More thread bowls

No - its not becoming an obsession!  It is really a) relaxing and b) I am enjoying making thread only bowls - last post I showed you the first 7 - here are the next 21 !!!!!  I hope to sell them before Christmas.  Any suggestions of where I can sell the would be gratefully received. :-)

New Jacket x 2 and update

Update -I am still not in the best place at the moment but I also know it will take a long time to get back to normal.  Good news - I have sold my Pfaff ! Whoop whoop - so glad it will be going to a good home - to someone who will use it to its full potential.

I have started work on two jackets. One a Steampunk jacket for the museum exhibition and the other a Steampunk/post apocalyptic jacket !!  So far I have made a start on the background fabric - below is a photo of the piece which will be the side panels of the museum piece - it measures 112 cm x 85cm.  The other is a sample which I will use to work out colours for both jackets.

I have also started the background fabric (which will be the same) for the whole of the second jacket but this piece measures 150cm x 2.5 metres - so this is going to be a long project!!

Update - finished the sample piece - measured 35cm x 44cm - cut in half - one piece for each jacket.  The first one then looked like this..

And dipped in this.....

however currently looks a little dark? Hope this idea works! When it's dry I will be stitching into it too.

UPDATE

OK - so I have not been in the best place recently, but I have just had the most enjoyable week with my textile friends (Tx.tiles 21) at Kingcombe.  The new studio is brilliant, light, bright and when the doors are open if feels like you are working outside.  I took stuff to finish - so I completed the Steampunk Jacket, mounted and backed the Purple Arches, stitched another picture (this time a copy of a piece by an artist whose name I cannot remember - sorry), worked out the colour/fabric creation for my next jacket - which is going to be part of an exhibition in 2017, and finally started another Sam Toft picture.  Below are some photos (some taken when I got home):
The rest of Tx.tiles 21 in the new Studio..

The Jacket complete

 The newest thread painting - my stitching is the bottom one :-)

The Arches completed and mounted on the board which I cut myself :-) - I am calling this piece The Kingcombe Arches, as I started the piece at Kingcombe last July and completed it there this July.

 Hanging in my bedroom - looks a bit small on its own - so will have to do some more !

Steampunk Jacket update

I first mentioned a new project here on Sunday 12 April.  That's when I started making my own background fabric - 2 metres x 150 cm wide.  My usual madness!!  I have completed the first pass of stitching and the fabric as been rolled as I have stitched as I have very little work surface space in my workroom.

Now I am ready for the second pass to stitch the black figures of 8 over the surface, working from the back - so I will be rolling it back the other way.  I know that this will be even harder especially when I get half way!! But, hey that's how madly I work :-).

 
 Here is the first row from the front.  It has only taken 3 weeks for pass 1 so another 3 weeks or so for pass 2 :-) Then I will show you the next step for the background fabric.  Still a while before I cut out the actual jacket !

Hooray - a New project at last

I have spent a lovely weekend with my friends of the Machine Embroidery Group (MEG) . On Wednesday you see I had an idea - another Steam punk jacket for me. So whilst away - I set up - 2 metres x 150 cm purple fabric I had already dyed. Covered with two layers of turquoise net and a layer of Black twinkle nylon.  Then I started stitching figures of eight in matching purple thread.  I got about half way through, so excellent progress - when I have done this I will stitch again in black and then burn back before making the jacket. Pictures of work in progress so far..

This is a sample of the idea....
 Watch this space

Today's projects

Today's projects whilst feeling really rough...

Turned these two photocopies into

 this page - not sure it is any better than the photocopies ;-)

Then a quick machine 'drawing' for my Mother's Day Card ...

Am also having doubts about the Van Gogh Jacket - I keep thinking I could turn the pieces I am making so far into some sort of hanging or panel instead but the ideas have just dried up - probably due to the fact that my head is so full of fungus.

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:

Pfaff 2144 (internally upgraded to 2170) FOR SALE

I have not used my Pfaff machine now  since 2012 so it is sitting here (in its case) - what a terrible waste - I would like to sell it and allow someone else the pleasure of using this fantastic machine.

I will sell it for £2,000 (considering I purchased it for £4,000 - that's a bargain) - I would like cash and as its heavy it would need to be collected but I would consider driving maybe half way to pass it on to a new owner.

The machine was a 2144 (that's what the front label says) but it was upgraded by Pfaff internally to a 2170. This is a 'stock' photo of the machine from when I purchased it.

It includes the machine embroidery computer unit - which I only used a couple of times - I prefer to make each piece individually (as you have been reading recently :-))

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

 The creative sensation!
An exceptional sewing and embroidery machine with a large colour touch screen, the creative 2144/2170 has the ultimate sewing and embroidery features, plus it's so easy to use. You can create colourful embroideries up to 250 x 225 mm (10 x 9 inch). 

• Basting function – stabilizes knits and embroidery designs of all sizes.
• Customizable on screen editing
• Programmable needle up or down stop
• Ability to sew with one, two or three needles
• Automatic tapering
• Buttonhole sensormatic guarantees perfect buttonholes each and every time
• Bobbin sensor lets users know when the bobbin thread is low
• Separate bobbin winding motor allows users to wind bobbins while sewing or embroidering
• Variable speed adjustment
• Personal menu allows the user to store stitch settings to be recalled on demand for future use
• Pfaff Creative Assistant
• 19 different needle positions

·         Sensormatic buttonhole
·         Standard buttonhole
·         Darning
·         Roll hem
·         Zipper and edge
·         Blind hem and overlock
·         Embroidery
·         Fancy stitch [2]
·         Standard zigzag
·         Edge guide
·         Seam ripper
·         Lint brush
·         Bobbins [4]
·         Bulb remover/needle plate change tool
·         Knee lift
·         Stitch card
·         Stylus
·         File assistant – to facilitate downloading designs from the internet
·         Embroidery unit
·         Embroidery hoops and template
·         Creative fancy embroidery foot and creative card
·         Creative assistant
·         Computer connection cables
·         Moulded plastic dust cover

The Pfaff 2144 is one of the first available sewing machines for home use equipped with a full colour LCD touch screen.

The next thing that catches your eye is the knee lift which allows you to lift the presser foot without taking your hands off of your sewing project.

Finally, Pfaff patented IDF – Integrated Differential Feed – and a series of buttons that control the needle stop position, the reverse stitch, and on board thread cutter.

Features

When it comes to features, the Pfaff Creative 2144 is loaded. Starting with the exclusive Pfaff IDF and moving up to the automatic needle threader, the list of standard features available on this sewing, quilting and embroidery machine is quite lengthy:

·         285 stitches including eight alphanumeric fonts; 20 cross stitches and 10 different buttonholes

·         Ability to sew text in straight, arched or ‘s’ curved style.

·         IDF – Integrated Differential Feed – Pfaff’s exclusive system that feeds thick layers of fabric evenly and smoothly, preventing bunching, binding and slipping.

·         Internet updates – the people at Pfaff are constantly upgrading their embroidery systems and owners of the Pfaff Creative 2144 have constant access to those updates.

·         The Pfaff comes with: Toolbox, which contains five instructional DVDs; special appliqué presser feet; appliqué patterns; instructions and suggestions

·    ·         10 presser feet

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,