WOYWW

Oh my, it's Wednesday already?  I swear the weeks are just getting shorter as the days are getting longer!!!

 

So, my desk this week is back to its usual state of creativity in action (aka a mess).

 

My 365 journal is out for the days events to be added and the green and pale orange splodged A4 sheet is going to be cut up for the journal blocks ready for April's pages.

 

Top left peaking out are my crocheted skulls (still there from my friend from last week) and I am waiting until I pick up my dry cleaning so I can repurpose the safety pins from the labels to sew onto the skulls and change them into brooches (sorry but there are two things I refuse to purchase, safety pins because our suits always come back from the dry cleaners with at least 2 on...and I don't use many in a year.  I also refuse to buy elastic bands as it appears post men and women seem to have no regard for them and toss them away (usually in my garden!) so I see these as free stash! Mind you, anyone who has been to the WOYWW meet ups will know I was the one who went round all the bins and made a journal page out of scraps I found!).

 

Also on my desk is my first attempt at an appliqued and reverse appliqued wall hanging. This is a new craft for me and I found a free step by step tutorial on the School of Stitched Textiles website.

 Ta da....!  I am really pleased how it turned out.  It uses machine and hand embroidery and lots of other new techniques.

So there you have it.  My desk in all its glory (well, I do tend to think of the craft room as a bit of a glory hole!).

So, if you'd like a legal snoop at desks across the globe then feel free to join us and pop over to the Queen of WOYWW, the lovely Julia

Happy Crafting

Kyla

 

A more productive use for a sewing machine

Those of you who either know me or read my blog regularly will now that me and sewing machines don't really see eye to eye. But, the sewing machine killer (yep, that's me) finally conquered her demons when I bought a 2nd hand Janome XC33, more expensive then my earlier models (but still a good price) and suddenly I was making things.

Now, I made a few handbags and skirts, and whilst the end result was pleasing the actual process wasn't much fun. I ended up stressed and often swearing at the material, needles, machine and if my poor hubby happened to walk past him...well, I think you can guess.

So, after a course at Urchfont manner on machine embroidery I decided to have a crack at my first proper piece.

But, what should the subject be? Well, I had no idea what to get my parents for Christmas, so I thought I would make them something.

They both love Budleigh Salterton in East Devon, so I took a photo and printed it on special paper from Ario (I love their unusual products) and started to stitch....and stitch....and stitch...

I stitched for 3 days, layering threads, silk rods (dyed from Steff Francis who does wonderful colours) and even some angelina fibres for the reflections. I decided to keep some of the sea unstitched to show that it started out life as a photo.

And this is how it turned out:

Because of the pressure on the fabric, it puckered slightly at the edges so I decided to frame it (not easy considering how thick this piece is)

As you can see, I used many, many layers, keeping some of the silk rods and more textured fibres slightly looser to add depth and texture.

When my parents opened it at Christmas their faces said it all, even my family in New Zealand recognised it as Budleigh Salterton when we showed them over skype!!

All in all, I must admit, for my first attempt I am pretty pleased with myself. If it wasn't a gift for my parents (where I can visit it often) then I don't think I could have actually given this away!!

Now I just need to get inspired for another one.

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge x