Since I was very young I have had a love for detail. When I played with dolls, it was more about designing houses and offices for them than an actual storyline. When I played teacher, I had to have grade books and class assignments and red marking pens. It was about setting the scene more than the actual event. That love of detail and scene-setting is still a big part of who I am now, especially as a maker of things.
My cousin Sarah, who is four years older than me, was a big source of inspiration to me when we were kids. She always had all the right accessories, and every time we were together, she had a new idea for something to play, complete with sets and props. One memory that stands out is of the small house cross-sections she used to draw. She’d fill in all the rooms with furniture and decor. I specifically remember her drawing a rocking horse in the attic of one house. The idea just fascinated me, and all these years later, I still like drawing cross-sections of houses.
When I started brainstorming a topic for my contribution to Kirsty’s Quilt Project, I knew I wanted to do something that was “me.” I do quite a few different styles of embroidery, some more suited to my personal tastes than others, but for this one I wanted to reflect my own personality more specifically. So I started thinking detail and houses, two of my loves, and that brought back the memory of my cousin and her drawings.
I hesitated to attempt such a detailed piece for a project that had a deadline (including shipping time), but it just kept coming back to me, so off I went. I grabbed a large sketchbook and drew the picture in pencil, then traced it in black ink, and finally transferred it to the quilt square. This is the finished piece, which you previewed last week.
I really like it, but I like even more that it is done. If I had to guess, I’d say this probably took at least 30 hours scattered over the course of a little more than two weeks. My husband did a good bit of kid watching so I could get an hour or two during the day some days. (I am going to owe him some golfing time, I think.)
Just as I started to work on the project, we ran into some sleep troubles with the kids, which made my usual evening time more limited, so quite a bit of this stitching was done in a dark room by light of a small book light clipped to my shirt. I know. That’s ridiculous, but so true.
The entire piece is done with DMC 498 and consists of stem stitch, outline stitch, and some back stitch. I used about two and a half skeins of floss (around 22 yards?), and that was using only one or two strands at a time for the majority of the project. (I used three strands for the outline around the entire house.)
There are many, many more photos on my flickr page if you care to see more detail or photos taken with coins and tape measures for size.
There are a few little bits I’m not totally satisfied with (the way the umbrella stand in the front hall blends in with the stairs, for example). But there are so many more parts that I love (the floor in the kitchen, the wallpaper in the halls, the texture on the bedding, the fan in the bedroom, to name a few). I think it was well worth all the time spent on it, because in the end, I think I achieved what I set out to create: an original piece that is entirely “me” and something I can be proud to contribute to such a cool project.
(Thanks, Kirsty!)
Oh wow, that is amazing. The level of detail is astounding, and the finished result just beautiful. Congratulations on such a lovely contribution.
written on September 8th, 2009, at 12:11 amIt’s superb! Really just so lovely. Thank you for being part of the quilt project.
written on September 8th, 2009, at 12:17 amthis is amazing!
written on September 8th, 2009, at 1:01 ammy favourite room would be the attic :) such a lovely home indeed!
oh gretchen, i am in love with this , it is divine. your detail and stitching are amazing. i am particularly drawn to it because my ten year old daughter draws cross sections of houses in amazing detail and she has always been a huge fan of her dolss house(similar to yours) and all of the itty bitty pieces in it. In fact,it would be a lovely subject for a blog entry, so i will take photos and do it soon. well done you
written on September 8th, 2009, at 1:08 amI have my fingers crossed you’ll consider selling this. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love to stitch a pattern like this! Redwork is my first love and these photos make me so happy looking at them. Such detail!
written on September 8th, 2009, at 1:09 amWow ~ it’s incredible. I love the picture. And the details ~ the mannequin, the horse. Just beautiful.
written on September 8th, 2009, at 1:42 amOh Gretchen it is absolutely exquisite! All that detail!! It’s so beautiful. I love it.
written on September 8th, 2009, at 2:12 amOh I have seen a few squares and am so flabberghasted and astonished! So much talent. Yours is so detailed and wonderful!
written on September 8th, 2009, at 3:07 amThis is really lovely! So detailed, as you say, but also so simple and clean.
written on September 8th, 2009, at 5:37 amOoooh, so fabulous and unique – well done on your work of art :) I love all the detail and the drawing method you used – Hurray for creativity!! A real heirloom piece :D
written on September 8th, 2009, at 6:54 amIt’s just amazing Gretchen. I keep looking at it and seeing something new each time I look. And I love the story behind your design. It makes it even more beautiful. I hope you have shown and told your cousin.
written on September 8th, 2009, at 7:33 amSteph, I will certainly consider selling a pattern. (Other pattern sales ideas in the works anyway. Stay tuned.) I wish I could sell the actual stitched pieces, but I have no idea how I’d price something that took so many hours so that it would still be affordable….
