Showing posts with label making. Show all posts
Showing posts with label making. Show all posts

Friday, 9 March 2012

I don't think I've cross stitched for about 10-15 years...

Goodness! I've got very behind in blog posting! However, you will be pleased to know that I have been working on lots of projects so there are several things that need writing about!

Let's start with my new iPhone cover.... and my new iPhone! I had an HTC but didn't like it much so I've got myself an iPhone 3G now instead. I know it's not the newest one but I wanted one that uses regular sim cards, not the micro ones for when I am in the US. I LOVE it! I am definitely a Mac! Along with all the amazing things you can do with a iPhone, another draw were the cross stitch-able cases I had seen. I went looking for them online and found
this awesome tutorial on making your own on Wee Little Stitches blog. This blog is awesome and I encourage you to check it out. They also have an Etsy shop where they sell cross stitch patterns of Pixel People. They have a great range but they didn't quite have ones that I really wanted to use.... so I designed my own!

pixel people 1
Jareth the Goblin King


pixel people 2
Jem from Jem and the Hologram and She-Ra

I played around with some graph paper and, even though I haven't cross stitched in about 10-15 years or used a cross stitch pattern in that time, I came up with these. I quite like both so might have to stitch up both and rotate them!

Wish me luck!!

Thursday, 26 January 2012

It's Not The End Of The World - Phat Quarter Swap

Not The End 1

Continuing with the hearts theme this post, here is my latest swap piece for the Phat Quarter.

December had a fifth friday so that means a swap over at the Phat Quarter Flickr group. This time the theme was
It's Not The End Of The World.... and my mind went to musical theatre! The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Tell Me On A Sunday has a song in it called exactly that. Apparently I'm a little bit obsessed with hearts at the moment so this image came to mind.

Not The End 2

I wanted to experiment with using my own hand writing in a piece and to use a different stitch than usual. I went with a long and short stitch for the heart mixing metallic thread with regular thread to give it an interesting texture.

Not The End 3

I quite like the way the writing came out. At first I thought it was too messy, but after I slept on it I think it puts across the emotion of this piece quite well.

Not The End 4

In case you were wondering the background of this piece is rust dyed - it is one of my favourite techniques of late and meant that I finally got to use one of my pre-dyed backgrounds in a piece.

I like the simplicity of this piece but the weight of emotion that it brings. I think I need to investigate this interest in the heart shape as well and see where it takes me..... keep an eye on the blog to see!

Friday, 18 November 2011

They took lots of honey, and plenty of money...

Lear tie 2

Next week two of my friends have their birthday on the same day. It's going to be lots of fun, especially as we are in St Thomas that day and there's a crew party! For each person I have crafted a very personal present based on who they are and what they like/do. This is the first, for my friend Jonny Danger (yep, that's his real name) who we all call Tuxedo... he works with the kids, ok!

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Tux is a poetry major and particularly likes Edward Lear so I stitched him a tie to go with one of his suits. He better like it, is all I can say because I had to use metallic thread. And we all know how difficult that is :-)

Lear tie 1


Thank the Goddess for thread heaven!

I'll post the other present for my friend Karlene next....

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Columbia, 2008

columbia 1

I made this piece while on Rosie James' machine embroidery workshop.

columbia 5
Watched By The Lady (2008)

I started with this photo that I took on my travels in 2008. I then used machine embroidery techniques from the class to reproduce it.

Columbia 2

The Lady was transferred to metallic organza and free machine embroidered with black thread.

Columbia 3

The grate was sewn from the back of the piece with wool in the bobbin of the machine to give the raised effect. The figures were cut out of bondaweb applied to lining fabric and attached over the top.

Columbia 4

The flowers were not part of my original design. I needed to make the piece bigger for the canvas I had and found the floral backing. When I placed the whole piece on top it just happened to fall with the yellow square over the flower. I decided to embroider over the top to incorporate it into my design.

I'm a big fan of these techniques now so expect to see more work like this from me - thanks Rosie!

