Sketchbook Project Limited Edition

Goodness, it has been a long time! I have been settling in on my new ship, the install of the new cast was very busy and there is still soem work to be done, but I have five minutes right now to post a blog so I thought I's better pop in!

I'm currently in Alaska, enjoying the crisp air, inspiration and beer :-) I've already bought some lovely dyed fabrics from Juneau that I have plans for. I also have an embroidery piece in mind for a friend, now I just need to find time to start it.

Until then here is a little art to tide you over. I worked on a Sketchbook for the Art House Co-Op's Limited Edition project where one spread from each book entered will be put into a series of art books. I tried to express my process and show some experimentation with the theme Thread and Surface.

I experimented with surface design techniques and then used the fabrics I created to make mixed media collages at the end of the book. Some of the techniques worked really well and others need some work. I really liked flour paste resist once I got the hang of it and silk painting is always a winner.

I think I might turn some of these into prints at some point, or greetings cards - what do you think?

Cross Stitched Iphone Case

Do you remember a couple of months ago I said that I hadn't cross stitched in many a year? I was working on designs for an iPhone case and forgot to show you the finished piece - so here it is!

I hand painted the aida with acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium to get my own custom colour. I did this on 14 count and actually really enjoyed it. I didn't find it quite as freeing as hand embroidery though so I think I will stick to that :-)

Here it is finished and flat...

and here it is on the phone. Unfortunately the case I had it in broke and I can't find one that will shut properly around my phone with the embroidery in it :-( If you hear of one, let me know!

Dirty Doily WARNING!!!!

I have a friend who uses some colourful language on a regular basis. Now, I have a mouth like a sailor, but Steph gives me a run for my money. Steph is moving into a new house so I wanted to make her a little house warming gift. I decided to combine one of her favourite words with a vintage doily....

BE WARNED!! Strong language is used in this piece, don't go passed the shocked housewife if you will be offended :-)

I had been wanting to embroider something on a vintage doily for a while and this seemed like the perfect project for one. It will fit in with all the bits and pieces that Steph has collected on her travels...

A word that Steph uses a lot is 'cuntress'. The word will forever remind me of her - in a good way :-)

I used a simple split stitch in four strands of red embroidery floss to make the word really stand out. I got the lovely doily from Jo Ashcroft - thank you very much! I will be making her something, not quite so profane though, as a thank you gift!

It's Springtime!

The most recent Phat Quarter swap was themed around Spring. When I heard this I thought of only one thing - Zebedee!

For those who don't know, Zebedee is a character from a children's tv show called The Magic Roundabout. It was on tv in the 60s and 70s but was repeated when I was a child. It was great and groovy and Zebedee was a jack-in-the-box.

I decided to produce a piece in a hoop frame. I've not done this before and I just got given a bunch of wooden hoops exactly for this purpose. I think it suited this piece quite well, in fact my mum liked it so much I have to make her one as well :-)

This is a bit more twee than my usual pieces but it's bright and cheery which is exactly what spring time should be about!

Sea Gypsy

You know those Home Sweet Home samplers that you see? You know how you expect to see them? Well, I decided to put my own spin on it. This was how Sea Gypsy was born. My home is not really bricks and mortar. My home, I suppose, is a cruise ship. It is a different one every time, but it is home for the space of time I am on it. When I am between contracts I go back to my parents house to visit, granted, but it's not really where I live anymore. I don't really live anywhere but the sea.

I took the Home Sweet Home concept and fit it to my lifestyle. Instead of using the usual house motif, I used a ship. Sprawling mountains range behind it and the sea swirls around the hull.

I used a verigated thread that reminded me of the art work on the side of the first ship I worked on (and, actually, the ship I just got off of). I experimented with waste canvas so that I could cross stitch the recognised phrase down the side of the ship, as if it were the art work itself. The rest of the piece is my usual embroidery, bringing myself and the traditional together.

This piece is simple in both it's style and execution, however, the meaning behind it is quite complex and full, particularly to me. And that's what art is really about.

In a War....

A while back I saw this post on Mr X Stitch about Hanne Bang and her attempt to curate a collaborative piece around a quote she had heard. While slicking through the channels one night she caught sight of a news program where they were talking to an out of work African soldier who said when asked about death "In a war someone has to die". The quote resonated with Bang and she decided to get women all around the world to stitch the phrase one handkerchiefs and send them to her to create one huge piece.

I love the feelings and issues behind this idea. The combination on women stitching with hankies can mean so many things. Women loose their men to war, be it sons, brothers, husbands or lovers. Hankies are traditionally used to wave goodbye. I really like the juxtaposition between the harshness of the words and the softness of the materials used to convey it.

So here is my contribution to the piece. The hankie I used is from when I was a child so there is also a little bit of history with it.

I can't wait to see the whole thing which will be on display in Denmark later in the year.

Exhibition Report: Passing Reflections

Today I wandered over to Rochester to see Rosie James' latest exhibition Passing Reflections.

As always, Rosie's work is beautiful in its simplicity and impressive in it's scale. I am always excited by the way she chooses which lines to stitch and how these lines really capture the figures. On her larger pieces I like the smaller details she includes that really adds to the character and personality of the people.

Trafalgar Lunch

I particularly liked Trafalgar Lunch in this exhibition and Indian Ladies at the Gurdwara. James' use of not only line figures but also silhouettes in brightly coloured fabrics add to the sense of place and culture in these pieces.

Detail - Indian Ladies at the Gurdwara

I was very glad that I got to see Rosie's installation of hanging stitched figures. I had not yet been able to see these pieces in the flesh and being able to view them in this intimate setting was a joy.

The exhibition is open in Rochester until April 13th. If you are in the area I urge you to go see it. You can find out more info here: