stitching texture...

as you will have gathered by now my dear patient readers I spend as much time as possible sewing, stitching, machine embroidering, creating, playing with fabrics and generally having a wonderful time...(housework what housework?!).. even better is teaching a machine embroidery Workshop and I thought I'd just share a little of what we covered at a recent one...looking at creating a textured surface...

I had 4 lovely and very creative souls with me, interestingly the Universe had kindly organised they were all students...one doing GCSE, two at A'level and one doing an Open COllege of Arts Textile course...amazing synchronicity!

as usual the immaculate studio prepared for my workshopees quickly bcomes a creative brouhaha...what a great word that is, no idea what it means but it seems to fit!

dear old bondaweb (ahem there are probably lots of other kinds of fusible fabric out there Ed)...that versatile "heat reactive, sheet of glue which permanently bonds one fabric to another when ironed"...aha but did you know it's really fun when you paint it? with watercolour, or acrylic or maybe fabric paint...

and then you can literally glue on texture by ironing on snippets of thread or fabric, then just add stitching...

mmm...pleased with these!

and then there's that weird stuff, Tyvek, described by Barnyarns as a "spun bonded polythene fabric that is non-toxic and accepts colour mediums, will shrink, bubble and distort when heated"...not half we say! Mind you it's not so good at the health and safety owing to fumes, so you must heat it outdoors. I don't personally use it a lot...but it is amazing...

here is some which has been painted

then heated...

stitched with snippets of fabric then zapped...

painted then stitched, you can see the fabric shrinking has distorted the stitching

On the whole though I prefer to use more fabric and stitch based ways and challenge my process and creativity to achieve the textures I want...

but it may still include some bondaweb...here used OVER lots of fabric snippets, ironed on then stitched...

and bondaweb underneath...

and there may still be some heating...I used to do this with a household paint stripper, all my degree work was done with me hanging around outside the door of my studio 'burning' my beautiful work with this device!

you'll be pleased to know I do now have a more specialised controllable heat 'appliance'...

eg for burning away a top fabric to reveal layers underneath...I have to experiment first to see which fabrics will melt away...

or for small pieces of fabric stitched on top and then burned away...so much delicious colour too...

you can see why I need a housekeeper, cleaner, gardener and cook...because doing this is just so much more fun!

Hope you've enjoyed the workshop...and maybe been inspired to have a go...

Emmax 

getting crafty...

oh I do love magazines...they offer such inspiration when you live in a rural place where the only things passing the door are chickens and sheep...I love where I live but it is great to connect with the world out there...

this Prima special really appealed to me on the newstand as I browsed...somehow the colours and the ideas of spring led me astray...but it has some great ideas inside for all sorts of tastes and abilities...

 

mmm... all round yumminess! 

this weekend I had a small local craft fair...and despite the pouring rain we had a lovely day...here's a peek at my new needlecases which I loved making, the upcycled felted blankets were so soft and tactile to work with...and I was pleased with the finished stitchy result...
 

 
Sunday was a BIG day out with a friend and fellow artist travelling to Yorkshire and back, leaving home at a very uncivilised hour...to go on an inspiring course where I learnt about how to present your work at a show, and how to define and refine what you do...I met some other wonderful artists and it was led by Victoria and Emily from The Art Market... fantastic art and craft shows in Holmfirth, Yorkshire...do take a look here... and go if you can! 

and isn't life amazing...I sat next to a lady and we chatted and it turned out she writes Hippystitch...a lovely crafty blog you can take a peek at here...the latset post is some fantastic community yarnbombing!

so back at home now with a poorly daughter exhausted after walking in pouring rain with a heavy rucksack for hours on her weekend DofE expedition practice...

it's pottering for me too after a mega busy week...perhaps a little house loving wouldn't come amiss after several weeks,ahem, months of neglect...

wishing you a lovely week...hope it's really crafty!Emmaxx

the weekend starts here....

 

mm well it's not quite like that here today..but let's just ignore the crazy weather ie wild stormy bitterly cold sleeting and hailing not even snowing and grey and wet and dreach...and the weather forcast and all the weather news from around the country (and hope you are all keeping warm and safe.)...because hey, inside my head the sun is shining...and I still remain hopeful of better days ahead...

The Simple Things mag is an occasional simple pleasure...full of delicious photos and quirky and delightful items of interest beautifully presented... and the choc is just sheer indulgence...a couple of treats from a very quick shopping expedition into the wintry wildness earlier...

mm that's better...and I can't wait for family to be safe home and stoves to be lit and a warm glow to fill at least some of the big old stone walled quirky house we live in... and the weekend relaxing can begin...

in the meantime I have been busy sewing in the studio...made some scones for a teatime treat...put a chicken in the oven...so I think I've earned my treats...

and I thought I'd just share a couple of pics from yesterday when although cold, it was gloriously sunny...

the lambs along the road are getting bigger and enjoying the warm sun...

