04/17/2025
Embroidered snippets.
These little embroidered snippets are always ongoing.
There's at least one hoop full in progress at any given time.
I love to use them in artist books or as embellishment for other works on cloth.
04/15/2025
The first edge
The first edge of a new piece.
Five tiny areas of embroidery.
This fabric will be completely embellished with these little motifs before being made into a pocket.
You can never have too many pockets.
Someone clever once said
Women were not allowed pockets
In case they carried leaflets
To spread sedition
Which means unrest
To you & me
A grandiose word
For commonsense
Fairness
Kindness
Equality
So ladies, start sewing
Dangerous coats
Made of pockets & sedition
Sharon Owens
04/13/2025
Cloth
Cloth. Embroidered cloth to be more specific.
It's a pile of inspiration, at least I hope it is.
I'm about to create a new surface for stitch and am hoping this pile will inform that in some way.
The hope is it holds that spark, you know, that spark you sometimes need to get you started.
Wish me luck.
04/11/2025
Embroider, embellish, pages, cloth book.
Embroidery school. A class which is always hugely popular and one I haven't held for some time.
This cloth book was created in an 'Embroidery School' class and recently appeared in a short YouTube video on my YouTube channel.
(I will post that short video below)
There has recently been a lot of interest in that video along with numerous enquiries as to where people can learn how to create this embroidered book.
In response to that I have now listed this class as a 'work on your own option' in my Big Cartel shop.
Please follow this link to read more.
(there are 77 videos along with three supplementary sections, 4 extra videos)
04/10/2025
playing with pattern and colour
Work on this collection is continuing in class.
Examining pattern, thread colour, fabric designs.
Seeing what works with what, which combination I prefer.
(no, I haven't decided yet)
There's still a long way to go.
04/07/2025
Gimp
Gimp...that's it on the right hand side of the first image.
It appears in my work regularly and these images are just a small selection of pieces which have been embellished using gimp.
I demonstrated one use for gimp in class this week and have had a couple of comments from the girls about how they weren't sure how to use it.
Well brace yourselves ladies, there's an extra video demonstration coming later this week!
04/06/2025
Design exploration
We're looking at some design basics in my monthly subscription class. This is a follow on from Artist Book work.
Consequently my table has been in dissaray for most of the past week as I look at past design work for inspiration.
This helps my brain to tick....
04/04/2025
A few French knots.
Embellish, embellish, embellish.
I really don't know when to stop.
This piece Told me it needed more French knots.
Who am I to argue.
04/03/2025
a hoop distraction
I've been briefly distracted by embroidery onto cloth with a view to moving this work forward.
If you scroll down the page when you follow that link you will see it's a long running project and in truth I have no idea when it will be finished.
I'm in no hurry.
04/01/2025
progress
This is how my table looked after yesterdays post.
Lots of cards waiting to be stitched and embellished.
I'm starting with torn paper.
03/31/2025
03/29/2025
embellishing a wrapping cloth. A video.
It's been a while since you saw these. I think this was the last time.
I will always have a love for wrapping cloths even if I do get distracted by paper, artist books and other things.
There are two wrapping cloths here, both in need of finishing and in truth it wouldn't take that long to finish both of them.
I do have this distraction at the moment but maybe I can split my time between both things.
03/27/2025
stitch and presentation
The large hanging tags from this post now have stitch added.
Simple stab stitch secures the torn paper strips whilst the embroidered fabric has been tied to the background.
I'm now considering how to present and preserve these pieces.
Torn papers have been stitched to pages in a simple notebook and I will play around with the idea of securing these large embroidered tags onto those pages.
03/25/2025
Extending design exploration
I am having so much fun with this project.
It started here and now I can't stop.
These pieces are born from a desire to extend and develop this work so I am sampling colour, sampling pattern, sampling mixes of both.
There is embroidery to apply to the larger tags and I'm also thinking about how to present this collection.
I'd like that to be decided before I carry out more sampling, more colour and pattern matching.
I will keep you posted.
03/23/2025
Two inch square swatches, design exploration.
Yesterday I needed thinking time.
This is how I've spent that time so far.
Allowing for that time to consider next steps really does work.
I now have a much clearer idea of where I am going with all this and have plans for more swatches which will help me with final design decisions.
03/22/2025
Inspiration, folded pages.
Gathering has been happening.
Design sheets, colour swatches, tiny stitched collages.
Moving on my 'folded pages' exploration...hopefully anyway.
