Strictly Stitch 2

For a link to this workshop see the previous post.

Strictly Stitch

On Wednesday May 13th 2015 I will be leading a day workshop called 'STRICTLY STITCH' at the National Needlework Archives which is based at the New Greenham Business Park. Please follow the link to book if you are interested.

Stitch Archives

Just looking through the archives.

Hand stitch over a machine made grid.

I was given a large bag of jewellry chains:

Heavy stitching varying the thread.

'Stitch Along'

I am pleased to be one of the ten contributors to Jenny Doh’s latest book ‘Stitch Along’. This is a fun project based book to which we were each asked to contribute three stitched items along with the sketch designs they were based upon. Jenny’s request came two years ago and makes me realize what a long process it is getting a book together.

 I had previously made a sketchbook for a group which had a year’s theme of birds, I wanted to join in with the group but have something of a phobia of birds, so decided to make mine quirky and use the title Rare Birds. Jenny agreed that this would also work for my theme for ‘Stitch Along’.

This is the fabric cover of the little sketchbook that flew all the way to the USA and back again. You can see some of the sketches on the Sketchbook Challenge blog.

Mark Making in progress.

Slowly adding some stitch to the mark making piece.

Click to see in more detail.

Thank you to those who let me know that the Pages Tutorial element was not viewable. I have removed it as I could not work out what the problem was; I'll do a bit more research.

Give Away

My choice of topic for a recent article in DownUnder Dale’s emagazine' Threads. In-fusion' was prompted by a request for a stitch workshop for a charity called' Out of the Dark'; the group mentors young people in a variety of ways. There is a showroom and workshop in High Wycombe where old brown furniture which would previously have been discarded is given a new contemporary feel. The trainees are also going out to teach craft skills to groups of young people. We spent an hour and a half trying out some varied stitches and give them their due they tried really hard, bearing in mind that the first challenge was to thread the needle and knot the thread.

I made a small sampler of stitch variations as encouragement.

On my first visit to the workshop I was given a pile of wire reclaimed from old computers etc. and I was shown the huge amount of upholstery fabric which the group is given. This prompted me to make these small bags with wire decoration.

‘Threads. In -Fusion’ is a subscription magazine; Dale works hard to give each edition a special theme with a variety of contributors.

 A new textile based emag by Through Our Hands is amazingly free and both interesting and well presented.

Follow these links to find out more:

‘Out of the Dark’

'Threads. In-fusion'

'Through our Hands'.

Now for the giveaway, if you would like to own one of the small bags I plan to thank those on the followers list, and to celebrate getting over the 300 mark, by making a draw on my birthday 20^th June from those who leave a comment here.

Slow progress.

'Patched and Pieced' continues its slow progress.

Its good to have something to pick up and stitch when the mood strikes.

Rust and Flowers

Recently I went through my favourites list of blogs, and looked at some that I had neglected for a time; I found Leah Day's ‘Earth Flower’ motif and as usual impressed by her skill I had to have a go. The idea sort of hung around for a while and then I saw a piece of rusted fabric hanging on the ‘line’ in my room and thought nothing would be lost by quilting the motif onto it.

Before adding hand stitching and more details.

 I got quite hooked and actually have found more pleasure in working on this little piece than I have done for a while.

 I am going to seed stitch all around the motifs and then make it into a front for a cushion using an off cream silk dupion.

'Patched and Pieced ' Stitching

Starting to stitch and taking it slowly, bit by bit.

I placed it on a muslin backing and tacked it into place, using Jude Hill's method and it has made it nicer to work, feeling more like a whole cloth.

I am using some Kantha type border stitches in places.