 

how to make a chicken happy? no it's not chocolate in there...just some out of date sesame seeds... they go wild for 'em!

and the simplest of wild spring flowers... the celandine...a most welcome bright yellow beacon of hope...

so do tell me....what makes your weekend special?

Etsy and beyond...

well my feet have been floating about 6" (metric...mm about 15cm!) off the ground this week...just blown away by the lovely responses here and on Facebook to my Giveaway...so thanks to everyone who took part...sorry you couldn't all be winners, thanks for all the lovely comments and compliments xx

...and I'm celebrating my first sale on Etsy!! 

...and at Tullie House Gallery and Museum in Carlisle,  a certain C-art Pop up shop has been selling work for me and want me now to sell my goodies there more permanently!!

...and the email came saying I have been allocated a stall at Woolfest in June...book it in your diary now 28th and 29th June...it's a fab event!

sigh!

it's all so wonderful! Thank you Universe! Big hug xx

so to get my feet back on the ground...I've ordered 1000 brooch pins...how many?!!

...and been a making a pretty bag...which is of course the best bit, sitting in my lovely warm studio, sewing and getting creative again, with a stunning view of the fells, chickens scrattling about outside, husband of patience out planting willow in the field, daughter mine zooming something amazing on her sewing machine...half term happiness!

I seem to have been asleep for the last couple of months but now like out in the garden I'm waking up...and just loving that all I need to do is get some fabric and thread and start to play...and this is what may happen....colours just come together and then a brooch appears...and...

mind you there is a certain lack of house loving been going on...so I think maybe that's the next assignment...but there is just a half finished bag may need my attention...what do you think??

hope you've had half as good a week as I have, and have a lovely weekend... Emmax

how to make a bird brooch....

...or ten...

it is soo feeling a bit more springlike out in the world of nature...lighter nights...birds twittering more...little signs of bulbs and green shoots and buds..and of course snowdrops...aren't they incredible, coming up whatever the weather is doing...little signs of hope!

it's all made me feel more creative and much more like getting to my mahcine and getting sewing and embroidering...and using some gorgeous new fabrics such as this delicious daisy design and dotty spotty (can't beat a good spot!)in fab colours...feeling springlike and ready for fresh new shades...

so if you're feeling like joining me in some making...

first draw or trace your birdshape on paper..keep it simple...cut out a pattern and use to draw onto, or just pin onto, a piece of craft felt and cut out...(do try and use a wool type felt as they are just so much nicer to handle and sew with) Please note:I make a lot so I cut a lot! 

then for some tiny hearts..iron Bondaweb or similar to the back of your chosen fabric...and draw on your heart shape...note the nice sharp pencil...a miracle in this house to a) find a pencil, b) find a sharp pencil or c) find any pencil and a pencil sharpener within a mile of each other...

I then spend a relaxing time with Radio 4 or some nice music playing and cut out all my little hearts...bless them! Don't forget to take the PAPER backing off before you try to iron them on...



aren't they cute?

so with care iron on the heart to the bird shape...take care not to iron the felt as it won't like it!

next cut out a little beak in a different coulour of craft felt...and then pin the bird shapes and beaks to a bigger piece of felt...this make it soo much easier to sew (here I've used a piece of felted wool jumper) WARNING!! do not try to sew a small bird on it's own as it'll drive you nuts!

sew carefully round the bird shape close to the edge... make sure you include the beak...(not shown here cos I forgot!)

I then free machine round the heart but you can do it with a normal foot if you prefer...

and ta da..a row of little birds appears ...

it is a lovely moment when you cut them out and they become proper little birds...

just something missing...look away if you don't like operations as the next bit looks painful... but I'm sure they don't mind!

mm and they must look real as Basil is showing a great deal of interest...



or maybe it's just that it's cold out there and warm and snug in here...

To finish... sew a nice brooch pin onto the back and wear with pride at your craftyness...celebrate the handmade and welcome in the spring!

and talking of handmade...check out UK Handmade's magazine...bright new spring issue here

Have a great week...and I hope, fingers crossed, to be in opening Etsy mode soonest...I will keep you posted (I'm still doing photos and writing the blurb trying to make sure it's all perfect and looking lovely for you!)xx

PS and I'me feeling a Giveaway for spring coming on...