In Which I Stitched a Flower...

I'm going to skip with a usual opening of..my its been a while, as it is fairly obvious with the last post being back in October. I'll simply say I took a step back and let myself get on with other things. To be truthful I am not entirely sure if I'll ever get back to regularly blogging and making again, but I'm not going to let myself get caught up in feeling any guilt. It's funny how not doing any of these things can leave you with that sense of...'what if' or 'if I don't do anything people will forget...' in a nutshell, this has only ever done to keep me happy, and if your not happy with what your doing why let the guilt bog you down? Not worth it.

Anyway, enough of the introspection...I've actually made myself do some stitching, and it's been rather nice to do. What the hell I am going to do with the thing I've done, I'm not entirely sure, suggestions on a postcard??

Where did I begin?

As with most things I make, I started with a doodle. This one was inspired by a rather snazzy calendar I picked up during a visit to the States last year from Paper Source (WHEN WILL YOU EVER COME TO THE UK??). I think it was a Rifle Press design, but bugger me if I can find the makers mark on it. Anyway, a doodle and a play about with colours. I began the process of turning it into a piece of embroidery...cue some soft swearing and a 'why am I doing this' moment(s).

Looks so organised...stays like that for about ten minutes before each project.

I started with a single thread of floss, and split stitched around the outside of the shape, or in this case petals. Note, I didn't separate each of the petals, this was for a reason...well I had an idea and just went ahead with it. Once the split stitching was complete, I marked the order of the petals with some thought (ish). 

Each petal was then padded out in the middle with long stitches using two /three threads of cotton stranded. Now I know what your thinking, cream padding when your going to do satin stitch in bright pink over it?? Yes, I am a nutter, has been said many a time. I did because I had loads of cream thread, I wanted a challenge and lastly, I knew I cover of it (so modest).

By the way, that shiny thing at the top of the picture is my stainless steel mellor, or laying tool, normally I use it for gold work but it works a treat for threads using it so that they lay flat. Also it's shiny...*_* I have a sterling silver one too.

With each petal I used a different number of padding layers, between 3 - 5 to give it a bit of a my realistic finish. By the fifth petal I had hit my my stride, which is typical.

So shiny...I do love a spot of silk thread.

Time for the middle section, I started it one way and then started it again. Yeah, I had thought to use chain stitch padding for the middle but when I tried it out it wasn't giving me the height and frankly it looked rubbish. So well over an hour later, with copious amounts of swearing, I unpicked the chain stitch.

Once calm again, I opted for a simple approach...couching the padding, using around 12 threads of cotton thread, in a long length I couched it round and round the middle, so it looked like a doughnut. Once I was happy with the height and the filling, I started to satin stitch over the top.

Then the question of what to do next? I had a small idea that the flower needed stamens, and after a brief reminder how to do it, I used a thicker weight yellow silk thread, and pistol stitched the stamens.

And now it's complete....

Now do I add more flowers, leave it be...make it up into something.

I have some pondering to do!

Flowering Love Completed

Not bad for just around 4 weeks worth of work! (Not 24hrs a day mind you!)

If you have been following me on Instagram feed then you will already seen that I have completed a rather lush piece of embroidery. Which I have since decided to call 'Flowering Love' a little smushy perhaps but I think it rather suits it. 

The pictures don't entirely do it justice as the colours are so rich and bright, which is why I have decided to have this piece professionally scanned so that I can turn the finished design into Giclée prints. A new area I am venturing in but one that I think, or at least hope, will turn out rather well. It will be good to at least get professional shot taken, there only so much you can do with an iPod Touch and a Nikon camera without the knowledge, and some additional assistance to make it work.

 Sometimes, sometimes it pays to get someone who knows what they are doing...to do it. 

I am in the process of mounting the piece up so once that is done I am going to get the printing sorted out. Which will in time include set of greetings cards and I think that it's high time I had some new mirrors made up. If you are interested in knowing more then do sign up to the newsletter (which I've not done one in a rather loooong time, but it's time to reinvent it and make use of it again). Also the original piece will, eventually, be available to purchase.

So, so many stitches went into building up the border. Lazy daisy, straight stitches, beads, eyelets and so on, and so forth. Think I went a little blind to all the colours in the end.

Rather unusually I managed to mount it up with little need of adjustments, and it's so flat it's nearly a miracle! Well, perhaps just a nice surprise. 

On the back I opted for a bit of retro Liberty Tana Lawn cotton print. Just because I can. I will be making up a hand sewn label on the back in due course.

Whilst I finish of the mounting of 'Flowering Love', I've also started work on my follow up piece, 'Hope'. I hadn't expected to have the chance to do that but the materials came sooner than I had anticipated, so that was again, another nice surprise!

All About the Flowers

I hadn't realised till I dropped various images into this blog that there was a inadvertent theme to my Bank Holiday weekend. As it turns out it was all about flowers, in some shape or another. I've really come to love flowers more and more since moving to my current abode. I love nothing more than buying a bunch of flowers to brighten up the hallway or add a bit more life to the livingroom, aside from Hamish. And yes, whilst I do suffer from hayfever, thankfully its more from grass than flowers. 

Anyway, the Friday kicked it all off. I've lived in and around Surrey for well over a decade now but had never been to RHS Wisley, passed it on many trips to Kent, or driving home late on Sunday back to East Molesey ready to begin another week at the RSN as part of the apprenticeship. But aside from saying should go and have a look, never have that was until last week.

Thinking of a way to celebrate my mum's birthday we decided to hit several things with one stone, to see the gardens, attend the Contemporary Craft and Design fair and to have a spot afternoon tea. The weather wasn't exactly on our side for walking about all day, it was frickin cold and I wasn't entirely dressed for it. Still we were thankful we didn't get wet, even though it was threatening to do so all day. There was some interesting items on display at the fair, some amazingly draw dropping and others not entirely to my taste but still it was a good mix. Also taking place at Wisley, but not part of the fair, was a mini silver exhibition called 'Festival of Silver' held by the Goldsmith's Company. Needless to say the work was utterly jaw dropping. My inner magpie was drooling.

Oh and the flowers were pretty too...

I'll certainly be going back to Wisley, this time to venture out into the gardens and to do some drawing and painting. Something I've not done in a rather long time. Despite always having a sketchbook with me, I didn't take it on a Friday. 

On a non-flower related note, just wanted to share a wee shot of the finished monogram that I've been working on for the past couple of weeks, it is now all packed up and ready to wing it's way to my friend in the States. After a small discussion it's been mounted into a round, wooden hoop, and I've attached the embroidery in a way that if she wanted to paint the hoop she can, without damaging the fabric. Managed to get it all finished before a friend of my came down for the weekend. 

Which was how I came to have these rather wonderful flowers, which was rather thoughtful and are looking blooming lovely in the livingroom, pardon the pun! The coral coloured roses are becoming my fave. Needless to say little in the way of stitching was done for majority of Saturday and Sunday, as we were mostly consuming lots of yummy food, drinking plenty of tea and watching silly flicks added with our own commentary. Which comes easy when your watching Disney...

But of course, I always end up reverting back to stitching. So once I cleaned up, sorted out the boring chores and did some more painting (at last the walls are all finished, oh god just the woodwork left...GAH). I played about with quilting fabric for a design I doodled last week for using with the bag handle. I started it last night and had originally thought about using Liberty fabric to make the flower shapes but by this morning with a little help from my mum who had briefly popped by to pick something up, and my own thoughts on it, the flowers changed from...

...this.

Granted didn't mean I toned down the colours, rather opted for a slightly less detailed fabric, and one that I had originally purchased with pink and lilac fabric. It's not entirely like the design I had doodled, and I realise now that the completed paper pieced flower is bigger than I had originally planned...but I still love it and it will be interesting to see how it turns out when complete.

I've got a busy month ahead with work and family commitments, I also have the next season embroidery pattern to sample to stitch but I hope to make some time for finishing it because I really want to get it hung up on the wall!

Did you find you had an unexpected theme to your weekend? What lays ahead for your May?

Happy Spring Days

I'm writing this blog post in a ridiculously good mood, singing along (badly) to radio, and once I've stopped writing I'll be sorting out a spot of dinner, speaking to my best mate and then getting back to stitching. I would say it's down to a combination of enjoying the sunshine pouring through the windows, buying more plants for the flat, and just enjoying what I am making. Sure this week hasn't gone to plan from dentist's costing an arm an leg, unexpected bills...too and this is the funniest thing, having a sparkie come out only to realise the lights that you thought were going in the hallway hadn't been ordered...because it was you that was meant to have done it. Yes, I felt like a right idiot. 

Not that it mattered cause at the end of the day my teeth are in good order, the bill will get paid and the lights whilst not up, are now ordered, and most of the prep work has been done. Oh, and a phone socket issue was also sorted out in the process. 

