Two weeks ago we started our “no instructions” experiment blog tour. For the experiment we asked several embroiderers to stitch our new Crafty Cat and Knitty Kitty embroidery patterns, except that we gave them no instructions, no reference on what embroidery stitches to use, no color suggestions, no transfer instructions, and no photo of the finished embroidery. We only gave them the basic line art design to use.
Check our our “Path to creativity: Don’t follow instructions” post here to read more about the experiment.
Well, the results are in!
I’m overwhelmed by the amazing stitching of our experimenters. And if you’ve been following the tour I hope you were just as blown away. There were so many ideas. So many techniques. So much cuteness. Not to mention attempts at posing real kitties.
I LOVE everyone’s creativity!
Below are direct links to the embroidery experimenters and their posts. Click the links to hear their full story about stitching the Crafty Cat and Knitty Kitty embroidery patterns with no instructions.
Abby from While She Naps
Nicole from Follow the White Bunny
Mollie from Wild Olive
Olisa and Leigh from Mr. X Stitch
Floresita, Gabi, Kristen, Jo, and Pam from Feeling Stitchy
Wendi from Shiny Happy World
I had so many creativity "ah ha" moments while I was looking at everyone's pics and reading their stories. Below are some of their pics and the experimenting tips I learned through this project.
Nicole stitched the kitty above. I love how she filled in the kitty with all the little stitches, and how she used different floss colors for the fur. Look at how well the fur colors blend together. The texture created from all of the little stitches and different colors is amazing. And that little heart in the quilt block is just too cute. Also really love the idea of stitching on a patterned fabric.
• Experiment: Try filling in shapes with different colored floss to create blended color. Stitch on a patterned fabric.
I'm absolutely drooling over the colors that Kristen used in her Crafty Cat mug rug in the above pic. I love that mustard yellow. This is a palette that I definitely would like to try.
• Experiment: Play with color! Try colors that you don't use often.
Speaking of floss colors I don't use often, check out Pam's embroidery above. I almost never use variegated color floss. But after looking at this cute kitty, it's going on my list of things to experiment with.
• Experiment: Play with different ways to use variegated floss.
First off, love the blue fabric that Floresita used for the background in the above pic. Also love the textured kitty. But check out that ball of yarn and the knit square! The ball of yarn looks just like a 3 dimensional ball of yarn. And the knit square was actually knit with tiny needles then attached to the background afterwards. How fun.
• Experiment: Combine different crafts together in the same project.
These kitty embroideries by Gabi were stitched onto cork fabric! I've never heard of cork fabric before. I think the textures created by the embroidery stitches and the cork are pretty amazing.
• Experiment: Use a material you've never used before.
Abby's kitty above is another great use of variegated floss and a type of floss I don't use all that often; metallic floss. Isn't that silver scissors just the cutest! I also love that she thought about how to use the embroidery in a finished project.
• Experiment: How can you make embroidery the STAR of your project?
Check out Mollie's awesome knitting bag in the above pic. I love how dark the background fabric is, and I'd love to try stitching on a bold fabric color like this in the future. I tend to stick to my plain unbleached muslin, so doing something like this is out of my comfort zone for sure.
• Experiment: Stitch onto bold colored fabrics.
Now this is an experiment in color, texture and materials! Olisa's kitty above is stitched onto watercolor paper that she first painted, then stitched the scale pattern, then transferred and stitched the kitty. Love the combination of all these ideas together in one piece.
• Experiment: Be bold!
Leigh's kitties in the three pics above were stitched using a technique I've never used before and now absolutely have to try: free hand machine embroidery. That means she used a sewing machine to make all the stitches but instead of having the machine move the fabric, she moved it herself to basically "draw" with the sewing machine. The third image is a process pic. Look how she layersd colors!
• Experiment: Try a new technique.
I think Wendi's kitty above is just darling! Again, really excited about the bold background fabric color. Wendi used a "whipped back stitch" to stitch the yarn to make it look like actual twisted yarn. What a great idea. I love how she changed the knitting needles to a crochet hook.
• Experiment: Make a pattern your own!
And now...
the posing kitties!
