Monthly Archives: March 2014

Hedgehogs.

A few months ago, a very good customer asked if I would consider making her a hedgehog brooch. I wasn`t sure at the time as I was still quite new to free machine embroidery and didn`t think I could do it justice. However last week (after a gentle reminder from the lovely, patient lady) I decided to give hedgehogs a go. Growing confidence, combined with my wonderful new Bernina machine, meant that the time was right to take my machine embroidery to a new level.

I began with drawings and then made three embroideries. These were really little paintings in thread and I really enjoyed drawing with the machine, mark making, and layering lots of different threads. I sort of fell in love with hedgehogs last week as I brought these little creatures to life. They`ve had a wonderful response on my Facebook page and all three embroideries were immediately spoken for, with orders for two more. It seems that everyone loves a hedgehog! Yesterday I started work on four hedgehog embroideries and I`m really looking forward to getting stuck into them today.

hedgehog drawings 008

hedgehog drawings 002

hedgehogs WIP 005

hedgehog embroidery 006

two hedgehogs 004

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Filed under drawing, embroidery, embroidery hoops, hedgehogs, machine embroidery

A Few Makes For Spring.

It hasn`t been a cold Winter, but it`s been a very long, rainy, dreary, dark and depressing one. Everyone is longing for the Spring, and now we`re into March it feels as though it`s almost here. It`s still quite chilly, but there have been one or two sunny days, and it`s wonderful to have an extra hour or two of daylight in the evenings.

I thought I`d share a few bright, cheery makes that look forward to Spring.

brimstone butterfly for etsy 004

A sunshine yellow Brimstone butterfly.

brimstone butterfly for etsy 044

red, white and blue flower 012

Stitched flower brooches.

green flower for etsy 043

twin heart brooches for Oban 032 A few twin heart brooches.

butterfly heart brooches for etsy 001 New butterfly heart brooches.

butterfly heart brooches for etsy 083

grey and yellow heart brooch plus fabric 029

orange tip butterfly pair 6 inch hoop 004

And a pair of Orange Tip butterflies fluttering over some lovely vintage fabric in cheerful shades of pink and orange.

I`m longing for long sunny days and really hope we have another Summer like last one. The clocks go forward in a few weeks so at least it will be a lot lighter, thank goodness! Like lots of people I find Spring a really energising and inspiring time so I`m really looking forward to exploring lots of new ideas.

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Filed under butterflies, embroidered brooches, embroidery, flower brooch, little heart brooch

A Few More Birds.

I`ve been working on lots more little stitched birds over the last few weeks. I love making them, especially as I invested in a new sewing machine a couple of weeks ago (a wonderful Bernina) which is an absolute dream to work with. I still feel that I`m gaining confidence with each one, and really enjoy going to town layering all the differnt coloured threads to create little paintings in stitch.

Here are a few recent birds, I must admit that I was especially pleased with some of them, but I think the little coal tit is my favourite so far.

Sam, bullfinch, heart brooch 043 Bullfinch.

coal tit embroidery 002 Coal Tit.

I think this one is my favourite.

coal tit embroidery 037

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Chaffinches.

chaffinches for etsy 008

two blue tits for etsy 015

And of course, a few more blue tits!

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two blue tits for etsy 056

bluetit for etsy 007

two blue tits for etsy 007

two blue tits for etsy 093

two blue tits for etsy 103 I love this one!

I think it is the vintage fabric backgrounds that really help these little birds come alive, and a big part of making them is selecting just the perfect piece of fabric for them to perch in. Then I stitch in a twig or two, layering little scraps of fabric to look like bark. I like the layered, tangled look this gives, as if the birds are living in an overgrown garden– just like mine!

 

 

 

 

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Filed under birds, embroidery, embroidery hoops, my garden