Little Owl and Grasses

The Sketchbook Series - Introductory

Helen M. Stevens

© Helen M. Stevens. Not to be stitched for resale.

Pattern not to be reproduced for sale without permission.

 THE SKETCHBOOK SERIES
For forty years I have been creating embroideries.
Initially, they were all one-offs, artworks for sale at
exhibition, or specifically commissioned by clients. Then,
after ten years, I was asked to write my first book: The
Embroiderers’ Countryside. I was asked to explain HOW
I created my embroideries, how I designed them and
how I stitched them. But I wanted it, still, to be more: I
wanted to combine my love of the countryside with the
technicalities of stitching. I wanted to create “an
embroidery book, not just for embroiderers”!
Since then I have written a total of twelve embroidery
books, six in my “Inspirational” series and six
“Masterclass” titles, I have taught more classes than I can
count, and created many, many designs and patterns,
to be used in class, to share as downloads, and to use in
videos online. Technology has moved along at a
frightening speed, and now the best way to understand my
techniques, which themselves have evolved since their
beginnings, is to be familiar with my e-book ONE SIMPLE
STITCH and my YouTube channel.
So, in this series of designs, I am
not getting bogged down in the
explanation of tech-
niques – if you are unfamiliar with
any terms, refer to the links and
suggestions at the end of this
download. Instead, I am hoping
you will enjoy a less formal ap-
proach, and a few little sketches –
from my sketchbook!

TEMPLATE
The original of this design is worked to a size of 5” x 5”
(13 x 13 cm.) approx. You may enlarge or decrease the
design as you choose, though I would suggest not
making it too much smaller as this can make some of
the techniques a little tricky!

Download, trace and transfer the template using your

favourite technique. Include all the details shown,
those not included in the template will be added
freehand as we go along!

To work this design, you will need:

 • Fabric: Poly cotton* (approx. 35/65%) is
recommended, but any even weave fabric will be
fine
• Threads (as suggested below, silk or other)
• Embroidery needles (size 8/10 for main embroidery,
a larger needle if including gold/silver thread)
• Embroidery hoop (or other) large enough to
accommodate your chosen dimensions of work, plus
surplus to allow mounting
• Small, sharp embroidery scissors.
*NOTE: This design can be worked either on a dark
background or on a pale fabric. If you decide to use a
pale ground, all the stitch suggestions are the same, but
remember that you will need to work your SHADOW LINE,
in fine black stem stitch, on the UNDERSIDE of each
element.
(This little fellow is quite
similar to our project – if you
are working on a pale
background, you can use
this to get an idea of where
your shadow line should be
… but remember, it is not set
in stone, the shadow line
should be flexible – and here
it is fragmented.)

SUGGESTED COLOURS
The cover illustration is stitched using pure floss silk
(Piper’s 90 denier floss: www.pipers-silks.com). Floss silk is
recommended for this type of embroidery, but any other
thread which is suitable for “flatwork” is fine, as long as
it lies smoothly on your fabric when stitched. Anchor or
DMC stranded cotton is a good alternative if you are
not comfortable with silk. The colours below are given
generic names in order that you can match them with
any thread you choose. Refer and compare to the cover
illustration and match your threads as closely as
possible.
Unless otherwise stated work in a gauge roughly
equivalent to a single strand of Anchor/DMC stranded
cotton. When using metallic thread, one which splits
down into finer component strands is recommended,
such as DMC fil d’Or or fil d’Argent. This may be used
either “entire” or “fine” – this will be suggested where
appropriate in the working notes.

1. White
2. Black
3. Light orange
4. Pale greyish brown
5. Light brown
6. Dark brown
7. Yellow green
8. Leaf green
9. Soft green
10. Deep soft green
11. Pale grey or greenish grey
12. Dark grey or darker greenish grey

On the individual umbels of

the cow parsley work the fine
stems in as narrow a gauge as
possible in shade 7 and then
add the florets as small seed
stitches in shade 1. Work them
along and within the
transferred dots. If you work
on a pale ground, you might
consider working these in pale
pink.
Choose your colours carefully. If you wish to make your
own annotations, an unnumbered colour chart is
included below.
 TIP:
Ensure that your fabric is tightly mounted into your
tambour hoop before you start stitching. The tighter
it is held, the easier you will find it to work!

Working Notes:
Refer to links, etc., at the end of this download for
sources of information regarding techniques mentioned
below if you are uncertain of anything.
Keep an eye on stitch direction from the cover picture,
especially when mentioned in the notes.

Owl.
Work the eyes and beak first, paying careful attention to
the stitch direction. Then flood the rest of the head
around these features in radial work (radial Opus
Plumarium).
The “core” of the work is at the tip of the beak. This is the
point back toward which all your radial stitches should
appear to fall.

Moving onto the body, follow the stitch direction,

remembering that the large spots on his “tummy” and
upper wing should be worked first and the rest of the
embroidery fields flooded in around them – search
“Dalmatian dog technique” in any of my books. Work
the white “ticking” on the lower wing in mid-length seed
stitches. Finally, soften the whole of the owl by working
a fine stratum of silk in each appropriate shade between
voids and around the outline of the subject.
Cow parsley (Queen Anne’s lace).
Work as shown on the main illustration and colour
chart. If you are able to split your thread down into
finer strands, decrease the gauge from main stem, down
to the finer, upper stems as you go along.
Flowering grasses.
Work the stems first. For the heads, work short straight
stitches overlapping toward the stem where indicated
and longer straight stitches in white to suggest the
whiskers – again, in a finer gauge if you have it.

Work the blades of the

grass leaves in snake
stitch. Take a central
stitch at the centre of
the motif and work
toward each tip of the
blade.
 Tree Stump
I love old, broken tree stumps, they
are so tactile and make such
wonderful shapes. I even included
one on the cover of my first book, The
Embroiderers’ Countryside.

Work
along the length of the
stump keeping your straight
stitches parallel to the outer
edges of the motif and
blending from the “upper”
to “lower” profile, by either
mixing or juxtaposing your
shades (numbers 11 and
12) to reflect where the light
is catching the subject.

The fine details …

It is at this stage that you can make the picture your
own by adding any little touches you choose. Of course,
you can simply add the grasses, both horizontal and
upright, as I have suggested in the template and colour
chart. But you also have the opportunity to add more,
where-ever you like. What about a spider’s-web? Or, if
you are feeling adventurous a ladybird, or other insect.
If you have any of my other designs, you may well find
one there that you can add – or take a look at any of
the pictures on my website.

Try creating your own sketchbook!

You don’t have to be an artistic
genius, a few lines and notes can be
worth their weight in gold!
HAPPY STITCHING!
LINKS AND FURTHER READING
If you are not entirely familiar with my techniques, the
best way to become so is by enjoying my e-book
 http://www.vivebooks.com/shop/one-simple-
stitch/?affiliates=1
This covers all my basic “signature” stitches. If
you would like to see me work some more complex
techniques, visit my YOUTUBE CHANNEL
www.youtube.com/helenmstevens And, in
particular, my playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLpXzMjUb_Cf-
kwSUXm-qFqIb5hOy7vVU
You will find a selection of my books, both on eBay and
Amazon, and do visit my Amazon Author’s Page
 https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B001H6J4T4
To keep up to date with everything happening at my
Studio, True Embroideries
www.facebook.com/HelenMStevensEmbroideries
and join our Facebook Group, Helen M. Stevens’
International Embroidery Family https://www.face-
book.com/groups/129229193779273/?ref=pages_group_ct
a
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, visit my website:

www.helenmstevens.info

For your own notes if printed out!