A little bit of self indulgence today...humour me. Every day on Facebook you get to see 'memories', images you posted on this day going back over several years. The past few days my memories have thrown up lots of buttons from two years ago. It's actually been good to see these again and to remember why I was making buttons every spare minute I had. The buttons were prep for my workshop and selling space in France at Pour L'amour du Fil in 2016. (there's more about that here) I am going back this year, as a visitor. I didn't get to see much of the show last time round as I was working, teaching.....this time I can browse. Meanwhile I have a hankering to make more buttons.
You might remember when you first saw this here I wasn't happy, I really didn't like it. It was the cross stitch button card I was unhappy with and in truth I still don't much like that particular embellishment but I decided to stick with the piece because as I am always saying in my classes it's important to 'see the bigger picture''. By that I mean an initial unhappiness with a piece doesn't mean that piece can't be turned around, can't be extended and added to until you get to the point where you actually like it, are happy with how it turned out. That is definitely what has happened here. I am more than happy with this piece now and realise I need to take my own advice a little more.
Edges have been bound, lace has been added along with a scrap of vintage nightgown secured with beaded bullion knots and a header of pink gingham has been secured with simple running stitch. It sounds so simple when you see it in black and white.....my initial angst was completely unnecessary.
This will be mounted in my cloth book along with other little samples which are lying around here.
Embroidery School 2018 began on Monday just gone. We are creating a ledger of hand embroidery stitches. It's not too late to join us. You can read more here.
Artist books are being created on our 12 month subscription blog too. That programme runs through to September this year...months and months of book related play. It's never too late .....you can read more here.
This came together quickly...adding the extra cutwork, hexagons and sequins. Now I'm wondering where I can add something ''dangly''. I like dangly. I'm thinking it will need to go on the inside now though. I am going to put that together this afternoon.
The little cutwork motifs appeal to me a lot here, how they rise a little and take on the appearance of little pockets....as you know I like a pocket. (and dangly things too)
This was embroidered last night after I had spent a couple of hours working on these for London. My London prep is progressing well, really well so I'm able to relax a little with that from time to time and after creating pieces for class, feeding class work, extending class work I am able work on something like this little needle case.
You probably wouldn't guess from looking at these images that this piece is an integral part of something we have going on in the artist book class, the 12 month blog/class. It's 25 inches long, strips of lace, silk velvet and paper in the process of being embellished. The seams are being worked on at the moment, they are long seams...25 inches like I said. Depending on the stitch I am using they are progressing at varied speeds. The French knots take the longest.
One outer edge has been embroidered with buttonhole lace, mostly I did that early to stabilise the paper on that side. I'm hoping the girls in artist book class can see here that I am beavering away, progressing pieces for class....I'm not slacking.
It's this again.....I can hear you all snoring from here. It's finished. Well actually I thought it was finished but as you will see from the video I forgot something essential in all the excitement. It's rectified. I show you me putting that right in the video today.
Some mistakes, some forgotten things can occasionally be an excuse for more embellishment. Some mistakes, some forgotten things are happy accidents when you get to titivate a little more. This is one of those....
If you missed it the other day you can read all about this cloth book by following this link. This post will be the first thing you see but you can just scroll past this one.
The day before yesterday I showed you another page from an artist book I am putting together for the 12 month artist book blog. Yesterday I worked some more on a second page. I absolutely love how these are coming together, how each stitched piece I add alters the surface of the page, of the pieced papers. Then there's the stitches holding the pages together, securing one paper to the next....I love those too.
Below is an image of his page with the piece from the other day....you will definitely be seeing these again but next time they will have more added, more tiny embroidered samples. There is still a lot of open space to fill.
This work is from my 12 month artist book class. Registration for that is still open and will be throughout the year until it finishes in September of this year and you get access to all resources posted from day one. If you would like to read more you can do that here. I am loving this class....we are having so much fun....(we have fun in every class....I think, thought I best clarify that!) I also love all my classes....digging myself a hole there!!
It's almost finished, the cloth book. The inside cover for the back is embellished and pinned in place. I now need to attach that permanently and hand finish all the edges. I chose Suffolk puffs to adorn this inside cover for the back, to contrast with the prairie points used on the inside front cover. I can't tell you how excited I am to get this one done then I can mount all the embroidered samples I have lying around here. I'm already imagining how it will feel in my hands when it's full of embroidered pieces.
If this piece is new to you all related posts can be read here. (this post will be at the top of that page, just scroll past it)
Embroidery School 2018 started today. We are sampling stitches. It's not to late to join us. Just go here to read more.
This work is for class but I can share it. The page was put together on camera a couple of weeks ago. Now I am busy trying to fill the pages with little stitched pieces outside of class. Class isn't missing anything, these little pieces will be created using process already shared with the group. Once I have filled all my pages, titivated all my pages I can put my book together with class.....there are a lot of pages to fill, I may be some time.
I embroidered the little sample yesterday evening. There are glass beads and sequins on silk and velvet and old white cloth. It's finished with a tiny scrap of the blue edging I showed you earlier in the week. The embroidery is laid here on one of the pages of this ''page''...it's a layered page. I now need at least another two embellished pieces for the other spaces. I may create more than two, I'm thinking the large spotty area on the right could hold several layered pieces.
This morning was spent looking for something I put away ''somewhere safe'' last week. I can't find it. Have you seen it?
(so frustrating)
Tomorrow is the first day of Embroidery School 2018. It's not too late to register. You can read more here. Later today I will be photographing pretty samples I have been embroidering for our first day. Sharpen your pencils and thread your needles girls!!
If you have read my last two posts you will be aware I have been doing a little bit of ''appraising''. Appraising the piles of work that are scattered around here, stitched cloth, papers, half finished samples, partially completed design sheets....artist books and loose pages. It was the turn of an almost finished artist book and loose pages this morning.
The artist book is almost finished, almost. I am waiting for a little flicker of an idea that I know is buried somewhere before I finish that one. I do have stitched samples I could use to fill the remaining blank pages but I would rather wait for that ''better'' more exciting idea I know will show itself eventually.
The three loose pages are my starting point for the next artist book in this little collection, the collection of white books which will all mirror the almost finished book shown here. (I want six of those) Best crack on then Karen.
Meanwhile...I have also been working on this artist book for class and stitching happily for ''2018 Embroidery School'' which starts on Monday. Those are things I can't share with you yet unfortunately....next week maybe.
If you are registered for '2018 Embroidery School' you should have received username and password information for our private blog earlier today. If you haven't received that please let me know as soon as possible.
Following my little ten minute play which I told you about yesterday I thought it was about time I took some of my ''scrap'' pile and made them into something a little more substantial. It's something I have done many times, occasionally spending a whole day creating mini design sheets with the bits of things lying around here. The last two images include one of the last pieces which evolved from a similar exercise. I had completely forgotten about it until I was looking through my 'piles' of work and scraps. That piece is one of my favourites.
The piece above, the latest piece with the pom pom trim isn't fixed yet. I am going to think about it for a while. I could well change my mind.
Embroidery School 2018. Begins Monday...that came round quickly!! You can read more here.
