Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired

Have been home for two days sick - and this is the first time I have decided to do something - still in bed though :-)
Thought I would show you the bits I did over last weekend.  I put together the practice 3D Iris (the purple one) to see if it would work - just needs the stem and bits. Had to stand the flower on the top of my glue stick before I make a stem ;-)

 Looked better in the box when I put it away to be safe - looks like one of those flower shop deliveries.

Then I made thread only petals:

Lots of them

Know it will work - Van Gogh

Having stitched the third 'flat' Iris - I have cut them out and pinned them to the base.  So now I know that idea will work I am going to stitch more of them, some single petals for the three dimensional areas and it's time to get on with the sunflower ideas too.

Individual pieces - Van Gogh

Showing you - each piece is made individually - someone once suggested that I used my Computerised Embroidery Machine to make the duplicates I make - BUT  I DON'T !!!  In fact I have not used that machine (the Pfaff) at all since about 2012 - not even for dressmaking, let alone machine embroidery.
All the scissors, needles and cotton reels on The Mad Hatter were made individually and the flowers I am working on for Van Gogh are all individual...... I think this makes the piece so special - although very time consuming - it is very relaxing and satisfying - each piece is then unique !

Can show you now

Last weekend I was working on a present - now that I have given it to my daughter I can share it with you.  My daughter has a ginger kitten called Otis and I did another interpretation of a Sam Toft picture called Dancing with Stripes as it has a cat dancing !  So here is the picture I gave my daughter:

Next step - Van Gogh

So  I now have try out yellow sun flower petals (some flat try outs) and some 3D and two blue Iris petals for the 3D flowers:

Back to work

Having spent last weekend tidying up my workspace I did nothing all week (apart from go to work as usual that is) - did a bit of thinking and planning though.

Today it is back to sewing. Did I show you the completed flat Iris: if not here it is...

Next it was time to make up the background of the jacket - thought I would use the blue I had intended to use for the 'Spring' jacket.

And here is the photocopy of the Van Gogh picture I am considering for the Sunflowers - a scale test on the back 

 Next time to consider how I will make the petals.  Appliqué or stitch? Or both..  Hmmmm we will see

Oh No Not again :-) and update on Iris work

OK so its day three of sorting out stuff:  decided it was time to sort these two areas - the drawers and the bead/button stack - so these:

Became these:

 AND I found I have 24 pairs of scissors in my workroom  and 5 dressmakers tape measurers !  Wonder where they all came from :-)

 Late last night I finished the first 'flat Iris' for the Van Gogh jacket.  The central petal needs to be a little slimmer at the top left,

Back to work :-)

OK so after the mega tidying session it's time to get back to some art work ;-)

I have dyed some white fabric and lace yellow ready for the sunflowers:

I have now made all the free standing petals for the practice iris - laid down on the desk (pic below) - think it will work.

 

Today it is the day to start the first of the flat Iris flowers - in the right colours - blue

More Free Machine Stitching

Today I spent another happy day with Jane Lemon - working in her workroom.  I created another free machined piece - this is going to be photographed and used as this years Christmas card (once I have ironed it of course!!) .....

Linda Miller Course and Sam Toft for inspiration

Just back from a fantastic weekend at West Dean College where I was on a course with the brilliant Linda Miller - click here for her Website. Linda is so inspirational, generous with her time and encouragement.  The ladies I met on the course too were brilliant and we hope to keep in touch, and maybe meet up again. Here we all are - the 'show and tell' at the end of the course...

On the course we were machine embroidering pictures - I chose Sam Toft, for my inspiration - click here for her website, as I just love all her work. Both ladies have inspired me to create my own character - Podley - He is still a work in progress so you will have to wait for more on Podley.
For the moment - here are the three pieces I stitched.....

This is called - A little tenderness - I added the background and Mr Mustard's hat came out more of a cap than it should, and I was too 'scared' to do the faces. It is small - measuring 7.5 cm x 11 cm.

Next is my favourite as I have the print in my living room - It's called 'Taking the Girls Home' - I just love it!  I also added the background - measures 6.5cm x 8.5cm (below it is the original)

Finally is the one I am still to finish - It is called  A chariot of Fishfinger Sandwiches - lovely title and lovely print - this one is a line drawing on Sam's site so I am colouring it in and giving it a background. This one is the biggest at 18.5cm square.

Making again and again and again

UPDATE - I have been selling these to France, USA and UK over the last few days - Whoop Whoop!!

Have spent this weekend - making recycled fabric notebook and sketchbook covers - the fabrics include sari silk and unique fabrics made by me. Some include A5 sketchbooks, some include A5 lined notebooks, some are A6 and contain a mixture of recycled papers - including brown paper, wallpaper and coloured papers. Now I just need somewhere to sell them!!

Three Kings 1 - Zentangle - Complete

The first of my Three Kings projects is finished - well up to the point of all the stitching is complete - now  I need to decide if I mount it on a canvas or turn it into a quilt - any suggestions?  The full piece and a couple of close up photos.  By the size - from base of stitching to top of stitching it measures 40 cm (16 inches).