Crewel Intentions

After last weeks post complaining about the dullness of November, today has been a lovely day. The sun was golden and so were the leaves, the house felt warm (could it be because I've switched on 'The Dragon', our little oil filled radiator in the kitchen at heaven knows what cost) and we were a bit tidy! 

Thats because I had a visitor last night, an old friend who had commissioned me to do some pieces.

 But I can't show you those until after the weekend so I'm going to show these instead.

I had a piece of felt in the 'awful swirly carpet' shades.  I started making brooches but then I got a bit carried away stitching something that wouldn't really work as a brooch. 

 And then another.

 They remind me of Crewel work motifs, and rather than put them in the 'not quite a brooch' pile I mounted them on small card covered with calico and I shall put them in my etsy shop. 

 I followed the contours of the coloured areas in the felt and added some deep jewel coloured velvets and stitched with two lovely shaded Natesh threads.

 I put them on this magazine for scale but then realised you might not know its a small half A4 magazine.

 Well I've told you now so you know. 

 But just in case, I've stood them up against my sewing box in all the muddle on the table.

They make a lovely pair.

I keep looking at them wondering where they came from.

My head does surprise me sometimes.

Back to earth

Earth colours have been used in this piece of felt. It was inspired by some gorgeous wool which was shared at the felt group , but when I'd made it I couldn't help being reminded of an awful swirly 80s carpet in a friend's house a long time ago.
However, once the stitches were added (and I must remark how much I enjoyed this part) I think the carpet memory faded.
I hope it gives a foresty feeling. Leafy foresty earthy....

About time....

This is meant to be a craft blog which is why I haven't done a new post for a while. I haven't been doing any craft! However I still managed to make it to the top and near the top of 'Top Blogs by Crafters' so despite my absence there have been visitors clicking through to get me up there. Thank you.

 I really couldn't do another 'nothing to show' post!

 There has been an unfortunate incident since my last post. I used to describe our house as 'the house with balls' but not any more. Here they were one snowy day (scroll down) but now they've gone. Nicked, stolen, thieved, lifted, taken....and the same name always comes up in our village and no-one ever does anything about it.

Meanwhile I pass a garden every day where there are some cowslip seed heads and have to knock on the door to ask if I may pick one or two. Ah well everyone's different I suppose.

 Anyway..thanks for all the lovely comments on the last post. I didn't get much replying done as my Mum has been a little unwell.......feeling down after the lovely week in Scarborough, so I've been a bit busy.

And we had a lovely family party for Joe's 31st Birthday. A happy time to record here . A whirlwind two hours eating and laughing. Just enough!

So..onto the makes.

I've had two 'areas' on the go. I had to make some brooches for the wonderful Found Gallery in Dunbar and they asked for some wall pieces as well.

During the brooch making I made a mistake with the thread for one brooch..I accidentally picked up this chocolatey-brown-shaded-to-cream instead of a tan and I am in love with the combination.

I have also made the nicest brooch I have ever made..I say that again..yes..I love the colours although not an obvious combination and its unrepeatable because I have none of that particular orange left and I'm rubbish at dyeing with accuracy so am unlikely to get it again.

 This is it.

So..some gratuitous brooch pictures to make up for the lack of them recently.

(How do I stop white backgrounds looking pink? Yes I know its something to do with white balance but I don't know how to change it if anyone has any ideas with a canon powershot s95 I'd welcome them)

Now..I've also used different colours in a new embroidery. I don't know if it works but I thought I'd give them a go. I made the base with pre-felts on a mixed red/orange/cerise background

I like how this orange bit in the centre glows.

I enjoyed doing it. Its not miniature and its not huge just a nice 7- 8 inch square-ish. I haven't measured..just guessed.

 I love working on the little hand stitched details.

 then going back over a few areas with machine stitch.

I've got another one in the same colours in the pipeline.

I think I'm going to sew them to calico and stretch them over a card mount to keep any 'shipping ' costs low if I sell them. 

This has been a problem of late. 

Works which have been stretched onto frames have proved to be too expensive to send overseas with insurance. It didn't used to bother me but since the piece I sent to Australia didn't arrive it bothers me .

It will be quiet here for a while. We are going to squeeze in a week in Greece. Symi to be precise. We were a bit stuck for a dog sitter and then my son decided he'd like a holiday  in our house here so all will be well. Hetty will have fun with Fin and friends.

Next piece on the conveyor belt of felt.

Continuing with my exhibition work in my usual bungling style I began stitching on this piece of felt I put together at the felt group. 

I'd used pre-felts : pieces of wool felted together lightly and then 'collaged ' onto a background and re felted.

It was a bit of a strange composition and took quite some bringing together.

I think I probably took this idea a bit too seriously as it has been stitched to within an inch of it life.

In fact I might have stitched it to death.

I got carried away especially at the start with the machining.

when I was making it I added a piece with 'pebble' which are little woolly bobbles, and they made lovely textured leaves when I stitched around them.

French knot alert to the Northwest.

 Here is the whole piece on a piece of calico which will be its eventual mount .

Just need to think of a title with the word 'bough' in it.

Onwards and upwards.

More felt to stitch this week.

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post. It gave me the oomph I needed to get on with this.

I am going to experiment with replies...if I can't reply to you via email I'll reply here. So check back for an answer.

Little pieces

Felt.

I made this large piece two years ago.  

 It had lovely areas of overlapping colours and I knew I wanted to stitch it. 

But its too large a piece with too many similar sized areas for an overall design.

I've been looking at it for ages wondering what to do with it. So I cut a little square off it and set to work.

Perhaps theres a bit too much stitching..but still...its only a start.

 I like the details.

The colours speak to me of my childhood home. 1950s colours.

So after the first one I tried another.

Just four inches square.

I like this better.

I left more empty space where the 'joy' of the woolly combinations  is visible.

I have a lot more squares cut ready to sew. A close up shows why I love felt.

Here are two I did a couple of weeks ago,

Sorry the details are the wrong way up.

Each of these pieces is about 4 inches square. 

My mood is much better this week. Thank you for all your comments. It wasn't the hot weather making me low, I love it these days, (but not too hot)  Its just because my husband is working away a lot for all the summer so we can't go and paddle in the sea. When the weather is lovely it just underlines it.

My finger is still sore..arthritis. Old age.

Anyway ....this coming weekend , for the very last time ....

ART AND GARDEN.

Millbarn, Goosefoot Close, Samlesbury Bottoms, Saturday and Sunday. 

Its a super garden with artists and crafts people, refreshments, the river, and I've been having a stand there almost from the start about 10 years ago. It will be sad not to go again. Its been fantastic. Lets hope for good weather .

Its your LAST CHANCE to attend!

So I've been quite busy getting ready for that, but not as busy as I should have been. 

Our embroidery group who meet in the studio at Millbarn, are having an exhibition in four and a half weeks and my pieces are not yet made. I have one or two things available but in the absence of a theme I can't really decide what to exhibit. I certainly have to make at least two more. I should be in  a panic but I'm not. 

I will be in two weeks when nothing has changed....