Finished!

Another weekend of a bit of me time, things to do, people to see and projects to finish, whilst also whipping up batches of soup and moving furniture around.

Has anyone else noticed the change in the weather this weekend? Yes, I know a Brit talking about the weather, well nothing like sticking to a stereotype. I really noticed it this weekend, with the warm sun but a noticeable nip in the air with with the wind. Thus making you wish when your out that you brought a scarf with you. I have always loved the snuggly jumper, soup making, blanket days, more than any other time of year. Sure I was born in the spring but autumn and winter will always be my fave. Bring on the crispy leaves to tread on!

Anyway, enough of the weather...I've got something to show you!

I've finished my 'Tea Solves Everything' embroidery at long last! Yay, we all cry...well okay, perhaps just me. So pleased its finally complete. I need to get it framed but it's done, it's finished...its sitting in the hoop frame next to me. Okay, I need to get it mounted onto card but it's done!

Just starting the very last letter, I had to actually do this letter again, so this is attempt number two. I just couldn't get the flick under the 'v' right. So I unpicked, stitched 'e' and 's' and went back to it. Sometimes you have to give something a break before you come back to it.

Using a pin I was able to keep the core thread where I wanted it whilst I stitched up to it. 

And here it is complete! So, utterly thrilled with it.

I'm so pleased with the outcome, I just need to sort out some really high resolution shots and then I can play around with the idea of greeting cards. I'm mind is already onto stitching the next one, which I will start but in a few weeks time.

I've had to put my own projects on hold again, some of you might have seen some of my tweets lately, I've had a bit of an issue with post. My secret squirrel project finished pieces went missing in the post....and yes, to say I was distraught would be an understatement. I have, however, gotten over it. Someday it may show up, and in the meantime I am stitching it again, with a slight adaptation. Needless to say, posting it will cause me a bit of a stress but I am seriously contemplating DHL or Feedex. It's frustrating but at the end of the day it's really not the worst thing in the world, at the time it was but you have to move on. Tea and chocolate also helped, and wisdom from my best friend and mum.

I was about to sign off, but I must draw your attention to a competition being run by &Stitches blog rather aptly named for the time of year, 'Back to School'. It sounds like a really fantastic competition idea and there are some fab prizes up for grabs. Go and check it out.

Normal Stitching Service has Resumed...

Yes, I am finally back up and running again. Well, not running but stitching. My studio come guestroom is near enough complete, bar a few odds and sods to sort out. But I can and have at least been able to get stitching. Feels nice to be able to get back to it. Even though I have admit I had a couple of 'Omg so much I can do...where to begin' moments. Which isn't new!

So what have I been doing well, I've been prepping for my Secret Squirrel project, which I'll be starting to stitch this week and I've gone back to my Tea Solves Everything embroidered quote.

I was doing a spot of jumping around with this piece as I was keen to get more sections done. That and stitching 'solves' was making my eyes go a bit weird. It was either that or I was a wee bit tired this afternoon. So I completed 'thing' and was playing about with how I was going to do 'every'. Now originally I was going to do it in padded satin again but I had a idea at the last second of doing French Knots, and I like the effect....

Eyes slowly drifting in different directions...

'so' is done so I skip off to do 'thing and then thought, let's start 'every'.

I am going to try and squeeze a bit more stitching in this evening and tomorrow night before I get on with the commissioned piece. I've worked out my schedule and I've pretty much only got time to do that until the end of the month. Now that's not to say I won't get it completed early, I've given myself a health amount of time to work on it without feeling as though I have to rush it to meet the deadline. Whilst I don't mind working under pressure I don't want any mistakes!

Oh, I managed to also purchase and complete a pattern this week too. Now this was great really because when I reached as far as I could with the studio on Wednesday night I wanted to start stitching on Thursday but wasn't sure what to do...then I saw this pattern on What Delilah Did 'Mini Folk Letter' and I had to have it. Well after a moments deliberation and Sophie Simpson on Twitter (the lady behind the designs) goading me to do it. Granted it didn't take much encouragement. It didn't take long to stitch and all that remains for me to do is to get it framed and hung on the wall. 

It wasn't the only pattern I purchased, I also picked up the Bee pattern I had my eye on for a while. Though I won't be starting that one till the Autumn. 

Finally but not least, now I've been taking about this for a while. When my darling little Bergamot passed away at the beginning of the year I knew I wanted to, but not straight away, get a new hamster. I put it off because firstly I missed the little blighter, and secondly I was trying to purchase a flat. To get one during this time would have been wrong. Anyway, when I finally moved I knew it was only a matter of time before I got a new one. And I did yesterday, he's a rather timid, but rather fluffy Syrian called Hamish. There was a moment I was going to call it Hannibal because all it seemed to like to do in the shop was bite things. I don't really have a decent enough photo to show you because he's rather shy. But there will be a shot soon!

Now, with all that typed out I am rather in need of another cuppa!

All and Sundry

Golly, it's another Bank Holiday over here in Blighty, and finally there is even a bit of sunshine to go with it. Who else is keeping their appendages crossed that it might last till Tuesday? I am in spirit but not actually as it would make typing this blog post rather tricky.

I've actually had a longer break than most, as I had decided that on Monday (just gone) that I need a bit longer than 3 days, so I took Friday off too. Just as well I did, the heavens well and truly opened on that day, and there is nothing worse than walking about London in the pissing rain. Granted that is the same for anywhere really. Anyway, I was nice and wrapped up in the warm working on a sample. Now for those who follow me on Facebook, you will have seen said sample already, as I was gauging people's opinions.

And for those who have yet to see it, here it is. Yep, it's a cushion. It's not an area of home-wares I've ever delved into, which is why I was seeking people's thoughts. I am fairly happy with the overall finish. There are couple of things I want to change, such as I don't think I will go down the route of purchasing cushion blanks, unless I can find a UK handmade supply. The quality of the blank I used for the sample is fine, but part of me feels guilty. Why? Well if your buying handmade then the whole thing needs to be handmade. 

Anyway, I would still like to get people's opinions on the design which is the same as the wall clock (just with a different Liberty print), size (sample was 16"), with a filler or without (the latter reduces postage costs). If you can spare a moment to drop a comment that would be fantastic.

What else have I been doing, well I've finally finished my entries for the Survival Arts - Bee Competition, now all I need to do is get them posted and once I've done that I'll show them off to you all. 

Oh, I almost forgot to say, that one of my clocks, Ring of Bees was featured in a fab article called 'A to Z of Time Keeping' in the latest issue of Pretty Nostalgic. Which is rather swell, I had been contacted for images a while ago, so I almost forgot about it! It's a nice magazine if you've not picked it up before, very little in the way of advertising so you get a decent read.

For now, it's time to finish off the next e-newsletter (goes out tomorrow, and you get a sneaky peek at the next tutorial with this one) and then carry on with my 'Today is a Good Day' piece. 

Today...I try not to waffle.

Hey look it's another Sunday! This means that it's time for a blog post, sure came round quickly. I'll ignore the fact that it will soon be Monday...

I'm going to skip a bit of my normal waffle because words are seemingly escaping me today. the weekend has been good and productive, and so let's get to the juicy bits and some photographs. Because as we know a picture tells a thousand tales or in this case what I've been stitching. Although I have to admit with the somewhat dull/overcast weather the photography isn't at it's best, even after a bit of photo editing.

So my personal project is coming a long nicely, I've finished the first section of trailing, 'Today', and now working on 'Good'. The lettering will be a combination of diagonal Satin, chain and trailing stitch. You can't really tell but the thread colour for the 'G' is in a hot coral pink, the padding is in a different shade because I'm not wasting the silk thread, in the coral, for the padding. I should use a matching colour for the padding but I'm resorting to using what I have to hand, and to be honest if stitched well enough your not going to see the padding.

