02/26/2013
this weeks Alchemy
This week in class has been all about paperwork....of the pleasurable kind. There are a few glimpses here for you of that and I have big news! Drum roll.......there is now a page at the top of this blog where you can see some images from the Alchemy group, the first public viewing. I really hope you love those. Everyone is working so hard over there that it's about time the wider world got to see their efforts. I have enabled comments over there so please leave a few words. I am sure the girls would appreciate your thoughts and if you do have a look you will see what a diverse range of work there is going on.
Today has been hectic, I don't know where the time has gone. I have made a video about my cloth for tomorrow and I also made a video for the group that worked alongside me on that one. You should have that tomorrow too. I have taken tons of photographs so I must edit those first and then upload the video etc, hence the slight delay.
Yesterday evening I started more cross stitch, the same as I am using for my new cloth but this piece is for a completely new piece of work that I hope to share soon. As you can see it's all go here, housework getting ignored as usual.....and very soon the family will be wasting away with hunger. All in the name of embroidery.
02/25/2013
the cloth.....almost there
This Monday morning, now, I feel a real sense of achievement. My wrapping cloth has a back. I turned it and the titivations I added to the edge didn't fall off. I love it, it's beautiful, it's precious, it's white and embellished and it has lace and pockets and adorned seams. Can you tell I am happy?
If you were in the class where I made this cloth then I videoed the turning for you. You will see that, sense my fear, listen to my inane fear induced chatter when it is complete later this week. You will see it first I promise.
I will then make a video for here, of this cloth in its entirety along with a mini comparison of this cloth and the cloth I am making for the new class. Can you tell I have plans? Later this week I will also put a page on here with images of the amazing work the Alchemy girls are doing....it's going to be a busy week.
02/24/2013
alphabet strips and other titivations
I'm back properly now after my quick pit stop last Wednesday. Last week is consigned to the refuse tip of the past, a waste of time, zero achievement, lots of irrelevance and huge amounts of frustration. Never mind, it could be worse.
You may also note the lack of a newsletter. Basically there is a lack of news. That could be addressed in the coming weeks, I will keep you posted.
Today there are titivations, titivations for my wrapping cloth for embroider, embellish create. Cross stitch has been embroidered onto a large piece of cotton cloth, cut up and painstakingly hemmed, forming strips to use as loops. You can also see prairie points and plain loops for embellishing and use in another task that wasn't addressed last week....the finishing of my last wrapping cloth.
Onwards and upwards Karen, onwards and upwards.
02/20/2013
half here
02/16/2013
alphabet loops....
Two loops, made from my alphabet cross stitch strip. I love them, they are so very effective. There will definitely be more of these I promise.
I got a new toy yesterday, a smartphone. I didn't buy it, it came courtesy of a free upgrade. I am in danger of becoming addicted to its toys, the main one being instagram. I love, love, love that. You can follow me on there now if you like, I am all signed up and everything. It most likely won't be all embroidery related on there infact this morning it was my kitchen....bet you can't contain your excitement!
I have decided to go missing from here for a few days. Just here, not school or flickr or facebook or the new place, (instagram). I feel as if I need to regroup, take some time to sew intensively, do some catching up in cyber space, clear my head a little.
I hope to return next weekend with a newsletter and lots and lots of embroidery. It may be worth you following me on Instagram....you never know what you might see.
To my alchemy girls....you are most definitely not off the hook, quite the opposite...I will have more time to keep an eye on you.
02/15/2013
alphabet
This
is all I have today, a cross stitch alphabet from A to H. This has
been damp stretched and may well become a loop or two, we shall see.
02/14/2013
get the kettle on and pull up a chair....
I'm
early....that's because I have to clear the hall for the sack fulls of
valentines cards I know the post man will be bringing me. Only kidding, I
wish. It's because I have to get my hair cut....very boring and dull.
Anyhow, I made you a video to have with a cup of tea basically so I
could beg forgivness for keeping showing you the same thing over and
over again. Variety is the spice of life they say...that's why there is
no spice here... because there is a distinct lack of variety.
02/13/2013
still titivating
The phenomenon which is the rapid growth of my new wrapping cloth continues. I am actually astounded at how this one seems to grow. The pieces are a little smaller but definitely not tiny by comparison to the last cloth. The surface embroidery is less too, more delicate and focused....that must be the answer. I do intend though to have it equally as big overall as the last one. I am aiming for approximately 36 x 25 inches or thereabouts. This section here which is more of a strip measures 17 x 5 inches not including the seam allowance.
