11/18/2014
mostly flowers.....
There are lots of flowers in these pictures aren't there. I didn't have them all at once though.....some will have died before I got the others. I read once that Elton John used to have a flower bill of 30,000 pounds a month, yes. Mine is a mere 3 pounds a week. I don't honestly think I could spend 30,000 pounds on flowers. Are they gold plated? And besides....think of all the cloth you could buy for 30,000 pounds.
This was my week, or more like the last ten days. Not many pictures for some reason, I'm slacking. It's been about doodling, ledgers, pouches and pillows. I also did a tiny bit of Christmas buying, wrapping paper, kidding myself that I'm organised.
How was your week?
11/17/2014
progressing a ledger
Two pages, ten pictures, I couldn't decide which ones to leave out. I get carried away, what can I say. The Hankie ledger evolves, small stitched samples, hankies and snippets of lace. Some feminine hankies, some masculine. Flowers, leaves, stripes, checks.
It's all paper related here at the moment.....I know, I'm supposed to be an embroiderer........still, embroidery is embroidery whether on paper or cloth. We are just going into our second week of Doodle, gather, create. It's going to be a three week class not two as I intended. Another example of me getting carried away.
This is happening over there, as is this. It's all coming together now, I'm happy. As for Simply stitch 5, well.....this ledger is from there and we have a hankie cloth rapidly evolving which you may get to see very soon.
11/16/2014
Doodle, stitch, mix and match.
More doodling has been happening, more playing with paper, pens, needles, stitches. I've also been mixing things up a bit, adding totally unrelated cloth to the mix, laying it behind cut outs, folding, creating edges. There are so many pattern variables here, so much possibility, too many directions to take.
Sometime, in the future, I will re visit these images and be inspired all over again.
11/15/2014
embellishing
A little embroidery has been added to the pillow top I put together earlier this week. So far there is buttonhole lace, bumpy bits, stab stitch, two tiny tabs and a seam of bullion loops. There is still some way to go on this one and for those of you who missed it I have posted the video again which demonstrates how I put this piece together.
A word about pin pillows.....how can you stick pins in that lovely piece? That's a question I get asked all the time. Well, if you think the pin pillows I create are too good for pins take a look at this and this, from my Instagram feed taken whilst visiting a local Historic House this week.
11/14/2014
a pouch
It's finished. the pouch, the pouch that is my present to me. I love it....a lot. I lined it with a very soft cotton and backed it with silk Dupion. Four tiny puffs have been added to the reverse, finishing touches. Very soon this will be full of my white cloth, new cloth that I use for backing and lining that I can never seem to find in a hurry. I will have no excuses now, I should know exactly where it is.
This one measures around 18 x 11 inches. It is roughly the same size as my muslin pouch and a lot bigger than my Liberty pouch. I have just spent a good ten minutes looking for an image of my muslin pouch and I can't find one. You can see it here though, a small part of it anyway, under the tiny measure, the sewing gauge in the eighth image down.
I also looked through my flickr photostream in an effort to locate said muslin pouch. No luck with that but I did realise just how many images I have on there and some of them really excited me, brought back memories of what was happening in my life when I made certain pieces. If it's OK with you I will choose some soon and create a post using old images with maybe a few new thoughts.
11/13/2014
Doodle class
A quick glimpse for you of what we are getting up to in doodle class. Much as I love white cloth, Liberty fabric, gingham, lace..... I also have a special love of paper, good paper, smooth paper and textured paper. I'm not a lover of paint. I am a lover of fine pen however and a French knot dotted here and there on a doodled background.
Yesterdays video.....you liked it!! Nobody fell asleep.....thank you. I put a few loops on that piece last night. One seam is slowly taking shape, one of many I might add, there is still a way to go. Tomorrow it's the pouch. It's finished. It's mine.
I must dash, I am being taken here for lunch...........
11/12/2014
putting together a pillow top, a video
You liked the pillow? Wow...thank you. Staying with the pillow theme I have put another one together, on camera.
It's pinned now, waiting to be tacked and titivated. There is Broderie Anglaise, a strip of vintage white and of course a little Liberty print. I have no idea yet how I will embroider this but suffice to say....and you will not be surprised, there will definitely be loops and bumpy bits.
