free motion machine embroidery

I have been playing off and on with some free motion machining.   My machine is still in charge but at some stage I know I will be able to still the beast!

I did an ATASDA class earlier in the year with Kirri Toose and she willing shared some tips including the drawing of the design on an iron or interfacing and working the design on from the back of the piece.  I did this and then flipped and added more machining.some additional gfavirc which I cut from an Indian trim I had in my box of precious things and a a few beads.   All this was done on a bit of organza with a gold check stripe which added a richness to the back ground.  After looking at the work in a  photo I wished I had worked more machine stitch into it.  I will remember to take it a step further next time.

Seasons Challenge

My home group Stitchers Plus  put up a challenge to Guild members to embroider their response to "Changing of the Seasons".

Here is mine  - my first attempt at any sort of crewel work. I didn't get past stem stitch really - even for the filling in the tomatoes and the horse.  However  I ventured out with laid stitches for the jockey's pants, boots and hat and a sort of trellis for his colours.  I found crewel wool very satisfying to use but I did over handle the piece a bit and it become a bit 'fluffy' in places.

what a difference a matte makes

I framed my chain stitch exercise in an eggshell coloured matte board and was pleased with the result - I have an A4 sized work to rotate on my desk with other works.

Cheers

chain stitch exercise

I am doing a design course through city and guilds - this is one of the stitch exercises I have done.    I collaged a number of fabrics to create a back ground - some of them I dunked in my coffee pot leftovers to get a similar coloured ground.  The chain stitch is worked in 2 shades of grey and and black stranded cotton - sometimes mixed in the needle.

Rather chuffed with the outcome :-)

elephant in the corner

Watercolour pencil drawing - a fun experiment in mixing shapes and colour.

I have been been wanting to play with crewel work but have been hampered by my desire to do my own design,   I think I overwork things in my mind and get tied up in my own doubts and lack of knowledge.   This is a step in the right direction.

In the interim I have been working on small piece for a challenge by my Guild  home group Stitchers Plus where finally I pulled out some crewel wool and had a go.   I am nearly finished an will put a photo up at the end of the week after the entry date passes.

Meeting with like minds

Spent Saturday with Stitchers Plus and came home happy and inspired.  It is always great to catch up with friends and see what we have been up to stitch wise - click on the side bar link to see some of our show and tell.   It will reveal that I have actually put a needle into fabric since return from holidays - but I haven't been active on the Cloth Garden blog.

As well as working on a journal cover - which was really a stitch pay that got turned into something - I have been working on Stitchers Plus Members Challenge which is due in this week - we asked members of the Embroiderers' Guild NSW  what 'changing of the seasons' meant to them and asked them to stitch a response to it. Our local libraries (Concord and Five Dock) are going to display the works in October and November this year.  I will post some photos after closing date.

I have also been busy getting a web page together for my small framing business - hopefully it will be live at the end of the month!

In the interim, in between stitch the challenge pieces I have pulled out my watercolour pencils and had a play with colour and shape.    The colours are not as rich in the photo  as they are in the original but  I can see some play with overlaid organza, chiffon and stitch happening in the future:

Stitch In at the Tops

I had a fantastic weekend in the company of members of the Embroiderers' Guild NSW at Stanwell Tops (near Helensburg).  I spent 2 days exploring stitches with Judith Langdon and came home happy and tired.

The facilities were in a beautiful  bush surrounds with tall gum tress - we could even  see the ocean from the balcony of the building we we in.

A  few of us were entertained by a lyrebird that seem to scurry past our window at regular intervals.  I did manage a couple of short walks but  really didn't really take full advantage of the grounds - we were stitching from 9 - 5!   


The Stitch In was organised by Judith (who is one of the fund raising team for the Embroiders Guild) as a fund raiser for the Guild's exciting refurbishment project. Members are working towards fund raising - the end result of our efforts will be a building with three levels; a public space and gallery on the ground floor, then a research level which will contain the library, the museum containing a significant collection of textiles) and a top floor containing rooms for workshops and meetings.

Judith and the other tutors - Wendy Fuller and Margret Stephens - donated their time free of charge.  Thank you.

I would show you my explorations but I couldn't find it when I got home -  I am hoping that I left it behind as the other alternative is that I lost in on my travels home on the train.  Keeping my fingers crossed it was picked up at the Tops in the final clean up.  I discovered and practised stitches not in my usual repertoire  - which was not hard as it consists largely of running and chain stitch!  I found that I really like what can be done with up and down button hole stitch - especially when it becomes irregular.