Making Dragonfly Wings I

One of the things I need to do to finish my Dragonfly Wallhanging, is to make another set of Needlelace Dragonfly wings. I did have a set ready, but they were just what I needed to put on a block for Viv - so off they flew, looking like this:

These are wonderful when finished, but are not for the faint-hearted. I will blog their progress over the next few days.

This is where they are at the minute:

I have drawn the four wings on calico, and on the top two I have already couched down fine wire. The ends of the wire are quite long, and taped to the hoop. I use a bright colour for the couching, so I can find it later to remove it easily. I start well away from the wire, and anchor the couching well away at the finish.

The wire I use is uncoated cake decorating wire, when I cannot get that I use coated wire and soak it in water to scrape the paper off. I like the fineness of that, and the metal showing through. (Never thought - wonder if it rusts???). Maybe beginners might try coated wire or fuse wire - it is a little thicker.

Once the wire is couched down, I take a dark green metallic thread (it is a YLI machine thread), and anchor it well away, and come up through the fabric at the point where the wires join. This is the only time the needle comes through the fabric until the end.

I wrap the thread around the two wires a couple of time and then head off doing blanket stitch closely around the wire, passing the needle eye first between the fabric and wire. The usual top of the stitch has to end up inside the ring, but you can twist it there later.

It then looks like this:

More pictures in the next day or so.