11/11/2014
a pillow
Yes, it's finished. Stick pins in it, don't stick pins in it. This one is bigger than my usual pin pillows so could be used purely for decoration, a little pillow which has escaped the pins!! It's in the shop now....well actually it's on my table but you know what I mean.
Phew, I'm late today. I've been to get my feet titivated. No manicure, no painted toe nails but gorgeous feet all the same. It reinvigorates, it's like walking on air. Before I went I put my pouch together.....sort of. It's backed now, it needs finishing. The big reveal will be later this week. I want to make puffs for it so that is tonight's job along with a little stitching on paper for the doodle class. First though...I'm going to put the kettle on.
11/10/2014
a collection, the hankie cloth
The hankie cloth, the hankie cloth ledger and two pockets in progress......both possible additions to the hankie cloth. In theory I could back the hankie cloth now. The surface embroidery is complete. I am now sampling ideas for added embellishments, perhaps pockets, to add once the back is attached. The hankie cloth ledger has been out again in class, more sampling and more to come. The two pockets which you have seen before are auditioning for a place on this cloth. I still haven't decided if that will work but if it doesn't I will have two new pockets, no problem there.
The white one, the one with the buttons has the beginnings of a bullion loop top edge. Embellishment on these will evolve without a plan. I have no idea how much embroidery I will add to each of them. They will both be lined though, they will be proper pockets, pockets to put things in.
11/09/2014
a pillow top
Another tick on the list, the pillow top for the next pin pillow is embellished, titivated, damp stretched and ready to be transformed into something for sticking pins in. It still needs a back, it needs to be stuffed, it needs to be edged and watch this space because it may have extra titivation's too before i'm finished with it.
I do like it.........it has loops on top of loops, did you notice that? It has an abundance of bumps, (I had to say that, an abundance of bumps, it just rolls off the tongue so easily) It also has covered piping cord and long wriggly, wrapped thingies.
The ''related posts'' thing still isn't functioning properly. I do apologise if that's the tenth time you have seen that hankie. I am still changing things round on the right hand side though, adding different posts there.
11/08/2014
a tiny pocket in the making
It is what it says it is, or at least it will be when it's finished. A tiny pocket, bigger here than the intended finished size because of folding, hems etc all still to come. The embroidery is minimal. I will add just a little more. This isn't really about embroidery, it's more about ''pocket'', a safe place, a concealment, privacy, protection.
I have two pieces very near to completion, a pouch and a pin pillow. You can expect to see them this coming week. I love it when things are almost there, how they come together very quickly at the end. Two finished pieces in a week, wow. That will be a real sense of achievement.
11/07/2014
loops on a printed strip
I do hope you're not bored with this. I'm working hard in order to get it finished. This section is the lower printed strip from the first image in this post. It now has added buttonhole lace, loopy bullion knots and French knots.
All that is left to do on the surface of this is to add embroidery to the wider, lighter strip just above this one. I will then need to consider whether I want to add Prairie Points or puffs or both once it's backed. I am half thinking about making some rouleau loops for it, in Liberty print. More decisions to make.
11/06/2014
three hoops
Three unfinished pieces, all equally as important, all requiring attention. Two of these are pockets, one is a pin pillow.
What to do? How to choose which one to pick up next? And then there's yesterdays pouch....decisions, decisions.
11/05/2014
the lower edge (and a little play with paper matching)
There's a new edge on the latest Liberty pouch, the one I'm keeping for myself because you can never have too many pouches. It's the edge in the second image, hexagons and long flowery thingies. Once I have embellished the two printed panels I will be good to go for backing this, completing it......not long now.
Meanwhile I had a hankering to colour match. Not because I have an idea in mind, just purely to look, to see, to test my colour matching capabilities, to test how far this could be pushed colour wise if I ever decided to do that. I was going to use thread, wrap a few cards, perhaps search for scraps of cloth to work with but then I had a thought.....paper. Out came the paper stash from under the bed and hey presto.
I like it. I think it works. I am going to print a few of these images and glance at them every so often. Who knows where that might lead.
(London has sold out. Thank you a million times over. I have had a few e mails asking about extra places. Unfortunately 25 is the limit but.....if you want to put your name on a ''reserve'' list should anyone drop out then please just leave a comment to that effect.)
