Practice Pieces
Once there was a time where I would formulate an embroidery project and jump in with nary a thought as to whether what I was doing was a good idea. It didn't matter that I might be performing a new technique or trying out a new material. I'd just go full steam ahead and suffer what rough seas did come. Generally there wasn't too much ripping out but not always. Now as I've gotten older/wiser/more cautious/able to afford more expensive materials, I've taken to doing practice pieces before starting a big project with that shiny new technique or material.
For those f you confused by this notion, practice pieces are learning experiences. They are the step between learning a technique or how to use a new material and going hog wild. Practice pieces are not the small scraps where you try a new technique or material for the first time. Rather, they are the small projects where you see the new technique or material "in action". A good practice piece:
Practice pieces are not the first time you've tried a new technique or material. That's the learning step. You can combine the two but your chances of creating a finished piece decrease dramatically. Also practice pieces aren't perfect. Their point is to refine your knowledge after learning something new. The idea is that your stitches at the end of the piece look better than those at the beginning.
I've made several practice pieces which have each taught me different things. For instance, this crewel piece taught me why I should draw the pattern on the fabric after the fabric is under tension.
This Or Nue piece taught me the difference between shading through spacing and shading though thread color. It also shows what happens when you don't clearly draw the shading on the underlying pattern.
Various couching pieces taught me that thinner thread doesn't always mean finer work, how much thread goes into each motif, and that couching is quick. This piece taught me that couching a solid background can take a very long time: 6 hours and going.
This bit of retticela lace emphasized the difficulty of maintaining tension. It also taught me that needle lace requires thinner thread.
This little piece taught me that Elizabethan plait stitch looks best with a far thinner thread then you might expect. It's also driving home the point that I should have tried out these threads on a scrap piece first. This is why I differentiate between the learning step and the practice piece.
I later fixed the piece and learned how finicky joins can be. I also began to question the wisdom of so much metal. Which is the final benefit of practice pieces: a chance to judge whether that larger project is a good idea.
For those f you confused by this notion, practice pieces are learning experiences. They are the step between learning a technique or how to use a new material and going hog wild. Practice pieces are not the small scraps where you try a new technique or material for the first time. Rather, they are the small projects where you see the new technique or material "in action". A good practice piece:
- uses the new technique or material in the way you intend to use in a future project,
- uses techniques or materials you already know so you can concentrate on the 1 new thing
- is small: 2-6 square inches in size.
- is quick: 2-8 hours to complete. If it takes longer, then you've learned something valuable about estimating working time with the new technique/material.
- is a complete project in and of itself, i.e. can be finished on its own or for some large piece.
- if a prelude to a larger project, uses a motif from that project
- provides enough practice for you to figure out a few time-saving short cuts.
- teaches you non-obvious aspects of the technique or material by performing it multiple times and under different conditions, e.g around a curve, in a tight space, etc.
- builds your skill and confidence in the new tachnique/material through practice.
Practice pieces are not the first time you've tried a new technique or material. That's the learning step. You can combine the two but your chances of creating a finished piece decrease dramatically. Also practice pieces aren't perfect. Their point is to refine your knowledge after learning something new. The idea is that your stitches at the end of the piece look better than those at the beginning.
I've made several practice pieces which have each taught me different things. For instance, this crewel piece taught me why I should draw the pattern on the fabric after the fabric is under tension.
This Or Nue piece taught me the difference between shading through spacing and shading though thread color. It also shows what happens when you don't clearly draw the shading on the underlying pattern.
Various couching pieces taught me that thinner thread doesn't always mean finer work, how much thread goes into each motif, and that couching is quick. This piece taught me that couching a solid background can take a very long time: 6 hours and going.
This bit of retticela lace emphasized the difficulty of maintaining tension. It also taught me that needle lace requires thinner thread.
This little piece taught me that Elizabethan plait stitch looks best with a far thinner thread then you might expect. It's also driving home the point that I should have tried out these threads on a scrap piece first. This is why I differentiate between the learning step and the practice piece.
I later fixed the piece and learned how finicky joins can be. I also began to question the wisdom of so much metal. Which is the final benefit of practice pieces: a chance to judge whether that larger project is a good idea.