Trance

I have been gathering my naturally dyed cloth all summer. Old sheeting and pillowcase's have languished in jars with leaves, berries, petals and what not. Some have been boiled, soaked, tied or bundled.

As summer draws to a close and the autumn chill seeps into my bones, I decided it was time. I gathered my fragments of cloth, and finally, they became one.

It isn't square, it doesn't matter. I will stitch it at night, whilst the babe's sleep, it is large, maybe queen size. Draped over my lap as I stitch it, it will keep me warm. I am a little overwhelmed by it's size. It will take many months and I do not yet know how it will look when it is completed, I think this is, in part, the point.

It has a hole, this excite's me, I wish I had made more holes. I will start with the hole.

After much consideration, I decided to name it Trance, being as this is what stitching is all about for me.

Trance [trans, trahns] noun, verb

1. a half-conscious state, seemingly between sleeping and waking, in which ability to function voluntarily may be suspended.

2. a dazed or bewildered condition.

3. a state of complete mental absorption or deep musing.

4. an unconscious, cataleptic, or hypnotic condition.

5. Spiritualism . a temporary state in which a medium, with suspension of personal consciousness, is controlled by an intelligence from without and used as a means of communication, as from the dead.

I hope that the pale tones of mother nature, will give way to a rhapsody of colour in stitch, it will need careful balance I think, to keep it all in synch. I am ready to be lost in cloth. Skitchbook at the ready.

What are you stitching lately? Have you joined in the thread swap yet? Please do!

Skitchbook Tutorial & Giveaway

Do you remember the skitchbook I made?



Well, I did say I would do a tutorial....

This is the first time I have ever written a full blown tutorial, and well, my making is a bit wonky donkey, a little bit, um, shall we say... homespun?
So, if you are to make yourself a sweet little skitchbook of your own (and I do so recommend that you do), I apologise in advance if my instructions are somewhat higgledy piggledy. If you are confuddled at any point, do drop me a wee message, and I will be sure you get back to you.

skitch·book
[skich-book]
noun
1.
Also, skitchpad. a fabric book or pad of felt sheets for stashing of needles, scissors and other notions, and for stitched sketches [skitches].
2.
a book of textile sketches.









My first Skitchbook was born out of necessity, I needed a needle book to keep in my handbag, and I thought it would be a fine idea to add pages and a pocket, to store other notions and small projects which I could Sew on the Go.







The monster pocket happenned entirely by accident, it holds my scissors, which are attached to the inside of the pocket, by a long scrap of fabric, so they always stay with my skitchbook, and I always have scissors, perfect!



I am going to take you through the motions of how I made mine. It should be noted, that mine is entirely made by hand, and this makes this a slow project. As you can see, I am not inclined towards neat stitching, but if you prefer a cleaner look, you can use a sewing machine, this will likely be much quicker too!

What you will need :)

8-10 pieces of Square Felt/boiled wool fabric (mine are 5"x5" for the small skitchbook and 8"x8" for the larger)
Scraps of fabric and felt
Various embroidery threads & needles
Embroidered fabric squares for front and back, the same size as your felt squares

Make the front and back covers-

To decorate your front and back covers, you will need some embroidery on fabric or felt, this could be anything you have to hand. For the smaller skitchbook I used a couple of woven fabric samplers I made, and for the larger - the front cover is a piece of old hand dyed linen, which I kantha stitched teardrop shaped scraps to. I didn't have a suitable piece for the reverse, so I stitched lengths of scrap fabric to the actual felt square. What you choose to use for the cover decoration is entirely up to you.



Once you have chosen your decorative piece, you need to baste them to the two pieces of felt you have allocated for the front and back cover, and quilt them all over, this is to give them structure, so they don't go all floppity flop on you, more book like, if you will :)



When both your front and back are quilted to the felt pieces, you must now cover the reverse of each piece with another square of felt, pin in place, leaving a gap at the right centre middle, this is where you will insert your ties.



Take two long lengths of scrap fabric or ribbon, 1" or so wide, and insert them between the layer of each cover, centred on the right side, pin in place.
Now whip stitch all the way around the edge of each cover until you reach the tie, then back stitch the tie in place.
Set your covers aside.

To make the pocket -

The monster pocket is one long piece of scrap felt, folded in half, leaving 3 sides open. Stitch up both long sides, to form a pocket. The open width will be tucked into the binding of your skitchbook, so you must now cut a slash in your pocket about 2/3 away down, to form an opening (the monsters mouth).

Now whipstitch tightly all the way around the edge of your pockets mouth, preferably in a splendid lip colour.







Cut eyes from scrap felt and stitch them above the mouth, they can be any shape you like. Feel free to add any quirky details, like a moustache or teeth.

