I've been chained to my sewing machine for days, barely coming up for breath. I love it so much, ripping paper and cloth, looking closely at the potential for surfaces which will be embroidered to death in my new mini class and which in turn will be made into pages. That's before we play with ruffles, pleats, edges and other such stuff for adornments.
I haven't made a decision yet on which of these pieces will make the final cut but for now they are all high up on the list.
There's more information about the class hereif you didn't see it the other day.
Tomorrow I'm off to the Knitting and Stitching show. It will do me good to look around the exhibitions, the student gallery and who knows, I may even get a little retail therapy.
Lots of things on my table again. You saw the little floral paper thingies yesterday I know. They are out now because they are hopefully going to help me finish the large paper disc piece in terms of ideas inspired by how they were put together. I'm thinking layers of paper and lace, discs, with embroidery and other titivations.
Then there's the buttons....the swoon inducing buttons we have been making in embroidery school. I gathered those together to assess whether I need to make more. What did I decide? Well the first thing I decided was 'need' has nothing to do with it, 'want' is the important thing and yes, I want to.
The new piece here is the silk dupion with the little cloth circles, cross stitch, beads, French knots and sequins. I was inspired to create this after looking through my cloth books yesterday.
The new piece is laid alongside other embroidered cloth squares which have been hiding in a little box I just discovered, I haven't seen it since I moved here. Happy days! (I am finding things every day, eventually I will know where everything is....I will)
Anyway, after discovering the little box of treasure I got to thinking......I have enough embroidered squares to create another cloth book of samples. (watch this space)
The new piece, the circle piece isn't finished yet. I intend to cover the whole surface with this embellishment. I was actually considering using it as I would a purchased cloth, meaning I was considering cutting it up to use in other things. I may make another piece for that purpose.
You have seen the piece here on the left before. As part of my mounting marathon, the creation of my next artist book, my sample sorting it was the turn of that one. I've embroidered paper scraps here to sit alongside the piece on the left before attaching both pieces to a large sheet of acrylic paper which I have also stitched on.
There's a drawback to all this unfortunately....every time I mount one of these pieces, titvate and stitch the page I get another idea. Don't worry, I'm writing them all down.
Well I don't know what they put in the water round here but I am so inspired at the moment. Last weeks creative brain freeze is history. This piece is 'overlay' like, it could in fact serve as an overlay. It's the softness, the delicacy and the fragile qualities of the paper areas that have me salivating. I have a plan for this one.....I need to attend to the reverse now before I can see if my idea works but I am so desperate to create more pieces like this, overlays, soft pieces, fragile pieces. Perhaps a little artist book of overlays? who knows...I am just making the most of this inspired state whilst it lasts.
Working on these pieces led me back, poring over images from way back. Who remembers 'extending embellishment'? I can't believe that was in 2012. That work has similar qualities to this piece and it's evident from looking back how although my work has evolved the connections remain.
from 2012 'extending embellishment'
There's going to be a 2018 version of 'extending embellishment', of lace, of soft cloth, of fragile paper, of surfaces itching to be stitched...stay tuned for that one. There will be buttons thrown in too. Buttons was next on my list for a class subject so why not combine the two.
Meanwhile....exciting things are happening in Embroidery school. I am close to putting my stitch ledger together and tomorrow the girls will hear more about that...this little collection is building....
apologies for the light....it's a very dreary day in Lancashire. Video created very 'last minute' with my phone.
It's official, I have no self control. I should be working on pages for artist book class, I should be embroidering pockets for London 2108, I should be finishing the cloth book. Instead I started another sample last night for the actual, as yet unfinished cloth book. (second image) It has soft pom poms, hexagons and little flowery sequins. It's not finished yet.
These images show how the samples created so far might look in the as yet unfinished cloth book.....get a move on Karen.
Tonight I will work on London 2018 pockets, I will. It's a promise.
The gingham piece....I have added to it since you last saw it. One or two flowers, a few cross stitch hearts on stalks, filling blank space and getting my head in pattern mode for ''studies in stitch''. The work I have started in the background for that class isn't really anything like this piece, this piece and the other two you have seen are more a ''wake the brain up to create pattern with cloth'' exercise as I have been in ''artist book'' mode for a while now. The three gingham and silk pieces I have been working on will all be given headers and titivated edges before being made in to a cloth swatch book.
The sequins here...they follow on from yesterday's post, the first edge of another piece which will be combined with the piece from yesterday (and several others) to create a ''veil'' like cloth. So, several things ''on the go'', artist book class still running and an artist book for me to finish cramming with all things stitch and cloth.
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.
Yesterday afternoon, in an effort to achieve clarity I played a little. Stitched paper pieces, stitched paper and cloth pieces, laid out, moved around, all the time thinking and gleaning ideas. How many more of these do I need? Which ones appeal, which are calling to be included in workshop packs?
With reference to the ''how many more do I need'' question.....I can never have too many. There's no limit is the answer to that one. Regarding clarity on which pieces fit the workshop pack bill....I don't have any..... clarity that is. I think I need to be ruthless. Get my head down and stitch like a maniac then divvy up the results.
I then got to thinking, wouldn't these make great wall pieces, just like this, collaged, joined together....paper wall art. That's set off another train of thought, another idea I didn't need. (remind me of that next time I have creative brain freeze)
Meanwhile.....the offending white pom poms are no more.....