11/04/2014
a blingy pillow......
It's finished, my new pin pillow, the blingy one. Yes I am going to stick pins in it, it won't mind, that's its job. I love the edge, the swirly, spaghetti bits........
In all honesty I could have continued to embellish this forever but I gave myself a talking to and persuaded myself that enough was enough. I'm happy I did that because I now have this to use sooner rather than later.
A few words now about London. I am overwhelmed, blown away, humbled. Thank you so much. Who knew so many people wanted to be bored rigid by little old me? There are only two places left, yes just two. Seriously.......it's wonderful.
yikes......only one left now....
SOLD OUT....Thank you all so much.
11/03/2014
A London gathering 2015
I have a long held desire to hold an ''open studio''. My home is my studio but unfortunately it's not suitable for an ''open studio'' type event. I have also been asked many times if I give ''workshops''. The answer was and is no. It would be difficult to produce a single, finished item created with detailed embroidery within the time constraints of a ''workshop'' format. I have had requests from many places for ''meet and greet'' type situations to be arranged, for an opportunity to discuss embroidery with me, process, technique, motivation, inspiration, for quizzical sessions, question and answer sessions. Up until now the answer has always been no, not possible, sorry.
However......the temptation has proved to be too great to resist. Following many, recent requests I now have plans in place for a ''gathering'', a meeting of those who adore cloth and stitch. It will be a chance for me to have my ''open studio'' in a space other than my home. I will bring ledgers, embroidered cloth, samples, threads, anything I can carry. You will be free to browse these things, to pick up and put down, to turn pages.
You will have an opportunity to chat with each other, to drink tea, to stitch, to cement online friendships you may have formed.
What will I be doing? I will be mingling, there will be a question and answer session. I want to see your embroidery, to advise if you wish, to guide, to demonstrate a stitch perhaps, I will mentor.
This will be a very relaxed and informal gathering, an opportunity to share a love of cloth and stitch, to meet others who feel the same, to browse my library of stitched samples, ledgers and finished pieces of embellished cloth.
Around 6 weeks prior to our gathering I will mail you links to a series of videos. The videos will demonstrate the creation of a white on white ''stitchery doodle''. This will include basic instruction on creating a surface from scraps of cloth. It will include demonstration of various hand embroidery stitches. It is hoped that you begin to work on this project prior to our gathering and bring it along with you, to add embellishment on the day, to ask my advice on the progress of your piece, to share your embroidery experience with your peers.
However, the completion of a white on white stitchery doodle is not compulsory. You may choose to keep these videos for another time, a work on your own online learning experience. There is no time limit on these videos, you will have access to those forever.
Should you decide that white on white isn't for you, that's OK. Bring along any other piece of embroidery to work on during our stitching day. I will be available to give advice whatever piece of embroidery you choose to share with me.
The date......April 25 2015
The time.....10 am - 4 pm
The place.....Covent Garden
(link to map) Dragon Hall Trust
The cost......£37.50
To secure a place a One Pound (GBP) deposit will be taken at checkout. An invoice will be issued for the outstanding amount at the end of january 2015.
There is more information about the day here.
11/02/2014
stuffing and stitching
I've been stuffing and stitching, making bumpy bits in Liberty cloth for the next pin pillow. ''Stuffing and Stitching'' would make a great name for a class wouldn't it? I'm not going to, it won't happen but it does sound rather good.
There are now several bumpy bits on here. Some of them are part of flowery things whilst others are dotted about.
All things considered there isn't too much more to do to this. There are two Liberty panels which require titivation and then I need to think about added adornments for the edges. To be honest I'm already ninety nine percent certain what those adornments will be, I'm thinking puffs and points.
The big news today is that I'm going to be leaving the house. Yes...I'm going to the cinema tonight to see this. I do like my fix of murder and mayhem.
Finally, it's less than a week until doodle, gather, create. It starts next Saturday. Why Saturday? The honest answer....I have no idea. It seemed like a good idea at the time. So if you want to register and come play with doodles, paper, stitchery stuff and design sheet things then you can read more here.
11/01/2014
Gifts, scraps, doodles, ledgers and stitch
It's been a busy week. I've been shopping for paper and ink, the postman has been very kind bringing out of the ordinary, pretty parcels. There has been doodling, ledger browsing, handkerchief stitching, pin pillow creating. Later today it's finish the bling pillow time. Tomorrow is crack on with the subtle pin pillow and my very own Liberty pouch time.....
Unfortunately there is housework to be done too, domestic goddess type stuff but we won't dwell on that.
BTW. As the ''related posts'' aspect of this malfunctioning blog doesn't appear to be working reliably I have added a similar thing to the right hand side of the page....a few extra posts that you might want to look at. Then again you might not...you decide.
10/31/2014
just bling.....
Yes, just bling. It is different, it has more silver kid leather, more French knots, more glass beads, more lozenge beads, more gimp. It has been damp stretched. Next time you see it you won't recognise it. It will be transformed with the girls in 5 into a luxurious pin pillow. I am going to stick pins in it. I'm assuming Marie Antoinette had a blingy thing for pins so why can't I have one too?
On Monday I will have news.
If I say London.
If I say next year.
If I say hello!!
More on Monday.
10/30/2014
three buttons, a tiny white doodle
Reconnecting with white? Well, yes but it was the buttons that did it. I found them yesterday. They weren't lost, I came across them whilst I was rummaging for something else and I had an overwhelming desire to use them. There are twelve of these in total, three were enough to satisfy the craving.
It also gave me a chance to play with a little of the vintage white that came home with me from London. So, like someone who didn't have anything pressing at all to do I spent yesterday evening doodling with my needle on scraps of white.
The ''to do'' list, the pressing one remains untouched.......
10/29/2014
subtle.....
A new pin pillow is taking shape, this one with more subdued colours, a subtle piece of Liberty fabric. Three seams are embroidered with bullion knots, one with stab stitch. There are two prairie points and I have begun a length of flowery long thingies, there are more of those to do.
I was between creative ''jobs'' and put this together as a filler, to pick up at those times when for whatever reason I can't continue with a bigger project. Yesterday I was waiting for ink to dry on work for doodle, gather, create. Out came the fabric boxes and hey presto!
Thank you so much for the response to my hankie cloth. It caused quite a stir. It's such a happy piece to work on, non precious in the ''don't touch'' sense, relaxing, innocent, fresh.....There is a lot of work still to do on it, I have plans for additional embellishment on the surface but first I have eight hankies to secure with running stitch.
10/28/2014
coming together, the hankie cloth....
This is what had me in raptures the other day, my hankie cloth. It's coming together, nine embroidered handkerchiefs attached to a backing of cotton cloth, one stitched down with running stitch, eight tacked/basted and the whole thing minutes away from more titivation.
Unashamedly......I love it, adore it, can't take my eyes off it and it's not even damp stretched yet so imagine how I will feel once that is done. There is more needed here, more adornment for the surface...I'm on it.
10/27/2014
bling and more
Yesterday I said I would show you the bling piece today but I was concerned you wouldn't think it was any different....it is.....it is. Anyway, the pouch is also different in two small ways so I'm showing you both.
What's new on the pouch? The run of bumpy, flowery things is finished and now extends all the way across. There are also three new hexagons at the opposite end.
What's new on the bling piece? It's harder to identify but trust me, there are more silver kid leather pieces, there are more lozenge shaped beads and many more French knots.
I can't hang about today, I've got videos to make...doodle videos. I may even get my artists ink out!! I use the term ''artist'' very loosely.
10/26/2014
pin pillow
It's finished.
I love it.
There are bumps and knots and points and a tab.
There are loops.
It's squishy.
It's quite big.
The edges are finished with buttonhole stitch.
The back is plain.
I finished this last night. Then I picked up the bling. You will most likely see that tomorrow and think it's no different, trust me. I have added more silver leather and more knots. By this time tomorrow it will have even more.
This morning I have been to heaven and back. I made a video for the girls in five which they will get tomorrow and I can't tell you how in love I am with the piece concerned...Tuesday, you will see it Tuesday, it 's a promise, a solemn vow.