Putting it all together -

Now layer everything up in the order that you want it, don't worry if the inner squares don't line up perfectly, you can trim them later if you need to, but you must make sure the left edges are lined up well, including your pocket, as this is the side you are going to bind to form the spine of your skitchbook.



Baste the left edge in place, and then whipstitch it firmly up and down the length of the spine until it is firm, and all the layers are tightly in place.



Now your skitchbook is assembled and almost complete, you just need to add the needle stop and scissors.
The needle stop is pretty self explanatory, it stops your needles from sliding out of your book. Cut a strip of scrap felt, and roll it up, then stitch it down on the inner cover of your skitchbook.





To attach the scissors, get another long strip of fabric, being mindful of how far you will need your scissors to stretch from the book. Attach one of the of the fabric scrap to the inside seam of your monster pocket, and tie the other end to your scissors, pull them out of the pocket opening and note how the fabric strip looks like a great lolloping monster tongue, and ta-daaaa! You have your very own Skitchbook!

Would you be so kind as to make sure you do not sell or use my skitchbook pattern and design for commercial purposes? Thank you sweetly!



If all of that sounds like too much hard work, then leave a wee comment on this post, and you can win the one I made above :)
If you follow, tweet, pin, facebook or blog about my tutorial and giveaway, you can have a second entry.

I will announce a winner on Sunday the 16th of September, hurrah!
Please note, the needles will not be included.

If you do make one, I would love to see!

Hacked

Hazel's bedroom is receiving a budget makeover. So the dull Ikea malm chest of drawers got hacked, I am not sure why they call it hacking when you revamp Ikea furniture, it sounds so naughty...anyway, the flooring got attacked with a paintbrush (modelled by our frequently naked in the summer heat Bear)...



and, lot's of handmade decor is underway, so much fun!



sprry for the fuzzy photos, these were taken on my phone, more (less fuzzy) soon!

Still going....

An Embroiderers Ledger

I am taking part in Karen Ruane's class at the moment, and honestly it could not have come at a better time. If you are not familiar with Karen's work, I highly recommend you pay her blog a visit, she is stitching inspiration personified!

As mentioned previously, I received a bursary to study a 3 year course in Design and Embroidery, and I have really struggled so far with the design aspect of this course.
My creative approach to date has been somewhat haphazard, and completely unconscious. I look at lots of visually inspiring material online or in books and closely observe my surroundings, and by the time the cloth and thread comes out, an idea has formed in my head and I just make it.
For my course, I am required to evidence this creative process, and a more structured approach is quite difficult for me to grasp. There is a strong element of presentation required, and well, my higgledy piggledy drawings and process just doesn't cut it.

I do find it frustrating if I am honest. I have always been of the opinion that it is the end result that counts. Surely it is better to have a bulging portfolio of beautiful work that evidences the skill and creative flair of the student? Apparently not so when taking a course.

The internet is of course awash with inspiring examples of artistic process. None more so than Jude Hill over at Spirit Cloth. I find her approach a breath of fresh air, she writes so eloquently and profoundly about her process, what iffing here and there and asking poignant questions, this allows us to be witness to the evolutionary process of an idea or thought into something more, a cloth, a scrap of applique... It is fascinating insight into the working mind of an artist, but it is not entirely structured, however this is exactly why I like it. It's a freeform method of working, it's beautiful and natural and just entirely what I believe artistic process should be. I like how Jude starts with a small idea or question and then expands on it as she goes forward, there is often no grand plan, no detailed drawings of how the piece will look on completion, just an intuitive continuation, freedom to allow the piece to grow. I believe Jude calls this cloth whispering.

Studying a course does not allow this kind of freedom, I feel straight jacketed. Sometimes I may have a lightbulb moment, and I want to be free to dive in and start stitching, to capture the rays of light as they appear, the very idea that a piece conceived in such a way would not be acceptable is incredibly frustrating for me.
I guess I just have to go through this process, and I am sure I will be all the better for it (trusting abound), this is where I am at right now, and I have my arms and heart wide open, it's just hard...

So, I was excited to start Karen's class, I am hoping it will open up another method of working and give me some ideas of how to present my ideas and research in a more pleasing format, the first excercise did just that.

This is a colour study, we were asked to choose a print that inspired us and to do a colour study which will consequently inspire stitch. I chose an Angie Lewin print, don't you just love Angie Lewin?



And so I continue... it's all good fun.
I would love to hear your thoughts, have you taken a course before? Did you find the design process a struggle? or not?

A Skitchbook

I have been dragging my sewing paraphernalia around with me in various bags, pockets and what not, and it was less than ideal. Scraps tumbling out everywhere, needles stabbing me as I reach in my bag to find my phone, my wee scissors being lost or buried underneath masses of crap (the usual stuff to be found in a mothers handbag - soothers, wipes, half chewed biscuits, screwed up receipts and the odd tampon that threatens to launch itself, shamefully, at passers by as you dig around for change or something).

So, it was time to get organised. A needle book didn't quite cut it, they are too small to hold all my bits and bobs. I wanted something larger, that would hold needles, pins, thread, scissors, small pieces of fabric, scraps AND a place to tuck a smallish cloth or two that I could work on during the daily train rides.
I had two little woven clothes kicking around, a decadently soft felted wool scarf, scraps of felt and fabric... and so, a Stitchy Sketchbook was born, of sorts, a Skitchbook?



I stitched the woven cloths to the old wool scarf, lined the other side with more purple felt, whipstitched around the edges, attaching a scrappy tie, the back was made in much the same way...





Then I created a sandwich with another felt page, which I can attach scraps to, and my favourite part of all, my monster pocket!





The wee pocket holds the bulkier items that can't be pinned to the felt. Bobbins and a seam ripper, and a wee pair of scissors which are attached to the inside of the pocket, by a long scrap of fabric (no more lost scissors!). I love the monster pocket and how the scissor ribbon looks like a tongue when I pull the scissors out. It was completely accidental, this monster thing, I stitched around the pocket opening and decided it looked like a mouth, so added eyes, a happy accident, which delights me every time I get my skitchbook out.

The little stitched roll to hold needles in place was also an afterthought, works a treat...



All the layers were sandwiched together and bound on the left edge with thread, like a book. In hindsight, I wish I had added more layers, more pockets, and made it sligtly bigger, this one is about 6" square. So, I may make another.... next time I will take more pics and try and share a tutorial, should anyone be interested in making their own Skitchbook, complete with a monster pocket or two?

If Moths Could Read....

Lots of variations of this being stitched up for lavender sachets, for the women in my life plagued by moths (but not by kids - given the content of the message).

Happy Weekending to you :)

Things to do on an Autumn day

Head Outside....



Find an oak tree....



Collect some acorn cups, yes, just the cups!



Roll some felt balls...



and pop them in the cups!
We have these hanging all over the house, and boy do kids like to make felt balls.
If you have a minute, collect some sticks too, any sticks will do, and voila, no plastic bobbins required.






To Make Felt Acorns, you will need:

100g of roving wool (any colours)
Acorn Cups
PVA glue
Soap
Water
Lots of little hands

1/ Pull the wool apart and gather a small amount, roll it gently between your palms until it forms a loose ball.
2/ Dip the ball in warm water and gently squeeze off the excess, then add a tiny bit of soap to the palm of your hand, and roll, and roll and roll. Gently at first, you will see the soapy felt ball coming together nicely, as it gets firmer you can apply a little more pressure to your rolling.
3/ Set the balls aside to dry. Once dry, paint a little PVA glue to one end and push into the acorn cup, leave to dry.
4/ Dangle them hither and thither from every hook and cranny, make a sweet garland or attach little paper labels to make perfectly prettyfull name settings (we like this one best - a perfect Sunday Dinner special).

To Make the bobbins, take one stick, some floss, and wind.... easy peasy.

A Bag for Boo

Boo moved up to the big girl class at Nursery today, and owing to some bizarre no backpack rule, a drawstring bag was required instead, and so a drawstring bag I did make.

I found an embroidered panel buried in my UFO pile, and as I had some red polka dot fabric kicking around, it was the perfect quick fix for a little bag for my little Boo. It took me a while to find the original blog post, it turns out this embroidery has been hanging around for four years!



Miss Boo is most pleased with her little bag, which will hold her blanket - or at least one of the remaining chopped up bits of her blanket, her dodo (otherwise known as a pacifier) and a change of clothes.



Apologies for the poor photos, I had to take them at night and the flash is never kind to me.

Music to My Ears

I have been working on my Crafty To Do list and trying to cross off those UFO's.
This little embroidery has been kicking around for almost FOUR years, but now it is complete!







The pattern is from a Japanese sewing magazine, I picked out my own vibrant colours. I have no idea what I will use this for, am thinking a cushion for Boo or Bear.

The cows have returned to the farm at River Cottage for spring and summer. I rather hoped to get some nice close up shots of them, as there are many a wee calf and they are so sweet, trotting to and fro and chasing birdies, quite playful. Alas, they were over the other side of the field today, but I will try again tomorrow.



I leave you with a few shots of the spring landscape around River Cottage and some prettyfull flowers that are in bloom in our garden, including the apple blossom, finally!











A very merry weekend to you!

* Vintage Scrap Quilt
* OMG WTF Banner
* Woven Cloth
* Toiletry bags for Amber and Hazel (started in 2008)
* Christmas Tree Fairy (started in 2008)
* Patchwork Curtain Tie Backs
* Secret project for a special friend 1
* Secret Project for a special friend 2
* Secret project for a special friend 3
* 4 cushion/pillow covers (deadline mid May)
* Elephant bag from Wee Wonderfuls book
* Embroidery (started in 2008)