Patchwork Bee

The other project that I've been working on is coming on rather nicely, it's the design for a new clock, and I'm rather enjoying the look of it. Here is a bit of a close up look at it. I wish I had some more of this flowery fabric but it's only a sample piece that came with a magazine from Japan. That said, I've seen the new Liberty Tana Lawn prints, and I've got my eye on a couple. Next month I'll treat myself to a couple of 1/2 metres, it will take me an age to get through, and it's been an equally long time since I purchased any new prints. 

And that's near enough everything I've been doing this weekend, aside from tidying up, shopping and doing bits and pieces on the internet.

Ah, before I shuffle off, there are a couple of UK Government petitions flying about here and enough to make me want to get on a soapbox here, beautifully crafted one, and say if your in the UK, and your a crafts person or know someone that is or love to buy from them then please sign this petition to get the government to change  its mind on reclassifying craft as non-creative. Seriously, where do they come up with these things.

Granted I'm sure there will be some that will wonder what's the point of worrying about it, people will forever call it crafts, because lord knows Handmade Manufacturing really rolls of the tongue.

Okay, I started out saying I wasn't going to waffle, and near enough ended on a rant. Oops.

Anyway, if you are in the UK click here - http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/49537 

Today is a Good Day

Nothing like a Bank Holiday weekend to get recharged and raring to go once more. Admittedly it took until today to finally pull my finger out and get going but I felt as though I made up for lost time. Many projects were progressed, prepped and started...

One of the projects I prepped today, and started was one that I mentioned the other week (Stitching Sundays), which was turning a rather fab computer wall paper into a hand embroidered picture. I sought the permission of the designer Hannah Dollery who kindly said I could. Yesterday I started a bit of the prep work for it, playing around with how I was going to stitch the various typed of font and today was all about getting the fabric started. I was going to hold fire and start it over the next weekend but I was chomping at the bit to get started.

Starting of the trailing stitch, what I like to call Barber Shop Pole Stitch.
Using a combination of stranded cotton and silk thread

Doesn't take me long to get one letter complete

Where I am currently up to, the aim is to get the trailing completed by the end of the week...hopefully

It feels good to get back to doing a meaty project, and something that I get to chart its progress.

As for what else I worked on today, I prepped a few bits for a new prototype clock, I'll talk about that another day, when I've got a bit more to show. At the moment it's just a stack of tiny bits of fabric and some thread....but hopefully it will be a bit more than that soon enough. 

I also whizzed up a small embroidery, for the sheer hell of it mainly, not sure what I am going to do with it yet...any suggestions gratefully welcomed. It's just under an inch on the width, so it's teeny tiny. And you'll hopefully recognise it as being part of my branding. Some point I would love to stitch the full thing, on a bigger scale for stall sign or something...one day, but not at the moment.

That's it for now!

Minions and Packaging

Okay last week I was somewhat relaxed about what I had to do for the upcoming craftshow. But today I feel a sense of panic in everything that I have planned to do this weekend. Silly really as I actually also know I'll be okay. Nothing like unnecessary stress to get you going. All though I am sitting here drinking tea, writing this blog post and shopping for a Secret Santa gift for a work colleague. 

Anyho...

I received the last of the bits I needed to order for my packaging, additional business cards (which look and feel better than the gloss ones I got the first time round) and oodles of stickers (750) at the bargain price of £15. I'll certainly be using printed.com again for my marketing needs. They will be used on my boxes for the pictures and clocks, as well as sealing up my stripy paper bags and the white tissue paper. You can also see below that I am also making a felt version of my logo and I also whipped up some price labels ready for me to write on and then laminate. I was trying to think out a way of stiffening the paper I printed the labels on as I didn't have any card and then remembered stuffed away in a cupboard I have a laminator  Might as well put it to good use, glad I didn't get rid of it. So what remains for me to do is make oodles of baubles, and other bits and pieces....back to my list I go.

