cushions, edges and (more) fragments

The cushions are finished. All day thursday sewing, stuffing, adding trims and hand stitching edges. I made little trims for the back folds too because I wanted them to have another little touch, to make them stand out. You know I feel as if I am stumbling blindfolded into Sparkle. I have no idea how many things to take? which things I should take? small things or large things? what will sell? If I take big things like wrapping cloths they may not sell and will I have enough buttons and stuff if people want to only buy little things? My head really is swimming. Help?? If you feel you can it would be much appreciated. Then there's the fact that it's on for two days. What if I run out of stuff? Wishful thinking definitely but still something to think about. Now I've shared my headache (sorry) I will let you look at the pictures of cushions.

this is the back of the white cushion......(above)


the back of the flower cushion





and the back of the pink and green cushion.


Another fragment is also underway. I am really happy with this, it's like a precious piece of lace in real life and since I took this picture I have added to and finished it. I will show you that next time I promise and something else I am working on at the minute.






Lots of pictures today but not much else to say. I feel as if I am ''on a roll'' and need to keep going so I will wish you all a fantastic weekend and see you soon. x

Immersed...

embroidery....constant....all day...all evening until the early hours....stop to eat, maybe......stop to sleep, sometimes.....having fun, most definitely, this is how I should be living all the time, day in day out, no breaking for ''work'', dream on Karen......but I can, dream that is, we all need a dream. I have had so much fun so far this week and look how much I have done. This is another cushion for Sparkle,

and here are the three cushion fronts I have made all together, do you like? I had intended to complete these today but I lost my will a little as I had the whole floor taken up with my damp stretching board on which I had my Sparkle cloth, almost finished I might add, stretched and lovely. Being dumb however I neglected to take photographs of the stretching cloth, I was far too concerned with not standing, tripping or falling over it. Anyway completing the cushions went by the wayside as attempting to ready a sewing machine on a large table for the construction of cushions doesn't quite fit with a house like an obstacle course. (admitedly one of my making but hey we have to damp stretch!)

and then there is this, ( I am giving myself a huge pat on the back here, excuse me for a minute.....I am just so happy with the progress I have made) The patchwork and lace fragment is now finished with the addition of some pleated silk and a little utility stitching.

Now, hold on tight because there's more!! Despite the fact that I didn't complete my cushions....I made edges for them, trims. Now I love edges as you know and I adore making them, maybe I am a frustrated haberdasher from a former life, who knows. I just know that I find this part of making anything the most exciting and was nearly jumping around with delight when these came together. You can still see some tacking stitches, they have to stay for now, sorry!

Then I remembered I had promised to show you once how I fold my prairie points so here we are. You fold the bottom edge over and press into place as shown here. (there are two in this pic)

Then you fold that pressed edge into the middle from both sides as shown here. This is a very traumatic process for me. I am loathe to have an iron anywhwere near my work EVER. Unfortunately it's necessary for this, the soft, fluffy, CLEAN, white towel is essential here. Pressing the stitching face down into it helps to prevent the embroidery flattening. I would never ever recommend ironing embroidery but IF YOU MUST, then please do it this way, it will at least stand a fighting chance.

Now I'm off to work on my next fragment and who knows, I may even go to bed tonight.......then again..................

Photographing whitework....a challenge

I really can't believe it is 10.30 pm on saturday!! Where has the week gone? I changed my days at work...... for one week only.... instead of monday, tuesday and wednesday I worked wednesday, thursday and friday. Consequently I spent all day wednesday thinking it was monday and haven't really figured out what day it is since!! Yesterday, (friday I think) school broke up for half term so it's a full week off. I have huge plans, huge I promise you. They started today by planning to take photos of my latest work and then some clearing, tidying and sorting out of my new 'space' now the interlopers have gone. Well it was chucking it down this morning, dark and dreary so off I went to sort out the sorting out. Excellent progress there, pics soon I hope. Then the sun came out so I dashed to get my camera and do you know I think there was too much sun. It has been so hard to get a half decent picture of this white piece. It really is much nicer than it looks here. These are hopefully going to be cushions for Sparkle.

This cutwork piece reminds me of something and I don't know what, a pendant, a locket, I can't quite get what it is. Any ideas? It's really annoying me actually. Anyway I have produced these two cushion fronts and finished my latest fragment. Unfortunately by the time I finished that it was dark, night time, so I couldn't take any pictures. It will have to wait for next time.

This week really has been wierd, kind of like living in some kind of parallel universe, can't quite put my finger on it but I honestly feel like I have lost some time somewhere, slept through a day or missed a week. Does anyone else get like that? I'm sure they do I can't be the only strange one around here. So I am going to write a list for tomorrow, tick it off as I do it and then I will have evidence that I've been here and achieved something. I'm also going to do some blog visiting, some answering of e-mails and some responding to all your great comments, it takes me so long to get round to it that I'm suprised you bother coming here at all. I am eternally grateful.x

Look.......I've been busy!

Just to prove that I don't sit on my backside watching daytime t.v. and eating cream cakes lots of pictures for you! I was going to save the second lot of these images for another post but then I could imagine you saying, ''5 measly pincushions that were half made anyway, not much work there'' But, as you can see the evidence is here...I have made the most of my time off work. The pincushions are stitched, stuffed and embellished. There will have to be more, many more and I am on it as we speak, let's hope there is a massive shortage of pincushions in London.

Then there is this, another fragment. Remember the lace hexagons I joined together well this is how they look now. I made more tiny embroidered patches and have added them to the lace. This isn't finished yet, (look closely and you can see the tacking around the edge). I have something else in mind to add but it's coming along.

I really want to say thanks for all the brilliant comments on my last piece. I am so flattered but have to admit that when I made that piece coral, sealife and similar were nowhere on my radar. I had visions of garment fragments, aged, lost in time, from a wedding gown or baptism robe perhaps, yikes, looks like I failed miserably there then. Still, that's the beauty of creativity, being in the eye of the beholder etc. interpret as you see etc.

I am now working hard trying to make progress with my Sparkle cloth. My trouble is I keep thinking of stuff to add to it, extra embellishment. The swaddling band? Well I honestly don't know if I will get that finished. It's probably do-able but at the expense of other things. So I am undecided which way to go with that. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have it ready, it speaks so much about ''me'' but I really do need to get on with bread and butter stuff so we shall see.

The house.........they've gone and I am just waiting for paint to dry, huge sigh of relief! I may have pics for you soon, have a great week. x