I need thinking time.
More tiny stitched collages are on the way and whilst I'm creating those?
Thinking time.
03/20/2025
a glimpse of progress
I've been developing design ideas in my 'folded pages' artist book.
At some point I would like to move these ideas to fabric and my brain is working oveertime on that idea.
Meanwhile I will continue stitching pages and moving this work on.
03/18/2025
folding pages
We've been folding pages in class.
Working like this with your artist book pages opens up more possibilities for pattern placement and can inspire ideas for fabric manipulation.
If you like to draw or paint this process would also inspire using those media.
I have a lot more plans for this work and am already considering how these ideas will transfer to cloth.
03/13/2025
Hand embroidery, a short video.
Lots of images today along with a video.
I'm hoping to show the detail in this work and to explain how some of these pieces may be used.
The video is short, around four minutes.
03/11/2025
The current embroidery hoop.
Another embroidery hoop.
This one is finished and I have cut the little embroidered snippets from the main piece.
This post gives you an idea of how I might use these and they will also find their way onto embroidered cloth.
I am using these as fast as I am embroidering them. I really do need to put aside some time to develop a huge stash of them.
03/09/2025
Sunday morning
I've been busy!
03/08/2025
Pages of inspiration
This little artist book is finished. I Love it.
Another one will be on the way very soon and I'm hoping it will be a little bit different.
The 'old' artist books in this post are providing lots of inspiration.
03/01/2025
a little weaving and more page embellishments
More work on my little artist book.
Each page here is four inches square.
I'm almost there, almost finished with my embellishments.
The weaving is ribbon and torn magazine pages secured with French knots.
Other new additions have mainly come from my stash but the patchwork piece was put together yesterday and isn't finished yet.
Also, gimp secured to a page with couching...quite tricky to stitch but worth it I think.
I'm off here after lunch.
I'll see you when I get back x
02/27/2025
New embellishments, artist book pages
You will notice in this post, there is a little book attached to a page. A book within a book.
(also in that post, a short video, a show and tell)
The little book within a book now has more added to each page, snippets of embroidery, beads and tiny pom poms.
You can see the little embroidery snippets in the following images of my embroidery hoop.
02/24/2025
02/23/2025
Number twelve and finishing number eleven.
Embroidered page number twelve.
Also, edging embroidered page number eleven.
It's a cloth book, well it's a cloth book in progress which may never actually get finished because I can't stop embroidering pages.
It's explained a little more in this post which also contains a link to a short video.
Another reason this may not get finished any time soon is because I am getting distracted by artist books....paper based books.
It's addictive this thing called embroidery.
02/22/2025
New artist book listings
Do you remember this post?
Todays post is in response to the questions I have had since I posted those images about my 'artist book' classes.
There are no plans to hold another artist book class in the near future if ever.
Because of that I have today listed three past artist book classes as 'work on your own' programmes in my shop.
Or, we are touching on the subject of artist books at the moment in my monthly subscription class.
You can read more about that here.
02/20/2025
Number 11
This project...(there's a video on that link).
There are ten finished pages.
I did say way back.........there may be more.
Today you are seeing number eleven and number twelve is also well underway.
02/18/2025
In progress, artist book
Hi everyone, I hope you're ok.
Apologies for my lengthy absence, I had some personal things going on.
I'm hoping things will be steady for a while now and that I will be present here more often.
Online learning has continued however and these images are from the last videos I posted for my group.
More artist book work....I never tire of it.
01/28/2025
Artist book refresh
I will warn you....lots of images today.
We are touching on the subject of artist books in my subscription learning group.
I'm hoping these images will help them.
They have certainly inspired me.
01/27/2025
a little artist book play
We're venturing into the world of artist books over in my subscription learning group.
It's a huge subject.
This was our first little book, as yet unfinished and the second one is underway too.
We have a Zoom get together tonight and once I've shared progress on the second one with the group I will be able to share it here with you.
01/26/2025
Three hoops
Three embroidery hoops, work in progress.
The creamy coloured piece on the right isn't doing it for me.
That's why we sample isn't it. To learn what we love and to discard what doesn't work for us.
01/23/2025
Paper and silk velvet buttons.
I've been working a little on my paper wrapping cloth.
Dotted across the surface are these hand sewn buttons, created with embroidered paper and silk velvet.
A quick video and a little chat for you about these.
01/21/2025
tied embroidery for the reverse
I made an Instagram reel, in fact I have made two recently.
