Owl Embroidery

Owl Embroidery

I started this owl way back in the year as a 'working sampler' for some embroidery workshops I was running. I used a wooden hand carved printing block to take a rubbing using fabric crayons and then I began embellishing the rubbing with stitch. Over the year the sample has grown as I've done various workshops and this week I got it finished off. I always like to have a work in progress when I'm running sessions so that I can use it demonstrate techniques on a piece of work rather than just a plain piece of cloth.

Ear detail

Head detail

I really love the block that I used and have made several prints and rubbings from it for other projects. This is probably one of my favourite things I've done with it though as I think the stitching adds to his quirky and slightly scruffy appearance. I used my favourite colours and the stitching is mostly chain and feather variations.

Body and wing detail

Body and wing detail

Body detail

Shadowy Swallows

Shadow work Swallows

I'm going to be doing some embroidery and applique workshops at Carlisle Library over the next couple of months as part of the No Borders programme which is running alongside the Outside In exhibition at Tullie House. You can find out more about these and the other workshops on offer over on Prism Arts website.

Detail of small swallow

So, I have been busy stitching up some samples and generally enjoying having a play! On Wednesday I made a piece using shadow applique and shadow embroidery. I can't believe I have never properly explored these techniques before. I love working with transparent and sheer fabrics and layering up work and I almost always use stitch so it is a mystery to me how I have avoided some of the things I tried on Wednesday for so long. However, there is no time like the present so I think it's fairly certain I will be using these techniques a lot more in my work.

Detail of large and small swallow

For the applique I bonded fabrics using adhesive web to the back of a piece of very see through material (some sort of man-made fibre, I bought it from a seconds box ages ago!) I used a navy blue satin for the large swallow and then navy chiffon and net for the smaller ones because the chiffon on its own was too sheer and did not show through enough. I then added the red and white stitch details using herringbone stitch and laced holbein stitch. I worked the embroidery on the back of the work for a more subtle effect on the front. I then outlined the birds on the front of the work with back stitch, blanket stitch and running stitch.

Detail showing bonded fabric and embroidery but not yet outlined

Detail of work from the back (in progress)

Detail of work from the back (complete)

I'm really pleased with how this experiment turned out, I like the delicacy and lightness of the work and the different layers. It is definitely a way of working that I think suits me and my work and I am excited about exploring these techniques further.

Detail

Detail

Detail

The Rag Rug Sea: James Rennie

Working on the green section

I was back at James Rennie School on Wednesday working on our rag-rug sea project again. The students have done really well and we had a lovely day working on the sea, finishing off pom-poms and making some lovely collaged fish to swim in the sea!

Working together

Beautiful work

Preparing strips

Helping each other

All working together

These pictures all show the back of the work, it can be difficult working from the back so I think the students did very well and it looks great from the front! It was great to see that some of the students had really got the hang of the techniques and they were very good at helping each other and working together. The piece is really starting to take shape and I think it will look fantastic when it is finished.

Finished pom-poms

Collaged fish, ready to be sewn together

Collaged fish, ready to be sewn together

My sample fish

Detail

The Sea: Rag Rug

Finished Piece

This week I finished my rag rug piece inspired by the sea. I began this piece when I started working with Jame Rennie School on a textiles project inspired by the sea and have been doing bits and pieces on it since. It's a very relaxing thing to do, like knitting it is simple and repetitive but produces a beautiful fabric.

The back at the start

Starting off

Growing

Originally I had intended to make it into something practical but I actually like the back almost as much as the front so I think I will probably mount the piece between pieces of mount-board and use it as a teaching sample.

The almost finished back

The finished back

Detail of the back

Detail of the front

Craft Fair Jumper

The finished jumper

I've done a few craft shows this summer and most of them have been pretty quiet. The plus side of this is that I've got a lot of knitting done. For example, this jumper was knitted entirely at the craft shows I've done since May. I've just finished sewing it up today as I had a spare half hour (well, I should have been invoicing but that's dull!) It's a lovely variegated wool/acrylic mix called Riot and it's made by King Cole yarns (not the merry old soul.) The pattern is from Debbie Stoller's Stitch'n'Bitch, probably my favourite knitting book.

Bell sleeve detail

If I were to use this yarn again I would probably knit the jumper in the round as the bright pink stripes are in different places on each piece. This doesn't actually bother me too much but with a bit of forward planning all the stripes could match up. I've used this pattern a few times over the past 8 years and each jumper I've made I've worn literally until it fell apart so I think I'll get plenty of wear out of this one!

Inside sleeve

Colour detail

Magik Quilt 2012 Complete!

The finished Quilt

I'm so proud of my textile group at The Heathlands Project for all the work they've put into this years quilt. It's fantastic to see how far they've come, their level of skill and patience has improved dramatically over the last year and we've produced a really beautiful piece of work. The quilt has been a great opportunity for me to teach lots of different textile processes and I'm really impressed with the finished project. A special thank you to Susan for all her help sewing all the patches together!

Detail

Detail

Detail

Detail

Detail

Method of quilting-Cross stitches

Stitch detail

Star stitch detail

Stitch detail

Magik Quilt 2012

Some of the patches

Last year I made a quilt with my textiles group at The Heathlands Project. It was a really great project but very hard work and quite stressful for me so I when I asked the group earlier in the year if they wanted to do the Festival of Quilts again or if they wanted a break for a year I was kind of hoping they'd say have a break! However, they didn't. They were adamant that they wanted to make another quilt so since March we have been working away on a patchwork quilt. Our theme is 'Magik' and I have taught tie-dye, batik, block printing and hand embroidery. Because we chose to make a patchwork quilt this year we wanted to make sure that even though each patch would be made by different individuals the quilt would still work as a whole so we chose a limited colour scheme of blue, purple and green. We tie-dyed our base fabric these colours and then made print blocks which we used to print on top of the tie dye. We've then used hand stitch to complete the patches.

Adding stitch to dyed and printed fabric

It is all starting to come together now and I'm really proud of all my students, they've produced some fantastic work and it's great to see the progression and improvement since last year. We're currently finishing the last few patches and starting to get it all sewn up, then it will be down to me to construct it and get the quilting done!

Learning to couch

Block print with embroidery and sequins

Block print and hand stitch

Work in progress

More patches