Saturday, November 26, 2005
Having fun
Last weekend I did one of the courses arranged by our local Embroiderers Guild. It was entitled "Wings and Halos" and we were (I found out when I arrived) to make a simple doll shape, which would be decorated, although other more advanced types of cloth dolls were discussed.
I had packed every possible thing I might need, except my glasses, so my poor angel turned out to have hips on one side and very androgynous on the other! I can't say I was very enamoured. I then discovered that the lady sitting next to me was making one of the more advanced dolls, so I traced off the pattern (from Creative Cloth Doll Making by Patti Medaris Culea) and started on one of those, redrafting the one leg from bent to straight.
It was then suggested that I paint my 'mishap' as that might improve it. I duly splodged some silk paint over it and left it to dry.
When I started the other doll, it was with the idea that it would be a 'wacky' christmas angel. However by hometime on the first day, I'd decided it was more likely a fairy and once I'd got it put together, I would probably paint it with my own silk paints.
Well!!! She had other ideas! By the time I got back to class on Sunday, she was well on her way to being a fallen woman! She'd acquired a pair of gold fishnet stockings, complete with ricrac stocking tops. (I know I have some gold lace, which would have made perfect stocking tops, but I can't find it anywhere!) On the bus in, I decided she needed boobs, so they were made and stitched on and I then made a maroon velvet corset and a red organza dressing gown, that's trimmed with a maribou featherboa. She's slowly taking shape, she's now sporting a pair of skimpy black lace knickers and I want to do a maroon lace suspender belt!
Overnight, the mishap had dried in a rather spectacular pattern, so I decided I would do that at home. I've added trails of beads to her feet and down one side, as well as seed beads in a swathe across the front. Because the 'face' also became a pattern, I decided I wouldn't do a conventional face, but would add a mask instead. She still needs her halo, which I think will be heavily beaded.
Doesn't scan unfortunately, so I will add photos soon.
Moo
I had packed every possible thing I might need, except my glasses, so my poor angel turned out to have hips on one side and very androgynous on the other! I can't say I was very enamoured. I then discovered that the lady sitting next to me was making one of the more advanced dolls, so I traced off the pattern (from Creative Cloth Doll Making by Patti Medaris Culea) and started on one of those, redrafting the one leg from bent to straight.
It was then suggested that I paint my 'mishap' as that might improve it. I duly splodged some silk paint over it and left it to dry.
When I started the other doll, it was with the idea that it would be a 'wacky' christmas angel. However by hometime on the first day, I'd decided it was more likely a fairy and once I'd got it put together, I would probably paint it with my own silk paints.
Well!!! She had other ideas! By the time I got back to class on Sunday, she was well on her way to being a fallen woman! She'd acquired a pair of gold fishnet stockings, complete with ricrac stocking tops. (I know I have some gold lace, which would have made perfect stocking tops, but I can't find it anywhere!) On the bus in, I decided she needed boobs, so they were made and stitched on and I then made a maroon velvet corset and a red organza dressing gown, that's trimmed with a maribou featherboa. She's slowly taking shape, she's now sporting a pair of skimpy black lace knickers and I want to do a maroon lace suspender belt!
Overnight, the mishap had dried in a rather spectacular pattern, so I decided I would do that at home. I've added trails of beads to her feet and down one side, as well as seed beads in a swathe across the front. Because the 'face' also became a pattern, I decided I wouldn't do a conventional face, but would add a mask instead. She still needs her halo, which I think will be heavily beaded.
Doesn't scan unfortunately, so I will add photos soon.
Moo
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Technopeasant
I have no idea how all this technical stuff works! I have just tried to redo the link to Gina, who is now Catsize and not Sheepish Sticher, but can't get it to work!! (J9, my s-i-l always did that kind of stuff, but she's dropped off the planet as I get no answers to my emails!!)
"If you have stitched for a while, can you usually pick out the DMC colors you need from memory when you go to your LNS? (For example, you know that 610 is a brown.)"
Reading this on Ginas' blog was quite spooky, cos almost one of the first things Michelle said to me was, " What's the DMC number that you said was better than black for outlining?" (3371) It's years since I last worked by number, but I still remember quite a lot of them.
Moo
"If you have stitched for a while, can you usually pick out the DMC colors you need from memory when you go to your LNS? (For example, you know that 610 is a brown.)"
Reading this on Ginas' blog was quite spooky, cos almost one of the first things Michelle said to me was, " What's the DMC number that you said was better than black for outlining?" (3371) It's years since I last worked by number, but I still remember quite a lot of them.
Moo
I had a ball . . .
and spent lots of money!
The trip down on Virgin was great. Everything worked like clockwork, until I got to Tamworth and had to change to the local Central line that was coming from Nottingham. It was 30 minutes late!! What is it with Nottinghamshire? Is it the Bermuda Triangle of time?
Michelle met me at the station in Redditch and Friday night we just caught up and stitched, our needles moving as fast as our mouths!!
