What was I thinking… the deadline I set for my first attempt at a little giveaway was far too short. Especially as it’s half term, I hadn’t realised. Sorry, I’m really not with it at the moment.
So I hope nobody will mind, but I’ve decided to add on a week. Follow me and leave a comment by 9 a.m. GMT on Monday 5th November to enter the draw for a Bloom brooch (see previous post).
A new stitchy book! It’s a rare thing these days. My shelves are already close to collapse, it’s one in, one out. And to be honest, most of the new releases don’t appeal – so often full of the same old basics, simple projects to copy, and “discoveries” that us old hands have seen (and done) before.
Hand Stitch Perspectives has been compiled by Alice Kettle and Jane McKeating. It’s the natural companion to their previous book, Machine Stitch Perspectives - a serious consideration of hand embroidery from various points of view. Whilst there are plenty of photos, this isn’t a “picture book”; it’s a collection of thoughtful essays. I haven’t read much of it yet, and I think it might make my brain hurt, but some of the subjects look fascinating – such as Embroidery and the F-Word (feminism of course!), and Tom Lundberg’s personal journey.
Ooh, and at the back there’s an “inventions stitch glossary” – exciting samples including cable chain stitch in clay, rubber bands couched onto cardboard, cross stitch tent poles on grass. You can see some of them here.
So if you love embroidery and fancy giving the grey cells a bit of a work out, it might be one for the Christmas list.
And my little something extra? Well it seems this is my 100th post – ta-daah! I’m still only a beginner at this blogging business (just as everyone else is spending more time on Facebook, ha), and I’ve slowed down recently as life has got tough. Also, my blog has very few Followers, although quite a lot more people (especially in Russia and Turkey!) seem to read it.
Go on, you can always un-follow me after the draw… but I’m hoping you’ll forget!
This week I’ve been working on some new little brooches along the same lines as my bowls and bookmarks. Well not everyone can offer a suitable home for a bowl that’s not intended to hold anything, can they? And lots of people have Kindles so they don’t need a bookmark…
Note my valiant (?) efforts at “styling”… I find this so difficult, trying to come up with suitable props and backgrounds. I need to work on it though, as apart from adding interest, it helps with the problem where pieces show up at many times life size in my shops – NOT flattering for free machining!
Or, flowers… but did that grab your attention?!
Hot off the Bernina – a batch of “Bloom” brooches, now launched in my Etsy and Folksy shops.
The design was inspired by alliums, and they did start off in suitable shades of purple, but the colours have branched out a bit now… there’s no limit really, I could do rainbow ones! Each flower head is made up of four layers, free machined on dissolvable fabric and put together to make a lacy, three-dimensional structure.
I made the first few for Textilia’s recent exhibition at Farfield Mill, to tie in with one of my framed pieces, and they sold out. But for this new batch I’ve switched from stick pins to tiny brooch backs. They looked good on long metal “stalks”, but that effect was lost when they were pinned on clothing, and the stick pins were a bit thick anyway. These will work better on fine fabrics I think.
Only trouble is, they look HUGE in the photos in my shops – bigger than life size, of course they don’t seem as delicate and lacy as in real life. Hmm. There’s an awful lot to learn with this online shopping business.