written on September 8th, 2009, at 10:02 amwell i gushed on flickr and i’ll gush over here too ;) this is amazing, so many special details! i tried to get the quilt project linkie to work but i wasn’t directed anywhere specific, but oh my goodness, i can’t believe you are just mailing this wonderful stitchy piece of art away!
written on September 8th, 2009, at 3:35 pmBeth, the Quilt Project link takes you to a page with all the posts related to the project. If you scroll way down to the bottom you’ll find the posts with more specific information. ;) And don’t worry, the piece will be mailed back to me once the project is completed. It’s a temporary installation of sorts. (I’m just crossing my fingers it survives the trip twice.)
written on September 8th, 2009, at 6:39 pmOh, I love, love, love this! The line work is beautiful. And I love that it is all in one colour. I would have been scared to do it, thinking it would be boring or the detail wouldn’t stand out. But this is absolutely wonderful. Well done!!
written on September 9th, 2009, at 3:28 amGretchen, you are AN ARTIST. Don’t ever question it! Keep that sketchbook around!
DMC 498 is the perfect red!
written on September 9th, 2009, at 11:13 amThis is certainly a seller – I’m with the other ladies – a must have pattern! Very interested in purchasing this pattern!
written on September 9th, 2009, at 1:42 pmBarbara in TN
Gretchen I love your work – this is a modern heirloom and priceless
written on September 9th, 2009, at 1:52 pmWords can’t describe how fabulous I think this is. It is honestly one of my favorite works of embroidery. I’m so glad to hear it will eventually make its way back to you!
I used to enjoy drawing cross-sections of houses too, but my drawing skills were never this nice ;).
It would be cool if you could (easily) figure out a way to make the patterns so that the elements are not already in the rooms, and stitchers could instead pick and choose which furnishings, etc., they wanted to include in each room. That would totally appeal to me, and I wouldn’t have a problem paying more for such a pattern (or set of patterns).
written on September 9th, 2009, at 5:37 pmGlenda, that’s an intriguing idea. I’ll have to look into it. At this point I plan to work on the original pattern, but an “interactive” pattern is something to put on the “in the works” list. :)
written on September 9th, 2009, at 7:13 pmwow. I really am quite lost for words. This is just so beautiful.
written on September 9th, 2009, at 11:23 pmOh wow! This piece is incredible. So much wonderful detail!
written on September 10th, 2009, at 6:59 ami see and feel the love that went into this creation …bravo!
written on September 10th, 2009, at 7:23 amHow gorgeous! Congrats on a wonderful accomplishment!
written on September 10th, 2009, at 9:13 amAmazing! I can’t believe all the detail yet you maintained the child-like appeal… fantastic!
written on September 10th, 2009, at 12:50 pmWow! Aaaamaaazing!
written on September 10th, 2009, at 7:55 pmWow – this is beautiful! If you decide to sell the pattern please, please let me know. I would love to stitch it.
written on September 10th, 2009, at 11:31 pmThis is beautiful! I love that you did it in redwork too! I love longer projects. I think I put more love into them then smaller ones. My big projects always turn out the best.
written on September 11th, 2009, at 1:38 amIts really awesome! Great Job!
Beautiful. I love doll houses. No other image can strike such poignant emotions for me.
written on September 11th, 2009, at 12:38 pmToday is a thoughtful day. Today your magical redwork had me in your Doll House, walking thoughtfully through every room.I sat at the kitchen table, walked up the steps to the study to touch the books. I tried on a hat! and then went to check on the baby…I felt the softness of that bed. When I got to the attic I was thinking of my own childhood, my own, one and only child…his world and his safety outside of doll houses. When I looked up I smiled. I saw whimsey and hope and progress in that itty bitty spiderweb. You stitched me quite a day today,thank you. Lynn
written on September 11th, 2009, at 4:10 pmI am AMAZED…I love exploring this Internet World…look who I have found! YOU!
written on September 11th, 2009, at 8:11 pmWonderful work…thanks for sharing.
Char
Simply stunning! So pleased you are part of the quilt project :)
written on September 12th, 2009, at 2:13 pm[...] week I also posted my finished redwork dollhouse piece. What I didn’t tell you at the time is that I’ve stitched a few little [...]
written on September 14th, 2009, at 10:20 amI discovered Redwork a year ago and love it. I have always loved dollhouses, real and sketched. I really want to purchase your pattern for this awe inspiring work of art. I will stay tuned!
written on September 14th, 2009, at 3:04 pmAbsolutely beautiful! So inspiring!!!!!
written on September 14th, 2009, at 6:45 pmOh Gretchen — so Adorable! I too have a love of the details. Have you ever ‘read’ a Richard Scarry book? He loads his books with labeled details. My favorites were always the cross-section house pages! I am amazed that you have created a redwork piece just like it. Thanks for sharing.
written on September 20th, 2009, at 7:28 am