The beginning of my next embroidered quilt, the Beauty by @sweet-pea-embroidery-designs

The Dichotomy of Stitching

I recently began an online course with Jude Hill at Spirit Cloth. It is on making animals on cloth, and I am very much enjoying it. This piece was started before I began the class, but I am still using the knowledge even so. Also, my new embroidery module has arrived, and I am learning to use it. The slowness and individuality of handwork opposed to the speed and perfection of the machine is interesting. I will eventually use the module to do things in Maggie Greyesque forms, but I need to learn the basics first. I also can't get the digitizing software yet.... but one step at a time. There is a place for all forms of art. I enjoy both. I love the handwork.

You Wouldn't Think...

That I would be particularly happy about the rain, but really, I am. Well, maybe not this much rain. But if this had been snow, it would have been 17 inches! So yes, rain seems pretty good about now. We did have some lovely weather last week, but as in January, it was just a tease, I know. That is okay, I will enjoy it all the same. While the Farmer's Almanac is still predicting another snowfall in March, I am hoping for none. The rest of this week looks to be in the 50's and 60's, and sunny by week's end too. After that, it's anyone's guess.

I spent this weekend on samples for new classes. I only got one done... stopped one midway through, hated it. That is always so disconcerting, it takes time to regroup afterwards, I can't just move on to the next idea. I do like this one though, so that is okay. I will make a series of these cuffs, and do one each quarter. I have been asked for more project based classes, and may let my surface design series rest a year.

I am almost done with the last Laurie King novel in the Mary Russel series, The Language of Bees, before her newest comes out. This one is as good as the rest, and I shall reread the first to refresh my memory. Fitting series for someone with a steampunk deck upcoming.

My Angel of the Sea

Well, this is what I have been working on for the last ten days. She is for the Woodlawn Needlework Exhibition... my first time entering anything like this. She is based on the head of an angel on an icon, blown up and printed on my inkjet printer. Then I made several phototransfers of marine critters and used composite leaf. I covered everything with organza, stitched the features and hair. I burned away the organza over the face and critters, then I tore organza and used it to stitch seaweed, also silk ribbon. I used a netting at the base, and I painted and deformed Tyvek and sewed it on too. More stitching, ribbon anemones and seed stitched her hair some more. I pleated ribbon and sewed to the outside. The background is rayon-silk velvet backed with 2 layers of cotton flannel, then hand stitched in no particular pattern, then shunk in hot/cold water and the dryer. I supported everything with foamcore board, and finally sewed on a hanger. Phew, done. I am not hopeful of a prize, but want to get new kinds of needlework in front of people. Not many here do this kind of stuff, or at least in public. I shan't be embarrassed to show her off!

This is the second teacozy sample for my class... I like the final result well enough but, my, it was a long process. I started by overlaying three cotton fabrics with aqua and bronze organza, and stitching them down (raw edged) with handstitching. I also stitched a spiral, a moon and stars. Afterwords, I used Shiva oilsticks to add color over the stitching. I really didn't like the color much, and decided to use a soldering iron to burn away the organza to de-emphasize the color, and add texture. I had added the lining, but I still didn't like the color where it lay on the spiral and crescent. I ended up adding several layers of fabric over the spiral and moon, and then beads at the tips of the stars arms as well as the appliques. The stitching and beading was done after the lining, and it was really hard to do. Iended up stitching through fold and all, and I am thinking about relining it, but not until after the class. It can serve as a "don't do it this way" lesson. Sigh.

Sashiko Quilting

I love this medium. I am far from exceptional at it, I am still very much learning, but I love it. For those who do not know of it, sashiko is an ancient Japanese form of quilting, originally used to layer older perhaps thin or ripped fabrics to make a warmer or more complete garment. It has become an amazing artform, with firemen and fishermen certainly at the apex. Some of the stitching is tiny, very dense. I am not there yet. I am making another sample for my classes, this one is to teach the basics of the technique, and ends with a small cosmetics pouch or evening bag at the end, depending on the closure. This needn't be dense, just pleasing. I like this pattern, especially in the traditional indigo blue with white stitching. I do some of mine on silk (thank you Nancy Shriber) using a piece of flannel beneath, but this is simply cotton with a little cotton batting to pad the sides of the purse. I think I will use a wild color as the lining... to feed my inner wild child! I am not having as much time to play with fiber and paint as I would like, but then, I would like to spend all day. A little too greedy I guess.

The Ice Storm Cometh

They have been forcasting the ice for 2 days, so why did it catch VDOT unprepared? Sigh, well, it did make for some pretty scenery. Click on the gargoyle to see the ice better. The squirrels don't seem bothered, but the birds are frantically feeding. I put out extra food this am. The purse is a class I am teaching at G Street Fabrics on Saturday. It is a fun technique I cobbled together from several books and classes I have taken. The base is silk, with bits and bobs collaged on top of it, then covered over with tulle and stitched to secure. I then stamped, hand embroidered it, bound it, folded it and used a magnetic closure. It makes a great little evening bag.