Saturday, 2 July 2011

Fancy Shisha Tutorial!

Tutorial photo 21


I decided to give you guys a tutorial for some mirror work. I originally learned this stitch from
this blog post. I used the instructions on that post as a basis and kinda did it my way. So I thought I’d show you how I do it.

Fancy Shisha Stitch:

Tutorial photo 1

1
I used a large sequin for this but a mirror can be used as well. I glued the sequin down before I began just so it doesn’t move around while I’m trying to work. I used a simple glue stick for this. The stitches will eventually hold it in place. I used stranded cotton but used all six strands. Bring the needle up at the bottom of your sequin.

Tutorial photo 2

2
We are going to create foundation stitches. Take the needle down at the top of the sequin directly above where you brought the needle through.

Tutorial photo 3

3
Make the second foundation stitch horizontally creating an cross over the sequin. Try to make this as even as possible, it will help later.

Tutorial photo 4


4
The final two foundation stitches create an ‘x’ over the top of the other two. Again, try to make these as even as possible.


Tutorial photo 5

5
Now we begin the decorative stitch. I always start at the top. Bring the needle up to the left of the spoke.


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6
Go back down on the right of the spoke making a very small stitch along the edge of the sequin


Tutorial photo 7

7
Bring the needle back up on the left of the spoke and the stitch


Tutorial photo 8

8
Pass the needle under the spoke right to left. Pull thread tight


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9
Take the needle down on the right of the spoke as close as possible to the beginning stitch


Tutorial photo 10

10
Bright the needle back up to the front right next to the last stitch – don’t do it too close as it will undo the original stitch but close enough that there isn’t a gap.


Tutorial photo 11

11
Put the needle under the spoke left to right this time, pull the thread tight.


Tutorial photo 12

12
Take the needle down on the left of the spoke as close as possible to the beginning stitch


Tutorial photo 13

13
Bring the needle back up to the front right next to the last stitch – don’t do it too close as it will undo the original stitch but close enough that there isn’t a gap


Tutorial photo 14

14
Repeat steps 8-13 twice more so you create a filled in V shape around your spoke


Tutorial photo 15

15
If you followed the steps right to the end your thread should be on the left of the spoke and V…


Tutorial photo 16

16
Now wrap the thread around the rest of the spoke by taking your needle under the spoke right to left, wrapping about 4 times until you get to the middle of the foundation stitches.


Tutorial photo 17

17
Once at the middle take the needle under the spoke to the left from right to left.


Tutorial photo 18

18
Wrap the thread down the spoke as before, taking the needle under the spoke right to left until you reach the edge of the sequin. Secure the thread by taking the needle down through the fabric on the right side of the spoke really close to the point the spoke comes up through the fabric.


Tutorial photo 19

19
Now you will make the V shape on this spoke by following steps 5-14. When you finish this V shape you may want to secure your thread and begin a new piece, that’s what I do!


Tutorial photo 21

20
Follow steps 5-19 three more times until you have filled the last 6 spokes – and you’re done! Pretty huh?!

I hope these instructions make sense and are helpful! Leave me a comment with any questions or comments – they are much appreciated

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

The Stitch & Craft Show - Stitchy Goodness!

stitch n craft 1_1

I just wanted to share a few photos of the Stitch & Craft show, specifically the Mr X Stitch Contemporary Embroidery Exhibition with my pieces in it!

stitch n craft 2


I am so honoured that Jamie chose three of my pieces to be in his exhibit to promote embroidery and show people that you don’t just have to sew pictures of houses and kittens – you can do anything!

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This is my second exhibition this year. It is very exciting for me to have my artwork on display for the world to see. I haven’t had pieces in exhibitions since college so I feel like I am a legitimate artist once again.

stitch n craft 3_1


Thanks Jamie! You rock!!! Everyone go over to
Mr X Stitch and tell Jamie that he is awesome, and Bridget too :-)

Also, some of these photos were blatantly stolen from
Jamie's Flickr so go check that out too here

stitch n craft 7

Saturday, 12 March 2011

Child of the 80's


80s 5_1

Originally I designed this piece for the STITCH Magazine Glimpse of Childhood competition, but I had to use Madeira threads in it. I couldn't find any Madeira threads in the stores that are open in New York on Sundays so couldn't enter, but stitched it up anyway.

