Embroidered Collage

Sometimes a needle isn't enough, so I use a paper piercer.  Sure, I can use sharp needles and a thimble, and that's all I need for canvas that is only painted or has a light layer of collage, but when I've put on more layers of paper or used thicker paper then my fingers thank me when I use a paper piercer first.

This is the one I currently use, found in the scrapbooking section of the craft store.  I store it in the packaging when not in use so it doesn't roll away and force me to find it the painful way.  It is SHARP.

The directions suggest poking holes through your paper (or canvas) on top of a self healing mat.  This would definitely be safer than my version.  I hold the canvas in my hand (or have it mounted to a frame) and just poke through.  The delicate little hole made by piercing on top of a mat is just not big enough to make the needes I use pass through easily. 

I do have to be careful to not push the piercer all the way through to the end of the sharp bit.  Then the hole is so large that it just screams "hole" and detracts from the stitching, which is supposed to be more prominent.  When I stitch with thinner threads I try to make smaller holes.  I could probably make my process safer by piercing into a styrofoam block or some such.

The disadvantage of using a paper piercer is that you lose some of the spontaneity of stitching.  You have to plan out where the beginning and endings of the stitches will go.  I usually visualize the stitch itself and where I want it to go, then start poking holes while keeping that in mind.  Sometimes I will draw out the stitch on tracing paper, tape it down, and use that as a guide. 

One key I've found is to only do one line or section of stitching at a time, for two reasons.  Practically, I'll lose track of which holes go to which bits if I wait too long to actually stitch through them.  Artistically, the stitch always looks at least a little different on the canvas than it did in my mind.  I make better choices in colors and placement if I apply the thread and pattern and adapt as I progress.

Beyond saving my fingers, there is an additional advantage to using the piercer - all the holes go inward.  Sometimes you can look closely at where the thread enters and leaves the canvas and see the little eruption of paper going in one direction or another.  When you're pulling the needle up from the back of the canvas this paper makes a fuzzy burr on the front of the artwork, which can subtly interfere with the intended effect.

Overall, I've found a paper piercer to be a useful tool for adding embroidery to my collages.  It could be used in a similar way for altered books, artist trading cards, and other art forms, if those are your preference.