Revisiting photos

I was revisiting photos taken on a holiday in central  west NSW on our way to the Open Plains Zoo at Dubbo. On a not major road we came across a series of sculptures featuring animals and bicycles.  I took quite a few pics but one of my favourites was the pink elephant.   We just had to turn back so I could get this shot.  There were far too many to keep stopping but it made a very enjoyable diversion.  More photos can be found at Animals on Bikes - Public Art Scupltures

The zoo was interesting too - you can walk around it if you are feeling energetic - or drive and stop at points of interest.  our trip was a couple of years ago and we were lucky enough to see a baby white rhino and his mum.

Loop Stitch Landscape

Finally got a needle in some fabric and played with Loop Stitch using  a limited palette, different thickness of cotton  and a small amount of perle and rayon.

Loop stitch itself reminded me of a sort of blanket stitch - I had problems working it right to left as is the usual way to do it and found that if I turned the fabric and worked away from me I achieved the effect.  The diagram was a very even stitch with the up and up/down stitch very straight and the same length but I really like the uneven effect that an 'imperfect' stitch gives.

I haven't stitched as much as I would have liked to lately as I have been involved in a fundraising campaign for the Embroiderers' Guild NSW.  We have an exciting time ahead of us - once sufficient funds are raised we will have a 3 level centre of excellence for embroidery with a public gallery, research level housing the Guild collection of embroidery and embellished textiles and Library of over 5000 books and purpose build workshop and meeting rooms.  

Please support us in our endeavours - learn a little more about our capital campaign and donate now.   We hope to have started the building process by mid 2014.

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.