Look what I made!

As much as I love my oriental CQ bag I am aware using it every day isn't good for it, so I've spend the evening rustling up this.

It is made of a deep red cotton with a black polycotton lining, with a black cotton bias tape trim and a huge black button. (Its hung over my exercise bike if you are wondering what it is!)



Anyway, am off to bed now as it's gone midnight and I have to be up early in the morning!Just wanted to show this off!

Tidying...

We've got a friend coming to stay tonight which means the long overdue tidying and rearranging of the living room is finally happening....on my own. My beloved will be helping when he gets back from work - though he may be getting assigned to washing up and cooking duty this evening!

So far I have moved things into the workroom ( which will HAVE to be the next thing I sort out!), rearranged the contents of shelves, moved furniture made our table so we can actually sit at it and last but not least made a heap of stuff I have to now go and sort out. Then I can hoover, and tidy the last of the stuff away.

I'm having to gear myself up to go and deal with the pile of stuff as I know there is a big brown spider in the middle of it - luckily we don't have poisonous spiders over here, but its still very big and I dislike spiders nearly as much as I dislike crickets and grasshoppers!

Ah well, at least this will knock a task off my 101 tasks! 39. Decluttering the Living Room!

Then if I'm not COMPLETLY exhausted I may get on with the bag I am making myself. Do you want to see a photo of the living room when I am finished?!

What I've been doing....

Well, I'm officially in the gap between the end of one contract at work on the Friday just gone and the start of the longer term one in just over 3 weeks from now.
I've started the I.T. Qualification I'm taking (a CLAIT Diploma for anyone who is interested) and have already completed the first two modules, one being File Management and E Document Production (how to turn it on and write a letter.....) and the other being Creating Spreadsheets and Graphs. I've taken the assessment for these today so I will find out tomorrow how I've done.

Next I will be doing Database Manipulation, then Online Communication and Finally Web Page Creation.

You have to take the first module (File Management and E Document Production) but you get to choose the others. My boss chose the first 4 and I got to choose Web Page Creation for myself :)

Apart from that I've been researching a couple of things completely non-craft related.

There's a program I've been watching called Its Not Easy Being Green, which is mainly about self sufficiency and green energy. Its something I've always been aware of, especially as our neighbours. Jenny and Graham as I was growing up were for the most part self sufficient. They grew their own veg, and even produced their own tofu (which I still loathe). They were the first people I ever met who home schooled. Quite scarily their two kids Jack and Eve are now both married with kids and are younger than me!

Anyway, back to the point I was making - me and my fella have been watching this show and wondering what we could do, as we are in first floor rented accomadation.

Those of you who have been reading for a while will remember that we have a little roof terrace which is the access to the front door and last year I had plants out there...well, this year we are going to try and grow some veggies and herbs in pots on the roof terrace.

It appears to be the time of year for green related things. One one of the websites I visit DIY:happy had a post earlier in the week about Earth Day and celebrating it . I can't believe I didn't know about this!

Lolly at Lolly Knitting Around's post Everyday is inspiring - they have a wind turbine and everything!

And finally via Lolly Knitting Around I have discovered sew green (isn't it a wonderfully pun-tastic name?!). This blog is really interesting and so are these that I have found through it:
The Worstead Witch
She Turns Slowly

Anyway, the point is, I dream of having a more self sustaining lifestyle than is possible at the moment..

In other news, I'm still working on my doors project, I've updated my 101 tasks in 1001 days blog, am planning a project which involves making myself a new bag and have 2 of my 4 sets of inchies made as far as the bases.

Final Straw

I left one of my groups today. I'm not going to say which one but there were several reasons behind this including one persons pretty much making the group for her little clique, my being preached to on several occasions, and a couple of other things but the main one being that when I made a rare visit to the groups actual page at yahoo, the welcome message has been changed to include the phrase 'family friendly'.

I happen to have a piece of work planned that involves a naked female figure (yes, I am going to do a nude - it will NOT be a self portrait!) and was going to share it with that group but oh well. I had pulled back on my involvement with that group when some changes were made but this final straw just broke the camels back.

To the friends I have made there, I will miss you.x

100 tasks in 100 days.

I found a project people are doing in which you make a list of 101 things you want to do and you have a time limit of 1001 days.

I've decided to join in and you can find more details and my list at the blog I've set up for it, here.

Door progress

I was sitting around last night wondering what on earth I was going to do with the central panel of my door piece - I'd done several experiments, none of them successful and then a weird incident occurred which solved it!

I'd sat down on the edge of the bed whilst thinking about it and putting my slippers on and the card I made with fabric paper at the Xmas EG meeting happened to fall off the shelf and landed at my feet!


