new icon started

I am teaching a couple of classes based on icons next year so decided to do a modern one to go along side my traditional goldwork one. I thought I would have a contemporary design too, it seems that everyone you see has something plugged into their ears!

 

I have applied fabric for the background and halo, now I am working the face in long and short stitch. The head phones will be padded I think. I then plan to work some embroidery stitches on the halo fabric. Its amazing that I took 2 years to master long and short stitch when I was training and now I love it.

random sketches

I keep a sketch book all the time, just to note down ideas or thoughts for pieces of work. I have a pile of old sketch books in the studio. There are ideas in them that ended up as pieces of work and some ideas that never got stitched. Ideas are all around us and time does not always allow us to drop everything and start a new piece of work there and then. I use a sketch book to remember the idea when I have time to do something about it.

designs from a book about Kantha, quilts made in Bengal using mainly running stitch.

Ideas for a workshop

Kit reading one night

Workings for a quilt, maybe, based on the lino in our toilet!

 

 

I am off to teach in Wellington for the weekend, I am staying with my parents, 1st mothers day with my mum in about 15 years.

Playing with new class sample

I have just started stitching a new class sample for a beginners/intermediate embroidery class. I will not teach the class until next year but workshops take a bit of planning. How much to put into the class without overwhelming the students is a big problem to solve. I always try to send students home with enough work done so they can finish it at home alone.

 

Also I have finished my Colour Quarterly challenge, I made a square of patchwork and then decided I didn't really need another small quilt, so I folded in the corners and made a large cushion. It will be great in our caravan that will be ready to use next summer.

Beautiful teaching space

While I was in Melbourne I taught in the most beautiful place I have ever taught, also the place with the most noise. We were in the Royal Exhibition Building which is amazing. The classrooms were on a gallery around the upper level of the building with the quilt show and merchants down below. I am sure you can image the noise that floated up from below and I am sure my class had times that next door could hear us. We all had lots of fun.

back from Melbourne

I have arrived back from my week teaching at AQC in Melbourne. I had a great time and met some very cool ladies. Also did a bit of yarn bombing while I was there.

Melbourne has a number of lanes that street artists are allowed to work. The colours were amazing and some of the pieces were fantastic. very inspiring.

 I visited one on the day I arrived and decided I needed to add a little something to the lane. The next day at lunch time I made a short piece on bunting and went back and tied it to a grill over a window.

New Clothes

Years ago I saw an animated movie where one of the characters wore union jack jeans, they were so cool I have wanted a pair ever since. I other day when I was in Spotlight getting wool for my daughter and son for knitting projects I saw printed union jacks on a light weight  cotton drill, Perfect. I have a really good jean pattern that I use all the time so 3 flags were purchased and here is the result, after all these years my own union jack jeans.

Front view

Back view

 

While I was on a dressmaking roll, the new Tula Pink fabric arrived at All Things Patchwork and I had been waiting for the face fabric to put inside the pleats of this new skirt I wanted to try. The main black fabric was from Tula's last range. So as I walk Queen Elizabeth 1st can peep out from behind the pleats. Off to teach at AQC in Melbourne on Tues with some new clothes.

Another challenge fabric

Just over a month ago the quilt group I belong to had its meeting and got its new challenge fabric. I had not really thought much about it because our next meeting is not till May, until one of my students at the weekend had brought her piece of fabric along to start some embroidery on. I decided I need to at least have the start of a plan! I had decided to try to do a modern quilt with white and bits of colour, based on the colours from the fabric. so here is my challenge so far, a nice pile of fabric!

 

And just because I put a snail on my last post these are a couple of Monarch Butterfly caterpillers that are eating their way through my Swan plants. Nature is so cool.