10/29/2012
smidgen
Phew
that went quick. Three days that passed like three minutes. I did
achieve A LOT though and am happy. I missed you, should perhaps have
stayed away until tomorrow and worked a little more but truth be told
this place (and you) is like an addiction.
This is just a tiny amount of my work since last Thursday. A word about the book......I bought this book in Anthropologie last time I was in the U.S. It's title, '' doodle doo'' yes doo, not a typo. Each page is decorated in a similar manner to this and I suppose it is a children's book for colouring and such. Me? I just look at it and drool a little. Then I thought why not use it as a ledger, a record keeping place to put ideas, work in progress, swatches, little drawings, scribblings. So that's what I have done. I would quite like to show it to you in more detail so watch out for a video journey through my colouring book very soon. I am so easily pleased, a colouring book gives me such joy. Embroidery has also been happening and I have great photos to keep me going for a few days. Class work has progressed enormously and those already registered now have access to the classroom so if you want to come and join us not only will you receive a nice e mail from me with a video you will get access to the new blog and another video. If you are pondering, cogitating, wondering then just go here and read all about it.
Whilst I was away I bought a new hoover (vacuum cleaner)....hard to part with money for that one being as I view anything domestic and electrical as an instrument of torture. However......I actually love it, haven't stopped hoovering for days, happy whilst I'm hoovering. Now that was worth spending money on. Never fear though I am sure the novelty will wear off but in the meantime I have the cleanest carpets in the whole of Lancashire.
A final word because I really do still have things to do that are pressing and quite important...hoovering for one! No seriously....I cannot take my eyes off the news...Sandy....I am thinking about all of you. Stay safe.
10/25/2012
Busmans Holiday
images
shown here are of ''Helen's Cloth'' created for my daughter in 2011
during the first class of embroider embellish create.
I'm going away for a few days. Well when I say going away I mean leaving cyber space, taking some time to prepare for the start of embroider embellish create next week. There are still a FEW places open if you want to join us. You can do that here. I am also going to be working up a new plan...more of that later.
For those of you who are already signed up to next weeks adventure I am hoping to let you in to the classroom sometime at the weekend. If there are no glitches our dedicated blog will go live so watch out for that e mail. To my ledger girls.....I will have a few pictures for you sometime very soon.
Miss you already.
10/24/2012
windows......
Not
sure about these pictures? They are all I have though...it's a
combination of the off white/cream nature of the cloth and a lack of
sunshine. I am sure I must be vitamin D deficient....anyway we have a
window, only a small window but a window all the same. Two overlapping
sections of withdrawn threads, one of which has been wrapped and the
other left as is. It's a sample, a view of a technique, a process which
will definitely inform what comes next. I am not happy that it's a
square. I'm not an ''angular' person, more of a curve lover but I'm
definitely learning from this and inspired by the process.
One thing I have noticed.......there are stray threads here that need to be tended, removed, what a shambles.
10/23/2012
continuing
Yesterday late, today early, bet you can't keep up. It's OK I can't either. I am expecting people later. People who allegedly are going to sort out my wonderful (NOT) internet connection. Least said the better. Get it sorted Richard Branson.
Embroidery, my veil, my festooned thingy. I planned this video last week. Two videos in a row you are so spoilt. Work on this continues, joining more pieces, adding sections and generally titivating. More work was added to my new piece last night too. Do you think my 'distraction' phase is being awakened again? I do.....
10/22/2012
scrim? muslin?
Boy I'm late today. Trust me you don't want to know about my morning. The sooner that one is forgotten the better. Positivity reigns....it's onwards and upwards. There is a video today....to clarify the scrim muslin thing. I have opened up a can of worms with that one....think I should have kept my scrim to myself.
Back to the purpose of this little rambling forum however and embroidery. I put together a patchwork of sorts last night using all my new cloth. The idea is to sample them together, overlaid, cut through, withdrawing threads and revealing things. That's the plan....fingers crossed it happens. Thirty seconds of the video is devoted to that so you can watch it if you want to get a different perspective. I was taking my pictures this morning and I thought.........hmmmmm...bullion knots. They are always there aren't they. Is that bad? Does it show a lack of imagination? Are you sick of them? Sometimes I wonder. Anyway I have pieces to pick up from earlier so I can't linger.
10/21/2012
silk scrim....
Last
night I played with the silk scrim. Nothing very imaginative, just laid
it over the piece I showed you yesterday, secured it with bullion
knots, withdrew some threads and manipulated it a bit tying it down here
and there....
What did I learn? Well it is easy to withdraw the threads and you are left with a veil of thread that 'shimmers'. I still want to wash some of this to see if that changes it in any way and I plan to apply a little free machine embroidery to some and compare that with the effect produced with normal scrim.
The second image here shows the weave of this cloth quite clearly although the surface is much more 'shiny' than it appears in this picture. I had a few mails again saying that this cloth doesn't look like the silk scrim others have bought. I am not an expert in any way as this is a relatively new discovery for me but Elizabeth sent me an image of what she was sent when she bought silk scrim and to me it more closely resembles silk muslin. It's a mystery.......
