Embroideries based on photo walk and sketches. Part three. Underside of a thatched roof.

One of the (and I know, it looks as though they're few and far between) things that I do like about modern needlework that's still going on is the amazing overlapping of Japanese embroidery. It's built up in layers, which is what gives it it's unique look. I was thinking about this when I put together this new embroidery based on this picture:

As a surface, it looks chunky, tough, rustic, and above all, thick! So I went back to my little sampler of thread sizes and picked packing string, without thinking about the burns it would later exact on my fingers! I used a form of backstitch on a fairly loose linen cloth, and looking at it now, it must be 10-15mm thick! I formed the backstitch into a kind of 'brick stitch', rather than being abstract with it, as, after all, the straw is added methodically to a roof! When I ran out of string, I added the white sky in the same way as the puddle last time, and added lots of little spool ends of embroidery floss and ecru crochet cotton between the brick stitch. Then I took some darker floss and made a rough diamond/hexagon pattern over the surface. I never thought I'd say this, comparing it to the delicate historical objects that I admire, but wow, I'm really pleased it's so chunky! Brief fulfilled!