I then remembered the experiment pieces I'd done when trying to make fabric paper and went and pulled them out.

This is the piece I'm going to use.

And this is it behind the surround. What do you think? Does it look OK?

I'm going to stitch and embellish it and will keep you posted!

Some good news and FME

My current work contract is due to end on friday and it looked like it would be another slog around the agencies to find some more work, but I had applied for a job covering maternity leave at the place I am working and I got it! I'll be unemployed for three weeks but then not only do I have a definete 6 months at least of work but they are also going to pay for me to take an IT qualification!

My darning/FME foot arrived today and I've done my first decent FME!


Here it is! These are some inchies I've done for a swap I'm in. I did my own first due to the fact I wasn't used to it yet but I think they have come out quite well. I'm using some clear seal on the sides to stop them fraying. I'm yet to embellish them but I can see myself doing some ATC's this way! I'll be getting on with the others over the next few days.


They are backed with muslin which has made me realise I am coming to the point of using it to back everything!

Anyway, more photos as soon as I've worked some more on the inchies!

Door progress

Well, heres the progress on this project.

I've done all the french knots, cut and turned the central panel and stitched it in place and stitched some step details in. (Yes, I am currently sick of french knots but I adore the texture!)

I've thinking about having some ivy curling up one side of it. I took the shot below on good friday.


I'm going to have a door on it as well as the panel in the door way which I need to start on soon!
For the door I was thinking of using a piece of wood (shock announcement! a door made of wood you say?! *gasp* ) but it would have to be quite thin! I'm also thinking about how to fix it in place - for that part at least its back to the drawing board!

In other news, I've ordered a FME foot for my machine and when it arrives I can see if I can sort this darn tension issue out so I can make pretty things in less time!

Wowee!

I went to my EG meeting yesterday and it was a really good day! I got some work done on my door in the morning and in the afternoon we had a talk done by Kay Greenlees the author of Creating Sketchbooks for Embroiderers and Textile Artists.


This is the book my partner bought for me for xmas after I mentioned I really really really wanted it. If you are someone who wants to develop your work using sketchbooks then this is the book I really suggest buying!

The talk she did was brilliant.

The main points she seems to be wanting to get across are:
Your sketchbook is just that, YOURS. There is no right or wrong way to use it. Do what works for you. It is fine to go off on tangents - they often produce the most interesting pieces!

She said to Catch ideas when you have them - jot them down or do a little drawing- on a recipt, a paper napkin, anything you have on you, you can draw or write on.

Seriously, I cannot say more than go out and get the book if its the way you want to go with your work!

My favourite thing she told me - that I'm not the only one who starts the piece I want to do and then does sketchbook work to go with it ;)

The doorway to the WISP.

Oh my. I didn't mean to leave it so long between posts!

Inspiration has finally struck for my doors and windows piece for textilechallenges, although the deadline has been and gone, so I've just set my own one and hope to enter it into an EG competition in September (If I keep my nerve!). Its becoming a work in slow progress as I'm having trouble with time and energy at the moment. It appears I may be borderline anemic
Its been inspired by the doorway to the city walls (ramparts) literally just down the road from my flat.


Its going to be "a doorway to creativity" - So, I will have a door surround, the scene behind the door, and an actual door that can be opened.

And I found the perfect door:
and hinges while in the lake district - more about that to follow!

This is the work in progress so far. Its on a backing of muslin. There is a layer underneath of craft vilene - I'm not sure if it is pelmet vilene - which I have constructed the background out of.I've cut holes out which are the stonework of the doorway and I have have painted it with some fabric paint to be grey/silver/pearly white colours.
Over the top is some silver covered mesh fabric I got in the remanents bin at the fabric shop.
All the stonework is going to be done in french knots - yes, I've finally conquered them! - The outer edge and inner edge in the darker grey and all the stones will be in the lighter grey.
This is a close up of the piece where you can see the different parts I've mentioned.For the centre part of this I am thinking of cutting and turning it to the back so it becomes a frame for the abstract central piece I will do once this is finished.

Now, I have to get on with this as I have inchies and beads to make for textilechallenges too!Am just hoping I don't lose my nerve!This is the most advanced an complicated piece I've done so far!

Bet you wish you had one like this!

I swear, I could make a fortune cloning my partner!

Inspiration finally hit for the doors and windows challenge for textilechallenges but with not much time left on it - and for two of the main colours I have no where near enough of the exactly right shades of thread left.

