Monday 31 March 2014

Long and Short started

 
I have now started the long and short for the faces and hands of my people. I love long and short. All worked with 1 strand of a stranded cotton. Will get this face finished today then onto the next one. Next step will be a satin stitch edge around the fabric to hide my stab stitches. 
 



Friday 28 March 2014

Fabric down

 
After lots of thought and playing with different fabrics I decided on these. I then spent ages looking at my stranded cottons to choose a colour to stitch the faces and arms. I have decided on a green/grey which I didn't have so I had to pop into the shop on the way up to school. I don't really like using real life flesh colour.

I am working today and then away for the weekend so will start the long and short on Monday.

Thursday 27 March 2014

New work step by step

I thought I would try to blog about the work I am doing from the 1st sketch through to the final piece. We will see how we go!

I carry my sketch book around with me so I try to sketch wherever I am. My son is a skateboarder but not old enough yet to be at the skateboard park on his own so I spend lots of time sitting watching.

I did this sketch of a older boy one day, which has been developed into a piece of work about how teenagers don't seem to talk to each other any more. It will be called Nothing to say.

 
 
The piece will be a mix of embroidery and fabric. That's my job for today, to sort colours and fabrics.
I will post those when I have made up my mind!

 

Monday 17 March 2014

weekend workshop

 
This coming weekend I will be teaching at the Great Escape. This is a weekend of workshops all based at the high school in Orewa. I will be teaching a group of ladies hand applique. They will spend the first day selecting the areas of fabric to use and stitching them down. the second day will be top stitching the fabric to either blend the pieces together or outline. I often use this technique for my faces when I don't want to create a huge quilt but the face is too large to embroider.
 
The weekend is always fun and a great time to catch up with ladies from all around the country that I have taught in the past.



Monday 10 March 2014

fun with biscuits

A lady that works with Kit got married recently so his work are having a wedding morning tea today, so I made hand gingerbread and put an icing wedding ring on each one. Crazy but fun!

Wednesday 5 March 2014

Knitting Guild is finished

 
 
I finished my Knitting Guild piece today. I got a pair of old knitting needles from the Op shop and did a few rows of knitting just to finish it off. It will be on show at the Estuary arts centre in Orewa, from April 5th along side some other amazing work inspired by the 1st world war.
 
I also stitched the borders onto my pixelated face quilt and pinned it together ready to quilt. A very productive day all round.
 


Tuesday 4 March 2014

last 2 ladies finished

 
I have just finished the last 2 ladies from my Knitting Guild, a couple of lines of words and then its done. Then onto the next piece!
 
 


 
Long and Short detail, one strand of stranded cotton, looks almost like wool this close up!