Work in progress

I don't like being last minute when working on pieces. I don't mind working under pressure with lots of other things, but in regards to crafting, I hate sitting there with time running out, trying to make things look right. For me it is so stressful and it simply takes the fun out a process, that I otherwise enjoy tremendously. I want to have time to change things if it doesn't work or to follow a new path if an idea pops up. At the end of the day, I probably work very intuitively and need to allow ample time just to look at the pieces, on my design board. When making a larger piece I quite often take photos during the making process. In my workroom, I cannot get far enough away, to look at it, from a descent distance. If overall design doesn't work it will usually scream at you, and it is by far easier and nicer to realize it before it is too late, and a lot of time has been wasted on a weak piece.
Lately I have been working on a quilt for the upcoming 'Out Of The Fold' exhibition in October. We decided as a group to all make a long, narrow piece, a 3d item and a piece based on a 'metal challenge' pack that was handed to us all. The piece in the photos is my half finished, long, narrow piece. I was working on it on the floor and with in a spilt second our old pus decided that I needed help to hold down the corner.(Sorry, to the non cat lovers out there :-)

How to make: A stitched, textural picture

The photo I used as inspiration for my stitched piece.


I made this picture a while back and I thought I'd like to share how I did it. It is such a lovely technique, if you like me, like texture and few frayed bits. All together a bit rustic I guess :-)

Choose your design source. It can be a photo you've taken or pulled from a magazine, your own design work, what ever appeals to you. Make a (rough)sketch with emphasis on the flow of lines in your design source. Then determine if you want to add a some pattern as a focal point. Again, look at your design source and see if something 'wants to be added'. Otherwise use your imagination and the artistic licence.

Layer 10-12 layers of butter muslin, (loosely woven cotton fabric). Tack the layers roughly together. Set your machine for free style machine stitching threaded with a a white/neutral cotton sewing thread. Stitch your design. Go over the lines 3-4 times.
Look at your stitched piece and decide what layers you want to cut away using a small pointed scissor. You will be creating depth in your design, so give it a bit of thought envisioning the various combinations. Cut the fabric away, but not all the way through. Leave a couple of layers.

If you want to dye your stitched piece. Place it in a flat tray. Spray with water, to dampen the surface. Use lightly diluted Dyn-a-flow, silk paint or any other liquid dye and a brush working the dye into the surface. Let the colors merge for a soft look. When happy, let dry and add hand embroidery and other embellishment if you so wish.

Vancouver, Canada

On our recent trip to the US, we spend two days in Vancouver, Canada. I had never been to Canada before and was really looking forward to our stay there. I'll definitely have to come back one day. I just loved Vancouver. I could have spend a lot longer there exploring the city. Walking and exploring the Granville area was fantastic. The creative energy coming from Emile Carr Art and Design University, all the individual or coop artist studios as well as the market was fantastic. A feast for all senses. The second day in Vancouver, my husband and his mother went on a bus trip, while I excused myself :-) I just had to get back to Granville. The day prior I had spotted all these wonderful rusty, multi colored, mossy, textured areas on the buildings made from corrugated iron and I was keen on getting back taking photos. I got there quite early in the day. It was slightly overcast and the light was just right for my little point and shoot camara. The more I looked the more I discovered. I took so many photos that I lost count. I do love digital photos! While I was totally absorbed in my little world of taking photos of rusty bits and planing the next batch of design work, this deep male voice, all of a sudden, spoke to me from behind. I got such a fright and totally jumped. I was definitely not expecting anyone to talk to me! The gentleman apologized for making me jump, and continued to tell me about some other great 'textured' buildings on Granville. And then he was gone. I couldn't help smiling as it was so neat to have met someone, who shared my joy of 'weird' design photos.