I received an e mail a couple of days ago asking if I could elaborate a little more on the references I make at times to traditional technique, time consuming technique, devotion, motherhood etc. That is mostly covered by this quote from my question and answer page.
In addition to this I should also say that within the term 'our female ancestors' I very much include both my Grandmothers, my Nanna's. I never create anything without having a thought for them, more than a thought for them, the memory of them is ever present. Although I rarely mention this aspect of my work on here I can assure you that the focus, the motivation remains unchanged. It is now second nature to me, it is who I am, it is what I do, it is why I do what I do....that's why I don't mention it often, it just 'happens' now.
If you have often wondered about this aspect of my work then there are also a few magazine interviews/articles I have been featured in previously where this is talked about a little more. You can read those here and here.
It may be a good idea to get those on a page on here....that will go on my ''to do'' list now!
02/12/2013
this weeks Alchemy
Just a small selection for you of the things we have been doing over in Alchmey this week. I stitched the top samples in order to get new ideas for my wrapping cloth. The bottom two images are of new work which has been mounted in order to move doodle doo forward.
Yesterday evening was about the new wrapping cloth,more work done on that, cross stitch and a little applique created with the sample piece I showed you yesterday. The wrapped cloth has also been added.
This morning I started something new, not completely new in terms of technique but a new piece of work all the same. A new piece for what I don't know...yet. It was born from something I rediscovered yesterday and which I am now going to share over in Alchemy. They will see the process and the results, you will get to see the results.......next week.
02/11/2013
a little sampler and a little wrapping
More cross stitch, it reminds me of a sampler. Lines of different stitches, different patterns, motifs, different placement. Do you know it was cross stitch that started my addiction to the needle and thread? Way back in what feels like another life my mum bought me a cross stitch kit. I still have that piece, framed and most likely in a cupboard somewhere but I shall always keep it. I would say it was the best gift I ever received because it led me here.....who knew....
There is a tiny piece of wrapping here aswell with a little too much ''spiral'' going on. If you are one of my Alchemy girls you will know what that means. Tut, tut...teacher falling short.
I put a couple of things back in the shop today. Why did I take them out in the first place? Haven't a clue? Seemed like a good idea at the time? I was having a 'moment'? Any of the above....however it was a positive thing to do as it has now got me thinking about starting something else to run alongside my wrapping cloth. Perhaps taking them out and putting them back again is good practice in terms of re awakening an idea, feeding the brain.
02/10/2013
what became of the loops.....
Yesterdays loops have been used to join two sections of my latest wrapping cloth...(remember, you can make one with me) I don't normally join sections this early in the process but the bee was in my bonnet and I couldn't ignore it. Now I know that I want to do more of this so I will make more embroidered loops....see, it's sampling on the move. This is proof that if you want to try something you should just go for it. You never know for sure how something will turn out unless you actually do it.
This morning I have been watching the sleet hoping it doesn't turn to snow and so far so good. I am cocooned, warm and toasty surrounded by, I was going to say gorgeous, creative things but really it's more of an untidy mess than anything. You get my drift though....I have everything and then some...out of boxes, out of cupboards all in the name of creativity. That's good enough reason for me.
02/09/2013
all kinds of all sorts....
I made rouleau loops the other day. Actually they are more akin to simple fabric strips as they weren't cut on the bias. (note to self...that makes them hideously difficult to turn right way out) Still, loops, strips, whatever, I made them. I then embroidered on one...brain ticking here. I hope to show you tomorrow how I will use them. I have a plan. Then came more little bits of stitch, just samples, a little play time. The one in the hoop will also fit into a plan I have, watch this space.
02/08/2013
Friday
It's Friday, supermarket torture is done. Tonight I am going out to see these....(my little boy)
In between there is no housework to be done seeing as I am miss super organised lately. What to do? Make rouleau loops....
02/07/2013
cutwork, hexagons and lots of knots
I'm back.....did you miss me? I'm a bit 'all over the place' today. Not quite sure what to do, not quite sure what I want, not quite sure what I need, not very sure about anything really. I know some people get these days a lot. Me? Not too often and I don't enjoy them one bit. Tomorrow will be better. That's not just wishful thinking it is in fact an order, non negotiable....today isn't bad as such, more irritating.