Now a couple of weeks ago you might recall I posted about the progress of one my stitching minions Laura. She contacted me recently to say that she's completed it and doesn't it look fab. So thrilled to see the design finished and in different colour way. Her assistance and my other Minion Jenny has been fantastic and already I have been tweeked the pattern, to get it to a stage I think I am really happy with. So thank you ladies. 

And now it's time to break away from the computer to crack on.

Stitching Minion Update

Another of my stitching minions has been cracking on with the pattern and you can see a couple of the progress shots the lovely Laura (haha, it was fate!) She's doing a smashing job, it's always fascinating to see what colours people choose. It really is a personal thing. I know I've in the past chosen not to do kits because I didn't like the colours, my laziness showing through, could have easily used different threads, but you know how it is..

Feedback thus far has proven most useful, just need a bit of time to spend on working through it and ping a wee email off to BBKA. It's amazing how quickly time passes and how work can easily get in the way. I also have a lot to sort out for the craftshow too! Eeep.

Merry Santa Bee Christmas Decoration

Merry Santa Bee Tree Decorations

Hand embroidered keepsake baubles.

A little happy Christmas bee ready brighten up any tree.

£8.50 ea.

I am thinking that there might be a fairy bee coming soon.

Pssst. 
Don't forget, only a couple of days left to enter my mini competition, click here to find out more.

A little out of Sorts but stitching continues

For the past week I've been feeling a little out of sorts, can't really put my finger on it but its been a little exasperated by my seeing the clock conservation department at West Dean yesterday. Now you may wonder why that could be, but it's simply really I love clocks which is why I've been doing my own attempts at them for the past few years. So there is a part of me that would love beyond everything to learn how to make clocks, properly. Anyway, its been making me feel a little disjointed today, coupled with neighbours playing loud music and me being too much of a wimp to go down and ask them to turn it down. Wonder if I could hire someone to do it in my place? Any takers?

Did, despite this I did manage to get some stitching done before I got caught up with other errands and feeling a bit sorry for myself. 

I started the embroidery on the Peter Pan collar, one side done just got to get the other side done, then it will be hand sewing again to make it up, no machining on this one. Also means I can do it on the train if I so desire.

I then started the first of the bee related topics, I have to admit I was probably a bit ambitious about thinking I would happily blackwork stitch an entire frame 5 x 9 inches but I think I've decided to make a bit of a change and knock it down to a small circle frame just to see how it turns out and then progress to the larger size. Counted work can make my head ache. 

But the start is looking good, I am just getting it to a point where I am going to move down to the next shade till it gets lighter. The frame shown is 4" but I might switch to 6" just need to purchase one. Hadn't realised I had completely run out. 

As I said a bit of a out of sorts week so a bit of a short blog post.

Hopefully next week will be a better one.

Experimenting & Playing with Stitches

So this weekend is mainly about playing. 

Also a bit of researching too, but I also consider this playing just with ideas more than actually physically stitching. I don't, to be honest, do samples or play with stitches before launching into my projects I tend to go with the flow, working out and challenging myself along the way to come up with solutions. But sometimes I make myself do it. 

I wanted to get sorted this year three main lines for my stores. The first one is the Paradise Bird, the second is what I am playing about with now, and the third one is down on paper just need to work out the logistics of it. So now I am done, not really, with the birds its now the time of the bees. The second line is all about bee appreciation and which will, I hope, enable me to support the British Bee Keepers Association and other worth while projects to do with saving the humble bee, humble not bumble!

The first of the bits for the bees I am looking at Black work for my inspiration. So you can see below I am playing with patterns, using colour to stop myself using black, and because it was to hand. I can be lazy.

Playing with colour here, attempting shading. Never have the right colours in my stash!

Here I am playing with the alternative way to shade, which is by breaking up the stitch.

