Some Magic Moments

In the very first creative embroidery class I attended when I learnt to stitch a flower like this (not this actual one but I do have it tucked away somewhere) ..........

During that first year of C&G when I learnt how to space dye threads (there's not much space dyeing showing here but these were to hand and there could well be something from that very week some years ago lurking in this box somewhere) .........

And today, learning how to use the camera in macro mode to take these lovely clear pictures ..........

My husband says that he did explain it to me when we first got the camera (nearly two years ago) ........... better late than never! The true colours are actually deeper than shown but they are the right colours!

Thanks for the html tip Gina - something else I will have to investigate!

Hastings

Went to Hastings today and took quite a lot of pictures - those of the fishing huts weren't very successful but I quite like these ..........

Beautiful texture and folds in the cliffs

Lots of recycling in these old lobster pots

A selection of buildings cropped from a larger photo

And these boats - purely because it looks like I've (well nearly!) lifted the image straight from a glossy magazine (the sun came out!)

Am I the only one who has trouble with the spacing between lines/paragraphs/photographs with blogger (ie. inserting text between photos)? No matter how many times I edit, it has a mind of it's own and looks a mess!

More Cutting Up .........

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Margaret was asking what camera I use - nothing fancy an Olympus FE-115 5.0 megapixel. Some days the pictures are brilliant whilst other times not so good. I suspect it may be something to do with the lighting (todays photos were taken outside and it is totally overcast) and it might help if I looked into using something other than the automatic mode at times!

Cutting Things Up!

Although it was fun stitching "Sea of Stitches", I never was that happy with the finished article. Having no design plan and stitching whatever wherever didn't really work for me this time. I actually liked most of it but the composition just wasn't right to be of use for anything so I've started to cut it up!

He asked "Are you happy now?", I said "yes" and he replied "How long for?" ............... I think he knows me! I'm happier than I was so I think that's progress!

Kaleidoscopes from Stitched Pieces

Now this kaleidoscope tool that I mentioned yesterday really is what I call magic - my UFO is now totally transformed into finished pieces (well with perhaps just a little bit of tweaking here and there) .................






and it's picked up some wonderful depth from my little rock garden ............

and dimension (from one of my strawberry pieces) .........

and the clarity of felt, bead, paper, metallic thread and synthetic velvet from another strawberry piece ..............

Playing with Limpets

Over on Maggie's Textiles she talks about playing with an online kaleidoscope tool. Having some (rare) time to myself today, I had intended to get on with some housework but, instead, have found myself engrossed in making kaleidoscopes. When I think of all the hours I spent with the protractor and tracing paper making up circular designs for Elements of Design/City & Guilds etc. and now there's a lovely little online tool which can be used to see what works before spending hours on it plus thousands of other permutations too!

The source for these was a small picture showing a few limpets in a rock pool. Unfortunately, the tool won't pick up pictures from my blog, Stitchin Fingers, Facebook, Photo-Bucket, Image Shack etc. .................. does anybody know of anywhere I can post them (need only be temporarily) so that this little tool can pick them up?

Update - I found a free image hosting site which works so off to have a play with some of my own images!

What works and what doesn't?

The machined cords give a nice stability to the piece but joining them where I thought the joins were less likely to be noticed ie. near the folds and hence the weakest points wasn't the brightest move!

My starting point for selecting the fabrics was the navy zips but using Viyella for the pockets and lining wasn't a good idea - it frays and it isn't very stable even with a double layer - I suppose I could have have done some free machining to help stabilise it and/or perhaps even bonded the fabric to help prevent fraying? It's not really a lesson learned as I am aware of this - just need to get my brain in gear!

I don't think I'll be continuing with the decoration and fastenings ............ it'll be sampling!

Rough Seas

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There has been a little mishap (I know he feels really guilty about it so won't mention any names) with the purse I am making using this this book as guidance so whilst I am waiting for the piece of quilting (complete with cotton wadding) to dry, here's a couple of photographs we took this morning

Crochet Coral Reef

Finally got to see the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef exhibition that I mentioned back in June today

There was even a little bit of knitting - in the same pattern that my nan used to make tea cosies!



And I couldn't resist taking a photo of these fossilised shells that were on display!

UFO

Whilst sorting out some fabric for my next project I came across this unfinished object earlier today. Since it has lain stuffed in a bag for a year (or two!), I thought blogging about it might give me some inspiration for the next stage.

Why did it get abandoned? A design from one of my own photographs, it was originally going to be paint over stitch hence the rather plain colours of the shells but then I got all precious over the silk velvet and the modelled limpets looked much larger when covered with stitch so until inspiration strikes again ..............

The Changes

Thinking it looked a bit top heavy, I've changed it .................

Still not entirely happy with it and not sure if it's an improvement or not but then I wouldn't be me if I were!

What Next?

For a long time I've been thinking about incorporating some shells into some canvaswork so that could fit in well with the Stitch Along.

There's a pattern for a purse that I have been meaning to have a go at in a library book that's due back shortly.

Picked up the latest issue of Stitch magazine yesterday and there's a rather scrumptious crazy quilted item on the front cover

I have an idea for a competition that I saw a couple of weeks ago and I've also been thinking about seascapes and probably lots of other ideas that have escaped my mind just now ................... if only I live long enough.

It will soon be time to start giving Christmas a thought too!

In the meantime, there's a bit of my "Sea of Stitches" that I'm not entirely happy with the more I keep looking at it so I'm changing it a bit - I should pay more attention along the way!