This piece is slowly taking shape, a couple of hours spent last night adding beads, adding silver purl, adding silver kid leather. There are tiny cubed glass beads on here that are barely visible in the images.....that's a shame, they are so pretty and very delicate. You can just about make them out in the third image down, just under my name.
Thanks for the feedback on yesterdays piece, you like it then? I have more of those hankies so watch this space.
It's been a funny couple of days creatively. I wouldn't say I lost my ''mojo'', I still had it I just wasn't sure what to do with it. There are a couple of ''pressure'' pieces going on in the background, things I want to finish or move on for class, quite time consuming in terms of what they need yet still a pleasure. My floundering occurred because I can't show you those until they have been seen by the SS4 group. (and yes SS4 group...all the hooks and eyes are added now :) I'm feeling quite pleased with myself on that one)
I am working on my sparkly cloth, adding bling and titivating that surface but I fear you will become bored with that. If I spend hours on it you can't tell the difference even though I know how much extra has been added it must look just the same to you. Essentially one bead looks the same as another despite the fact that it may be in a different area. One area of applied silver kid looks exactly the same as another regardless of where I put it....do you see what I mean.
What to do? Well I'm never one to turn down the chance to pin new pieces, to play with cloth, to lay different pieces down and see what lives happily with what. This morning I have put a tiny stitchery doodle together. An old hankie, soft, pastel stripes covered with a very fragile piece of vintage white and a snippet of vintage embroidery from a worn and ragged table cloth pinned on top. I will begin to stitch on this tonight, an hour on this, an hour on the bling piece. The strip of white with the jagged edge...whats that for? I am using that to extend the cloth for damp stretching, thinking ahead. The pins will go in there and not the edge of the hankie. But what about the other edge I hear you cry? I don't mind about that one, this piece will be cut, made smaller before it's finished and I will keep the other half of the hankie for something else.
Finally, a huge thank you, a massive hug and lots of appreciative grinning. Someone sent me one of these yesterday. I don't know who. There was no note, nothing. If it was you.....honestly...I'm so happy, thanks.
I think I'm a little impatient. I am wondering if I should, in this order,
1. buy a pattern
2. make the cloth
3. mark out a piece of the pattern on the cloth
4. embroider.
as opposed to what is happening here which is,
1. half make the cloth.
2. embroider
3. worry that I should have bought a pattern.
4. plan to add more to this surface as I run out of surface to embroider.
It's too late now. I will have to go with the second list. Also, to clarify, I have zero intention of making something I can wear. I wouldn't wear it. I want to use a new pattern because there's something about the feel of paper pieces against cloth which entices, appeals. I'm a sampler, it's in my blood, so it's quite likely that I will end up with pieces of garments, of no use at all other than to satisfy my craving for samples.
Having said that....there were some amazing suggestions yesterday! Thank you....x
Finally, don't forget, Simply Stitch 5.
I have been tempted by all things sparkly. I did warn you yesterday. These are ordered as is this, plans are afoot. All I need to do now is order more silk dupion, spend a few more hours on my sewing machine creating more of the cloth in today's pictures and wonderful things should happen.
The sewing machine part of this plan began yesterday afternoon using lace, metallic silk tissue and silk net. I embroidered on the surface last night, edging open areas and adding a solitary mirror. There will be more mirrors, they will happen when I am not half asleep...... at midnight......watching Netflix..... when I should be in bed.
It's been a busy morning, lots of pictures taken, videos made, samples finished for ''4'', critiques finished for Alchemy, lots of effort on my part to mentally prepare for this and living in a tent for 5 days. (if you watch it on TV I will be the one crying because I have to live in a tent). On the plus side....lace, silk, metallic silk tissue, embroidery and a new bathroom will all be waiting for me when I get home.
I finished some sampling for ''4'' last night and had a little thumb twiddle for 30 seconds before deciding to continue titivating this piece. It's an old one, it's been hanging around untouched but not unloved. I finished a few more tiny areas, neatened a few straggly bits. The areas which received most attention are the ones in the hoop images. There's more to do on this which will keep me going until I leave on Tuesday.