Good overview of all the patterns and shading I did today. Didn't take me all that long to work out which one I am settled on, can you work out which one that would be?

Time for something different, this is the cross-stitch I am working on the side, it's for me. Can you tell it looks like gingham fabric yet? The whole pattern is various close ups of the fabric, awesome right?

Paradise Bird Stumpwork Framed

Cor, blimey. 

I got there, the piece as I promised earlier this week is nicely framed. I have to say it nearly caused me a headache or two. From choosing the right frame, mount colour to actually framing it. But it's done. It's all nicely safe behind glass, ready to go to a new home.

And here it is, photography took a while, and I think I need another frame shot, as I thought it looked okay but staring at it again now it's a little fuzzy. Darn it!

Anyway, I am very pleased with the outcome, but onwards to the next project as they say!

It will be available to purchase over the course of this weekend. Keep an eye on my Facebook page for the announcement. 

Sort of mid week crafting..

From my lovely week off I appear to have fallen quiet, but now I am back into the swing of things at work, I am now back in the swing of doing things in the evening. Tonight must say was productive, on top of doing all my chores (okay, skipped the bathroom, tomorrow I'll do it), I set about working on finishing off the stumpwork and got myself set-up for the next project. It will look familiar...

Organised chaos or just chaos?

Somewhere on this desk, I have the frame (on the right), and here you can see that I am just making some notes on sizes for the mount and what size I need to cut my card for the actual mounting of the embroidery. So much mounting..no pun intended..maybe a little.

Here I have cut the card, covered it in a basic white cotton, and laid the embroidered fabric on top and have started pining round, gently pulling the fabric taut, and the grain as straight as I can possibly get it without going insane in the process. I'll admit I am already pretty loopy.

Look a mini version of the bird, at least I can say I've pretty much covered every angle. Although tempted to do a tissue holder version too....although after this one, I might take a break on this design to work on the bee bits and pieces. Speaking of bees still waiting for the web button from the BBKA, better drop them an email tomorrow.

Enough about me, what are you working on? Do you craft in the evening, even after a long day at work?

Busy Bee - Project flying

Okay, I'll admit there was a lot of things done on this project between last night and this afternoon, that I didn't take photographs of, now some of that was partly down to dodgy lighting and being wrapped up with what I was doing, that I forgot. 

So some of yesterday's afternoon/evening was taken up with stitching the wing. Worked separately in order to give the bird more height. The wing has extra form, this comes from stitching over a very thin paper covered wire, this was shaped to the outline of the wing. Make sense? Basically couched down some wire onto silk. The stitching is very close together, which means I can then cut the fabric away, right up against the stitches which is always ruddy nerve wrecking. Before I got to that stage I stitched the middle lines, back stitch with silver thread weaved through them. In this shot you can see I also stitched some beads on it....

Your probably wondering how I got the wing attached to the body. Allow me to explain. 

I used a great big needle (mislaid my stelletto at this point) to punch a hole into the right place on the body, to keep the opening neat I then did a quick buttonhole edge round it. The wire on the wing was tightly bunched together and plunged through the hole, its then bent back on itself and stitched down on the back of the fabric.

Pretty shot...look at that wing. Just checking the head still works.

Told you the tail wasn't finished. I couched down some silver passing around the left of the trailing to act as a highlight. Don't it look pretty.

Actually at this point the silver passing had been stitched down, and the head has also been very carefully stitched down into place, something else has occurred to and I will explain that bit in the next picture. However, in this shot I am using six threads of stranded cotton and carefully couching that around the edge of this silk, this is to cover my stab stitches. Neat, huh?

There is a lot in this shot. But you might notice a couple of things, one the wing appears to be missing its beads. This is correct, I took them off. It wasn't a simple undertaking as it meant I had to take the wing off, and stitching back down. Not easy but I am happier with the results the beads just weren't doing it for me. 