So what does it matter, these things are sent to try us but I am slowly learning to just go with the flow...ish. 

Anyway, enough of that waffle! I've made some pretty things, well one finished pretty, another is in the process:

Mia Mouse

This little Tilda mouse was made for a friend's god-daughter, the dress/apron gave me a bit of gip but it's come out well. Bright colours were a must for the little girl it's going to. Slightly tempted to make a coat or a blanket for it, perhaps I might if I have a moment over the Easter holidays.

Then afternoon, I started work on the monogram for a friend in the States. Starting with a bit of prep work then moving onto starting the trailing. I have to really think about the order I work the monogram in as there is a lot of over lapping. The lettering was designed by me and I've found myself doodling what the rest of the alphabet would look like. So chances are there might be more like in the future.

Getting smart-arse with the filters on Instagram...

Looks like an 'e' but really is a twiddly bit (technical term) at the end of the letter, finished with a tiny little tassel, to help it stand out from the rest of the gold trailing, I flecked in some of the blue I'll be using to work the main part of the letter in. 

It's not the only things I've been doing this weekend, there's been a lot of shifting about, perhaps its the need of wanting to spring clean has got me spirited to do it. I'll not complain, because whilst it lasts the flat is looking utterly smashing. 

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend! 

Spring Time Cheer - Embroidery Pattern

Released on my March newsletter last week, I am pleased to now be able to share the latest free embroidery pattern to you lovely blog readers.

It's a simple and cheery design to welcome spring, even if it has been a little reluctant to show it's face. This is the first in four designs that I will be sharing with you this year. The four designs will be put together in winter to make a seasonal mini art quilt. Of course, you don't have to wait till then to do something with it when it's done, it's a handy square design that can be used as a design on a cushion cover, or your own quilt design and so forth.

Click here to download the pattern; which includes instructions on how to transfer the design and stitch diagrams too boot. I hope you enjoy stitching it, and feel free to make your own mark by changing the colours used and instead of French Knots (if your not a fan) use tiny seed beads.

Please be mindful of the fact that this pattern isn't for commercial use, and if you do wish to share it on your blog, please can you make reference to me. 

Though please note and respect that this is pattern isn't for commercial use, and if you share it on your blog, please reference me or I may be forced to release the hamsters....

Ring of Bees Pocket Mirror

Whilst temporarily sofa/bed bound owing to picking up some rotten cold I've at least been able to work on the next round of projects. One of which is progressing the 'Ring of Bees' pocket mirrors and pouches, from a sample to actual product. 

I've only made one pouch thus far, but have at nine in the works in various stages of completion and hopefully I will get them all completed over the coming weeks. There are two colours for the linings that people will be able to choose from, five in this rather lovely pink flowery pattern, and the other five in navy, both are new Liberty cotton fabric prints.

These pocket mirrors are once again to support the British Bee Keepers Association (BBKA), £1 will be given for each one sold. The first of these lovely beauties is already for sale. 

I'll hopefully be able to work on the next thing on my list of projects (which will see the return of the paradise bird pattern) to try out at the weekend, when I am up and about.

Hopefully you are all germ free and snuggly warm.

Powering through

As I had hoped this week I  managed to finish several projects and on Saturday not only did I managed to photograph them but list them too.

So what did I get up too?

Well I created one more of the delightful Paradise Bird hand embroidered peter pan collars, and rephotographed the ones I had made a few weeks back. I am much happier with the outcomes, the images are crisper and brighter:

They just look so cool grouped together!

Lovely triplets!

But it doesn't stop there, I also finally mounted up the Paradise Bird hoop art, and it's looking rather snazzy in the variegated blue thread. I love this linen fabric it's light weight and wonderful to stitch on. 

I think I am getting better at photographing my work, and editing in Photoshop.

It doesn't finish there, I worked on another piece this week. It was another Peter Pan Collar, but a different design to the birds. Following on from the Honey & Bee Clock, I created a sweet little design incorporating tiny little buzzing bees. Like with the other collars, this is reversible so you can show off the bees or you can show off the monochrome flowers. 

I love stitching bees in the way I mastered some years ago, just works perfectly, you might notice that it's a slightly different way to the bees on the clock.  The bees are linked up on either side of the collar, by running stitch around the edge of the collar.

Phew...

*insert deep breath*

I hope you like the photographs. I have one more to share with you, call it a first sneak peek at the pattern I am working on....

Hope you like what you see.

If your interested in the collars or the hoop art then click here.