Saturday, Cathy (her d-i-l) picked us up and we went off to the NEC. Even though I was expecting something big, it was still far bigger than what I'd imagined. There was loads of Scrap-booking, Stamping, Card-making and Cross-stitch which was nice to look at, even though it's not my cup of tea, but that didn't stop me finding things to buy. My stash has grown considerably!
I got the one box of the new DMC threads, being very disciplined and only getting those that I knew I would use, rather than all of them cos they're yummy!
Some thicker threads from Twilleys in gold, silver and bronze,
loads of goldwork 'threads' (that's where I spent the most money)
and some leather for goldwork projects, like bugs and dragons!
A box that I can mount embroidery on, a small quilting frame (cos the ones I brought from SA I'm finding very large and unwieldy) a panel to make an advent calendar, a few things for the Christmas tree, a small lamp that can be clipped onto your frame and positioned just where you need the extra light and some artists canvas and oil paints, so I can play!
The oils came about because we also went through the Christmas Show and there were some abstract paintings on sale, at vast expense, that I knew I could probably do myself. Michelle had already done one of her own (for the same reason) and said it's very therapeutic splodging paint around and coming up with your own, personal masterpiece!
Watch this space!!
Saturday night, I made a scissor-keeper for Michelle, using my new DMC threads. Apparently, I'd promised to make her one before I left SA and hadn't done so!
Sunday, we went to another exhibition at Coughton Court, which is fairly close to where they live.
The Christmas gift side was in part of the house, and we had as much fun looking at what was on sale, as we did looking at the house itself! Most of what was on offer was absolutely exquisite and while expensive, well worth what was being asked. The rest of the exhibtion was in a large marquee on the front lawn.
I have mostly finished the sunbird. We decided that it needed a few more leaves and so I'm busy doing those. I also still need to do the stamens.
The trip home also ran like clockwork, this time with no delays as I went direct from Birmingham to Crewe and didn't have to rely on the local lines!
Moo
The trip down on Virgin was great. Everything worked like clockwork, until I got to Tamworth and had to change to the local Central line that was coming from Nottingham. It was 30 minutes late!! What is it with Nottinghamshire? Is it the Bermuda Triangle of time?
Michelle met me at the station in Redditch and Friday night we just caught up and stitched, our needles moving as fast as our mouths!!
Saturday, Cathy (her d-i-l) picked us up and we went off to the NEC. Even though I was expecting something big, it was still far bigger than what I'd imagined. There was loads of Scrap-booking, Stamping, Card-making and Cross-stitch which was nice to look at, even though it's not my cup of tea, but that didn't stop me finding things to buy. My stash has grown considerably!
I got the one box of the new DMC threads, being very disciplined and only getting those that I knew I would use, rather than all of them cos they're yummy!
Some thicker threads from Twilleys in gold, silver and bronze,
loads of goldwork 'threads' (that's where I spent the most money)
and some leather for goldwork projects, like bugs and dragons!
A box that I can mount embroidery on, a small quilting frame (cos the ones I brought from SA I'm finding very large and unwieldy) a panel to make an advent calendar, a few things for the Christmas tree, a small lamp that can be clipped onto your frame and positioned just where you need the extra light and some artists canvas and oil paints, so I can play!
The oils came about because we also went through the Christmas Show and there were some abstract paintings on sale, at vast expense, that I knew I could probably do myself. Michelle had already done one of her own (for the same reason) and said it's very therapeutic splodging paint around and coming up with your own, personal masterpiece!
Watch this space!!
Saturday night, I made a scissor-keeper for Michelle, using my new DMC threads. Apparently, I'd promised to make her one before I left SA and hadn't done so!
Sunday, we went to another exhibition at Coughton Court, which is fairly close to where they live.
The Christmas gift side was in part of the house, and we had as much fun looking at what was on sale, as we did looking at the house itself! Most of what was on offer was absolutely exquisite and while expensive, well worth what was being asked. The rest of the exhibtion was in a large marquee on the front lawn.
I have mostly finished the sunbird. We decided that it needed a few more leaves and so I'm busy doing those. I also still need to do the stamens.
The trip home also ran like clockwork, this time with no delays as I went direct from Birmingham to Crewe and didn't have to rely on the local lines!
Moo
Thursday, November 10, 2005
I forgot .......
I came across this in the V&A,
I forgot to write down all the details, but it was in the same section as the Mary, Queen of Scots embroideries, so is 16th/17th century, made completely from seed beads!
Moo
I forgot to write down all the details, but it was in the same section as the Mary, Queen of Scots embroideries, so is 16th/17th century, made completely from seed beads!
Moo
Update
The sunbird is coming together really well. I have a small amount of the background to do and then I can add all the slips. I received a back-handed compliment on Monday. One of the ladies asked if the sunbird was machine embroidery! When I said I didn't do machine embroidery at all, she said she'd only asked cos it was such fine work!
I'm off gallivanting again! I'm going down to Redditch to visit my cousin. We're going to the NEC on Sunday, so no doubt I will have lots more stash on my return!
Moo
I'm off gallivanting again! I'm going down to Redditch to visit my cousin. We're going to the NEC on Sunday, so no doubt I will have lots more stash on my return!
Moo
Sunday, November 06, 2005
It was great seeing my girls again! The trip down was uneventful until we left Grantham. Apparently a truck had driven into some overhead lines outside Peterborough, so we were held up for over an hour getting through the area. Poor Lelie had to sit at Kings Cross waiting for me to arrive, as there was no longer an ETA! I eventually arrived just before 6pm, a few minutes before Janet got there. They then took me off to dinner, where we sort of planned out my visit, although it did become a case of "the best laid plans of mice and men ......"
Wednesday morning was my own as they were all working, so I set off for the V&A to carry on where I'd left off in the textile dept. Unfortunately, it was completely gutted and there was only one small display case with some modern stuff in it. However, I did get to see the embroideries of Mary Queen of Scots
and found the enclosed garden I didn't know was there!
I then set off to see the Albert Hall, Kensington Palace and the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens. Having already walked what felt like miles around the V&A, I caught a bus to the Albert Hall, then started walking through the park to the statue. Big mistake! I shouldn't have convinced myself not to be lazy and get a bus round to the other side, as it was way too much walking for my knee, which rather spoilt the rest of my time with the girls.
Janet had arranged for Margaret and I to go and see Les Mis on the Weds night, which was absolutely brilliant, except we were right up in the second row of the gods and Margaret is scared of heights, so felt we should have seat belts!!
I could go on for ever about what we did, but won't bore you! We finally got up the London Eye on the fourth attempt, we never got into Madame Tussards and we had a lot of fun.
Coming home was an absolute nightmare!! Lelie and I got to Kings Cross at 9.00am and settled down to wait for the platform to come up on the board. At about 9.20am an official came along, shouting that anyone going up North should catch the train on platform 2. Off Lelie and I went, only getting a short way down the platform before they started blowing the whistle, so I leapt on, hauled my luggage on and barely had time to kiss her goodbye before we were off. And there I was stuck, in the entrance to the carriage, not a seat in sight. It was Doncaster, four hours later, before I was able to get a seat. Instead of going straight through, I had to change at Newcastle and finally arrived in Edinburgh three hours late, having left Kings Cross half an hour earlier than I was meant to!!!!! This time, it had been a problem at Newark North Gate that had caused all the delays and frustrations!
Needless to say, I didn't do any embroidery while I was away. And I haven't done any since I got back! I have however only got a bit of the background to do and then I can start adding the slips.
This isn't a brilliant photo, but it does give an idea of the 3D walled garden I did.
And while I still feel the quilt's a bit 'too pink', it looks a lot better as a photo!
Moo
Wednesday morning was my own as they were all working, so I set off for the V&A to carry on where I'd left off in the textile dept. Unfortunately, it was completely gutted and there was only one small display case with some modern stuff in it. However, I did get to see the embroideries of Mary Queen of Scots
and found the enclosed garden I didn't know was there!
I then set off to see the Albert Hall, Kensington Palace and the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens. Having already walked what felt like miles around the V&A, I caught a bus to the Albert Hall, then started walking through the park to the statue. Big mistake! I shouldn't have convinced myself not to be lazy and get a bus round to the other side, as it was way too much walking for my knee, which rather spoilt the rest of my time with the girls.
Janet had arranged for Margaret and I to go and see Les Mis on the Weds night, which was absolutely brilliant, except we were right up in the second row of the gods and Margaret is scared of heights, so felt we should have seat belts!!
I could go on for ever about what we did, but won't bore you! We finally got up the London Eye on the fourth attempt, we never got into Madame Tussards and we had a lot of fun.
Coming home was an absolute nightmare!! Lelie and I got to Kings Cross at 9.00am and settled down to wait for the platform to come up on the board. At about 9.20am an official came along, shouting that anyone going up North should catch the train on platform 2. Off Lelie and I went, only getting a short way down the platform before they started blowing the whistle, so I leapt on, hauled my luggage on and barely had time to kiss her goodbye before we were off. And there I was stuck, in the entrance to the carriage, not a seat in sight. It was Doncaster, four hours later, before I was able to get a seat. Instead of going straight through, I had to change at Newcastle and finally arrived in Edinburgh three hours late, having left Kings Cross half an hour earlier than I was meant to!!!!! This time, it had been a problem at Newark North Gate that had caused all the delays and frustrations!
Needless to say, I didn't do any embroidery while I was away. And I haven't done any since I got back! I have however only got a bit of the background to do and then I can start adding the slips.
This isn't a brilliant photo, but it does give an idea of the 3D walled garden I did.
And while I still feel the quilt's a bit 'too pink', it looks a lot better as a photo!
Moo
