Half Square Triangles

Things are slowly getting back to normal. My mother is on the mend and hopefully soon be out of hospital. I have entered her quilt in the Festival of Quilts and although she won't be able to visit with me this year I am looking forward to seeing it and taking lots of pictures for her.

It will soon be time for my students to have their summer break and it is going to be strange not having lessons every week with them. New courses will be starting in September, please get in touch for details.

A bit of serendipity was brought in last week by one of my machine embroidery students. Cyn free motion stitched this sample 

And by a happy accident didn't get the tension quite right, which has produced some wonderful whipped stitches, fabulous textures and effects.

This morning I had time in the studio to explore half square triangles patterns.  Which is your favourite?

   

 

We will be mastering the half square triangle unit on 1st July please get in touch if you want to book a place on the day.

Happy stitching

Bev

A Nice Surprise

What I like most about teaching is the unexpected surprises my students give me.

I had given each of my machine embroidery students a small pack of textured fabric samples and asked them to produce a fabric  'texture collage'.

Barbara took her inspiration from one of the fabrics and created this wonderful rose embellished with machine embroidery stitches. 

I felt as if I had been given a whole big bunch of roses. I can't wait to see what my other students do over the summer break, it will be a nice surprise in the autumn.

Bev

A Doodle Day

Sometimes you just need a doodle day and today was mine.

 I started by playing with patterns on paper

And finished with a doodle block

The trouble with this is that more ideas keep flowing and I need more doodle days than I have time for. 

If you fancy having a go at machine embroidery doodling I am running a work shop on June 3rd at Rutland Sewing Centre, near Oakham. Please contact the shop to book a place. 

Bev 

Butterflies and Stitch Samples

 Yesterday, one of my Machine Embroidery students, Barbara, brought in her folder of samples from the first two lessons. 

She has taken to machine embroidery so well and has given me permission to share her work here. 

From her first free motion embroidery sample, and through using colour and stitch she has made wonderful start to her machine embroidery. 

Her applique samples show good use of colour and stitch, and will be an invaluable resource for her future work.  

She also inspired me to get on and start cataloguing the stitches of my Brother Innovis sewing machine.

This is a job I have intended to do for ages and have now made a start. I encourage my students to do this but hadn't done it myself, now is the time to remedy this failing. 

I find that once I have started something there is a chance it will get done. These are the first two samplers and I haven't started on the decorative stitch setting yet. What I have learnt is that the stitches are not exactly like the diagrams. Much more variation is possible with by altering the stitch width and length and that will be yet another sampler. 

I now need to move away from the computer and get back to my machine. 

I hope you have enjoyed Barbara's work too

Bev

Getting back in the swing of things

Having spent the last week or so in Spain, recharging the old batteries, it is time to get back into the swing of things.  Uploading some photos is first on my list so that I can have a quick peek now and again to remind myself of the holiday. When I start back at the computer it feels as if I have never been away so I need a quick reminder every now and then.

We spent a couple of days in Madrid

And a few days in Totana in Mercia. This is the facade of a house which was tucked away down a back street.  I love the intricate brick work and can almost see a quilt coming on.

Back to the sewing now and something which may get your eyes going. 

The picture is not out of focus ( I think ) it is the twin needle effect

I had a go using my sewing machines programmed stitches and the twin needle

 then I went wild and started a quilted doodle 

I like the painterly effect but it does affect my eyes.

I must make sure that my twin needles are taken out from the bottom of my needle tin more often, they have more potential for creative embroidery than I have tried so far.

Bev

If I Had Wings

The inspiration for this Three Dimensional embroidery was from the Preface to Cromwell by Victor Hugo

On the day when Christianity said to man: “Thou art twofold, thou art made up of two beings, one perishable, the other immortal, one carnal, the other ethereal, one enslaved by appetites, cravings and passions, the other borne aloft on the wings of enthusiasm and reverie—in a word, the one always stooping toward the earth, its mother, the other always darting up toward heaven, its fatherland”—on that day the drama was created. Is it, in truth, anything other than that contrast of every day, that struggle of every moment, between two opposing principles which are ever face to face in life, and which dispute possession of man from the cradle to the tomb?

Therefore "If I Had Wings" was born with birds breaking free form the earth and soaring above.

These are a few pages from my sketchbook

These are ideas which didn't make it in the final piece but that is the fun of starting a new project. 

The shape also developed organically as I cut the sections and re-pieced them.

It is another piece which is in need of some TLC. I sent it to an exhibition and it came back in a slightly different shape to the one sent. 

However it has made me take another look at my sketchbook and I am falling in love again with the torn paper shapes on the second image.  I can see the dissolvable fabrics coming out and some machine stitching.

Bev

Bit Bags

One of the great things about being an embroiderer is finding a use for all those little pieces which would usually be thrown away. I have a plastic bag taped to the table for all the off cuts and bits produced, fabric and threads.

I bonded the bits to a background and then free stitched them in place to produce a unique fabric

I cut the fabric into smaller pieces and applied them to various backgrounds to explore fabric distortion.

On a felt background

felt background

felt background and using circles

handmade felt

corded velvet

spiral on felt

the spiral cut out from the one above on velvet

I have also used the fabric for the bodice and shoes of my snooty doll. I call her my snooty doll as I accidentally put her head on upside down, and she has an upturned nose.

She really could do with a better name and I am open to suggestions.

Bev

Dawn Fisherman in need of TLC

 When you send things off to exhibition or use them as demonstration pieces it is difficult to know what will happen to them. Over the years I have had embroideries hung inside out ( a lamp shade)  and upside-down. 

I try to be not too precious about my work but would still like them to last a few years!. 

I have recently looked at a piece I have taken to talks - Dawn Fisherman. If it is to last a little longer it is time for a bit of TLC and a makeover.

It is made from white silk dupion and so frays like mad. It is also badly creased and some of the pleating needs attention. Luckily there is no staining of marks on it so no cleaning is required.

This is a version in a biscuit coloured silk dupion which hangs on my staircase. It is behind glass - sorry for the glare.

There is smocking, pleating, tucking scrunching and quilting. Lots of texture 

Although there is a window on the staircase it is out of direct light and so has fared much better.

Now to get started on it's twin. 

Happy stitching

Bev

Going Underground

 I don't know what it is because there is no way that I would go pot holing, but I love visiting caves. One year in France our whole holiday seemed to be underground. Influenced by the cave art I made a  'cave painting'  in  felt and machine embroidery.

 My fascination with caves is still going strong and I take pictures whenever I can.

This was taken on a holiday in Derbyshire and has been used for several projects. Most recently I have been exploring textures and stitch.

I have isolated small areas and interpreted them in stitch. By concentrating on one stitch, different  threads and overlapping the stitches I am building up layers and textures.

From the one picture there are many areas of different textures and colour combinations. Lots to still go at and lots of stitches to explore.

Happy stitching

Bev