my stitchschool year...

woweee, i have almost finished my first year of stitchschool, in Durham.  It has flown by!  I have been so busy doing every type of stitching from hand applique to hardanger, broderie Anglaise to blackwork, and that's only naming a few...also dabbling in space dyeing and studying 'colour', line and shape in a lot of detail...

Above:  contemporary canvas work - based on inspiration from a garden in Country Living Magazine. 

I have also been looking far and wide for inspiration for my stitched textiles and for setting up my own business in the future...after visiting Saltburn with a friend to have a peruse around a market we realised a vintage fair was on too!  I was so inspired I am looking into getting my own stall!  I bought a few things to add to my collection, some old pins in a gorgeous tin, and some old threads and cottons - the colours back then were lovely! But I daren't use them, they look so nice in my old wooden box! 
Anyway, need to get on with stitching! 
Looking forward to visiting the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition in Durham in August - it starts July though, I am hoping this will give me more ideas for my work...the exhibition has got Durham City buzzing!   see www.lindisfarnegospels.com

Bye for now...  I will leave you with a little sample of 'contemporary' cut work and Broderie Anglaise, stitched onto a scrap of Liberty fabric...hope you like...

 

in stitches...

I just cannot believe it has been nine months since my last blog, so much has changed since then.  I have graduated from college with a foundation degree in Applied Arts - with merit!  I have started a design, textile and stitch course in Durham city, which I absolutely love - it is only one day each week but I come away inspired and with loads of work which takes up the rest of the week!  Each week we focus on either traditional stitch and embroidery, or contemporary - and we look at both elements within machine stitching too, it's a brilliant course which teaches lots of techniques, looks at the five elements of design in detail: line, shape, form, colour and texture and also requires you to create lots of samples, experimental pieces and finished pieces and projects. 
I have also moved house - and I fall in love with it more each day, its small, white and soooo cute, my little dream home.  It is not too small to not have a studio, in fact my studio is even bigger than my last one, it just needs some 'tlc' and a bit more of my stamp on it, some more storage and shelving and it will be even more fabulous!
Apart from being very busy with my new course and new home, I have admittedly felt a bit overwhelmed and also worried about losing my skills.  I have on good advice decided to focus on textiles and work on my jewellery 'as a hobby' in the summer, as I need to develop my own 'brand' and focus my skills in one area. 
Here are some of the things and sampling, I have been working on since September, herringbone stitch, gathering - mock smocking on the machine - using twin needle, stuffing - fabric manipulation, couching and applying on the machine, and creating my own textured, layered fabric with free machine embroidery... back soon...