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 

old friends and upcycling...

what to do when your trusty sewing machine isn't very well, for the first time in 20 years and you have  to take it to the machine doctor...

and then a 'Making in The Studio' workshop is happening and we are a machine down as someone's machine has come without a foot...

it's time to call on Singer and Jones...sounds like a double act or a firm of solicitors...but no, they are my old friends...

this is Mrs Singer...such a wonderful machine...smooth and well-oiled...daughter mine loves the smell of her!! 

 
and here is Miss Jones...a hand worked beauty with a lovely action and a tiny spindle-like spool hidden in her depths...both are gilded ladies fit for a fancy drawing room or front parlour...

sewing using a hand machine is soo soothing...clink and chink as the handle goes round and the needle smoothly moves up and down...

Victoria arrived equipped for anything...and brought a friend...a lovely Mollie Makes doll which she had made...and a fab pincushion...

Sandra did a show and tell ...a beautiful crocheted rug she had made and  gave me a gorgeous gift of a crocheted bowl, to which I added a lovely button and filled with threads...isn't it a gem?

I do soo love it when people bring things they have made to show...or send photos of items finished after they they go home...

Sandra's busy here sewing on to the front the pretty leaves which she had embroidered with beadwork...

  
Helen came with her cute little basket of goodies...

Sandie got to use Mrs Singer and enjoyed herself no end...and did hand sewing and then got on to making a corsage...looking good! She had made her pretty beaded bracelet by the way...so many talented makers here today!

and after a day of hard work and fun and concentration and sewing and cutting...and tea and cake...4 beautiful bags appeared...Sandie's has a bit to go to be finished as she made hers slightly differently but here is Helen's with pretty suffolk puff decorations...

and a later photo...thanks Helen...love the covered button...

and Sandra's gorgeous soft green bag with beautiful embroidered beaded leaves...

and Victoria's messenger bag...with fab flower in just the right fabrics after much debate in the studio...

Ladies I salute you! You have all made gorgeous handmade handbags...hard to tell that when you arrived these beauties were all old wool jumpers!

I soo love doing workshops and meeting wonderful creative folk who take a making idea and run with it! You are all an inspiration!

I do soo love running workshops...

a chance to meet other textile enthusiasts and to enjoy time together sharing my knowledge and seeing how they take the techniques and make them their own... they learn and I learn too...and we have a fun day in the studio playing with stitch and fabric and embroidery and buttons... and did I mention the momemade cake?? thanks to my recent group of lovely ladies here stitching away...

 

so here without more ado...a quick trumpet for this term's workshops..autumn is upon us and cosy times indoors beckon... what better time to get making?

By the way...I am thinking of adding in a hatmaking workshop as I had a request at Woolfest but not sure how popular it would be ..if you fancy one let me know! I do like the idea of it...but if it included machine embroidery it would have to be a two day-er...

more workshop details here...

by the way bit apologies for the random posting of late...C-art Open Studios was such a huge success with over 170 people finding their way to our studio...and we even had a preview party and an artist's party ...but it is very tiring and now the house is a complete tip and the studio needs sorting and I've a craft fair next week...and to top it off we are currently having a new septic tank fitted (living in the country sn't all flowers and romance!) so outside down there is like WW1 trenches at the moment and there's a digger parked outside the studio and a lorry outside the house! 

  mm mud mud mud!

Is that enough excuses?? (not that I would change a thing as I'm loving this artist life!)

no, seriously I have missed my regular blogging so I will be back properly as soon as I've had a lie down...here's a little taste of autumn inspiration... I spotted this gorgeous book in Mollie Makes and well...now it's in my studio inspiring me...

it's wee Friday today as they say in Scotland...so have an inspiring  weekend and see you soon xx

celebrate...handmade

whether it's willow baskets or cupcakes...or bags or dresses...there's a whole lot of making going on round here...today it's the turn of husband of patience to be in the limelight...he's often to be found behind the scenes...but here his making takes centre stage...

since doing a weekend workshop he has just loved setting to and making a basket...which is a whole process... first soak the willow...the right amount and size...it all has to be planned a week ahead...to be carefully cut and then woven in precise mathematical patterns... here is one he made earlier...a special chair for sitting in to willow weave ...or just drink tea...home grown...so no air miles at all...and very much SLOW and patient making...I love the colour and shape...

and now he has the proper tools in a lovely wooden holder he made in his tool shed...he can be found outside in all weathers making handmade woven willow creations...some a trifle wobbly but some just amazingly strong and beautiful and round and woven with love and passion...

 

it starts with a base...and magically several hours of weaving and Radio 4 later... a two tone basket appears...of great interest to Emilia chicken...checking it for quality control?

how pleasing to grow and harvest something with which you then create a useful and beautiful object...here's another in use by daughter mine...plotting some creativity and craftyness in a corner of the studio...

here's my favourite inspirational Mollie Makes...with a fab free gift...cleverly on a handmade theme...and of course wonderful craft ideas inside to make or just drool over...

so let's celebrate handmade... and all craft and art and writing and sewing and gardening and...whatever you love to do! xx