Just fiddling!!

Hi! I want to say a really big thanks to you all for caring so much about my leg, it's hugely appreciated honestly. At the risk of over doing the info though there is more news, developments so to speak. In all honesty I know I shouldn't have gone to work on monday...but I did...and boy did I suffer because of it. Last night was horrendous so today I sought more medical advice. Apparently I don't have tendonitis, I have a bacterial infection under the skin on my lower shin. That sounds so much worse yet it is a relief. Firstly because I couldn't begin to imagine how I could get tendonitis, it can't be all the jogging I do (ha, ha!!) Secondly it means there is treatment which leads me to believe it will improve. So here I am, off work with tablets so big I am sure they are meant for a horse! and strict instructions to wear a 'support' stocking before I even think about geting on a plane next week. So can I beg more positive thoughts please so that by take off I am back to normal and if they work I promise to bring you a present back from Sweden!!
Now onto todays offering, proof that I am being good and taking it easy. There is only one new piece here (small, white, lower left) so I am cheating a bit, but to satisfy the ''sit down and put your leg up brigade'' I have been fiddling with easy non challenging stuff. In preparation for the Makeydo I have been mounting these little samples, ready to put into clear bags. I had an e-mail from my good friend Jodie with a few tips on selling at fairs. One of them was to have a basket or similar full of little things that people could have a good rummage around in so these are probably going to fit that purpose, safe and secure inside polythene of course.

Now you would think that with all this time off work stretching ahead of me that big plans would be taking shape.......WRONG!! My mind has gone blank, it is so frustrating. AAAAAAAAAARGH!

So for the moment, whilst I am waiting for the big idea/revelation I am picking up this. So you don't get bored of looking at it I am showing you a different angle, the back! Quite brave of me I reckon, please don't judge me too harshly.

One really exciting thing I have done since I have been incapacitated is order some printed tape for my work. There will be two types, more info and images when I get it, I can't wait! Now I am off to see if I can conjour up a brainstorm. x

Cushions and more cushions!

Lots and lots of pictures today, yes we have sunshine! For some reason though I am still not happy with my images. I know why, it's because basically I am not happy today so nothing will please me!! The reason, I have hurt my leg, 5 hours at the hospital and the diagnosis, tendonitis apparently. So it is all strapped up and I am under strict instructions to keep it elevated, not easy when you need to use a sewing machine or measure and cut fabric. I am a terrible invalid, grumpy, irritable, miserable, have sympathy for those around me. So I am typing this with my leg sort of in the air, not a pretty sight!!
Consequently there hasn't been any new embroidery started this week, I am terrified of having nothing new to show you mid week so will be onto that as soon as I have finished here. In the meantime my cushion fronts were hanging there, pinned to the wall crying ''please make me into a proper cushion''!!

So, and don't tell my doctor, the leg came down and I made three of these little pads to go inside.

Then I made this button to finish off the transfer cushion. Now this I could do sitting with the leg in the air!

and Voila!! We have three new cushions, one a gift, two to sell.

Now I have a proper little cushion factory going on at home. They all look so good together that it will actually be very hard to part with any of them.

I will definitely be back midweek. There may not be much to show you but trust me I will do my best. x

I apologise

To clarify, I am apologising for the poor quality of these images. What a week, grey, miserable, dreary, no light. I tried in artificial light, rubbish. When I got home from work it was too dark so I had a brainwave...morning...before work....no chance, raining and miserable. So here you have a combination of images all taken at different times of the day. This point is perfectly illustrated when you consider that the background is the same piece of paper in all the pictures yet looks completely different in some.
When this piece was stretched at the first stage, (first 3 images) I realy wasn't happy with it. The motifs are not regularly, mathematically measured ,space between wise. I am definitely not a mathematically measuring kind of girl yet it bothered me.

Now that I have added this however I am much happier. It seems to have pulled it together and corrected any problems visible to my hyper critical eye. I haven't been able to get any good pics of the whole piece, sorry about that. I do have three cushion fronts finished now though that I hope to put together at the weekend so hopefully you will get a better view then.

Now I have to plug myself!!!! There is an interview with me here, over on the 'makey do' blog. Check it out and please try and get that site lots of hits. Poor Jenny is working her fingers to the bone arranging and promoting this event, she deserves a few visitors and another plug!! The lovely Diane has given me an award, thanks Diane!!

