The trouble with having lots of plans is the hours available in a day don't care how much you want to do.
I started making lace cloth today for a long held idea, it's been brewing for a while and this is the first chance I've had to begin.
(I'm owning up to using an old image here. It's so dreary here today I couldn't get a decent shot but the piece in this image is exactly what I am up to now along with two other variations.)
The video....that's from around 20 minutes ago....
Once upon a time I had a hate hate relationship with my sewing machine....zero love. Now I have a love love relationship with it. It's my best friend. It enables me to create delicate cloth, lacy froth, fragile surfaces with paper and silk and net and lace....
Although I was desperate yesterday to start my new collection of overlays which I speak about here I was part way through adding to this colourful veil like piece so that is what I concentrated on first. My overlay collection will begin to take shape this afternoon...meanwhile I can enjoy looking at pretty sequins, embroidered seams and edges and froth.
Yesterday I spoke about how useful my sewing machine is to me, how it has become an integral part of what I do. Today I can show you exactly what I mean with these images. This surface was created on my sewing machine in much the same way as the pieces shown yesterday. This piece has areas of hand stitch worked on it, applique, bullion knots, French knots, beads buttonhole stitch.....I won't be embroidering on the pieces from yesterday though, those pieces aren't for me.
I have a new online embroidery class beginning three weeks from tomorrow.....here is all the information.
Studies in Stitch
Begins Monday June 5 for 12 weeks.
***Please note there will be a two week break after week 2 from June 19 to July 3 which means this online class will run for a duration of 14 weeks. (12 weeks learning, 2 weeks break)***
Access to all resources (videos, private blog, private Flickr forum) unlimited, forever.
You do not need to have participated in any of my other online learning programmes to enrol for ''studies in stitch''.
Suitable for the beginner and the more experienced.
Suggested materials list sent upon registration.
Join a group of like minded individuals with a love of stitch and handling cloth.
''Studies in Stitch''. Cross stitch, bullion knots, French knots, applique, padded applique, cutwork, half cutwork, beads, sequins, corded knots and on and on. Take a stitch, take a process and develop it in as many ways as you can.
Cross stitch a pillow top, then cross stitch a button, cross stitch a binding....... Embroider bullion knots with thread, add beads, stitch a pocket top with beaded knots and plain knots, stitch a button with bullion loops and sequins.......and much, much more.
Using traditional embroidery process and stitch we will create a collection of embroidered items, pockets, pin pillows, buttons, swatches, fabric panels, patchwork pieces......
For example, we may create a cross stitch pin pillow and six accompanying hand embroidered cross stitch buttons. Bullion knots could be used to embroider a small, delicate pocket with bullion knot button fastenings along with an accompanying beaded bullion knot pin pillow. A fabric swatch embellished with applique motifs could be complimented by a selection of hexagon pieces worked in a similar manner. Collections, all related through process and stitch.
The size of your final collection, the number of stitch variations you use is entirely up to you. It is perfectly OK for you to pursue one idea through to the completion of our 12 weeks. There are no set tasks, nothing is compulsory.
I never used to be a huge fan of the sewing machine, it was avoided at all costs. Then I discovered what an amazing tool it could be if I used it to suit me, for very specific process. Now I must spend at least two hours each week on it, creating various surfaces which I then use as a base for hand embroidery, surfaces you couldn't go out and buy.
This weekend has mostly been about the sewing machine...and cloth of course. I've made lace cloth and pin pillow cloth. The pin pillow cloth needs more work, it's in its very early stages here, that's my plan for later......more time spent with the sewing machine finishing the pin pillow cloth.
Oh yes, almost forgot.....I made more puffs for this....
A few images from my phone, taken at home. I've been on the sewing machine a lot lately, making cloth for pin pillows and making lace cloth for who knows what....I just like to have it to hand, to pick it up and play with it whenever I feel the need.
I've been making a lot of buttons too.....there are more which you can't see here but which I hope to show you later this week. All these buttons will be used for ''button cloths'' and taken with me to France.
Off camera, in class and not shown here ''paperwork''is evolving. I always seem to forget how much I love that process until I begin a new piece, then I see how easy it would be to forget cloth for a while and lose myself in paper.