Glacier Bay, Alaska

Well despite all my good blogging intentions, I'm still struggling getting back into doing all the things, that I would like to do on the computer. Mind you, on our recent trip to US/Alaska, I did decide, that I was going to spend less time on the computer upon our return. I was spending way too many hours on 'the machine' and I really wanted to transfer some of that time back into designing and crafting. This last week I have spend catching up on lots of projects as well attending all three textile groups. Great catching up with all my friends and see what they are working on. In the machine embroidery group, Advanced Textile Workshop, we were having a fun day making all kinds of buttons in clay, Fimo, felt and stitched. It is always great to be able to make your own buttons for a certain project, as it is a wonderful way of adding the last finishing touch. In 'Out Of The Fold' some of the ladies were doing indigo dying. Some of the pieces were stunning. I look forward to see the results next time we meet. I didn't do any dying. I have so much dyed fabric as it is, so I really didn't need any more. I worked instead on a couple of samples for a 3D object that we are to make for our upcoming exhibition. I was very pleased with how the samples turned out. Will share them with you at a later stage :-)
The two photos in this posting are from The National Park: Glacier Bay, Alaska. An absolutely stunning place. Never seen anything like it!

Life is great!

I have had a lovely day today just quietly catching up with a lot of things. For a change I haven't been out and about and it just makes such a difference. One can get on with things. As you can see from my lack of blog postings, I haven't quite found my rhythm again. So much to do when you are picking up your life again after a long, but wonderful break. But hopefully life is slowly falling into place again and I'll be back blogging on a regular basis. I have so many half written posts from our trip in my little note/sketch book that I'm always carrying around with me. Someone gave me that tip when I started this blog, and that has really been a super idea. Sometimes it is just key words, other times it is fully written. I have never written a daily journal, but I have to admit that there is something very soothing to put pen to paper, trying to digest and verbalize the impressions of a day. Well better run for now. We are having friends coming over shortly for a three course meal. It is all prepared except that I'm in need a bit of dusting myself :-)

SewDanish HAS REOPENED!

Yeah, we are back home in England safe and sound and http://SewDanish.etsy.com is again open for business. It is so great being out and about, but there is a lot to be said for being back home as well. I love travelling, but enjoy tremendously being home as well. After a long break it always takes a while to pick up from where I left. One of the first things I did was to reopen SewDanish. I have really missed my little shop. Now the shelves are dusted, the windows polished and over the coming days/weeks I will be adding new listings. So if you have a moment please stop by and take a look :-)
My husband and I are still a bit jet lagged trying to absorb the 8 hour time difference between Vancouver and London. Even though my brain is still in a slow mode, I cannot wait to get back crafting, continue working on the projects that I left behind. Mind you before the crafting, I do need to continue working on the mountain of laundry and ironing, as well as a major expedition to the supermarket to restock the fridge. The joys of travelling :-)

North Carolina

Card - Applique
Originally uploaded by SewDanish

Just spend a lovely week by the Inter Coastel Waterway in North Carolina. Beautiful weather. A great taste of the summer to come.
Took lots of photos of bark. Some of the old trees had just the most amazing texture. Perfect for being translated into textured, stitched pieces. We have a lot of airports and plane rides coming up and I might do a bit of sketching while waiting. We'll see.

In the begining of our stay my husband was working on his next two Fantasy Football book that are due to be published shortly: 'Fantasy Football Almanac 2009' and 'Fantasy Football Tips' by Sam Hendricks. While he was busy typing away, I did a hand stitched piece for one of my textile groups. The Sindano group is having an exhibition in November and we are all to stitch a leaf. A small piece of hand dyed fabric and a some blue threads were given to us. Right before I left on this vacation, I took a photo copy of a leaf from our garden and traced the outline and veins on to the fabric with a light pencil stroke. So far I have stitched a very delicate piece with tiny running and seed stitches. I really like it, but is debating to add more seeded = shadowed areas. It is a fine balance as I don't want to spoil the feather weight feel the piece has, but on the other hand it might be too boring with out. I think, I have to let it sit for a while longer, while I make up my mind :-)