10/25/2014
the ninth hankie
The ninth hankie is now finished, embroidered, damp stretched. This time next week I hope to have all nine embroidered hankies placed on their backing cloth ready for more titivation. I had planned to do that this week but there was a little bit of miscalculation with fabric sizes for backing which resulted in one lesson of class becoming a fiasco. Let's just say I learned from my ineptitude and won't be making that mistake again.
-
Ineptitude is a lack of skill, ability, or competence. A doctor would prove his ineptitude at practicing medicine if he mistakenly removed a patient's spleen instead of his kidney. Ineptitude and incompetence are synonyms to describe people who have absolutely no idea what they're doing.Let's all be thankful I'm not a doctor. In my defence I do think I can cobble together a passable pin pillow. The latest one is almost finished. It's backed. It just needs a little embroidery to the edges before the big reveal.
10/24/2014
a pillow inspired by a pouch
It's a pillow, driven by the pouch I am working on. It's a lot smaller, it's for pins. I am using silk embroidery thread on this one and there are prairie points along with a simple tab. At the moment I switch between the two, an hour on the pouch, an hour on the pin pillow. This one will be finished a lot sooner I think.
Going on behind the scenes are handkerchiefs, all nine of them are now embellished and damp stretched. Next week in Simply Stitch 5 I am going to put them all together. I love this stage of a large cloth, placement of pieces, attaching to the backing, more embroidery, final touches. I will definitely show you how that is progressing some time next week I promise.
I'm going to have a little moan now. I am so very frustrated. There is definitely something wrong with my feed. My stats have bombed. One day recently I apparently had NO visits which I know is not true as I had comments and e mails. I know there have been problems with the e mail subscriptions and the feature on here which allows me to add the ''you may also like'' featured posts at the end of each blog post doesn't work. Stats are not important to a lot of people however they are to me. It matters to me that I'm not talking to myself and that I have a wide reach. I am at a loss as to what to do.
10/23/2014
mixing it up
Doodles, paper, cloth, zip fasteners, all being gathered to inspire. I'm mixing them up, seeing what else works with this piece, will that piece live with a zip, will this piece benefit from an overlay. Questions, questions, getting my plans moving for doodle, gather, create.
I love having all this stuff out, visible. I love to just look at it. It feeds so many things not just paperwork, it's exciting....or is that just me? You should try it. Lay out lots of bits and pieces, move them around, lay one on top of another. Place buttons on an edge loosely, see how it would look fastened to something else, lay zips between bits of cloth and paper. Dedicate your afternoon to playing, mixing up.....
10/22/2014
growing....
Oh boy, I'm in love with this. I've started to add more flower, bumpy bit, padded things along another section and wow....in the bottom image you can see how many more still need to be embroidered, I can't wait.
I've had a little bit of a dilemma about this one. I started to make it for the purpose of selling it what with Christmas coming up and all that. However, after lots of thought and angst and pondering....I have decided I can't do it. I'm going to have to keep it. It's going to be a gift from me to me.
There is a pin pillow taking shape in the same way as this with bumpy floral things going on on the surface. Let's hope that makes it's way to the shop. We shall see.
10/21/2014
just stuff
There's a bit of everything for you today. Some of these were taken on dark, gloomy days. Some were taken at night. The last image is the counter of a vintage shop where I browsed and purchased whilst I was in London. The next to last image is my haul of purchases.
I'm not here again. I went North today...a mercy mission not pleasure and no, there won't be cake....
Tomorrow there will be embroidery, titivation, embellishment. It's a promise.
10/20/2014
hankie number eight
Number eight of nine is now finished and damp stretched. These nine handkerchiefs will be made into a ''hankie cloth'' over in Simply stitch five very soon, a wrapping cloth, a small comforting cloth created from old men's hankies.
It's been a real pleasure to alter these basic, functional pieces of cloth, to titivate them and make them a little prettier.
Meanwhile I've also been working on this. It has new additions....time consuming additions that I will show you later this week....I'm a little bit in love with it.
10/19/2014
a bling page
I'm back...did you miss me? I am running late, bad traffic. late night return, supermarket run to do, laundry pile to attack you know how it is. If you're waiting for an e mail reply just give me another half hour...thanks......phew. London was great, London is always great. I'm always exhausted when I come back though and would you believe I only spent £6 in Liberty? It's true....I did spend a little more in a vintage place I know and am now the proud owner of some rather lovely old white cloth..........lace and such. I will show you when the light is better for photographs. There are a few pictures on my Instagram feed from the last couple of days if you want to see some of what I got up to.