I also added to the thighs of the bird, or trousers as I have now called them. Made them jazzier by adding some lasy daisy stitches in silver, I love them.

Around the body to hide the stitches I couched a double row of silver passing around it. 

The head has it's prong things (technical term), these are wrapped wire. Now like the tail feathers they need one more thing, a bit of sparkle. But that's enough for one weekend, and I need a few days to ponder what else needs to be done, how I am going to mount it. Thinking like with the last stumpwork on the round. I also have a wedding to attend so maybe a wee break will aid the thinking.

Although, open to suggestions?

Paradise Bird Hand Embroidered Wall Clock

There are times when I create a piece that I am so in awe of the finished look that I almost want to cry. Okay, I didn't shed a tear but it was close! I had at least a cup of Earl Grey in celebration instead. This clock is one of those pieces that deserved a cup of tea, of course miles away from it not wanting to tempt fate.

The clock as you can see is so simplistic in design but beautifully executed. It also gave me the great opportunity to get out the crystals again and use the new clock hands. Perfect!

This is also led me to feel happy about doing this again, but customised. People can select any colour thread, and if I have the stock the crystals, clock hands, size and even the linen. I want to do a mini version next, so a little 3" wall art version.

It's now available to purchase in store, the listing for the customised version will be up later today.

Must keep stitching...

I have to say far from chilling out this week, I've been putting myself through the paces with embroidery this week, but I am certainly enjoying it. Silly thing to say really, of course I am enjoying it. Sure there have been projects that I've worked on where the enjoyment ebbed away the longer it went on, but you know you live and your learn and also you have to remember with any job or even hobby for that matter there are always things you end up not enjoying. So far its been a long time since that's happened for me.

Hopefully not tempted fate. 

Before I show you the progress of the Paradise Bird project I thought I would give you an update on how my business plans are going. Branding is under way, as I speak my rather talented Uncle is working on that for me and we may even do some collaboration pieces like I have done with Heidi. I'll keep you posted.

Once the branding is sorted it means I can update all the sites with a more consistent look and I can get the new business cards sorted and labels etc. Which I can't wait to get sorted, at some point I will need to source fabric labels, or perhaps get a stamp made so I can make my own. Decisions, decisions.

The website I would say has finally bedded down, by that I mean I've stopped tweaking it, so any changes from now on will simply to keep it up to date. With the new look its certainly going to be easier and quicker, which is a relief. 

The most important step, and one that I know all craftspeople and artists battle with and that's how much are you worth? Perhaps that makes it sound a bit cras but it really is as simple as that. There are countless articles, blog posts and books on the subject of pricing and how you shouldn't under or over value your work. It's a bloody minefield. 

I've heard it quite a lot from friends and family that I undersell my wares, and yes I know I have and it comes down to not having the confidence in what I make is worth the price tag. Artists are there worse enemy in this respect. So I've bitten the bullet, if I don't now then frankly I am never going to be able to make this a viable means of living. I worked out my hourly rate, it certainly hurt my brain I'll tell you that much. And now I have done that it gives me a better basis for what to charge for my pieces and gives me the confidence I need to say I am worth it. I have a good friend of mine on hand to slap me if I don't use it. She has a strong right arm so she'll hurt. 

Why am I telling you this, well I hope it will help some other like minded soul. 

The heavy stuff over with for another week let's have a look at some pretty pictures. 

A spot of late night stitching meant that I managed to get all the trailing done on the tail feathers completed, however, it's not the end of the tail feathers, they need sparkle! Sparkle will come in the form of silver passing couched down one side, and crystals at the end of the feathers.

Ain't it pretty?

Actually one thing you can't really see in these images, is that towards the ends of the feathers I have blended in another colour different shades or tones of the colour I started with. Rather like the effect, even if my photography doesn't show it off.

Artsy shot...

Actually that's where the project is at, I've stopped it to work on something else for the rest of the afternoon, once that's complete then I will be working on the wing.