80s 1


The theme
Glimpse Of Childhood made me think of toys I liked when I was a child, and characters I liked. I decided to combine the popular toy the Fashion Wheel with three of my favourite cartoon characters. My favourite characters also happen to be three strong women!

Jem from Jem and the Holograms

80s 3


I used different colours of fabric behind each section like the different texture sections on the Fashion Wheel. I used Jem for the top section as she has the most recognisable face.

She-Ra

80s 2_1


I used She-Ra's torso as she has the most interesting outfit. I actually stitched this section first. Originally I was going to just stitch the outline, but when I finished this section I realised it needed more colour so I coloured each section with coloured pencils to add more definition.

Rainbow Bright

80s 4


I chose Rainbow Bright for the bottom section as her shoes are just so fabulous! Plus the 80s was all about bright colours.

This piece did make it to the
Stitch & Craft show eventually as part of the Mr X Stitch Urban Cross Stitch Exhibition from 17th-20th March at Olympia 2 in London! If you're going to the show please do go check it out in real life :-)

Friday, 11 February 2011

Sketchbook Project: The Final Few

page 18_2


Here are the final six pages of my Sketchbook Project. I think these are some of my favourites as they are less literal and much more artistic.


Page 13 – Blood Spatter


Page 13


This is one of my favourite pages. This is because I leave the interpretation up to the viewer. Sheets made me think of the word blood. But where does the blood come from? You must make up your own mind on that. I used layers of watered down acrylic paint to create the blood spatter on my cotton sheet. I then hand embroidered the shape of a blood spatter pattern into it. I added the words ‘birth’ and ‘innocence’ to the piece. Is this the creation of innocence, or is it being taken away? What is being born?

Page 14 – Illness

Page 14_1


Not all imagery that came to mind on this theme was positive or light. Combining ideas related to jackets and blankets made me think of padded rooms and straight jackets. I diagonally quilted this page with machine stitches then added repurposed shoe buckles and straps to show restraint.

Page 15 – Between the Sheets

Page 15


Sheets make me think of certain activities. For a while I have wanted to create a piece around an adult theme, and sheets seemed to call for it. Between the Sheets shows a couple together in bed – literally between the sheets. They are hand embroidered in white, melting them into the sheet, not only becoming one but becoming part of the sheets as well. The title is hand embroidered in pale pink to express love, rather than lust.

Page 16 – Family

Page 16_1


Going back to the idea of quilts I wanted to create a page that looked at the artistry that can be put into quilt making and the generations these items can encompass. Family is a quilted family tree – four generations of my family are represented in the hand stitched names on the leaves. They dance around the solid trunk showing how we are individuals, but are also part of a whole – my family.

Page 17 – Snow

Page 17


The phrase ‘blanket of snow’ started this piece. While thinking of snow I also thought of the phrases ‘snow white sheets’ and ‘winter jacket’. I combined all of these on a piece invoking the colours and sparkle of a winter scene. Silver sparkle snow flakes adorn the background surrounded by scraps of white net decorated with silver sequins. A layer of silver net secures them in place with free form machine embroidered squiggles in silver thread. The phrases are hand stitched over the top in a light grey tone.

Page 18 – Picnic

Page 18_1


Blankets are not only used on beds – they can also be taken outside of the home. This final page was inspired not by the word but by the fabrics I found. The right side of the piece uses a fabric that made me think of tree bark and the outdoors – which in turn made me think of picnics. I combined it with a subtle floral print fabric in a sunny yellow and used it as a chance to practice some floral stitches. The woven roses are stitched in harmonious colours and the wells in the bark fabric are emphasised by a subtle backstitch.


page 13_2

More photos of my Sketchbook project can be seen in the Sketchbook Project photo album here