A little bit of everything for you today, glimpses from the past week....
I bought this basket in Spain. It holds everything and anything. I need to stop taking the easy option and just dropping things into it instead of putting them away properly, in the right place.
I've been cutting a lot of hexagons over the past few days . These will be stitched to templates and made into ''grandmothers flower garden'' patchwork pieces for my London workshop kits. (London is selling well...big smile here, thank you!)
These images were taken whilst I was making videos for ''hankie class''. There's quite a bit of this kind of thing going on here. Hankies piled high, spread across the table before being cut up and adorned.
I'm not sure about this one, when it was taken. It could be ''artist book'' class but there's a little bit of me that says no, it was something else.
And sequins......there doesn't appear to be any shortage of these around here at the moment. These little things are fast becoming my new ''essential''.
And some videos from Instagram which you may have missed....
I have started playing with ideas for my workshop packs for the two day London workshop next February. To be precise....I am thinking about the actual ''workshop pack'', the pocket which will hold things to be used in the workshop. So far I have secured gimp with bullion loops on a piece of vintage white which may or may not become the pocket. More surface embroidery will be added to that piece over time so the pocket itself will become a keepsake after the ''event''.
I have made a decision on which printed cloth will be used for hexagons and patchwork and general titivation and I am thinking about how to present those within the pocket. Do I add more pockets on the inside or do I pin the hexagons, ribbons and bindings to strips of vintage trim which can then be used in the workshop too.....decisions decisions. I will of course need inside pockets regardless for paper pieces, applique templates, waste canvas and lots of other little things, surprises....
It's early days I know but there are quite a few of these to put together, a lot of stitching and thinking still to do.
I do apologise......this isn't damp stretched, looks like a dogs dinner.....never mind. This is a piece fromclass. Vintage hankies, layers, gimp. It is in its very early stages. I have another piece ongoing in class too but that isn't ready for any kind of unveiling yet, public or otherwise.
The hankies used in this piece are ''time worn'', soft...like butter. Although that makes them beautiful and an honour to work with it also makes them unruly, liable to fold of their own volition, liable to crease if you look at them the wrong way, (if you know what I mean) I'm hoping damp stretching will tame them.....
You said you wanted it now, so here it is......and thank you so much for the enthusiasm.
Patched Pockets
Begins Monday January 4 2016.
(this is not a repeat of my last online ''pockets'' class. Whilst some processes will be the same I aim to create pockets in different forms from those produced during that 12 week programme.)
Duration 12 weeks.
**you do not need to have participated in any of my previous online learning programmes in order to participate in ''patched pockets.''***
No prerequisites. Suitable for the beginner and the more experienced stitcher.
Be a fly on my wall for 12 weeks. Observe my creative process, learn from my successes and my mistakes as I sample, as I construct pockets from patches of cloth, snippets of hankies and decorative trims along with other found cloth both new and vintage.
During the course of these 12 weeks it is my aim to considerably advance embroidery and construction on my ongoing embroidered piece which I call ''the body bag''. One video per week will be devoted to the development of that piece.
In addition to this I hope to create a series of pockets in various sizes using handkerchiefs, new cloth and vintage cloth. Fabric surfaces will be manipulated and embellished using hand embroidery and fabric manipulation techniques. These techniques will include pin tucking, patchwork, pleating and ruching. Hand embroidery stitches will be used to embellish surfaces with each stitch being clearly demonstrated.
There will be a minimum of four videos per week, (approximate minimum 1 1/2 hours viewing time) which will be hosted on a private password protected blog.
In addition to our private blog you will be given access to a private Flickr group where you will be able to interact with other members of the group, upload images of your work, receive feedback, give feedback, share technique, hints, tips.....
Previous online learning programmes I have hosted have resulted in the formation of a tightly knit group of like minded people who share the creative process in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. It's almost as if groups ''hold hands'' throughout. For me, this is one of the most appealing and rewarding aspects of these classes.
(I am also aware that some people prefer to work quietly with minimal interaction. That is OK too.)
There are no deadlines, no set tasks. You are under no obligation to create what I am creating. Many people in previous classes have merely taken notes in order to apply ideas to their own work. Please take as much or as little as you wish from this programme, tailor my demonstrations to suit your own creative needs. Access to all resources is permanent.....forever.....
Please allow 24 hours from registration to receipt of welcome e mail which includes a list of suggested equipment.
Images shown here are for illustration purposes only. We will not be replicating these pieces exactly.
Patches of printed cloth, strips of silk, hand embroidery....a day in the life...
I am beginning to get very excited about this work. My sampler cloth is evolving and will morph into a human sized pocket, pouch, bag form. I don't know how long it will take but getting there is amazing. I have been playing with muslin for the past couple of days...a sampling process. There aren't any images of that yet but the results and the imagining of how all this will come together is beyond exciting. I know you get that....that you don't think I'm pathetic or need to get a life. I know that you know how I feel...I know.
I was doodling in simply stitch yesterday. Note I never said ''I did some gorgeously stunning doodles in simply stitch yesterday''. I merely stated the fact....I doodled. The doodling informed the placement of these patches and will also inform the placement of embroidery on the same piece. It wasn't a frivolous exercise, it was a valuable one.
I will be incommunicado for the rest of today :(..........I have to go North....way up North...to another country in fact...to Scotland. It isn't a holiday, it isn't a day trip, it's something that must be done and no......there won't be cake.
Two ever present pieces but both added to, embroidered a little more, different from the last time you saw them. The white piece has more frills and flounces, a few more patches and buttonhole lace seams. The colourful piece has a new pocket since yesterday...and a patch along with some web stitches. Do you see the tiny little patch surrounded by French knots? That is mending, improvisation. A hole appeared from nowhere...yikes. It called for quick thinking and careful covering. If I hadn't told you you would never have known so I think I saved the day.
This morning I went out to look at sheds...for outside of course. I only have a very small amount of outside space but want a small shed to take the overflow from the equally tiny kitchen in terms of non perishables, cans, bottles, basically another place for me to hoard junk. It has to be lockable, it has to be pleasing on the eye. I didn't see one let alone get one. Never mind, I did get some chicken and a new pair of shoes.
I'm still very much feeling my way with this new piece of technology. I'm not 100% happy with these images and I had a bit of a nightmare this morning with my video software. I am more than ready to accept that the glitches are down to my stupidity I'm just hoping that I wise up sooner rather than later.
That aside I am delighted with the embroidery. Small areas of cross stitch have been added to my cloth with the patches. This piece, or should I say these pieces, my sampler pieces are exciting me so much. Yes I know, I don't get out enough.....but I don't want to go out. I want to stay in and titivate cloth, samples and pouches to be precise. From the smallest of ideas, a starting exercise, a simple exercise which began as an introduction to simply stitch I am now working on a completely new piece, a new large piece, a sampler cloth. Excited? Understatement.
It's been quite some morning. As you can see I managed to set up my new computer all on my own!! I think that earns me a lollipop? a sticker at least? I am amazed at myself...who knew. Pretty straightforward, up to a point. My image editing software has all changed so I'm a bit rusty with all that. I'm not sure how good these images are but I will play, practice so please bear with me.
I am lagging way behind with simply stitch. I haven't been over to flickr for some time and dread to think what they're getting up to unsupervised. That is my next job......I'm coming....soon!
Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes yesterday for Mr Karen...he appreciates them. I think he had a good day. We didn't do the birthday cake because we went out to eat and then some friends turned up unexpectedly and you know how it is...time flies. So it will be candles, singing and cake later today.
This is the work we are doing in ''simply stitch'', the work I didn't want to show you until the group had seen it. Well it's OK because they have seen it today. I have been adding simple cloth patches to cloth that will become a pouch. In terms of the actual pouch I can't say much about the recipient as it is hopefully going to be a surprise.
I have also added more to the sampler piece that was on here yesterday. (sorry, no pictures today. The weather is appalling, dark, dreary, wet.) That seems to be growing so quickly. I had better make a decision soon on what I am going to do with those pieces. I do see them joined in some way, pieced together....that's as far as I have got though.....the brain is still ticking.
Unfortunately I have to announce that I need to leave the house today....:(
my PC is dying before my eyes. It's been a nightmare for ages trying to do anything on here so it's definitely time to face facts, to hand over cold hard cash and get a new one. I'm not happy about it....I had plans for that money (think lace, silk, thread etc etc etc) it is a fact, have no doubt, that I will weep during the transaction.
Books, sketchbooks, artist books, stitched books, cloth books, paper pages, sculptural books...the word 'book' doesn't suffice without clarification, not for me anyway. In the title today I say 'again' because...
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