TAG TUESDAY - TALES OF THE RIVERBANK

After a few weeks of paper based tags I was keen this week to get back into stitching. I was inspired by a photo in my local paper of a beautiful kingfisher taking absolutely no notice of the 'no fishing'sign. As you can see my finished tag is mainly wooden, but that's not how it started off.

I started my tag by photocopying the photo onto silk (using freezer paper ironed onto silk and cut to A4 size - try this at your own risk, it can mess up your printer!). I touched up the image with marker pens but didn't get around to fixing the colours with the iron.  I then embroidered my little kingfisher, and thank goodness took this photo.  Just minutes later disaster struck.  My dog, Bailey, barked suddenly, making me jump while I was drinking my tea.  Tea was everywhere and embroidery completely soaked.

 After mopping up as best  I could I tried to cover up the worst of the marks with a fish but it was looking rather bleak!  A design modification was called for.  I decided to cut out the embroidered kingfisher and let him perch on a real no fishing sign. 

The sign is wood which I have painted and rubbed with wax crayon to bring out the grain.  The post is made from thick taffeta ribbon painted to match, leaves are cut from green silk.  Kingfisher is a bit green around the gills! but all things considered it didn't turn out so bad.

Here is the culprit! Or should I be thanking her for making me change direction?


Bye for now, Jane xx