Back to today...these images. We've been playing with bling in Simply Stitch 5 and this is my effort at a ledger page, a bling ledger page. There are beads and French knots, there is couching and machine stitch along with some silver purl. This is a very crammed page, lots of information that can be used as a prompt, for inspiration, as a reference. I completed this before I left. I was also working on some stitching that I'm anxious to get back to. It's good to be home amongst all my stuff.....
The shop is now open again to register for Simply Stitch 5 or Doodle Gather Create....
10/18/2014
10/17/2014
Glass beads and French knots.
I'm still away, gallivanting round London. Today I hope to be here. Are you missing me? No? I don't blame you, enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts.
Meanwhile, a short video for you of me stitching.....
10/16/2014
ledger pages
I said I wouldn't abandon you. I made you a video. When you see this I will most likely be stuck in traffic on the M6 around Birmingham, Spaghetti Junction.
10/15/2014
videos and old images
I took some photos of a cloth page I am making in simply stitch 5 today but I'm not showing them, the light is appalling, it's dark, I can't edit them well enough to do justice the work. It's a page made from silk and lace and as soon as I see even a glimpse of the sun I will take more and show you the piece which is my cloth ledger page.
Meanwhile I've been over at my old blog, reminiscing, comparing...it's very white over there, so much white on white....... I chose these few images for you today, I hope you approve.
For some time I have been planning a new page for this blog, a kind of video compilation, all the videos I have put on here in one place, easy to access. I started that today, got up to page 15 of my you tube account. So far there are 17 videos and you will find those here.
Finally, (I just changed my mind) one of the poor images I took today.....a little glimpse of my cloth page.
10/14/2014
flowers?
Progress is slow on this one but it's progress all the same. I have a half finished seam of bullion loops, some bumpy bits and some elongated stalks with knots at the top which to me look like flowers. It could just be me but I feel as if I am stitching a garden. Not that there is anything wrong with gardens or stitching them, it just kind of crept up on me that's all.
Now to the mystery of the disappearing visitors.....I had a mail from someone who subscribes to my blog via e-mail. It seems they found all my posts in the trash file...hmmm...
I concede that this place could be thought of as trash, I do appreciate that I can waffle and whine about nothing very interesting but still......trash is a bit harsh :(
If you are a subscriber by e-mail please check your trash if I'm not appearing daily. You never know, I could be lurking in there.
10/13/2014
paper
Paper, paper pieces, pages, doodles, playing. The last image are the three oldest pieces, all created around the same time ages and ages ago. I told you I never throw anything away. These pieces were the closest to hand, easy to get hold of and photograph. It was a whim, no planning. My favourites today are the blue and white ones. I'm in blue and white mode. That could be because they are the most recent pieces I don't know. We'll see if I change my mind next week.
I'm sorry I didn't explain properly yesterday what ''gimp'' is. I found you a definition.
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1.twisted silk, worsted, or cotton with cord or wire running through it, used chiefly as upholstery trimming.I'm off on a jolly to London later this week but don't expect peace and quiet. I have scheduled three posts for you, put them on a timer. They will appear as if by magic. (I hope) The shop will close on Wednesday until I get back. Don't forget Doodle, Gather, Create which begins soon....appropriate really with today being about paper.Finally, this is a beautiful video, gentle, with the most gorgeous work space I think I have ever seen. (more paper)4 pm. Is anyone having trouble checking out at the shop? It works for me but it appears one or two people are having problems. Can you please let me know if that's the case for you.
10/12/2014
bling and more bling
Love this, just love it. I know I've said it before but please indulge me...............you have no idea how wonderful this feels in your hand. The silk is light, the lace is like breath as is the metallic tissue and then there are heavy pieces added to the surface, leather, beads, crystals, gimp and lots of hand stitch. It gives it a weight that you notice secondly after you first notice how light the back ground is.
It only measures 8 x 8 inches and is already heavily embellished yet I could continue to work on this for a long time. It lends itself to richness, to more and more titivation. This is a case of more is good, more would live here, more wouldn't overpower.
