These pieces probably look familiar. The difference is they are finished now. One of them you may recognise as a stitchery doodle, you would be right except it has now found its way onto a hankie and is hankie number one of the hankies which will become my hankie cloth. I'm not sure how big I want this to be yet, hence the number uncertainty in the title. And oops...I just noticed that I haven't removed the tacking from the lace trim on the green one, sorry about that. I have more of these in progress, taking shape and being titivated over in Simply Stitch 5.
Now a mini public service announcement. I'm taking two days away from the blog. I will be here but there won't be any posts. There are a couple of more pressing things going on and I just can't split myself in two. I wondered when that time would come. I tried to avoid it but I have to step away, two days that's all. You will barely notice I have gone.
Just to emphasise...I will be here. If you are in class it's fine, you can mail me, I will be checking flickr, I have the post ready to go for Friday.
For everyone else, you can still sign up for ''5'' and receive all the info. Heck....you can harrass me by e mail about anything.
I put another stitchery doodle together yesterday. This one also has a handkerchief as its base just like this one. I didn't manage to get much hand stitching done on it last night...other stuff going on but I think you can get a sense of how it will evolve.
(the white strips at the edge are for damp stretching)
Now I have four pieces. The mirror cloth has been adopted by the stitchery doodle pile. I have plans for these that will take shape in Simply Stitch 5. You will still get to see them once we're up and running. Thing is, because I have decided to use these then I think I should put them away for a couple of weeks so that I'm not finished before we even start class. I'm also thinking about creating a pin pillow in Simply Stitch 5, inspiration taken from this. Phew.....that's quite a big ''to do'' list if you consider the continuation of the body bag and the swaddling band. It's a good thing I never leave the house.....
I am very tempted to continue with the stitchery doodles, desperate in fact but I must show some self control. Tonight I will work on this.....definitely something to look forward to. I can't complain really can I.....
Phew....I can finally prove that I don't spend my days drinking Gin and watching TV. This is what I've been up to. I have made lace, I have embroidered lace. I have stitched paper...titivation central!
The second image, that piece....it's tiny. I want to make a HUGE piece, a draping, wrapping, covering, swaddling piece. I need to order some lace....a yardage or two.
I've also been busy putting this together........Simply Stitch 5. Who knew it would be so popular. Number 5???? I can't quite believe it.
Simply Stitch 5.
***you do not need to have participated in any of my previous online learning programmes in order to take part in simply stitch five. There are no prerequisites for simply stitch five.***
=============================================
Simply stitch 5 has no deadlines, no set tasks. Groups which are formed through my online learning programmes are communities, friendly, interactive, supportive communities. It is my hope that each individual course takes place within a relaxed, informal and ''comfortable'' online environment. You are welcome to dip and and out of our experience as and when it is convenient for YOU. Access is permanent....forever.
============================================== Access to a private blog with regular, minimum twice weekly blog posts which will be created specifically for this group included. These posts will NOT appear on my public blog, they will be exclusive to this group. Video posting weekly minimum.
==============================================
Commencing Monday September 8 for 12 weeks Simply stitch 5, a gathering of cloth and embroiderers is my latest online learning programme born from a desire to get ''back to basics'', hand stitch at it's purest. This online creative experience will take the form of a very relaxed and gentle gathering of cloth and embroiderers, those who have an affinity with handling cloth, working with cloth. We will gather together and embroider, I will discuss my plans, my inspiration, the preparation and creation of embroidered cloth. I will demonstrate technique and process throughout. I can guarantee that there will be embroidery, embellishment, manipulation of cloth. There will be pouches and pillows, there will be larger, considered works. I will share thoughts along with the more tangible sources which drive me. I will doodle, you will be encouraged to do the same.
It is my hope that you bring your own work along with you, to share and discuss with the group. We will guide and support each other, sharing tips and process, a gathering of girls for ''online'' afternoon tea.
