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.

I have been creative!

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have been working slowly but I have been making samples for my Surface Design series of classes. I am doing textures next, and needed to update the samples. I got Lesley Riley's newest book, on using Lutradur. Since I pestered our stores buyer until she got us some, I better make sure people buy some! So I am expanding the Lutradur portion. In the past I would color it in the first class and burn and distress in the third class. So, using it in mixed media pieces requires techniques to tie it in. I also want to use it more to raise the surface of the embroidery substrate and add in that great pitted texture. I am not through yet, in fact in both pieces I have much hand embroidery yet to do, but since I haven't posted much lately, I thought I would post an early pic or two.

The first photo is of a small Indian blockprinting bit, one I used on the second photo's work. I sponged the block with expandoprint, heated it, and then rubbed gold and black paint over it. The corner bits are Crystalina and the Lutradur is in back of the photo transfer of an icon. I used acrylic paint to color it, and will use stitch to blend it all in. The third photo is a piece using a layer of cotton on top of a little cotton batting, with a layer of acrylic felt beneath that. Over the cotton (batik dyed) I stitched a layer of nylon/poly organza. This was heat distressed, and then machine stitched to blend the pieces together. I added lots of handwork too, and have more yet to go. I am working on two more pieces, and will post more on Saturday, I think. I feel good! Art does indeed wash away the dust of the world from my soul.

Weekends Are Wonderful...

Don't you think? I look forward to it all week, but never get all the things done that I want to do. I am learning that it is okay to sometimes do something just for fun, and sometimes nothing at all. I watched tv and knitted for a significan part of my weekend. I also am making a purse for a blogging friend... I like the design, and am just trying to avoid my wrist locking up on me. If I vary what I do, not doing hour after hour of the same thing, I can usually avoid more than just normal tiredness. I do tend to knit for longer than I should, but oh well. Can't be disciplined all the time! I knitted a little cozy for my coffee cup, and sewed two more. I am knitting on a scarf using a new stitch, looks like a cross stitch. I will take pics when there is more to see than a few rows. I also made some knitting stitch markers, with little beads... hope they work. I sat outside for a while, it was a warm day, not too sunny in the afternoon, but still pleasant. We opened all the windows and kept them open until our neighbour started smoking cigars outside under our bedroom. Ugh.

The kitties were in 7th heaven outside. The squirrels sat outside the yard and chuffed at us! I sat and spun up a couple nice ounces of shetland moorit fleece. I usually spin pretty fine, but want to spin a more woolen and thicker yarn when I do my icelandic fleece, so thought I would see how it went... boy it is harder to spin thicker and fluffier now than thinner and semiworsted. I had to chant slow slow feet, fast fast hands! I will let it sit tomorrow and reel it off and ply it Monday.