WIP Red Crow

The madder lac dyed silk organza is much darker than these photos depict, the stencil sketch of the crow barely peaking through due to the lighting.  I managed to stitch an outline of the crow in a coordinating reddish heathered wool thread from Aurifil Threads.

I've decided that this smallish piece will now become part of a larger piece I'm working on for my upcoming solo show, as crows and ravens have always been a prominent icon out here on the western prairie and plains.

Irish Rose Sample

I haven't decided upon the orientation yet, I found this Irish Rose medallion in my stash and decided it needed to have it's story told sooner than later.  Off to add more stitching.

More Stitching

Adding more vine tendrils and bits.
Hand dyed french cotton threads, natural dyed flax, natural dyed painted silk chiffon, on white silk dupioni fabric. Machine and hand stitched.

Working with hand dyed french cotton thread, I'm using a single strand to create a background layer of delicate tendrils.

Working with a couple of colors of hand dyed french cotton thread.  Next I will add more vine bits (like the upper left hand corner) using the same thread only double stranded.

I'm using the ivy bits on my house as my inspiration.

I love how they crisscross defying the laws of design!

Sandman in progress

Stitching now with indigo dyed linen threads.

WIP ~ Sandman

WIP ~ Sandman

4x6 or so inches

Natural and rust dyed cotton scrim atop monoprinted muslin fabric.  Hand stitched with natural and commercial dyed cotton threads, wool batting.

I will be adding some machine stitching next and then will go back into the piece with more stab stitching, maybe layer some more cheesecloth onto the surface and then add french knots and some coils.

This is a small piece I started around 7pm this evening designed to get me back into the habit of stitching as I have a solo show to prep for that I'll be hanging in April, most of those pieces will be machine stitched and then waxed (encaustic).

French Pearl Cotton - Yummy!

Stopped by my favorite haunt today, JB Knacker in Gilbert, Iowa, and found five beautiful skeins of vintage french pearl cotton!

Some of the thread has some foxing but should come out with a gentle washing. 

WIP - Nocturne Series

 



Nocturne Series - Now for some stitching.  

 Birds in Tree Stencil design on kona cotton fabric painted with tsukineko inks, birds outlined with copic pen, timtex batting and aurifil cotton thread.

Linen Thread

50/3 weight linen thread, am going to love stitching with these beauties! These came from Wm. Booth Draper.

Lost Thread

It's in that small plastic tub, up there at the very top you know next to the ceiling of course!

Practice No. 2

Well since I lost my orginal practice piece I whipped up another one this evening. 
Cochineal dyed cotton fabric, machine stitched, wool quilt batting, aurifil threads.

I couched down more sisal to pratice some stitches with, this "x" shape I bobbin stitched using aurifil wool thread.  Above view is the back side of the sample that was facing upwards when stitching. 

Top side after bobbin stitching, the aurifil wool thread doesn't like to feed through the top on my 6500S so I bobbin stitch with it instead.

I've couched down more sisal since this shot was taken, now I will experiment with hand stitching over the sisal and then machine stitching over the hand stitching to see which effect I prefer.  This all in anticipation of finishing Bjorkboda.

WIP - Hoodoos

I was going to use this piece for experimentation, adding paint and ink post stitching now I'm not so sure, will see when the stitching is finished.

Wool thread in the bobbin, this is the back of the piece, oops!

Blog Yard Sale

Blog yard sale - I'm working on that.  It turns out these sorts of things are way harder in real time, especially since John was on vacation this past week, than when just pondering them.  Sound familiar?  So much to do and so little time to do them in.

Some goodies that'll be going into the shop and soon!  I have these kits of collage/embroidery yummies in pinks, yellows, blues, and greens.

Auditioning Threads for Bjorkboda

My YLI waxed cotton threads.

Some Habu Textiles Threads

More Habu Textile Threads

Some natural dyed raw silk yarn, indigo and cochineal dyes.

Indigo and tannin dyed cheesecloth.

WIP - Bjorkboda 081612

Now with some dark teal cotton thread.

I love the overlap of the cotton panels.

I forgot to remove the dye technique notes from the botton of the fabric panel, so now to figure out what to do with that little bit and then it's time for some hand stitching.

WIP - Bjorkboda 081512

Now with a rust colored aurifil rayon thread for more surface definition.

WIP 080512

Making thread selections.

Aurifils cotton and rayon thread.

Aurifil wool thread.

More Studio Organization

John moved my thread boxes into my studio this evening and I spent the better part of the evening organizing the contents.  Tomorrow I will be moving the rest of my studio supplies in while the temps are still bearable in the house, and right now it's downright pleasant!!!

Boxes of beads.

Experimenting 061112

Experimenting with some digitally printed silk and cotton overlays over natural dyed fabrics.

WIP - Granary

Granary - digitally printed fabric, machine and hand stitching, aurfil threads.

I sure hope I spelled that correctly, this is part of my "ode to corn" series.  I will be stitching more of these in the coming days.