers of cut plastic straw or wine tubing.
• 3 pieces of washed calico to fit a 15cm square embroidery frame or a hoop 15cm diameter
• A collection of neutral embroidery threads, such as stranded cotton, cotton perle, coton à broder, crochet cotton and fine knitting yarn.
• Cream machine thread
• 2 pieces of firm card each 10 x 7.5 cm
• Small pieces of wadding to fit the pebble shape (cut several pieces, each slightly smaller than the last)
• Crewel needle
• Tapestry needle

What you do

Refer to diagrams 1 and 2 and to the linked stitch diagrams and instructions as you work.

1. Place one piece of fabric in an embroidery frame or hoop (see Back to Basics), ensuring that it is pulled taut.
2. Cut an oval from each piece of the firm card. The ovals should be identical.
3. To indicate the area to be stitched, transfer the outline of one oval onto the second piece of calico by tacking through tissue (see Back to Basics). Do not draw around the outline as the marks may show on the finished piece.
4. Lay the second piece of fabric loosely on top of the piece in the frame.
5. Create the raised surface by trapping the various items between the layers as described earlier. Disguise excess fabric around these items by creating rippled areas using small unobtrusive stitches.
6. Secure a sliver of tube to the surface using perle thread with plenty of spokes. Next place the round bead on the surface and work straight stitch spokes into the hole of the bead. Work a backstitched wheel on each of these structures.
7. Embroider around and between the raised areas using different tones and types of neutral twisted thread. Make some stitches tight and work others more loosely to make a richly textured surface. I used star stitches, French knots and seeding.
8. Finally, add woven picots, needlewoven structures (see below) and cup stitches.

Needlewoven structures for corals

Straight stitches of unequal size are worked on the surface of the calico in a fan arrangement. The rest of the work is carried out on these stitches. Begin by weaving the stitch group together at the narrow end to make a stem, then gradually make branches by weaving fewer numbers together. Reduce to one thread at the open end of the structure and whip the working thread over this single strand to raise the end.

Star fish

Work five straight stitches either flat or over a bead to make a large star formation. Work buttonhole stitch along each of the legs (this stitch is often worked over a pair of laid threads, to create a buttonhole bar, as shown). Work the legs in different threads and overlapping.

To finish

1. Cut out the encrusted calico, allowing one extra centimetre of fabric beyond the tacking thread outline. Withdraw the tacking thread.
2. Using the machine thread and leaving tails of thread at the beginning and end, work a running stitch gathering thread around the outline 1cm from the edge of the fabric.
3. Place the layers of wadding on top of one oval of card to create a mount.
4. Now place the embroidery, right side up, over the top of the padded side of the oval. Pull up the gathers to enclose the wadded card and tie off the gathering thread.
5. Trim and gather the remaining piece of calico in the same way and use it to cover the second card oval.
6. Place the two fabric-covered ovals wrong sides together and join them with ladder stitch

A selection of smaller 'pebbles' using a number of the techniques.