Blackwork Lovebirds – What You Looking At? Instructions

The Blackwork Lovebirds – “What You Looking At?” embroidery is an intermediate embroidery in my blackwork art embroidery designs. The lovebirds is a counted form of hand embroidery in which interesting blackwork patterns are worked on the birds in black and coloured silk and metallic threads and then areas are outlined with pearl purl and stem stitch. There are 26 pages of detailed instructions with step-by-step numbered patterns to guide you through the embroidery. The embroidery is worked in the tissue paper transfer method. This is an easier method than working the pattern directly from a set chart as there is more versatility where each pattern can be worked so is less complicated to work. There is not a full chart of the embroidery in the instructions. Each blackwork lovebirds embroidery will come out slightly different making the lovebirds unique to you and you will have a piece of stitched art that you you will be proud of. If you want a more in-depth learning of the blackwork technique you may be interested in the Blackwork Lovebirds “Just the Two of Us” companion design which has 5 PDF files with work-in-progress pictures of how I stitched the embroidery to guide you through the embroidery. The lovebirds are not intended to be worked on 14 or 16 count Aida, so you should be able to count on 28 count or 32 count fabric. A stitching light and magnification are an asset to work the embroidery. If you are not sure if the technique is for you, you could try the Introductory to Blackwork -Small Blackwork Butterfly first which is quicker and easier to work. Embroidery Size: 28 Count Fabric: 6 inches (15 cm) high by 5 1/2 inches (13 3/4 cm) wide 32 Count Fabric: 5 1/4 inches (13 cm) high by 4 3/4 inches (11 3/4 cm) wide Supplies Needed To Work The Embroidery: A Sheet of White Tissue Paper A Piece of Counted Fabric 14 inches (35 cm) Square One Skein of Black DMC Embroidery Cotton One Skein of Black YLI Silk Thread Red Au Ver a Soie, Soie D’alger Silk Thread Three Shades of Kreinik Metallic #4 Braids Red Polyester Sewing Thread Brown Polyester Sewing Thread Gold Very Fine Pearl Purl Gold Spangles 12 inch Stretcher Bar Frame and Thumb Tacks One Size 10 Crewel Embroidery Needle Packet of Size 26 or Size 28 Tapestry Needles Pencil Tweezers for Removing Tissue Paper Sharp Scissors for Cutting Pearl Purl Dressmaker Pins