Samples 2015: Week 46, Fireworks

Spontaneous free machining in bright rayon threads. The fabric is white cotton backed with heavyweight iron on stabiliser (so I didn’t have to use a hoop).

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From this article in the Saturday Guardian 14/11/15:
“Bridget Christie: Want to avoid other people’s music? May the force be with you. I’m made to listen to other people’s music choices, against my will, on public transport, in restaurants and lifts, in shops, when I’m on hold, even when giving birth.”

Illustration: Nishant Choksi for the Guardian

Sample design

The image called for a quick, sketchy response, and hand stitching didn’t suit the long curving lines, so it had to be FME. I thought about using a black, night sky, background, but decided the white and bright was what drew me to this image so I stuck with that.

Samples 2015: Week 45, Poppy seed heads

Layered fabrics (felt, hand dyed cottons) free machine stitched with circles then cut back to reveal the mauve layer. Circles of handmade paper then hand stitched on. Shouldn't have used such a fraying top layer!

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From this article in the Saturday Guardian 07/10/15:
“Alys Fowler: restrain your urge to tidy the garden. Don’t clear away those tired and broken brown stems – they’re essential to the health of your patch next year.”

‘During the coming month the poppy seedheads will tumble.’ Photograph: Gap Photos

Sample design
So much potential here, so many possible techniques! But I had to choose and work fast so I used what I had to hand and lost the subtle colours. I simplified the tops too, using plain hand cut circles not frilly shapes.

Samples 2015: Week 44, Wires

There’s no background fabric here, just threads! White and shaded blue pearl cotton, hand stitched on soluble fabric.

 

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From this article in the Saturday Guardian 31/10/15:
“New law to tell internet service providers to retain browsing data. Lobbying by police ahead of investigatory powers bill suggests ISPs will be required to keep data for 12 months.”

 

GCHQ says it carries out bulk interception of online data only if a search warrant has been served. Photograph: MatthiolaC/Alamy

Sample design
Oh I do like embroidery without fabric, and that’s exactly what those tangled wires looked like to me! Though I did consider other techniques, the wires are actually striped. Common sense, and the usual need to catch up, prevailed and I allowed myself to do separate white and blue wires.

Samples 2015: Week 43, Hurricane

Green felt and white bamboo fibres embellished onto blue wool fabric.

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From this article in the Saturday Guardian 24/10/15:
“Hurricane Patricia makes landfall as Mexico braces for devastating storm. Hundreds of thousands of people are in the path of one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded."

 

Hurricane Patricia in the eastern north Pacific. Photograph: Handout/Getty Images

Sample design

Fluffy clouds just had to be an embellisher sample! With a vague resemblance to the photo.