09/30/2013
a bag for Helen, brief show and tell
Hi everyone. I have had a busy weekend so the bridal bag remains un damp stretched....oh the shame!! I am hoping you will forgive me as I try to make amends with a very short video show and tell..............
09/28/2013
over sized toggles
I
have been playing with fastenings over in simply stitch and the result?
These oversized toggles. I love them. I adore them. I want to make more
of them. I don't think I will use them on the final piece but I do
think it's OK just to have them, to own them, to take them out and gaze
every so often before putting them away again.
09/27/2013
loops
This is how I have been spending my evenings this week. I am adding loops to the wedding bag for Helen, loops which will hold the covered cords that will draw her bag closed. Making this bag has been ''testing''' in many ways. I have never made anything like this before and the construction, the ''how'', the ''what goes where'' in terms of seams and lining appears to me to be more complicated than it should. By that I mean I have a hard time getting my head round it all. My brain doesn't want to compute things like construction, measurements, pattern related information. I can embellish cloth until the cows come home but set me a project that requires more than minimal construction and I'm challenged to say the least. It's a good thing I don't know when I am beaten.
I have ''dogged determination'', I will stare this bag down. I will persevere. It is after all an inanimate object. It is pliable. It will bend to my will. It had better.
dogged
If you describe someone's actions as dogged, you mean that they are determined to continue with something even if it becomes difficult or dangerous.
09/26/2013
this morning.....
This is what was on my table first thing today. I was gathering bits to make a video for simply stitch and also had just removed a piece of embroidery from the damp stretching board. You can also see my latest ''favourite thing''. It's a sewing gauge, you wouldn't believe, (trust me on this one), you wouldn't believe how excited I am about that little thing. I have had it for a year, bought purely because I liked the packaging, yes, honest. I started using it last week and now I can't let it out of my site. It is so useful that I am amazed I didn't buy one before. Now, if something is still for longer than a nanosecond it gets measured. So that's my house today....a video being made in stages and everything in site getting measured.
Thanks so much for all the responses to my question yesterday. You are there after all. Well I knew you were there but something is amiss with my stat meter. I can't fix it. I will have to live with it until they fix it. If you see them will you tell them? Thank you.
09/25/2013
the wedding bag 3
I'm wondering if this looks any different to you? Perhaps it doesn't but I have added more in the form of French knots and web stitches. The surface embellishment is almost complete on this, the outer part of the bag. I will embroider on the lining too, just a little around the top edge.
You may be able to see two rows of running stitch in these pictures. They are marks for the channel which will house the cords. I have plans for those that I will start work on later today.
I think there is something wrong with my blog feed???? Do you subscribe by e mail??? If you do can you tell me are you getting those mails??? In the last two days according to my site meter I have been talking to myself....that can't be true as I have comments which are the only way I have of knowing that you have been at the moment. I tried to fix it but suspect it isn't a fault at my end. Any other bloggers out there experiencing this? It's a mystery and my brain hurts so I am ignoring it as far as I can......trying not to feel lonely.....
09/24/2013
continuing from yesterday
These pictures take yesterdays theme a little further. This is progress that I have made with the ''simply stitch 2'' group. The hooks and eyes haven't found a home in this yet, in the actual piece of work. Yesterdays pleating with the added metal was a sample. There is some way still to go with this, my body bag. You will hear me refer to this quite a lot in the future. The body bag is essentially a human sized pocket....body bag. Work on this will definitely carry on through simply stitch 3 but hopefully not beyond that.
09/23/2013
joining sections
I have been joining sections in very different ways. There are four pieces here, two separate, finished pieces of work. One piece has silk and pleating joined with hooks and eyes the other is two pieces of embroidered silk joined with stab stitch and bullion knots. The hook and eye piece is a sample, testing options for when the main bag is finished and will require fastenings. I am also drawn to zips for that so a final decision hasn't been made yet....and then again I also have a hankering for buttons so who knows what's going to happen. I change my mind a lot. Have you guessed that yet? They don't know whether they are coming or going over in ''simply stitch'' as my mind gets changed over there on an hourly basis!!
I'm going out in a minute, there's a surprise. She who never leaves the house except to go to the shed is leaving the house to go into town. A proper big place they tell me with shops and cafes and people!!! I am going on a pashmina hunt which will hopefully mark the end of the trauma which is commonly known as ''shopping for wedding clothing''.
09/22/2013
table....
It's
been a very busy weekend....of the best kind. Following yesterdays
pleating bonanza and other assorted things that were happening my table
looks like this today. I did manage a little leisurely sewing late last
night too, a small panel for the body bag was finished and damp
stretched....
Actually, my damp stretching board is working overtime at the moment. I have another piece ready to go on this afternoon and hopefully by bedtime I can remove that one and put another one on there.
In the midst of all this creativity I also managed to fit in a mini meltdown, wedding related but hey....at least I know I can multi task. It goes something like this.....pleat, stitch, meltdown, coffee, more stitch, another thirty second meltdown, more coffee, stitch, bed.
So how was your Saturday?
09/21/2013
pleating
There is a lot going on here today with cloth, with mulsin. I am pressing, pin tucking and pleating. These things usually happen unseen, in the background but are essential to the pieces I am working on at the moment.
I have huge plans for the pleated cloth and am itching to get going with those later today. I am beyond excitement.
My Saturday will be completely consumed by this work so I can't linger.....I must go and play some more. Have a wonderful day whatever you are doing.
09/20/2013
wrapped....
I'm late, delay after delay. I was delayed at the supermarket and then my husband needed emergency dental treatment....all I can say is that it's like emergency ward 10 here at times and it's a good thing I'm fighting fit and ready for anything, yes, anything.
But never mind I'm here now. I've been titivating another piece of silk for my ''sample cloth body bag''. This one has islands of fabric, (I'm trying to do a romantic description here so don't laugh) it has scattered flowers and fragile lace outlines along with tiny, delicate bridges of wrapped threads.....how did I do?
All I can say is I adore this work, each section already finished and those in progress. I am desperate for this to be finished but only so I can enjoy having it, owning it, touching it...When it is finished it may have a zip, then again it may have hooks and eyes, or maybe buttons. I haven't decided yet but that is why I get so much pleasure from the creative process......considering and making choices about exciting and wonderful things.
09/19/2013
looking.....
This morning I have been looking. Looking at letterforms and lace in ledgers and on design sheets and then looking at how the letters appear through lace. How does lace break them up, distort them whilst forming a delicate layer. I know that this mornings ''looking'' will inform something new. I already have an idea of what that ''new'' will be. I won't elaborate yet.....there are notes to be made and doodles to be doodled.
There is a lot going on here at the moment. Things you can't see, nothing tangible in terms of embroidered pieces. It's background stuff. Things that keep everything else moving. I like these times, going through the other, unseen processes it's just a shame I can't share them in terms of finished embroidery..........................that will come............................
09/18/2013
playing
I was playing this morning. Matching thread with embroidery, matching embroidery with paint, mixing them up, looking and hopefully learning. It's not that I have time for any of this but if the urge strikes you've just got to go with it....you do. Why haven't I got time??? I'm off ''up north''....imminently. On the pretence of seeing family but really....it's just for the cake.
09/17/2013
currently.....
I am currently surrounded by white. Partly it's inspiration to draw on for Helen's bridal bag and partly it's to keep my mind ticking over. I glance at this every so often and get a sense of another piece, a tiny germ of an idea.
I did tell you that I never throw anything away and this is why. All these little pieces of work are samples created some time ago but carefully stored, laid on top of books actually, to keep them flat. Today they are the basis of a list. A list for Simply Stitch 3 as these techniques will feature there along with basic, simple hand embroidery. It is possible to create massively different surfaces with the most basic of embroidery stitches and these are proof of that.
09/16/2013
more surface embroidery for the sample cloth
Helen's bridal bag is ongoing......as is my body bag. In case you missed it my sample cloth is now going to become a human sized pocket, a body bag. It will be nicer than it sounds, trust me. When have I ever let you down? Today's pictures are of the newest section for that, another piece of silk dupion being titivated to the extreme. Well, maybe not the extreme but it's certainly getting a lot of attention. This piece will take a very long time to create. There is a lot of pleating to be done and I still have certain things I wish to sample before a final decision is made on the complete make up of this. I'm not 100% sure that I know everything I will include here technique wise. As there is no deadline for this, it's for me, I'm keeping it , I am happy to ''play'' and sample for as long as it takes. I can almost guarantee that I will still be working on my body bag during simply stitch three. In effect that could mean it isn't finished until next year. Well that's OK because I plan to still be here next year!