10/20/2012
just playing....
I know, I know, you would think I had nothing important to do. No ironing, no cleaning, no washing, no domestic goddessing. Nope, none of that for me my life is one long round of cloth and play, embroidery and play. Well it is when I can get away with it. Last nights game was called ''let's play with metallic silk tissue''. Two tiny samples trying to figure out the possibilities for withdrawing threads and then adding knots to this amazingly gorgeous cloth. Let me tell you...withdrawing threads from this is neither easy nor quick. That has never stopped me in the past though so it's onwards.
I have had a few mails about the video from the other day. Basically asking more about the silk scrim and saying some close up images of that would be good. Well yes I agree, they would be amazing if I could get good ones. I tried and failed. Not one to give up easily though I have made a short video with my piece of silk scrim and hope that you can see the structure more clearly. I really hope it helps and as I love the sound of my own voice I also chat a little about these pieces from today. Can't shut me up!
10/19/2012
white lace and cross stitch hearts
I
have been playing, sampling, applying lace to silk and then
embellishing the surface with cross stitch hearts. I'm not sure
really???? What I mean by that is I am not sure the embroidery is
visible enough for me, too much happening on the lace that distracts
from this particular stitch. It may need heavier stitching, web stitch
maybe or a mass of bullion's, clusters of French knots. I will sample
some more....here I have laid the piece next to wrapped threads and
billion clusters. This is all in honour of my new silk scrim, silk
muslin, silk net and metallic silk tissue. The plan is to feed my brain
with this and hope that in turn feeds my imagination and leads to a
brilliant revelation regarding a magnificent piece of work. You will get
a sense from that statement of the amount of delusional behaviour and
dreaming that's happening in my house.
10/18/2012
yes....it's more colour.
More
from my ledger for class. Class which unbelievably finishes this
week.......it really has passed my by in a whirl. This also explains my
use of raspberry pink silk too....is it all becoming clear? We have one
more lesson at the end of this week then it's all systems go with my
prep for embroider, embellish, create.
I may take a couple of days in between to play with my new cloth and think about another thing that's on my mind. It's a good thing, just needs some thought before I put it out there. Meantime thank you so much for the response to my little chat yesterday...wow...amazing. The only drawback I can see to that video is that I think I have become responsible for a worldwide cloth fondling epidemic! Yikes...just don't do it in the shop or I will be barred from everywhere. If you really can't control yourself bear in mind that I will definitely deny any knowledge of you....never heard of you.........who?
10/17/2012
pull up a chair.....
I wanted to chat today so I put the kettle on and piled all this stuff on my table in order that I could talk you to death. Hope you don't mind. Sometimes it's good to verbalise, in a lot of ways it helps me think.
A quick word about comments. I try most days to respond to comments on here and I also keep a record of those who comment and reciprocate the visit usually within a week, sometimes less. So if you do leave a comment you may want to pop back and see if I have replied.
10/16/2012
raspberry pink silk
Don't
switch off you haven't come to the wrong blog. Yes, it's raspberry pink
silk dupion...applique and a little embroidery. This was Sundays plan
worked on Monday night. I have quite a lot of this silk but hardly ever
use it. It never quite fits with my plans but when I do get to use even a
small amount it lifts me...it is so vibrant. In truth it doesn't show
up as well here just how rich this colour is, you will have to trust me
on that one.
We are in our last week of school over at ledgers...I really would love for you to look at the amazing work my girls have produced so if you have a spare moment then please go here.....pretty please.
(mentioned in the comments)
10/15/2012
large applique circle, medium applique circle, small applique circle....
Calm has descended......because my plans went awry yesterday I was without a planned project for yesterday evening. What to do? A little applique in readiness for embroider, embellish, create was the perfect solution. The coloured cloth and lace you can see here was part of the first plan. Not to worry I can do that today.
Back to applique...I love it and I especially love working that process with lace. That reminds me, I have hardly any of this particular lace left. Must buy more.....meantime I edged these applique circles with a few bullion knots and a little chain stitch.
In the first image, just under the smallest applique shape you can see a very small piece of soft lace, off white lace edged with bullion's. I adore that tiny area....it is almost like a pocket and you know how much I love a pocket.
10/14/2012
lace and ledgers
I
am so far behind today....the girls are all queued up in class waiting
for me to look at their pictures....I have questions to answer. There
were big plans for today but a family crisis in the middle of the night
put paid to all that. I had actually posted today's class early before I
went to bed yesterday....must have been some kind of sixth sense as
otherwise they would all still be waiting, pencils in hand. Never mind
though...it's all good now and here I am. At the moment we are looking
at lace in class...this is my effort, my contribution. Some embroidery,
some drawing ,some painting and a lot of titivation.
Now I really must dash...I have a lot of catching up to do.
10/13/2012
10/12/2012
memory lane....
