Embroidered Collage

Fireside Stitchery in Frazer, PA is an amazing needlework store with walls covered with threads in all the colors available for a each range.  They focus primarily on needlepoint, but have threads and information for other techniques as well.  I had been there once a couple years ago but the impact was still amazing when I went there yesterday.  I wandered around, looking at all the fibers.  I reviewed the bookshelves and found a couple books I might like to get later.  I looked at the painted needlepoint canvases and was reminded that I would like to stitch something along those lines, but by painting my own canvas, of course.  Hmm, it might look interesting to do a carefully stitched piece, then cut the raw canvas in an irregular fashion and add it to a layering. 

I was intrigued by the new ranges of linen threads that hadn't been there a couple years ago.  They made me want to pull out some nice linen fabric and stitch something that emphasized that textural difference.  There was also a line of fibers similar to stranded cotton - but it was 100% bamboo.  It felt almost like silk.  I restrained myself from purchasing any extraneous threads, but couldn't resist a set of three double-eyed needles.  I'll play with those later.

Eventually I returned to my original purpose for the trip - to acquire a range of fibers for working on the artist's canvas and Peltex and such for layering.  I have plenty of metallics and for this purpose didn't want to pay extra for silk.  I needed a few more colors of plain perle cotton #8, but was really interested in picking up some of Caron's Wildflowers, which is a slightly thinner thread.  The variegation appeals to me, although you can't see it very well in the photo, and provides more uses for the thread.  I seriously considered some of the wools and wool blends but decided to stay with cotton.  I also picked up some of the Watercolours, which have strands resembling a #5 perle cotton, thicker than the #8.  I was very tempted by some of the tubular nylons, since that moves well through fabric and spreads out nicely, but decided that could wait for some other time.  I did pick up two hanks of Impressions from the clearance bin as well.

It was a very successful and satisfying trip.