isolating lines

I moves a window viewer around my line making exercises to create a variety of potential design ideas. This was good fun and I could see lots of potential design ideas from the few pages of mark making for this course and for the future.

straight stitch sample

Sample 1 straight stitch

 

A piece of cotton was coloured with inktense crayons and then straight stitched using a variety of different thickness's of threads

 

Alex Waylett workshop 20th May

I was fortunate enough to have secured a place on the Norwich Embroiderers Guild workshop exploring tyvek and lutrador with Alex Waylett . I have used both these products before but that was quite a while ago and a technique that I had almost forgotten about. Alex was a really enthusiastic tutor and wanted us to be bold with our colour choices and use of "bling" fabrics

 

 

Thanks Alex for a fun filled day.

Debbie Lyddon Seeing Sound workshop Saturday 22nd April

I was lucky enough to get a late space on Debbie's workshop on Saturday 22nd April, here was the list of requirements

An object that makes an interesting sound (be creative!

A metal coat hanger (the cheap sort from a dry cleaner)

Pen and notebook
Pencils (soft and hard)
Graphite stick or Charcoal
Black ink/black acrylic paint
Coloured crayons
 Big brushes (decorating type)
 Small brushes
  Roll of cream lining paper
  Scissors for cutting paper
  Apron
Water pots
Newspaper/plastic for covering tables
Black sewing thread
Thicker black thread – embroidery silk/perle/linen
Heavyweight white or cream cotton/canvas/linen squares (approx. 20 x 20 cms) x 4
Sewing kit – needles, scissors etc

What were we going to do with the Coat hanger was my first thought!
So armed with all the above items apart from cream lining paper, I set of to Norwich for the workshop.
It was a really inspiring day from start to finish.Thank you Debbie for inspiring us all and for making us walk around the room with a coathanger suspended on a piece of thread attached to two finger which we had to stick in our ears!

Debbie generously shared many of her pieces and talked further about the Sluice Creek Cloths. We listened to all sorts of weird and wonderful sounds, made a few ourselves!! and had a wonderful time making marks, drawing with both pencil, charcoal etc and threads.

New Beginnings

After spending so long talking and thinking about doing another course I have at last finally got my head around sorting something.
I have decided to sign up to the Embroiderers Guild hand embroidery level 1 course, they offer an online version that although is not City and Guilds, offers the same style and level as the Old City and Guilds courses did.
With the first module downloaded I set about spending a wet April afternoon at my kitchen table surrounded by black ink, paints, pens, pencils and paper mark making oh happy days!

Inspiration:

 poppy seed heads and hydrangeas, especially the elements of decay

 

Mark making

 

Mark making to music

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this exercise, especially being given the freedom to "play". I think I have enough to get me started on the samples that lie ahead.

I am by nature a machine embroiderer and feel very happy with the darning foot on, dog feed off and foot down type of stitches on my old trusty Bernina. So here we go time to get out of my comfort zone and try something different, so many different types of needles, fabrics, hoops, stitches.... Not to mention threads! let the journey begin.



 

DesignTwentyTwelve exhibition at the Forum

Just home from our second exhibiton at the Forum in Norwich.Here are some photos.

Look what I've just sold