You are welcome to continue and /or begin your own projects within the forum of this class. You are also welcome to observe and plan work around the pieces I create. If you do not wish to embroider then that is fine too. You can just follow along with us as I record my personal, creative process. You will be given access to me, my day, my embroidery with demonstration, discussion and instruction throughout.
*** There are no deadlines. There are no set tasks. This is an informal and relaxed process which is purely concerned with enjoyment and companionship.***
Video will be hosted on our private password protected blog and there will be a dedicated flickr group where you can upload images and interact with your peers by means of private discussion.
Upon registration you will be sent a brief e-mail to confirm your seat at the table.
Suitable for beginners and the more experienced.
Please allow 24 hours from registration to receipt of welcome mail.
Today, a glimpse of what I'm doing over in Simply stitch 4. Without giving too much away I can say that it's blue and white. It's transfers, it's print, it's silk, it's backgrounds, it's doodling, it's painting, it's ledger work, it's all about the history, the inspiration, the things that got me going way back when and which still get me going today.
There isn't a reason why I haven't shown this on here before. I don't know why I haven't. The body bag is from simply stitch, this was from simply stitch so I apologise for keeping this from you for so long. I think my head wash mashed from builders and muck and disarray.
Another day another ledger, this one is for the body bagdesign work. I am developing this slowly, at least it feels as if I am developing it slowly, the actual physical side of having finished pieces to put in here appears to be happening at a less than speedy pace. It doesn't matter really, I don't have a deadline but my mind is about three steps ahead of the ledger.
Later today I am starting another piece to go in here. You might think that I could continue to work on the actual body bag, to construct, to embroider without any of this ledger work and you would be right. Why do it then? The main reason...evidence. That word again from yesterday. Evidence I was here. Evidence of what is going on in my head whilst I embroider the cloth and join panels. Evidence of ideas for future work. Making feeds ideas, for me at least. If I am working on one thing you can bet your life something else is being planned in my head aside from the supermarket shopping and the housework. I will have that here, in this ledger. Inspiration for future work, a prompt,a spark for when those blocks appear. And another very important reason for gathering ideas in this way.....it's the best kind of ''play''.
***you do not need to have participated in any of my previous online learning programmes in order to take part in simply stitch four. There are no prerequisites for simply stitch four.***
=============================================
Simply stitch 4 has no deadlines, no set tasks. Groups which are formed through my online learning programmes are communities, friendly, interactive, supportive communities. It is my hope that each individual course takes place within a relaxed, informal and ''comfortable'' online environment. You are welcome to dip and and out of our experience as and when it is convenient for YOU. Access is permanent....forever.
============================================== Access to a private blog with regular, minimum twice weekly blog posts which will be created specifically for this group included. These posts will NOT appear on my public blog, they will be exclusive to this group. Video posting fortnightly minimum.
==============================================
Commencing Monday February 24 for SIX MONTHS Simply stitch 4, a gathering of cloth and embroiderers is my latest online learning programme born from a desire to get ''back to basics'', hand stitch at it's purest. This online creative experience will take the form of a very relaxed and gentle gathering of cloth and embroiderers, those who have an affinity with handling cloth, working with cloth. We will gather together and embroider, I will discuss my plans, my inspiration, the preparation and creation of embroidered cloth. I will demonstrate technique and process throughout. I can guarantee that there will be embroidery, embellishment, manipulation of cloth. I will share thoughts along with the more tangible sources which drive me. I will doodle, you will be encouraged to do the same.
It is my hope that you bring your own work along with you, to share and discuss with the group. We will guide and support each other, sharing tips and process, a gathering of girls for ''online'' afternoon tea.
You are welcome to continue and /or begin your own projects within the forum of this class. You are also welcome to observe and plan work around the pieces I create. If you do not wish to embroider then that is fine too. You can just follow along with us as I record my personal, creative process. You will be given access to me, my day, my embroidery with demonstration, discussion and instruction throughout.
*** There are no deadlines. There are no set tasks. This is an informal and relaxed process which is purely concerned with enjoyment and companionship.***
Video will be hosted on our private pasword protected blog and there will be a dedicated flickr group where you can upload images and interact with your peers by means of private discussion.