Believe me that's a big achievement.....I need practice but I've got to start somewhere.
It's about this work, this seemingly never ending cloth book.
I get so much joy working on this piece that it may never come to an end.
The video?
That shows me adding ties to the embroidered reverses of these pages.
01/20/2025
01/17/2025
Cabinet
01/16/2025
The potential of paper
These aren't new pieces although I can't remember when I initially showed them to you.
Paper, stitched paper embellished with hand embroidery and various snippets of other stuff.
Did you know paper was this versatile?
I came across these when I was looking through my embroidery cabinet for something else.
As I am working on paper at the moment, (along with a few other things ha ha ) I thought it'd be a nice idea to occasionally glance at these for extra inspiration.
Talking of the cabinet...it needs a tidy. I'm wondering if I can do that on camera then you can see.
It could be difficult logistically but I'll have a think.
And it seems that since this post you are all busy stitching needlecases!! Let me know how you get on x
Finally....my Christmas books. (gifts) Thought you might like to see them.
01/14/2025
Needlecases
There are three hand embroidered needlecases here although only two of them are in use.
Why two?
I decided it would be a good idea to separate the needles I use in cloth from the needles I use on paper.
There were three on the table whilst I decided which two i'd prefer to use.
This exercise has also reminded me that I must order more needles!
01/12/2025
01/11/2025
01/07/2025
Details
My little embroidered patches are being put to use now as further embellishment on these cloth pages.
I was building my stash quite successfully or so I thought, turns out I need a lot more of these.
Also, an idea that's brewing for class.....
01/04/2025
stitched papers, artist books and paper cloth
In my last post I was busy stitching papers to use as a surface for hand embroidery.
Today I thought I would elaborate a little on my plans for these papers by posting a couple of videos from last year where I am creating embroidered works using these pieces.
(bear in mind, these videos were created last year so some time specific content may no longer be relevant)
Stitched papers, artist books.
An overview. Hand stitched papers.
12/31/2024
Stitched paper surfaces for hand embroidery
I had a rare couple of hours on my sewing machine this morning.
Stitched papers, surfaces for hand stitch.....
12/30/2024
My other place
I don't know if you know this but I have another blog, an old blog
Occasionally I pop over there to refresh my memory and when I did that earlier today I noticed it had 299 visits yesterday!
Why? Who? I haven't posted there since 2018!
If it was you drop me a comment and let me know if you like it, what made you visit pretty please.
A quick scroll through earlier led to me choosing todays images as some of my favourites from there.
If you would like to have a look for yourselves just go here.
12/29/2024
The reverse
Reverses, backs untamed stitching.
I like a reverse, it's evidence of my hand and my process.
Some of you however can't bear to look at the back of your work.
That's ok. We are all different.
An idea of how to cover that reverse which is also another opportunity to embellish.
It's a win win.
(some images aren't loading for me....it may just be me but if you are having the same trouble just click on the image area and it should appear)
12/26/2024
Love my growing stash
I'm very excited with the progress I am making with my stash.
I speak about these pieces in this post.....
12/23/2024
always embroidery
I'm still here. I'm still hand stitching in every spare moment and I even managed to give my online learning group the Christmas present of a new video!
What are these little pieces I've been obsessively stitching?
They're for this project, my hand and lined cloth book of embroidery.
If you look at that post, these pieces are embroidered to the lining and some also find their way onto the embroidered pages as further embellishment.
I will confess I'm a little addicted but I also think you can never have too much embroidery in your life.
12/07/2024
hexagons and little stitched pieces
Hi everyone, how are you?
It's busy, busy here as I'm sure it is there.....it's that time of year isn't it.
My fingers haven't been idle however as you can see from the images today.
It may be quiet here at the moment but I want you to know I am here, in the background, beavering away and I am very contactable by email so don't hesitate if you feel the need.
I went to London. Do you remember? last week.....here is my haul....
11/25/2024
patchwork prep and hand embroidery
Lots of embroidery 'in progress' here.
There are grandmothers flower garden patchwork motifs for my stash.
The embroidery on white is for my overlays.
The squares and the strip patchwork pieces are for the edge of my pages.
This will be my last post for a while.
I'm going here.....
My favourite place. I can't wait.
11/22/2024
Two minutes of lace cloth.
Lace cloth. Two minutes.
If you would like to learn with me, please consider joining my monthly subscription learning programme.
You can read about that here.
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