SAL 31: The wings of hope….

Hi everyone, as I am now back in school there is less time to sew (not that I had a huge amount- what with all the online learning to post!). But I have made some progress on my little blue wren.

Last time I posted I had just finished the breast area which was worked in sequins and metal work…..

Since then I have turned my attention to the wings which will form little needlecases. A wire casing is sewn around the outside edge of the wing using buttonhole stitch. The scalloped edge is also buttonhole over a larger detached stitch. Satin stitch in two shades of blue – not my neatest! and then the rest of the wing uses goldwork techniques. One wing down and I have made a start of the second now.

Thank you for popping in. Happy stitching and I hope to see you all safe and well in another 3 weeks.
We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.
Avis , Claire, Gun, Carol ,  Sue, Constanze,   Christina,  Kathy,  Margaret,  Cindy,   Heidi,  Jacky , Sunny ,  Hayley, Megan,   MaryMargaret ,  Renee   , Carmella , Jocelyn,    Sharon,  Daisy,   Anne,   A.J. ,  Jenny , Laura ,  Cathie,  Linda,  Sherrie,  Helen

SAL 30 – My little blue wren

Hello everyone, I do hope you are keeping safe and well during the lockdown. I have been making slow and steady progress on a number of unfinished projects, including my little blue wren kit by Jenny Adin-Christie.    Three weeks ago I had finished the tail section and the wren’s head and back.

I then set to work on the chest area. This is worked using a combination of sequins and curled metallic purl. The area is first outlined in with rows of sequins in different shades of blue. Then the centre of the chest is filled with interlocking layers of metal purl to give a very textured finish. So here is where  I am up to now….next stop the wings.

Thank you for popping in. Happy stitching and I hope to see you all safe and well in another 3 weeks.
We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Avis ,  Claire,  Gun,  Carol , Sue,  Constanze,  Christina,   Kathy,  Margaret,  Cindy,  Heidi ,  Jackie , Sunny ,  Hayley,   Megan, MaryMargaret ,  Renee , Carmella ,  Jocelyn,   Sharon,   Daisy,  Anne,  A.J. , Jenny ,  Laura , Cathie,   Linda,   Sherrie  and welcome back to Helen

 

SAL 29 – New techniques

Hi everyone, sorry I am so late to post today – I just keep losing track of the days! I hope you are all keeping safe and well during this difficult time.  I have got myself into a routine of school work in the morning and a little bit of gardening after lunch and some sewing in the evening. I  do seem to have managed to get a little bit of sewing done on my little blue wren this time around. Here was where I was up to last time….. I had finished the tail and made a start of the needle lace collar…

Since then I have finished the collar and made a start on the top of the birds head – shading the cheeks with chenille threads and a ribbon work crest – both new techniques for me.

I then added the needle lace collar, and covered the join with sequins. Also added a little fly stitch with metallic threads. So here is where I am up to now….

I can’ t believe how long this little part of the birds head has taken me. Next job the wings.

A big welcome to our newest member, Sherrie. Can’t wait to see what you are working on!

Thank you for popping in. Happy stitching and I hope to see you all safe and well in another 3 weeks.
We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details. Avis , Claire, Gun,Carol , Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie ,Sunny , Hayley, Megan,MaryMargartet ,Renee ,Carmela , Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, A.J. ,Jenny ,Laura ,Cathie Linda, Sherrie

SAL 28 – Less is more..

Hello everyone, I do hope that you are all keeping safe and well. I have been at home for the last week, but that doesn’t mean that I have managed to get much stitching done! The infant school that I work at has closed early and we watched the children depart last Friday with a mixture of sadness and relief. So for the last week I have had a crash course in online learning platforms and mobile phones – both of which I have resisted to date. I think I had more time whilst going into school!

I have managed to get a few hours stitching on my little blue wren kit completed over the last week, but it has been needle lace which is very time consuming. So there is little to show for the 5 or so hours of work.

After finishing the birds tail, I have moved on to making a collar to go around the birds neck.The first thing I had to do is lay down a network of wire over a pattern piece and then infill with tiny button hole stitches worked in a very fine silk thread. Here is how far I have got….

Thank you for popping in. Happy stitching and I hope to see you all safe and well in another 3 weeks.
We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.  Avis Claire ,  Gun,  Carole, Sue,  Constanze,  Christina,  Kathy,  Margaret,  Cindy,  Heidi,  Jackie, Sunny , Hayley, Megan, MaryMargaret, Renee,  Carmela,  Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy ,  Anne,  Connie, A.J. Jenny,  Laura,  Cathie, Linda

SAL 27 – Little steps

Hi everyone! I have made some progress , but it is very minimal. I have just picked up my little blue wren (Kit by Jenny Adin Christie) again and started to work on the tail. Here was where I was up to way back in November…..

And here is where I am up to now….

Ok, I admit it is a very small amount of progress, but to be honest I have spent the last three weeks trying to sew a Cheshire cat costume for World book day. This took me a lot longer than I had expected as you cannot buy pink and purple striped fur fabric – so I had to cut strips of different fur fabric and sew them together before cutting out my pattern! You should see my carpet – I can’t believe how difficult it is to hoover up fake fur!

Thank you for popping in. Happy stitching and I hope to see you all in another 3 weeks.
We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL.
If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.  Avis,  Claire,  Gun,  Carole,  Sue,  Constanze,  Christina,  Kathy,  Margaret,  Cindy,  Heidi,  Jackie, Sunny,  Hayley,  Megan,  MaryMargaret, Renee,  Carmela,  Jocelyn,  Sharon,  Daisy , Anne,  Connie,  AJ,  Jenny,    Laura, Cathie and welcome backLinda

 

All that glitters…..

After what seems like quite a long break, I was back at the RSN at Hampton Court last weekend, to finally start my goldwork module. I had mounted my calico at home and so when I arrived I set to mounting the silk I had chosen.  I have opted for an octopus for my piece so wanted my silk to represent water – hence the dark blue colour.

Once the silk was mounted I pricked and pounced my design before painting an outline. This was then left to dry and any pounce remaining was brushed off. Here is where I am up to now…..

Homework will be to stab stitch down the silk and start to apply padding. Wish me luck!

Happy stitching everyone.

Horsing around again!

After completing this little fellow….

a design started on a two day course run by the amazing Georgina Bellamy of  https://www.instagram.com/thatembroiderygirl/ , I was inspired to try a second which I plan to make into a bedroom mobile. This meant that the sea-horse design would have to be totally three dimensional. I decided it would be simplest to apply the same padding on to the back of the sea-horse design that went on to the front.

What could be easier? Sewing all the padding together was fairly straight forward, but adding the gold work gets increasing more difficult the more you pass a needle through the feltwork. But I am determined to persevere!

Here is where I have got up to so far…

This little fellow could take a little while longer to complete – and then I would like to add some goldwork startfish to go along side him.

Thanks for popping by, happy stitching!

SAL 26 – Tweetings…

Yay, happy dance! Hello everyone, I have managed to finish another project, and I actually love the results! I have been working on a beautiful goldwork robin that has been designed by Georgina Bellamy of ‘That Embroidery Girl’. Here is where I was at the last time we got together…..

Once I had completed the breast of the robin I coloured the throat by stitching long and short stitch in red DCM threads.

The top of the robin’s head was sewn in both bright check and smooth purl. As you can see I haven’t laid the metal threads flat like the sides of the bird – instead I have overlapped them all to add texture. Unfortunately I have packed away my little fellow in the attack until next December and forgot to photograph him – but you can see a video of him on my IG page. Here is Georgina’s finished bird – and mine looks very similar.

 

Thank you for popping in. Happy stitching and I hope to see you all in another 3 weeks.
We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL.

If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details. Avis,  Claire,  Gun,  Carole,  Sue,  Constanze,  Christina ,  Kathy,  Margaret,  Cindy, Heidi, Jackie,  Sunny,  Hayley,  Megan,  MaryMargaret,  Renee,  Carmela,  Jocelyn,  Sharon,  Daisy , Anne,  Connie,  CJ,  and welcome back to Jenny

I sea no horse…

I thought you might like to see the finished 3D seahorse that I started a few weeks ago on a fantastic goldwork course with the amazing Georgina Bellamy of ‘That Embroidery Girl’ . This is where I was at the last time I posted…

The padding work had been completed and I had released the head by cutting around it and pulling back hard on it. A few stitches then held the head in place. I had nearly finishing outlining the little fellow in gold pearl purl. This padding part of the goldwork process is most important to get right as all the metal threads will sit over it – and it took the whole weekend to get this far!

I forgot to take photos of my progress – the stomach area was segmented and a geometric design was used to cover it. The middle of the belly was covered in cutwork using 6 different coloured metals in a bargello effect – I particularly like this part of the seahorse. After that the back and head were covered and  I made a fin by applying cutwork over felt. Here is the finished seahorse….

And here is a close up of his head.

This was quite a tricky little piece, with lots of provisional work needed before applying goldwork – but I am very happy with the result. I think I might mount this little fellow on a deep blue background and maybe add some seaweed fronds (somehow!).

Thank you for popping in, happy stitching…

Horsin’ around…

Another weekend and another fantastic goldwork course with the amazing Georgina Bellamy of ‘That Embroidery Girl’ This time we were learning how to make a seahorse. This piece, although small needed quite a considerable amount of padding work to be completed. So much so, that this took most of the weekend. There is at least 5 layers of padding below the thin white felt that you can see in the picture below.

Once the padding had been completed, and covered in a thinner felt, the head was cut around to release it and folded back on itself. – This gave a more 3D effect to the piece.

A bead was sewn in place for the eye and an eyelid made by the addition of a strip of felt across the bead. The seahorse was outlined in a stretched pearl purl. I decided to add a little crown at this point be twisting jewellery wire around fresh water purls and purple crystals. This was sewn in place along the head of the little critter.

I think he is looking quite cute already. What do you think?

Thank you for popping by, happy stitching.