The shop will close tomorrow until I get back. You have around 36 hours to register for Lace, paper, cloth and stitch. Some of what's happening above may make an appearance in that class...we shall see.
(Alchemy girls....you will have your videos VERY soon)
Yesterday I made lace cloth, two pieces. I am hoping to make another piece later today. I have a plan for these and the simply stitch group but don't worry, you will get to see it too. I have so many plans at the moment that I need a list. That's where the list comes from in the title. The list should be called ''plans''. This is a good list though.....it's a list of things I am desperate to do, excited to do as opposed to things I do out of necessity like ironing, cleaning, shopping, you know....the usual chore stuff.
Oh and before I go completely off topic........lace cloth....you can see more of that here, here and here.
So, plans......my plans.....
1 make more lace cloth
2 embroider on some handkerchiefs
3 pleat muslin
4 embellish seams on the body bag
5 extend the lemon pouch
I could go on but then I won't be doing any of it will I. Instead I will be tapping away here without a single stitch being created.
I am working on another white pouch. This one is very different. This one has metallic silk tissue and off white fabrics alongside vintage trims and old cloth. The first one, this one, was a much brighter white. I am still surprised at times when I see the variations of ''white'' and the subtle differences between different pieces of white cloth.
I am adding a lot of ''bumpy bits'' , applique and cross stitch to this one. Bullion knots are creeping in too. I had hoped that this would be finished and in the shop before Christmas......ha...not a chance. There are far too many distractions around here.
It would appear that ''the sore throat'' is a common affliction this week. A few of you are suffering too. I empathise. I wake constantly in the night unable to swallow, it's like having glass in my throat. Then, when I get up and have a warm drink it eases considerably. I think the answer is to have a coffee drip inserted before I go to sleep.....
Hi everyone, I'm late today...well later than I hoped should I say. The supermarket run took an aaaaaage and add to that the fact that somehow I couldn't get my derriere out of bed this morning and there are the reasons.
Lace cloth....made by moi. Metallic silk tissue, lace snippets and cotton scrim. I have put this in the shop.....testing the waters so to speak. It is rather lovely.....I might even make some more for myself.
Anyhow, due to my idleness, can't get out of bed behaviour, the America pictures aren't updated. Booo I hear you cry...patience...it's a virtue you know.
I'm working with paper quite a lot at the moment. Aside from this piece there are two more in progress, smaller pieces with silk dupion inserts as opposed to metallic silk tissue. All of these paper pieces will be placed in ''doodle doo''. That book is actually getting pretty full and I love leafing through it, turning the pages. I can still get a surprise when I see a piece I had forgotten about. The smaller pieces will be revealed tomorrow.....the girls need to see them first.
This piece has metallic silk tissue and cutwork inserts. Extra titivation has then been added and in fact there is more still to be added. I think it's fair to say that this one will be titivated to the n'th degree!!
Maybe when this one is finished and mounted I will make you a little video, another ''doodle doo'' show and tell......
Doodle doo is back......I suspect you will be seeing a lot of this over the next few weeks. Lots of paper, lots of metallic silk, lots of doodle doo. I will be working with this during the early stages of Simply Stitch Three. To those of you who are waiting patiently for tomorrow this is little teaser....a very small glimpse of what is going to be happening....... literally can't wait, I can't!
Later today I am off ''up North'' delivering USA related things. It has to be done. I don't know if there will be cake and to answer a wedding question...yes there was cake..too much. Yes too much cake, a whole table of choice. I couldn't decide and to be fair I had eaten enough already. My favourite, favourite thing of the whole meal was the ''crab and shrimp fondue''.....there are no words. I want some now!!!
I have to apologise again too.....I have managed to reply to some of the mails and comments but not all. I will definitely do it over the weekend, I promise....so specifically sorry to Sharon, Mary Anne, Susan, Cherie, Barbara, Rachel, Alex, Amanda, Jan, Liza, Annet, Janice, Joanna, Gerd, Tammie, Judy, Jillayne, Sara, Kirsty, Emmy, Dianne, Barb and Nadine. Oh my goodness....I'm horrible aren't I. I do try to be good.....and I really hope I haven't missed anyone out?????
(I am hoping that if I missed you out you have heard from me already...xxx)