So, he went to the embroidery shop Viking Loom, which he will normally avoid like the plague and got the threads I needed - even colour matching as well as he could one of them due to the fact I don't know where I got the thread so I couldn't get the same make! He got it as close as anyone was likely to get it! He even checked two different shops before getting it to check he couldn't get a closer match!

Am so proud and pleased with him! Did I mention he's on holiday at the moment and was supposed to be spending his time doing him things?!

Thankyou

Thanks to everyone who got in touch about my recent post.

I've found a short term part time job doing some data input, and I've a couple of others in view to apply for.

I've managed to lose 8 pounds so far with my diet. Am at 192 and my next mini goal is 180. Overall I need to get down to around 140.

I've not done much crafting this week. I just haven't been in the right head space. Shall see what I can do over the next week.

A public apology

I am aware I have been letting some people down recently. This is entirely my fault, mainly due to over commiting myself to things.

This is my own fault and I have no real excuse for having done so. On the lists I am on I am months behind on one swap, I've not kept in touch with good friends I haven't done my art meme, I owe someone who showed me a kindness a squishy and I forgot to pay someone some money I owed them. I let the job I was doing and my personal issues override other peoples feelings and for that I am sorry.

This is partly due to my just not getting things done, and partly due to the shock to my system that my first job in some time was. I am not using it as an excuse but my ongoing battle with depression can lead me to unwittingly - and often without realising - avoid things.

I know that it is inexcusable and all I can do is ask for forgiveness and that you stick with me while I try and remedy some of this?

Marigold Sketchbook page 1

I've started a sketchbook for a series of projects I want to do based on my aunts narrow boat which we holidayed on last year.
The first piece I've looked at is this name plate:

This is on the door of the boat. The design is made up of marigolds and forget me nots.


This is my sketchbook page for ideas for this . I 've included photos from around the boat showing the marigold motif.In most of the page I have done pencil sketches with ideas for stitches to make up the marigolds and forget me nots. I've then lettered each one.

At the bottom of the page I've done a quick sketch of what stitches i plan to do where.

Then i did a small piece of samples to look at how the stitches would actually look.
This is my idea for the main larger marigolds. Its silk ribbon and I have three shades of orange i plan to use.
This is orange perle bullion knot marigold that i plan to use for some of the smaller marigolds

And for the small marigolds I plan to use these. On this you can also see the little beaded forget me nots I am going to - and i think the blue brings the orange up nicely.

I will post more photos of this project as it progresses.

Some Bad News/Good News and a Textural Piece

The bad news is that my temp assignment ended early.....the good news is that this means I can get on with some stitching and actually have time to blog...

Also, in other news I've joined Sparkpeople and have started losing some weight.

This is the start of my my textural 'encrusted calico' piece. This was inspired by this article at the Stitch site. Thier example is in neutrals but I've never been very good at neutral tones so have gone with warmer oranges, browns and yellows - a more autumnal theme?

This is a washer trapped in the fabric with whipped stitching over the top.
This is a curtain ring with straight stitches and loose french knots.
This is a button trapped and held in place with french knots.
This is a wooden dowelling with a woven darning stitch over the top and yet more french knots!

I will show some more progress on this piece soon.

Hello everyone!

Sorry haven't posted in a while..what with post flu blarghness and having another creative lull because of it I've finally started getting creative again.

I had the March York Embroidery Guild Meeting last saturday and went down to the morning stitching group as well as the afternoon meeting/talk for the first time - And I wish I'd started doing so sooner!The friday before I decided i was going to be brave and try and do some encrusted calico work, which is a project I found as a back issue online project on the EG magazine Stitch website. The sample they do is in neutral colours as is traditonal calico work as far as I can gather but those who know my previous work will know neutrals are not my thing - though they are something I need to learn how to work with.So, I'm working on natural coloured calico in a range of browns and oranges.I also used a length of faux pearls on a thin cord which allivates the mattness of the threads - being cottons they have the soft lustre to them.I'm planning to add some beads too...This will be an ongoing project as its a little labourous, but I love the textural feel of the work! Will post photos soon!

I've also been doing some sketchbook work which is part of my drive to actually get to the point where I am producing finished pieces rather than just samples and experiments - this is partly due to the talk given on saturday by the Ebor Textiles Group, who were relating how working as a group with one central theme. They are primarily an exhibiting group and therefore work on a joint brief to produce work for an exhibition.The current one is based around poetic license, which they have all developed into some really interesting ideas. They had bought along pieces of work as well as their sketchbooks. This was the part I found most interesting. I enjoy seeing how people get from idea to item.

So, I have started a project - to give myself a brief, and them produce pieces inspired by that sketchbook work.