A quick question now about something boring........those of you with your own blogs, have you noticed a dip in visits? Has it gone quiet for you? It's been positively dead here for days. Where is everyone?
And finally, today's Flickr mosaic for you, a preview.
10/11/2014
this and that
It's been a week of very different things. Embroidery, Glastonbury, (last image, the most important one!!). There's been paper stuff, thread deliveries, gift deliveries, gloomy days and very wet days. The beach? That's from last week. This beach was on my doorstep when I was growing up. I was born and raised at the seaside. I love to go back. I'm drawn to the beach wherever I am, it's in my blood. The rocks are a new addition however, flood defences are being installed after awful flooding last winter.
There will be stitching today, some fiddling, some doodling, some note making and perhaps a little shopping list for my trip to London later this week.
10/10/2014
connected?
The
main thing here, the focus of this post was meant to be the addition of
stitch to my new Liberty pouch. We'll focus on that first. I've added
loops, (of course, I'm an addict remember), I've added buttonhole lace,
more hexagons and some straggly flower things, wrapped thread with
French knots on top.
Before I removed the embroidery from my damp stretching board I was rummaging through a folder looking for something. I came across these two bits of paperwork, paper based, collaged, painted doodle things. I wondered how they'd look with this embroidered cloth as I thought I could see a connection. I still see it, but not with the pinky one. I definitely like the flowery one, the collaged paper thing fits here. I made that years and years ago. Just goes to show, it pays to hang on to stuff.
10/09/2014
buttons and a page
A round up of some of what's been happening in Simply Stitch 5 over the past week, buttons and a page. It's not just this, we're not lazy. The page in particular took some doing I can tell you. I made lots of basic mistakes....oops. I have learnt from them, they are now never to be repeated mistakes......I hope.
I'm working away on the new pouch I showed you earlier this week, the liberty cloth pouch. I began adding loops last night along with a few more hexagons. I'm hoping to show you that tomorrow. I've also been working on the bling pieces and creating more cloth on my sewing machine. These are all things you will get to see soon I promise.
At the tail end of next week I am going to London for a few days. That doesn't mean you will be abandoned. I have a plan........more on that next week.
Meanwhile...ledgers....I keep getting asked if I am going to run the Ledgers class again. I honestly can't fit it in any time soon but that is why I put the new Doodle class together, it's the next best thing. Everything I will demonstrate in that class is doable in a ledger. It is, I promise.
10/08/2014
loopy towers
First of all....wow.....I wasn't expecting the response I got to yesterdays post. Thank you! I meant to give you a link yesterday to where you can create your own mosaics, I forgot. Here it is now, better late than never.
Loops, it's all about loops here at the moment. I just sit down, get my needle and thread, forget to look at the clock and make loops all night. I love them, adore them, can't get enough of them. I am renaming my tiny Lancashire cupboard of a house Loopy Towers as opposed to Ruane Towers. For now I'm resisting the urge to have a plaque made.......
I wanted to share this video with you. When it is released for sale all proceeds will go to ''Children in Need'' here in the UK. Check out the sets, loving the balloons.
10/07/2014
collections
Yesterday I created a mosaic of images from my blog post to upload to my flickr photostream. It's something I do often, it enables me to upload several images quickly. I have been doing this for quite a while now and as I was browsing my mosaics it occurred to me that you never get to see them. This is a selection, some new, some old, some VERY old.
10/06/2014
pieced....
Because I had nothing else to do...ha, ha, ha, ha...my mother told me never to tell lies, sorry mum. Because I wanted to.....I pieced some Liberty and white together yesterday afternoon to make a new pouch. It makes me happy. It's a delight to stitch on. As you can see, aside from tacking there is very little stitch as yet but we do have a lovely row of cross stitch flowers standing proudly to attention and two Liberty hexagons floating in space. It has fulfilled a need for colour after days of bling, a need for pattern and I won't tell a lie, a need to play with Liberty fabric again.
10/05/2014
two
Before we get to embroidery please let me indulge myself because I can't contain my excitement. I was up before the crack of dawn this morning, showered, clothed and sat at my station ready for 9 o'clock, limbering up my typing fingers, warm up exercises completed. At precisely 9.08 a.m. I secured these which it transpires sold out in less than 30 minutes. (all 130,00 of them) I am still doing my happy dance as we speak. Thank you, thank you, thank you....I want to kiss someone. I want to kiss everyone.
