Working Intuitively

Still using the “Last of the Summer Roses” design that I used to make the small shoulder purse that you can see here, this time I’m rearranging the design in order to make a print for a large handbag.

One of the reasons I love using photoshop elements so much, is that it makes reworking the same design so easy by simply moving the layers into position. This time I’ve made some room on one side of the print to allow for some hand embellishing.

Handbag

One of the reasons I love using photoshop elements so much, is that it makes reworking the same design so easy. By simply moving the layers about, the same design can look very different without too much effort.

As you know, embellishing, particularly hand embellishing, is one of my favorite techniques. I find it relaxing and contemplative and I often work intuitively, allowing the design to speak to me and tell me how it wants to be embellished. This can sometimes be challenging; almost like looking at a blank sheet of paper and wondering where to start.

I generally gather some supplies in colors that are complementary to my project and then wait and listen. Eventually the idea is formed and work begins. For this design, some simple hand stitches in a rose leaf design, with a sprinkling of beads that look like little raindrops.

Handbag

Once begun, the process flows. I’m really loving the way this design looks so I can’t wait to see how the finished handbag turns out.

Shoulder Purse

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Embellishing in the Barn

It always seems to take me a few days to wind down from my live teaching workshops because the students generate so much creative energy, and last Saturday’s workshop was no exception!

My group was an “art doll” group looking for some inspiration for embellishing and embellishments. And they didn’t have to look too far when I offered up my Titivations Workshop – a perfect choice!

There was lots of space for working in a lovely barn-like building.

 Embellishing with Titivations

 Embellishing with Titivations

The students began by getting really creative with water soluble stabilizer, making needlelace …

 Embellishing with Titivations

… and fiber doodles …

 Embellishing with Titivations

 Embellishing with Titivations

… and creative cutwork designs …

 Embellishing with Titivations

… and then scrounging through my supplies looking for fun bits of stuff to work with for the various other techniques they learned.

 Embellishing with Titivations

Then finishing the day with a little surface design and learning a new technique for making “fabric skins” – very cool!

 Embellishing with Titivations

 Embellishing with Titivations

So thank you ladies for having me; it’s always a pleasure when students are so brave, eager and willing to learn new techniques. It was a fun, busy day and I hope you’ve all recuperated!

I’m still working on my art doll which was my attempt at making a class sample for this group, and I hope to have her finished within the next week or so. She seems to be developing quite an attitude and personality each time I work with her.

Art Doll

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Getting Ready to be Titivated

Today I’m packing and getting ready to teach my Titivations workshop tomorrow. Here are some of the samples these lucky students will get to see close up and personal ….

Even though my students are part of an art doll group, the embellishing techniques they’ll learn can be applied to any sort of textile project – art quilts, art dolls, wearables.

This is one of my favorite art quilts – “In The Garden: Flowers”. This is one of a series of three art quilts embellished with soft edges using machine needlelace, and of course, lots of free motion embroidery and hand beading.

Art Quilt - In The Garden: Flowers

Art Quilt - In The Garden: Flowers

Another favorite is “Soliloquy”, heavily embellished with free motion quilting and beads.

Art Quilt - Soliloquy

Art Quilt - Soliloquy

And “Puddles”, also heavily embellished with hand stitching, beading, machine needlelace and three dimensional elements. The background was machine needle felted and I showed you some samples of machine needle felting yesterday.

Art Quilt - Puddles

Art Quilt - Puddles

And I’m also packing the kits. Whoo hoo! What fun!

In The Garden: Flowers

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Free Motion Quilting … Just Fabulous!

This week I’m sharing with you some of my favorite techniques. On Tuesday we looked at machine needle felting, yesterday was all about Titivating Embellishments and today we look at the wonderful world of free motion quilting Fabulous Free Motion Quilting.

Decorative free motion quilting is one of my very favorite techniques, probably my favorite. I’ve been doing free motion quilting, free motion embroidery, and thread painting for as long as I can ever remember, which is a very long time indeed.

I love the freedom of being able to sew beautiful, decorative patterns and designs onto cloth using all the beautiful colors and types of threads that are available today.

And not only on fabric paper, I also like to free motion on my fabric paper …

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Titivations

This week I’m sharing with you some of my favorite techniques. Yesterday we looked at machine needle felting. Today it’s all about
Embellishments.

Whether it’s art quilts, wearable art or accessories, or any other type of sewing project, adding some sort of embellishment is like adding the icing to the cake.

Embellishing can be as simple as adding a few hand stitches …

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Your Photos: Embellished Purse

I received an email the other day from Joyce Ferrie who mentioned that she’d just finished making and embellishing a purse using the Embellished Purse Tutorial I posted recently. So here is Joyce’s purse – and isn’t it just BEAUTIFUL!

Here’s Joyce’s description …

I used hand dyed cottons on the bag body and flap, and the lining is silk – quite the contrast in attitude. The flower on the flap is painted “molding paste” – the molding paste was applied with a stencil. I put a cluster of beads in the center of the flower. There are lots of seed beads on the flap which do not show up in the photo very well. There are also beads along the flap edge. The yarn trailing from the flower is an Italian mohair/rayon/polyamide (has a bit of sparkle). This was a fun bag to make!!

Embellished Purse

I love that Joyce used silk for the lining; a touch of luxury that’s secret and personal. I often do this with my lined clothing as it elevates the garment to a whole new level. And I also like that she used unusual methods to embellish – embellishing doesn’t have to be boring and small projects like this are the perfect way to test and explore new techniques.

Embellished Purse

Joyce you did a fabulous job and thanks for sending your photos to me! I hope it inspires others also.

PS
If you have photos of projects you’ve made using any of the tutorials or techniques I demonstrate, please drop me a line; I always love to see what you’ve done.

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Beaded Purse Handles

Beaded Purse HandlesI wrote the other day about how to attach invisible magnetic snaps which are a great closure for purses, bags and other items where either you don’t want the closure to be apparent or that have no obvious closure flaps.

For that particular project, which was a bag, I couldn’t find any handles that I liked, so I made some beaded handles using some lovely glass beads that I had recently picked up at the craft store, and some machine wrapped cording. Making the handles this way allowed me to color coordinate, and the beads also add a little sparkle to the finished bag.

I first made two lengths of machine wrapped cording slightly longer than the length I needed for the handles. You can find instructions on how to make machine wrapped cording here.

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