Cushion and TAST 15

I've been making a cushion this week for my new conservatory. I didn't want to buy any new fabrics so I used fabrics from my stash. The background fabric is quite old but the patterned fabrics I bought a couple of months ago from Fat Quarters,  a dream shop for quilters [hard to resist buying something even though I'm not a quilter]. They were just a small pack of coordinating fabrics and they go really well together. I appliqued the fabrics together using 'heat and bond' and then stitched around the shapes using the machine. Hand embroidery and beads came next before making up.

click on the images to enlarge

The stitch for the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge is stem stitch. This is another of the stitches that I'm not really keen on and I don't much like the sample that I have done either. On the sample there is ribbon, transfer printed ribbon [the patterned one under the felt], needle felting, a slice of organza bag and a slice of painted/stamped paper. There is also decorative machine stitching, running stitch and the stem stitch and it will be another page for my fabric journal.

One of the first embroidered pictures I did, many years ago, had a lot of stem stitch on it and it took me years to complete. Maybe that is why I'm not keen on the stitch?

It was a kit from a magazine. Sorry about the poor quality of the photo, it has been a dark day. The bright circle of light is the flash from the camera.

TAST 14 and Whitework Tablecloth

Take a Stitch Tuesday - the stitch for week 14 is Satin Stitch. This is not one of my favorite stitches, I find it hard to make it look neat. I've used it on the sample above in various places and also for couching. This will be another page for the fabric journal. As well as satin stitch there is running stitch, dyed lace, transfer printed ribbon and lace, decorated paper tag, plastic ruler, ribbon, applique. The background fabric was a sample of patterned upholstery fabric. Click on the images to enlarge.

The small whitework tablecloth below was made years ago for a City and Guilds project which included lots of satin stitch. It can look fairly neat on an evenweave fabric like this.

Rabbit Collages and Cakes

Two bunny collages - watercolour and wax crayon backgrounds, found images of rabbits. The insect on the above was a later digital addition [from the Graphics Fairy]

Some of my arty friends came around today and Helen brought me and another friend a surprise gift each of a card and a dish of cakes she had made. Helen does not like cakes with sponge in them to eat herself, but she enjoys baking them, so aren't we the lucky ones. Don't they look lovely?

Animal Collages and Rolling Stamps 76-82

Three collages above - watercolour backgrounds and wax crayon, found images, some altered.

It has been a while since I posted any rolling stamp ideas, but now Cloth, Paper Scissors have released a free eBook download

called "The Workshop: Roll Out the Backgrounds" and you get four articles about art stamps and stamp carving which includes my article on the rolling stamps.

Some ideas for you to try

wallpaper

wallpaper

sheet of textured rubber

wallpaper

wallpaper

wallpaper

this one is made up of scraps of discarded fun foam from other cutouts

The Giant Egg [TAW] and Dog Collages

I did this digital collage with Easter in mind, but I've just seen the challenge on Take a Word which is 'eggs', so my giant egg picture will suit that too.

The images of the egg, rabbits, birds, butterfly, insect and nest were all from The Graphics Fairy. [the rabbit family is so cute]. The background is one of my photos taken in a local wood, there is a big hole under the tree amongst the roots.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Below - collages - the backgrounds are painted with watercolours, the images were found.

TAST 13

 Take a Stitch Tuesday - this week is a catch up week for those who are behind. Sharon set this challenge for those who are not -

Mini challenge 1

Take 3 -6 of the stitches we have have done so far and create an interesting visual piece that will encourage  new hands or busy hands to learn and to "catch up". In other words create some eye candy for those who are falling behind, either because of busy lives or because they are new hands. 

Mini challenge 2

Share a tip on how you manage your stitching time. How do you juggle family, work and stitching? Are you organised about your time and workspace? Do you plan and schedule in your stitching time into a busy day? That is a topic people love! Either blog about it or leave a forum post on stitching fingers.

 I decided on challenge 1 but I ended up incorporating all of the stitches we have done so far.

It will become part of the fabric journal with the other samples.

The stitches are fly stitch, buttonhole stitch [around the edges of the pages], feather stitch, cretan stitch, herringbone stitch, chevron stitch, detached chain stitch, couching, running stitch, whipped wheel, alternating barred chain [I used this to couch down a ribbon, then added the running stitch later].

The sample includes various types of fabric, printed lace, ribbons, beads, sequins, butterfly charms [these were actually part a candle holder which I recycled], machine embroidery.

A Bird, Two Pigs and Bird Pig

Collage - watercolour backgrounds. The bird drinking tea was added digitally [bird from The Graphics Fairy]

The other pictures are traditional collages using glue. Both the pigs and the bird below were found images, but the bird didn't have a pig head of course. Watercolour backgrounds.

All about a Hat [TAW]

The Take a Word challenge this week is 'All about a hat'.

The top painting of watercolours on paper is from my 'shelter' series - frogs finding shelter. This little froggy has found shelter under a hat.

"Cyril frog needs to shelter

And then he spots a hat

Under he goes, nice and safe

A good place to hide from the cat."

Now the collage below is a little weird, I cannot remember what creature the legs were from, maybe a little pony but the upper half is cat, he is holding a bird and wearing a hat.

Watercolour background and found images of animals

TAST 12, Catkins and Chinese Lanterns

Take a Stitch Tuesday

The stitch this week is 'barred chain stitch' and 'alternating barred chain stitch'. I have never done these stitches before, in fact they are not even in my stitch encyclopedia either. I did have trouble at first, my excuse is that I was trying to remember from memory how to do it, but  think I got it right in the end.

The work which will be a journal page is on a background of navy fabric which looks black from here. The other colours do not look as they should either, it does look better in life but it is not my favourite. The four patterned pieces are actually paper, two are hand printed/painted/stamped and the other was a laser print which I painted. There is also machine embroidery, painted lace, bits from a patterned sheer bag, French Knots, a section of tape measure and a flower charm. Click on the image to enlarge.

It is the season for some lovely catkins, this is a small willow tree.

I actually did this digital collage last year, but forgot to post it.

A friend gave me these skeleton Chinese Lanterns, aren't they great?

I like the shadows on the lower two photos

Three Pages from Sketchbook 13

The picture below was inspired by artists who do 'messy' pictures that look good. [I can't think of any artists names at the moment], so myself and a friend had a challenge to try to do a messy picture. My friend thought the flowers on the penguin looked to neat.

Liebster Blog Award

I have been given an award for my blog from Masha who sews lovely embroidery.

This award is given to bloggers who inspire you and have less than 200 followers. The Liebster Award takes its name from the German word meaning ‘Beloved, Dearest or Favorite’ so I am honored to receive this award.
Here are the rules:
The tradition with this award is that it is passed along to five bloggers who have motivated and inspired. To accept the award, you must ~

Link back to the person who gave it to you, and thank them
Post the award to your blog
Give the award to 5 blogs with fewer than 200 followers each that you appreciate and value
Leave a comment on those 5 blogs to let them know they've been offered this award.

And here are the blogs to which I give the Liebster Blog Award:

aileenclarkecrafts - Aileen makes wonderful felted art and jewellry

mardispeth - Mardi does wonderful watercolour and ink paintings of animals

moonflowerstudio - Julia does some lovely fabric collages usually to do with her local area which she chats about too

rhissanna - Rhissanna makes lovely dolls.

socr8v - Michelle is an multi talented artist and quilter