FaceTime thoughts

Lockdown and its many FaceTime hours and thoughts were the inspiration for this embroidery piece. 

The stitch challenge came from the artist Emily Tull : create three mouths with different expressions using minimal hand stitch.

As a base fabric I used an old handkerchief, with holes and tears in it. I took pictures of the mouths of my family and started observing, and stitching. It was a difficult challenge, it took me quite a few hours! I learned a lot about observation, detail, light and colour.

In the end I also stitched a little poem that for me captures the essence of those hours on FaceTime. This piece will always be a memory of an exceptional time.

Clara's Cape

Clara's Cape is a pattern from Knitvent 2017, which is a lovely mix between an advent calendar and a mystery knit along. The collection was inspired by Tchaikovski's Nutcracker.

I used Rowan Big Wool, which meant it was a superfast knit. 

you can wear it as a lovely shoulder-warming cape or loosely as an oversized statement cowl. And, as the designer says "Combining a dollop of old-fashioned Edwardian charm with a dash of modern simplicity, Clara's Cape captures a bit of that timeless magic and makes it utterly accessible"

I am very happy to add it to my wardrobe! Hopefully next winter I can take some  strolls through a fairytale winter landscape...

The designer, Helen Stewart, hosts the lovely Curious Handmade Podcast, absolutely worth listening to!

               

Who will love a little sparrow?

When making this concertina book, I was inspired by a moving Paul Simon song : "Who will love a little sparrow" 

The book tells the tale of a little sparrow on its long journey. It is not loved, not by the Oak Tree, not by the Swan, not by the Golden Wheat. Only the Earth will love it, "for all I've created returns unto me, from dust were ye made and dust ye shall be". 

I made this book with fabric scraps, mostly from discarded clothes from my family. I used appliqué and lots of stitching.

The cover of the book used to be part of a pocketed flanel work shirt. To the button, I attached an acorn  embellished with some embroidery. 

Inside the book, you can flip the fabric pages so as to read the story. You can also unfold the story into one long strip by undoing the little button at the back.

This was another challenge by TextileArtist.org, in a workhop given by Mandy Pattullo, which I loved very much. I hope to make more of these books!

I made two little videos, one of the unfolded book and one flipping through the pages, you can watch them here  and here.

Landscape with birch

This is a textile collage, in which I also used paper that was processed with the momigami technique. Momigami paper making is a Japanese technique I learned from Cas Holmes. I am so happy with this new skill, it opens so many possibilities! 

Besides, I find it very pleasant to stitch through paper. I used a brown paper bag, a newspaper, a leaflet and a wallpaper sample.

To have and use some real Japanese paper in future is now definitely on my wish- and to do list!

I also used a bit of watercolour paint on the trunk of the birch and some crayon in the left upper corner.

This piece took lots of hours of stitching and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

Time for tea cross stitch

I might have mentioned it before : cross stitching is not my favourite craft. But now and again I find myself doing a small piece. Because it is, I think, a bit like a jigsaw puzzle : you concentrate on it but don't really have to think about it or anything else for that matter. And sometimes, that is just what I like. Especially when the piece is small, so I get a quick result.
This one I made while away on holiday. I put it in a frame together with a photo of one of my favourite people. To remind us to take time, for tea for example.

Heal

This pandemic effects us all.  It effects my crafting too. 

This was more of a stitch meditation. It gave me peace, stitching this word and sewing the flowery fabric scraps into a calming collage.

I think I'm going to leave it as it is, because the raggedness of the base cloth kind of adds to the essence of the message.

Juniper Socks

I recently knitted my first pair of "real" socks, slippersocks not included. "Juniper Socks" is a pattern by Helen Stewart from the curious handmade podcast . You can find the pattern here. I've been listening to the podcast for years and I find it both interesting and soothing. It brings together Helen Stewart's "love of craft, travel stories, life lessons and community". 

I used the suggested yarn : Blacker Yarns Tamar DK. I love this yarn: it is rustic and soft at the same time and the colours are gorgeous. It is spun from the fleeces of fine British rare breeds, including Teeswater, Wensleydale and Leicester Longwool. 

I am happy with my socks and I love the texture and colours. However, I do find knitting socks rather difficult and I hope very much that I will persevere, given my love of socks. Perhaps I should learn to knit socks on circular needles with magic loop, two at a time? 

Greta the very very good witch

Meet Greta the very very good witch, who has a predilection for flowery dresses. She is busy brewing a cure for every wrong in the world...wouldn't that be something? 

She is needle-felted and I sewed some clothes (flowery fabric, naturally) and a hat for her. She has her cauldron with steaming brew and her broom, of course.

Let's not disturb her further, do go on Greta!

and taking a little break: 

The ever reading boy

Here is the result of another online workshop via Textileartist.org. I enjoyed this one very much. The workshop leader was the British artist Sue Stone. I love the strip-weaving technique used for the background : it adds colour, pattern and texture in a surprising and inspiring way.

I used recycled fabric in muted colours. The embroidery is done with black thread. 

The work shows my son, when at home, sitting gloriously in my way on the kitchen floor, with a book, of course.

Castle in the clouds

Some time ago I bought an antique foot stove for a couple of euros.
I don't think anybody uses a foot stove anymore. It's basically a wooden box that is open on one side, with holes at the top. A ceramic or metal container in which glowing coals were put, was placed in the stove. And then you'd put your feet on the stove so that they would warm up.
I love the look of this thing, it's like a tiny cabinet. But the brown colour made it look old-fashioned and not in a good way. So I gave it a lick of light blue paint, and then added a small white cloud.
I once made a mini quilt with little hearts which came in handy here : I put it inside the stove, so now it is just like a cosy fairy-tale castle!