Japanese Embroidery

I can't keep it as a secret anymore. Although my plan is to burst it out after it finish, but then the fun is also to chat with the sisters about it.

Here is what I've done last week end.. I call it stitching ceremony, since the whole process is more like ritual than stitching.

Begin with putting the fabric on the frame:


There were measurement involved, then secure it with nails, stretch it again with chopsticks:




And then lacing it:


And then pull it tight 2 times on each side. The whole process, took about 3 hours.

Then we were ready to stitch.

First we begin with designs on the foreground, so we start with the Cherry Blossoms:


Again, before we begin, I have to prepare the threads first, by twisting it. Then pin head to begin, use tekobari or laying tools, and I also have to stitch with 2 hands. For me it's really difficult, should've asked J to do it.

Then using 1 euro cent coin to image the circle in the middle, use half of the silk thread to stitch the circle, then use metallic thread to stitch the stamen. Then using red thread to couch the metallic thread and the couching has to be from top to bottom and using the stripes on the metallic thread as a guidance (every 2nd stripes), that's why the couching is so even. As if not enough.. another rule is that the stamen on the middle has to be straight, and the one on the right side has to make curve facing slightly to the left and the one on the left side curving slightly to the right. And there's also rules as from which side you have to stitch first.

As I stitch, I keep on thinking.. the Japanese must be insane...

Here are some other piccies:



(if you wonder why the lattice is so even... we use ruler to measure it.. every 4mm, don't ask me why 4 instead of 5, and the threads of the pine with the darker colour are hold down with same colour every 2,5 mm)





And this is how it supposed to look like when it's done: