Year of Stitches

Last day of April and here is the update on my 1 year of stitches. I have several ideas to keep going including filling areas with French knots, more feather stitch, some circles and a tree. I am really enjoying the randomness in the way I am working the filling of this piece. I have found a great embroidery book by Constance Howard to find inspiration from.

Mixed Media

Here is a collection of paper strips I put together for further experimentation . There are three handmade paper surfaces for embroidery to be added. Paper strips of music pages , heavy tissue and mulberry sheets.Lace, embroidery on the small fabric hexagons. Green colour in being mindful of the green of the Margaret Olley work. Will slice up and find smaller pieces to use in a artist book. Experimenting, exploring layers of a life ,of colour. Faded beauty , multiple fragments, some adhering to traditional values and beliefs.

Bird

I 'm going to make me a bird. .....I have always wanted to make a scruffy sort of organic looking fantasy bird, so this is my prototype. He is not a chicken. Sort of started with a pattern but then I didn't want him to be so neat edged so I'm going to have raw edge wings and tail. Not sure about the beak as it looks too much like a duck....cut down? or stitch on so it goes a bit higher?....maybe the pinning is pushing it down to look like a duckbill. The feet were the most difficult as I think the wire is too 'thick'. I am going to the florist warehouse to get some florist tape to cover his wire legs and toes. And he needs eyes. Buttons with a shank ? or black beads ? or stitch on a round shape then add a bead?

His body is made of repurposed wool suiting and his wings and tail are silk. Beak a scrap of cotton .

Portrait

I downloaded a Prisma app and then fiddled about with a photo many styles but this is my favourite. Little houses in background. Life , there is a twinkle in my eye which I never notice. I always take a bad photo but I love this. A new way of looking at myself without being so critical. This play is a result from working with the self portrait exploration in Jane Dunnewold 's Creative Strength Training online 10 month program

Year of Stitch

 My work done at end of March.1 year of stitches. Spreading out and filling in. I am learning some new stitches as I go when I see someone else's work !need to find the stitch in a book or follow the link. Also coming to the realisation to not think it through too much just thread up the needle and go with it. Hard to see as the photo was not well centred but there is a small eye in the diamond on the left. The watching muse , watching out for procrastination and thoughts of 'not good enough'.