Upon registration you will be sent a brief e-mail to confirm your seat at the table.
How am I going to join these pieces of embroidered silk together? How will I treat the seams, the edges of my sampler cloth? Quick answer......haven't a clue. It has been on my mind though so this morning I was playing with them, moving them around, looking, considering. Did it work? In a way...I decided it wouldn't be laid out this way and that I need more pieces. To be honest I already knew that I needed more pieces. They will most likely have to wait until simply stitch 2 is underway. It definitely won't be finished before then anyway.
I am a little early today. That's because this afternoon I am SUPERVISING my husband whilst he paints the front of our house....pure brilliant white. Who could have guessed that?
Final touches, finishing off, backing and adding tabs......I'm getting there if you're on my list waiting for one of these. They will be antiques shortly won't they. Do you feel as if you have been waiting a lifetime? Have you grown a beard? I am sorry...they do take time and then of course I did leave the country for a while. So stand by your computer...I am aiming for the end of this week.
We started our eight week coffee morning today. We're all going to be as big as house ends when we finish. Eight weeks of cake? can you imagine. Alongside eating cake I am making a mini sampler and I will show you that later this week when the girls have seen it. I am quite taken with it actually and hope you like it when you get to see it. As always once pictures start appearing in the group I will put a link for you on here.
In other news......I've got a headache. It's time for a pint of water and a tiny quiet moment. It may also be time for an eye test.
***simply stitch girls.....at the top of the blog is a page 'online learning links'. If you go on there you will find a shortcut to the group blog.***
I am running so late today.....I got distracted. First of all I had to go out and then I got making video for simply stitch. Then I got sidetracked by something on the internet, you know how it is. The tomatoes are the remains of breakfast, I have eaten on the run. All you get to see is the mess on the table, sorry. It was hardly worth the effort for you coming over was it.
This may make up for it a little I hope.........I posted a picture on Instagram of the entrance to an underwater hotel in Sweden which generated a few questions. I actually touched it, sailed past it on a little boat whilst fishing and things were going on with my brother and hubby. I was relaxing....touching passing hotels. Anyway...the link explains everything. Not sure I would want to sleep there but it takes all sorts!
If you are registered for class stand by your inbox. Videos are coming!!
Proof that there is more going on here than pin pillows. I have been examining old work. sparking ideas centred on going back to basics for simply stitch. (don't panic if you are registered for that. You don't need to do any of this. This is merely what I do when I plan on a change of direction)
Simply stitch is for me to re connect, to go back to my inspiration in its most basic form and that was....and still is...domesticity (my own) wrapped up with my Grandmothers, the women of the past, utility stitching, traditional stitching. That is ever present in my work now, be it pin pillows or wrapping cloths. It is the patterning that has changed not the motivation. Now I want to alter the patterning, the technique...hence this exercise.
By coincidence Fiber Art Now highlighted a piece of my work yesterday..... that piece is here, 5th image down and can also been seen in some of today's other pictures. The significance of this work is the ironing board, (domesticity....or slavery depending on your point of view!!) specifically my own examination of the ironing board in previous work. This morning I have been looking back at that and combining that previous design work with familiar patterning and older patterning.
Are you keeping up? I hope so.....because remember the other day when I said I saw hexagons in my future? Well there are a few of those here too and see those viewers....the rectangular card things? I also see some of those in my future....except they will be hexagonal ones.
Aside from playing and reminiscing I went out this morning to buy essentials for my holiday. I say essentials....I mean clothes. They are pretty essential I suppose but to me clothes shopping is akin to being banned from embroidery for a year. I detest it. I don't like shiny.I don't like sequins. I don't like huge prints or sugary ribbony girly things. Basically it's white and various shades of black. Actually give me a sack....that will do. Anyway.....I returned after two hours torture with.....four packets of envelopes, two packets of white tissue paper and some toothbrush caps. Successful? You decide.
Please don't panic on my behalf however. I can assure you that all my important bits are well covered.......with tat!