Anyway enough of my unstable mood. I have been creating cutwork, hexagons and lots and lots of knots. This cloth is growing rapidly, taking me by surprise. I think this one may well be finished before embroider, embellish, create even starts....now that would be a first!
Meantime...are you checking out the blogs of my Alchemy group? They are listed at the bottom right of this page. I wish I could send you to the flickr group as there is so much amazing work in there but if you drop in on some of the blogs I am hoping you will get to see some of what's happening with this very talented group.
02/06/2013
02/05/2013
The Cloth
Surprise, surprise, I'm still here! The weather scuppered my plans. Snow, ice, hail.....so I hope the cake keeps fresh until tomorrow when we are promised a melt and glorious sunshine. The cloth remains on the damp stretching board, it is safer there. The video is a kind of 'shaky' hand held tour of the cloth. I'm not ready to back this yet, the decks must be cleared first as must the head. (if you know what I mean)
I worked very hard last night, cross stitch, cutwork, generally titivating. If I make it back from my travels tomorrow you will see that on Thursday. You will still have a post tomorrow. You don't get rid of me that easily. That technological timer thingy has been changed to post tomorrow instead of today. At least I hope it has, I can be a little challenged in the technology department at times.
02/04/2013
adding cross stitch
I have been happily stitching cross stitch to use in my new cloth for my new class. This cloth seems to be leaping ahead, progressing quickly. It could well turn out to be the quickest wrapping cloth I have ever made. I have three sections nearly complete and will put another one together later today.
The girls in my current class, (can't forget about them, they are all working so hard) are producing some brilliant work...putting me to shame in fact. I have the blog details for only a few of them, (despite nagging for them) and those I have are now listed on here at the bottom of the right hand column. I can't promise that all their posts will be concerned with Alchemy but every so often some of that work may pop up so keep checking.
I won't be here tomorrow. I am off 'up north' for cake but I will post, yes I will. I can do it in advance, set a timer like you do on an oven apparently. So if all goes to plan there will be something here tomorrow.
02/03/2013
points
I'm a little early today. That's because I have some domestic related stuff to do later but you don't want to know about that I'm sure. That kind of thing is best forgotten, in my world anyway. I would rather focus on pleasant things like cloth, white cloth, embroidery and titivations. I have been busy at the ironing board making prairie points for my wrapping cloth. They are laid here against something else. This is a piece I made a while back and I don't really have any plans for it except it's nice to look at every so often.
Later....after the domestic stuff is done I am off to school to get ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow is also the day I will put my girls blog links on here so you can get a glimpse of what they're up to in Alchemy.
02/02/2013
this and that.....
I didn't know in which order to load these pictures today. Logically the last one should be first as it's damp stretching but I didn't like it as much as the one I have put first so logic went out of the window....not unusual for me at all. On those boards, damp stretching are my latest wrapping cloth...seams all titivated. That piece is still on the board as that is where it is safer. It is leaning against a wall that shouldn't have any humans anywhere near it. I can't back this yet until I have an empty house and that just isn't going to happen at the weekend. Throw into the mix a hockey playing son and a muddy kit and I think you will agree that pinned to the board is the safest possible place for that particular cloth.
On the other board is the tiny wrapped piece, now secured to another section of cloth that is one of three pieces I currently have underway for my new class. There are several pictures of that....it's pretty!
You will probably have noticed that my name is quite big on these images. The reason? I am dim... I pressed something, what I don't know and it just happened, sorry. The amount of times I press the wrong button in any situation means I am thankful I do not have an ejector seat button on this computer!
02/01/2013
tiny
It is so small you could easily miss it. It is a tiny piece of wrapped thread attached to some embroidered scrim. I had intended to add it to the surface of one of the two blocks I already have embroidered for my next wrapping cloth but it doesn't fit, not comfortably. Nothing lost though, I plan to put another block together later today and it will then go onto that one.
My last wrapping cloth, the one I talk about in this video is almost finished, I am halfway through titivating the final seam. It will then need to be backed and I am probably going to make some prairie points for the edges. By this time next week that one should be winging its way to its new home.
Don't forget...embroider, embellish,create begins again soon. There have been glitches this week...big cartel glitches, broken link glitches. But if you would like to create a wrapping cloth of your very own then you can read all about that over here....
No comments:
Post a Comment