I
have been looking at old work. Why? Well because yesterday I made a
short video concerning flickr for the current class and I realised that I
have THOUSANDS of images. No wonder my computer is slow..... anyway, I
wanted to have another look at them. Then I got to thinking they will
help me, inform me when embroider embellish create
starts in a few weeks. Then I thought (yes, a lot of thinking going
on), I thought they will help me with a plan I have. A plan that is at
the note making stage and will hopefully be ready to discuss in a couple
of weeks. So that is my reason for a little trip down memory lane...and
a very nice trip it was too.
Back to the here and now.....yesterday I also put together more cloth for my veil thingy. That is quite a time consuming process. It takes around an hour to prepare before it is ready to be worked on the sewing machine. Then another hour or so actually on the sewing machine and if you have to add on the ten minutes it takes you to clean up the smashed lamp that fell off the table because of vibration from the sewing machine then you have a long afternoon. Looking for a replacement lamp will have to wait. I am far too busy making notes and trotting down memory lane and I still haven't bought any wallpaper.
And don't fall asleep I haven't finished.....milliners needles. I am sorry I didn't give out this information before. I am a little dumb at times. First of all though I have to give credit to Deanna...it was Deanna who told me about milliners needles and bullion knots, so thank you Deanna. It seems you want to know where I buy my milliners needles, what size they are etc. First of all and I tell no lies....I cannot for the life of me remember where I bought mine. However, I have googled and you can buy them freely, they are available from numerous sources so I won't actually recommend anywhere but suffice to say...GOOGLE. The ones I have are from a company called John James....no particular reason for that, they were just what was available. They are size 5/10....I have no idea what that means beyond size 10 being regular. The 5 goes way over my head. Now having said all that.....as I have been googling I haven't seen any size 5/10 ones, plenty of size 10 but without the 5. If it helps mine are quite long, almost as long as a very thin beading needle.
OK I'm finished now....I suspect you need to go take a headache tablet...sorry about that.
10/11/2012
practicing what I preach.....
In
view of the fact that yesterday I told you all to make bullion knots I
thought I had better make some more myself. I finished titivating the
piece of lace, adding more knots along the lowest edge and voila....I
have a finished edge that will most likely make its way onto my veil
thingy. Talking of my veil thingy...I need to make more cloth in order
to add more. I then need to apply mirrors and embroidery. I also have
some of the dreaded housework screaming in my ear to be done...wash the
kitchen floor???? Happy days.
10/10/2012
how to......bullion knots
Not only have I made you a video....how to create a bullion knot, I have made you new bullion knots too. Just a few, on lace, still in progress but it was actually a pleasure. I see possibilities, I'm thinking...as yet without a plan.
10/09/2012
painting and lace
I
am excessively proud of this painting. It may not look that good to any
expert but believe me I sweated blood over this one. I painted this
around six years ago in the days when the very mention of paint induced
tears and tantrums. I had a tutor behind me cracking a whip, threatening
detention and other unspeakable punishments. I kept it...I am so
pleased I did. The reason it is on here today is that I wanted to show
you more work on my lace/festooned/veil thingy and I didn't want to bore
you rigid so I gave it a different background.
I made a video for you this morning.....bullion knots. If you are very good I will put that on here tomorrow. I will probably add some images of bullin knots too....old ones. I hope that's OK?
10/08/2012
paper page with a bullion edge
Continuing
yesterdays theme with a little more blue and a new edge. An edge on
paper crammed with bullion knots, an insert page for my ledger. Someone
mentioned on facebook the other day that she had learnt how to make
French knots and very kindly tagged me saying that she thought of me
during the creation of each knot. I left her a note saying thanks and
commenting on how lovely her knots were. She also mentioned something
about her next challenge being to learn bullion knots. So I had
a thought.....maybe I should demo how to make bullion knots on here.
Those of you who already know how can ignore me, those of you who don't
can pay attention. How does that sound? I will pencil that in for later
this week....fingers crossed.
This morning I ordered a mountain of silk....shhhhh, don't tell he who pays the bills how much it cost! I ordered silk dupion, silk scrim, silk muslin, silk net and metallic silk tissue. Phew....tools of my trade I say. I can't embroider without cloth can I. I feel like a little girl at Christmas waiting for it to arrive. Talking of Christmas, I really want this book recommended to me by Henrietta. In view of the silk situation I am practising self denial and have added it to my Christmas wish list.
10/07/2012
extending pages....
My blue and white page has been added to. Added to with collage and embroidery. These pages are a joy to work with, only one drawback....I can't make a decision on the layout of this one. I look, I move things around, I look again, I move things around again. I think 'yes, that works, I like that', then I think 'maybe if I moved that one it would look even better'. I end up without a decision so I am leaving it a while. In the meantime there is more, something that really excites me, you will see that tomorrow.
Later today I am starting another page and taking pictures of yesterday's cloth which has now been titivated. But first.....ironing.......
Spotlight Posts
-
Paper doll playSurface design...paper doll.
-
Inspirationsurface design
-
Sketchbookssketchbooks, design for embroidery.
-
Paper sampling, a video.Stitched paper samples.
-
Scrim, silk tissue, silk velvet.Scrim, silk tissue, silk velvet. A surface for hand embroidery.
No comments:
Post a Comment