Well that's enough egotistical self promotion for one day, let me know what you think of the interview if it doesn't send you to sleep!

First of many

My first piece of embroidery for the 'Makey Do', a cushion front, not yet assembled but damp stretched and progressing well. I have gone back in time here slightly, back to using iron on transfers as an alternative means of surface decoration. Less time consuming, this should mean that I will be able to price these that little bit lower, the transfers are not nearly as expensive as the vintage cloths or as time consuming to process as heavy hand embroidery. It is still very effective I think, what about you?

My second cushion front is also taking shape, very much a work in progress it is nowhere near the stretching stage. Cushions won't be the only things I make but for the moment they are easy to pick up and put down, not mentally taxing and relxing to create. I have a feeling there will be many, many cushion fronts piled up before I eventually get the sewing machine out and put them together into the finished article, boy am I ready for my holiday! Three weeks from today I will be in Sweden, I can't wait. The plan is to come back mega refreshed, brave enough to face the Bernina!

Now I am going blog visiting...get the kettle on again! You all know, at least I hope you know, how bad I feel that I don't do more blog hopping. Well after reading this post from Jackie (who absolutely isn't referring to me) I can tell you that my guilt trippled.....will grovelling help??

Have an amazing weekend. x

Sunny Kent in July......

I will fill you in on my title further down, suffice to say it is very exciting!
For the moment here is the cushion I am making as a gift. We are still on muted, peaceful colours as I know these are the colours this person loves. This is the front, embroidery completed and damp stretched, it will be put together at the weekend.

It was so difficult to get good images of this piece, probably because it is so pale and here again is the obsessive folding image! Thanks so much to those of you who said that my work is never boring......do you still think so?????????? More seeding, more little wheel thingy's, I think this is a theme that is going to run and run, maybe I could write an essay '' A million ways with seed stitch!!''

Now for my other news...following my last post about wanting to do a selling fair I have taken up an offer from the lovely Jenny to have a table at her ''Makey Do'' in Kent in July. This is a real big deal for me, my first ever selling event of this kind, 350 miles away and nothing to sell....................yet! So yes, I need to make for this event. Goodness knows what visions will appear here between now and then but this calls for a production line. Wish me luck!!

I have put a link to this on the sidebar so please take a look and if you live around there please, please try and come along and say hello.

Have a great week!x

Rambling again

It has taken me so long to write this post. I kept putting it off, browsing the internet, sending e-mails, making coffee, eating grapes, anything to delay this. I don't know why, nothing in particular except I didn't feel I had anything to say. The problem, (at least my perceived problem) with creating something time consuming is that I just repeat myself, bore you with the same thing day in and day out. Now I have just realised that I have massively contradicted myself. Obviously I do know why it has taken me so long to write this!! Now I sound like a rambling lunatic....oh well...if the cap fits!!
Start again Karen!! Ignore the previous incoherent rubbish!!
'My grandmother's tablecloth' has progressed. It has been damp stretched and doesn't it look so much better?

We are still not nearly half way there although I am not certain how far I will take the stitch, I do know I have other things I want to do to 'finish' it off. I have embellished with a little bit of seeding (2 pics down) and definitely want to put more of that on here. This piece will not be for sale when it's finished, I am already 'emotionally' attached to it but I think I may enter it for an exhibition, all publicity is good publicity right??

Next time I will have something different to show you. My 'gift' cushion is underway and will hopefully be damp stretching tomorrow night. On another note, my book is getting nowhere fast, I think that will have to be put to one side until my 6 week holiday. Also, I recently had some new business cards made using a well known online supplier. I am very happy with them but have just discovered that I could have had bigger and a larger quantity done cheaper elsewhere online so I am going to get some of them too.

Finally, (for someone who had nothing to say I'm not doing too bad am I??) I have a hankering to do a selling fair. Problem is I don't know how to find one, well I have had an offer to do one that would cost £400 for a stand but I am thinking cheaper, being a tramp and everything cheaper is always better!! Can anyone help?? I'm not opposed to travelling but it would have to be later than June for time off purposes and also to get stuff made. Any advice gratefully received. Have an amazing weekend, what's left of it!x