My latest work from class, the newest page and two embroidered samples hiding in the folds in the top image. It's shown here with a page you have already seen and an overlay which will lay between these pages. We will be investigating pages more in class before we are done. I have lots of plans for paper manipulation before this particular artist book is finished but we have a whole year so there's no rush.
I am going on holiday in the morning. If you want to register for the ''artist book'' class or the ''hankie' class you need to do it today.
Yes, it's a hankie. It's not a needle case though....I have another idea in mind for this one. A hankie background has layers of Liberty. ruched lace and pom poms. It's ready for lots more hand embroidery but I ran out of time. The hankie is very fragile so I will need to be careful especially when damp stretching. It's almost as if the cloth would melt given the right circumstances. I doubt there will be any ''heavy'' areas of hand embroidery on here so I need to give that a little more thought. Adding applique motifs may strengthen the weaker areas and if I do decide to go down that path I will work with white rather than pattern. White is good in any situation.....
Last time you saw this there were three patchwork motifs. After a lot of cutting, tacking and sewing there are now seven and as you can probably see in the second image marks have been made for another two. Once the patchwork has been applied there will most likely be some hand embroidery added. I haven't quite decided what, where or how much yet....I'm thinking. This will be a drawstring pouch. I will embroider the lining too, something else I am thinking about.
I am going away early next week for a few days. I will be in the North of Scotland doing not very much at all whilst at the same time hoping to stumble across a fabric shop or two, a thread shop even. I may not find anything remotely related to embroidery but I will have fun looking.
Because I won't be here I will be de listing everything in the shop so if you want to register for ''artist books'' before I leave and have a whole week to work on what has already been shown over there then go here to read more and register.
Similarly, if you are thinking of registering for the hankie class which begins shortly after I return then go here to read more and register for that one, you will then have an extra week to gather your ''bits and bobs''.
I will still be here tomorrow and Monday so don't breathe that sigh of relief just yet.
A single seam, eleven inches long, what was the beginning of a small embroidered bag. I'm not feeling it. You may not see this again, at least not like this, not a bag. I won't throw it away. I am going to leave it a while and see how I feel after a few days. If I decide I don't want to keep going with the bag idea it's not a problem, it will go in my stash and may well end up looking perfect elsewhere.
I guess when you aren't feeling 100 percent yourself even embroidery can look unappealing. It could be my mood affecting my stitching decisions. For now I will concentrate on my hexagon pouch, that's sure to make me feel better.
This is the piece I spoke about yesterday, a new pouch with hexagons embroidered on to silk dupion. It's very much ''in progress'', there's a lot more embroidery needed before this one is finished. It's circular, round, or at least it will be when it's finished. The lining will be embroidered too and it will close with a drawstring. I am hoping it will be similar to the pouch shown here in terms of shape and size.
As I am resisting needle cases and all things handkerchief related until the new class begins I have started something else to work on alongside this hexagon pouch. It's another little bag only it won't be ''round''. Just as soon as I can I will share that with you too.
And talking of hankies....a little update of what has been happening with my little cloth book for embroidered samples since you last saw it.
Another needle case finished and in the shop. Thank you so much for buying the two I sold earlier this week. This will be the last one for a while. From today I am saving my needle case vibes for the class, the ''handkerchief extras'' class which starts in a few weeks. The tape on this one is vintage, from France. I bought it last year when I was teaching in Nantes. The PR doesn't have any significance other than I bought it because those are my husbands initials. I am just embracing the fact it's vintage, it has history.
As needle cases are being put to one side for now I have started to embroider a little drawstring bag. It is damp stretching at the moment but I will show you that tomorrow. The surface embroidery isn't yet finished but I've made enough progress to at least show you the ''work so far''.
Now a little fishing....
Two day workshop. Cloth. Paper. London. February 2018. Not yet definite. Limited places. Approximate cost £175 including a workshop pack. Any takers?
This is what's been happening on the ''12 month artist book subscription blog''. We're creating pages from scratch with paper, stitch and collage before examining ways to embroider delicate, transparent overlays which reference protection of the lower embroidery and the lower page. I'm hoping we manage to put together a few more of these pages and eventually have enough to create a very unusual, unique book crammed with stitched samples and other found objects.
I'm also hoping to create a few other books during the 12 months of this programme, a collection, a collection for me. If all goes to plan I will have a very personal library of design, information and ideas....
I reacquainted myself with some stitched pieces from way back when yesterday.....this one stood out, it was crying out for sequins. It was. I could hear it. When this piece was embroidered sequins never figured anywhere in my life, creatively or otherwise so I am mixing ''new me'' with ''old me'' here. I'm not sure where it's going, whether it will go anywhere but I'm happy I mixed the old and new because think about the possibilities.
You may have also noticed I am developing an unnatural love for a dangly sequin. I'm constantly looking around me and wondering what can have the dangly sequin treatment next. I have resisted up to now with needle cases although the layered pouch already has some and will certainly have more before it's finished....
These are two halves of a new needle case. I like to make a needle case but I guess you know that already seeing as it's mostly what I have been doing for weeks. I'll be making more of these in the new class which you can read about here and I also wanted to mention the layered pouch which I will be making too. This post references the layered pouch but you haven't seen it for a while because I put it to one side as I will be continuing it and finishing it when class begins.
When I first began to create these little needle cases I was so enamoured of them I couldn't bear to part with them. But, I have given myself a good talking to and asked myself ''seriously Karen, how many needle cases do you need?'' So I am keeping the very first one for myself and have put these two in the shop here.
I have no idea what I am going to show you tomorrow....I will be finishing the needle case in the first three images later today but am reluctant to show that yet as I don't want to give you ''needle case overload'' so tomorrow's offering will be just as much of a surprise for me as it will be for you.