OK, I'm over it.....embroidery. I have stitched and stitched my pin pillow bling cloth. I have come to a halt because I am waiting for something, another titivation material that the postman is keeping me waiting for. It is different since you saw it last, there are more beads, there is more silver kid leather, there are oodles more bullion loops and French knots. As I was in the mood for bling last night I picked up the original cloth, the piece that started this obsession and worked some more on that. There are circles on that surface now, yes circles. (third image).
Happy days. Bling and mud.....
10/04/2014
Friday doodling
I was gathering bits together yesterday which may play a part in doodle, gather, create. I was mostly looking at how my printed fabric worked alongside lace and how I could develop that with paper and stich. I hadn't planned to actually create anything, just make notes, think, jot down ideas. What can I say though, I just had to doodle, had to forget about embroidery and silk blingy things for a couple of hours and play with this idea.
It's out of my system now. Today, tonight, it's back to the bling and silk.
10/03/2014
light as a feather
It's hard to describe how this cloth feels to handle. It is light as a feather yet heavy in places where it is embellished with beads, silver purl and leather. The weight of the embellishments doesn't detract from the delicacy and softness of the surface. Strips of silk are joined to strips of lace and strips of metallic silk tissue. I am adding hand stitch. Lots of French knots, lots of buttonhole lace to the seams and I have just began to embroider bullion loops.
This will be a pin pillow, for me.
I think this blog may have been offline at some point yesterday. I do apologise. I only know because my tracking service tells me when the blog isn't responding to ''pings''. So if you tried to get on and couldn't you can read yesterdays ramblings here.
10/02/2014
My blue and white week
I think I'm a little bit in love with blue and white. I think I'm a little bit in love with doodles too. And then there's embroidery. Ok, I'm in love a lot. I'm also easily distracted, easily diverted from a task. I need to put things away when I'm not working on them. That way they won't catch my eye and demand attention.
Some of this blue and white will be new to you. It's ledger work from ''5''. You've seen the fabric before....here....I am very happy with this one. More so than the first piece I had printed as the pattern is more appealing in this scale.
At the moment I'm embroidering a blingy pillow for pins but I am itching to get back to blue and white. Self control Karen.
10/01/2014
The bling pouch
It's finished. The silver, bling pouch thingy is now titivated to death and in the shop. Each edge is hand finished with buttonhole lace and running stitch. I do like it.....a lot. It's also very light in your hand, that must be because of the silk I used. There are so many bullion loops on this that I wouldn't be able to even hazard a guess at hoe many. They mustn't weigh much either.
It's onwards now, a bling pin pillow that I am making with ''5''. Then there's all the blue and white which surrounds me. More on that tomorrow.
09/30/2014
Doodle, gather create.
Today I intended to have a post completely dedicated to my new ''mini'' class. The postman threw all that out of the window by delivering my new printed cloth. So instead I have spent quite a while doing a happy dance and then I took more photographs into which the new fabric sneaked.
That's my explanation for my later than usual appearance out of the way....aside from the fabric, which I have to say is hugely exciting, (for me anyway) aside from that I am quite excited about this blue and white paper piece, doodles and sticky up bits created as a practice for my new class.....phew, got there in the end. Here it is.......
Doodle, gather, create.
Let's doodle with thread, doodle with
pen, doodle with ideas. Let's create surfaces of inspiration on
paper.Let's take our ideas and gather them together on mini design
sheets, stand alone pages of inspirational information.
You have a
sketch you love?, a print you love? a piece of cloth you love? Let's
dissect it, extend it, alter it, explore extensions of an idea using
various processes. Let's add zips, let's add cloth, let's add stitch,
let's add doodles with pen, doodles with ink.
Commencing November 8,
this two week programme will centre on the creation of mini design
sheets, individual leafs of creativity which can be mounted onto board
or preserved within your ledger. Whilst this is not a ledger class,
ideas taken from this programme can be adapted for use within your
ledger, the process demonstrated is completely transferable for future
work, being applicable over and over again.
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