Part of the drive to do this is that the next EG meeting will involve a talk by Kay Greenlees who wrote the book Creative Sketchbooks for Textile Artists and Embroiderers; a copy of which i got from my beloved for xmas.If you haven't got this book I heartily recommend looking into it if you are interested in this way of documenting a project.

ATC HELP!

How do you finish the edges of your textile? ATC's?I've been working on some for the EG meeting on Saturday and I just can't work out how to finish off the edges!

I will photograph them but its for a secret swap so can't show them till I've swapped!

Other thing thats stumped me was coming up with suitable ideas for that scale!Abstract definetly works better in this situation.

So, my question to you is:
How do you get your inspiration for you textile ATCs, and how do you make them? I can't see how to layer fabric ones to make them stiff or edge them or anything! HELP!

Latest Challenge

I've finally found some inspiration for my latest Textile Challenges piece.

The idea is that we all take the same theme, the three same basic ingredients, and then work our own piece from those details.

The theme for this challenge is Windows and/or Doors and the ingredients are; Paint, Fibres and recycled/found objects.

Thats our starting point.We can add to the ingredients but am a bit stumped as to where to start. I have my inspiration which is a photo of the nearby gatehouse of one of the nearby gatehouses of the York City Walls:
I just don't know where to go from here! Its getting very frustrating!

Thankyou.

I just wanted to say thankyou to everyone who took the time to contact me in regards to my post about my Poppet.
Please let me assure you my reasons for wanting to lose weight are purely of my own making.
its all about reboosting my own self confidence and the fact it will be benifical to my health.

My self confidence seems to be busy somewhere else half the time and things ranging from my social life, to my appearance and even my art skills get focused on to the point of me being unable to see things objectivly any more. The poppet is an effort to remedy this! I've also found a picture of me I like and am putting it in my wallet.

This is it :

It was taken about 2 years ago now, before the sciatica left me bedridden for several months and made me gain more weight. If I can get back to that I will be content.

My little Poppet.

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains some of my personal religous views. I am a Pagan.

While looking at Dotee's blog (for she is the queen of the mini art doll!) I saw her tutorial on making the most adorable little art dolls.

While I plan to make some like hers, I suddenly had the idea to make myself one, a Poppet if you will.

A Poppet is a sort of spirit doll as well as being a term for a small child or doll.
In some parts of the UK is continues to still mean this though it has also been adopted to describe a doll used in magical practices - BUT this is catagorically NOT a voodoo doll.

They are used for healing and for luck, or are at least in the circles in which I am involved.The use of Poppets is an age old practice, the poppet itself is similar to a luck charm only much more powerful.

I've made myself a Poppet to aid me in my weight loss. I have an ongoing battle with my weight which makes me miserable much of the time. My beloved reminded me that he finds me beautiful whatever size I am but it makes areas of my life ranging from my confidence to my love life and exercise very difficult.

This poppet is to remind me of my purpose in losing weight.

I chose lovely but thin purple cotton fabric as it is a) my favorite colour and b) it represents Spirit, Progress, Success, and the Breaking of Bad Luck.

The shape is a basic doll shape and represents how I feel about my figure.


I did one of my beaded polymer clay faces as I wanted the serene quality it conveys and I am terrible at drawing/stitching faces!

This is one side of the poppet while still on the frame. In the central cartouche is the following:
The serene face. I need to come to deal with my weight and learn to be serene about it.

A heart to represent Love. This is rather important. This is what is behind all other things that this poppet represents and is what will hopefully drive me to succeed!

The spiral represents Rebirth - not literally, but losing weight and regaining fitness and the activeness in my life is a rebirth of a kind!

A symbol that represents losing weight.

The bottom symbol resembles sex. An odd thing to include I hear you wonder, but any of the larger ladies who read my blog will understand how weight can impact on your sex life!

This is the other side of the poppet while still on the frame. This represents the sort of figure I want to achieve. Basically I just want to achieve a healthy figure, not get particularly thin!I LOVE my curves...i just wish they were selected curves and not the running theme for my entire figure! It has the symbol for weight loss in the centre of it.


These two pictures show it made up into the completed poppet. I've done a beaded hanging loop (not visible), and stitched a dragonfly charm to the bottom - its become my sort of symbol these days! I also did a beaded trim around the seam.

The project was stitched in Rajmahal Art Threads in shades of purple. I couched the Raj threads to the surface using two shades of DMC. This was the first time I've done couching and I am rather pleased with the effect!

I also did couched beading for this project which is a good technique for items that aren't really going to be used that much.This is more of a visual object - Something for me to look at when I feel the urge to give up dieting!