09/15/2013
embroidery, pleating and shopping
Did you think I wasn't coming today? Sorry about that....I have been out shopping for wedding shoes. I didn't get any. My husband got his suit and I got this and this but not a shoe in sight. Never mind.....I still have five weeks until I am forced to attend barefoot. (which actually would be my preference)
But, back to embroidery which is the whole point of this little corner of cyber space. These are some pieces I was working on yesterday in ''simply stitch''. Pleated muslin and embroidered silk. Pinning, planning, sampling, being indecisive, being unable to express a preference on layout because I love them all. Just another day then in my creative life where I can't make a decision and feel like a child in a sweet shop.
Finally....because it's getting late, there is a meal to cook and chores to be done. Can't hang about when I spend all day shopping for shoes and buy everything but.......simply stitch 3 is now open for registration here and boy oh boy do you make me feel humble with the massive interest so far.....little old me is one happy embroiderer.....thank you.....
09/14/2013
the wedding bag. progress 2
The surface embroidery on the wedding bag for Helen is progressing well. Now we have patchwork hexagons, ribbon anchored with bullion knots, lace edged with buttonhole lace and tiny islands of French knots. I think the surface will be finished quicker than I anticipated. Thinking about the ''making up'' stage is causing me a little anxiety. I'm sure it will be fine... it's a momentous occasion. I honestly do not think I have ever made anything as important as this.....ever.
On a lighter note.....Simply Stitch 3 was listed yesterday. You can read more here.
09/13/2013
Simply Stitch 3
Simply Stitch 3 is now open for registration.
I hope you are all having wonderful Friday. I will see you tomorrow.
09/12/2013
bumps, pleats and knots
I was going to say there isn't much happening here today but that wouldn't be true. There is a lot happening here today, yesterday, the day before but not much to show for it in terms of embroidery. This morning has been like a whirlwind. Up at 8, shower, quick emptying of the kitchen sink, (cups and teaspoons from late last night), taking photographs, converting videos, uploading videos to you tube, posting class, getting my hair cut literally 30 minutes ago. Cleaning up the hair off the floor, changing clothes....again.
The kettle is on now but my feet won't be getting ''put up''. I have a welcome mail to compose, more pictures to take. So it's hectic.....but I love it....wouldn't have it any other way and then, later, me and my new haircut can sit.....and embroider.
09/11/2013
Special. (progress)
There is progress on the wedding bag for Helen. Bullion knots have been added to secure one piece of ribbon and French knots have been used to embellish sections of the San Francisco lace. The hexagon circle is now attached, all the card templates have been removed and that piece is surrounded by an edge of running stitch.
What do you think? So far so good?
09/10/2013
everything
Well maybe not EVERYTHING but certainly everything I have around me today. A gathering on the table. I'm hoping it will inform, spur me to make notes.....I don't know why but I feel the need to make notes. Notes about what? Not sure really...I'm having a funny day, a good day but a day filled with a lot of ''I want'', ''I need'' moments in terms of creativity, embroidery, goals, aspirations. For example, I feel the need to have an ''open studio''. It's not going to happen....can't swing a cat in here but It's a hankering of mine. I feel the need to share, to share my environment, my creative environment at least. To have people come and rummage through my things, pick up ledgers and leaf pages, handle cloth, sit and stitch with me.
(no I'm not having a meltdown. Today for the first time EVER I would welcome intrusion into my personal space....... if I had time to clean up first.)
I think I know why I'm feeling like this. It's the working in isolation 24/7...... 99.99999% of the time I prefer it that way. I'm just at that minuscule percentage point in time where the above would be good. Anyway, enough already. I'm certainly not unhappy. How could I be? Look at all this stuff I have to keep me amused.
I want to take you back to this post now and the overwhelming response. Thank you again...I'm really blown away. I have made progress in the planning aspect and have an overview with dates and information here. I plan to open this at the weekend, maybe Friday. Meantime go have a look, take time to ponder.....
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