The Shipping Forecast

This year the East Midlands region of the Embroiderers Guild are running their embroidery Kick Start competition with the theme of weather. I was lucky to get a place on a one day course with the sub theme of weather maps. As a child I loved maps of all types, drew them, copied them made then up you name it I did it. As a family we also listened to The Shipping Forecast, it came immediately before the news. There was something quite exciting about the deletion of these names. Initially they did not have a geographical position in my mind, just the words, but later I realised that it was a tour of the British Isles!

We spent the day using the chart symbols as a basis for design ideas.

These symbols when repeated form patterns!

We spend time investigating the possibilities of such repeats and the isobars.

Here I started to play with a symbol and the names of the sea areas following a set of isobars. I played with writing with my sewing machine. Not very good at this yet.

Then I had the idea of colouring in the white fabric as if it had been paper. I tried Neocolour wax crayons, and Koh I Noor fabric paints inside the Neocolour crayon lines. These ran a little but the shading worked well.

I machined all the lines and then very carefully began to colour in the shapes.

The larger areas looked a little irregular but I soon realised that a little judicious rubbing with kitchen  towel soon evened it out!

Completed, I was delighted with this new technique and will consider it again. 

The piece can now be used for Weedon Bec CT exhibition in April, the Harborough Embroiderers exhibition in May and possibly Kick Start as well. Job done!