Zen tangled machine embroidery and quilting

Really really liked this. What a great way to have some creative fun practicing your free motion embroidery whilst quilting the project at the same time.as you can see it has got me just a little hooked.

Machine embroidered flowers on a rainy day

The weather today was yuk and so I had the oppertunity to sit at my sewing machine without feeling guilty that I wasn't working in the garden. Instead I brought the garden indoors and spent a very pleasant time gardening using my sewing machine. This is what I achieved today for a workshop coming up soon

Machine embroidered flora bunds antique hanging

Wow what a weekend .

I was over on the Licky Hills just past Birmingham with the Keep on sewing group organised by Pam NEAVE. What a group. They are so talented and prolific with their varied crafts. The ladies could make a great travel holdal with the very patient and talented Janice or Gail Lauther was on hand with the most stunning bias patchwork scenes and inspirations from New Zealand. Lastly there was me with my machine embroidered, appliqué and patched Antique flowers. Take a look at the ladies achievements, they are stunning

Snowflake in September

Snowflake swag nearly finished. It just needs a gold bow with long tails added to the top and its ready to go. It was so hard making snow flakes when it's still warm and sunny. Glad it's nearly done because all it does is remind me how much Xmas is going to cost me this year and how hard I'm going to be working to afford it. Ha ha!

Machine embroidered Art Deco tiles

Six enthusiastic ladies came and spent the day learning how to use their sewing machines as a painting instrument. The aim was for each student to produce a small square with a floral motif stitched in place, the design being completely coloured in with free motion stitches worked in small movements to creat a coloured surface on top of which they machined any details . All ladies did really well but as expected some machines had their moments and caused the usual frustrations that can be associated with free motion embroidery. Below are a selection of lovely little 2" by 2" tiles created on the day.

Essence of Blackwork

The LOVELY ladies from up north worked really hard on their machine stitching to produce simple panels in black thread on white to resemble blackwork. The day went so quickly but that's because a considerable amount of it is taken up with eating the absolutely scrummy food that Alston Hall keeps feeding us. The classes and class rooms are great, the views are wonderful, the food is awesome and the staff marvellous. What more could you need for a residential weekend of complete stitching

Machine embroidered and soldered dragonfly panel

I had a lovely time at Tudor rose patchwork shop on Saturday where eight ladies worked so hard to achieve their panels. Several had never done free motion embroidery before but they sat quietly and by the end of the day they turned out a very high standard piece of work for a first attempt. I was so pleased for them and hope it has inspired them to join me in some other classes

Machine embroidered tiles 2nd day

Today's weather wasn't much of an improvement on yesterday's so I spent a second day glued to my sewing machine. I am hooked on embroidering these little squares and am pleased with the final outcome. I would love to find time to make some more to use as greetings cards and I can now keep my scissors safe with a posh new scissor keep also made from two of the little embroideries . Found my stick it and save it book where I had some more small embroidery tile samples so now all I have to do is drop everything off at the shop and hope they inspire students to book on the workshop.

Machine embroidered Art Deco tiles

It was sooooooo cold today and going out was not something I fancied so I busied myself and spent a very pleasant day sewing on my sewing machine and making my next workshop sample.
These little embroidered tiles are 2"x 2" in size and made entirely from stitching. I cut them out close to their edges and then used glitter glue to seal the stitch edges. I just need to think about how to mount them now and that will be another sample done and out of my hair

Organza flowers in easy free motion stitching

I spent a pleasant couple of hours working these easy free motion embroidered flowers using two layers of organza between two sheets of water soluble film. I have worked them all with black thread on the top and bottom of the machine, reason being that they are for my learning curve stint at the Festival of quilts this August coming and it's easier if the machines are pre threaded. ( Boy I am organised) I'm not really its just that Pam NEAVE who organises it saw me demonstrating several different types of flower making on the machine and thought they would go down well for those of you that like to embellish your work or have a raised effect . Due to the weather being so awful with snow snow and a lot more snow I have been somewhat confined to home the last couple of days and they were what I decided I wanted to play with. I just need to put them in a box for safe keeping and remember where I have put them when I need them later in the summer

Antique Flora Bunda

I have been finding it hard to gear up again and get going on all my work samples needed for this springs workshops. I so enjoyed just switching off and not lifting a finger to sew all over the festive period that I'm now not focused and finding it hard to find my inner sewing goddess.
To get me in the swing I spent a pleasant couple of hours drawing humming birds for my gold work embroidery, and I did manage to get a final design which I quickly marked on to my fabric and hooped it up ready for sewing when I'm sat in my comfy armchair over the next couple of weeks.
Tudor rose patchwork shop is high on my list of things that need to be done NOW so I took a trip over and purchased my palette of fabrics to make the hanging that was buzzing round my head.
Antique flora bunda is the title I came up with all those months ago when I sat in my cozy bed one Sunday morning and made up my titles for my up coming workshops.  Great fun when your creatively making them up. Not so good several months down the line when you have to make the project fit the brief but it does make me focus, many of them giving me a challenge and thankfully coming together each time.
I would like to show you my latest workshop where my students will learn how to free machine embroider these lovely flowers with their simple out lined leaves. The flowers look very controlled but believe me they are quite free and it is the choice of several colours of thread worked from the background to the forefront which give tone, texture and form to them.
I  then pieced some together in a patchwork manor adding cream lace and gold and cream ribbon to create a background witch I then wadded and free motion quilted . Once I had a background I then worked more free motion stitched flowers which I carefully cut out and reapplied at random on to the background to give a raised and dimensional look to the panel.
By the time I had this project under my belt my inner sewing goddess was up and yelling " Machine Embroidered Appliqué and Patchwork".
She is now raring to go, yelling ideas and creative encouragement at me by the ton.
IM BACK ON FORM AND READY TO CREATE FOR 2013.
THANKS TO MY INNER SEWING GODDESS who slacks off for a rest at times but is never to far away when I need her.

Machine embroidered boxes

The ladies at Patchwork Corner worked really hard yesterday machining their small casket boxes. They painted their pelmet vilene at home and came to class ready to go for it. They drew their pattern out and settled straight into adorning it with either programmed decorative stitches or those who were more confident set about free motion embroidery.
I always enjoy working at Patchwork Corner as all the ladies are great to work with and try everything with great eagerness. The day was successfully with a number of finished boxes at the end of it all of which were very nickable

Key Rings

Sorry long time since my last blog as I have been over worked creatively what with lectures and teaching. Last week was manic and I just didn't stop long enough to even consider blogging. Never mind this week is calmer so here I am at gone 1 am in the morning writing this. Haha.

I haven't been very productive since last blog other than finishing some of the key rings I promised my husband for our shop Xmas stock. Yes I know it's only June but if I don't start now he won't get them and as they are small they can travel about with me for hand embellishing and finishing.

I came up with this idea when I was putting the little light weight husqvarna sewing machine through its paces and posted prior to this blog.

I thought these would make nice little gifts at affordable prices.