Hand embroidery

I love hand embroidery, there is something really relaxing and satisfying about it. I love that you can curl up on the sofa and watch telly whilst doing it. So its great to have some hand sewing on the go, especially when most of my work at the moment is machine embroidery based, it nice to escape from that. Plus I am not very good a sitting sill unless I am doing something, so hand embroidery is perfect.

So in my bid to be more organised and to get ready for the Christmas Fairs I am doing, I have started making some felt Christmas tree decorations. I have really enjoyed making these as I get to choose lots of bright colours and add buttons and patterns. I am now starting to make cards in a similar style.

Lollipop Tree's

I was struggling with a project at the weekend, so decided to move onto something completely different. I also wanted to move away from my sewing machine for a bit. I love hand embroidery and find it very relaxing, its also good way to get my head together. So I made these felt embroidery lollipop tree's.

They are an idea I have had for a while now, so its nice to finally bring them to life. I haven't decided what I am going to do with them yet, I have several ideas floating round my head, but it nice to sit and sew for a few hours.

Here are the original designs from my sketch book.

Difficult

Its funny how you can work on an idea one day and everything falls into place, ideas spark other ideas and you are pleased with everything you do. You then pick up the same project a few days later and nothing goes right and its a real struggle and something that was really exciting two days ago has become difficult. Well that was me and my new pebble project on Friday.

For once I was very sensible, and decided to put it down and work on something else and then come back to it another day, in the end have produced another cushion cover, which although I am pleased, its nothing like the original design and was very hard work to get it to this stage.

I wanted to try and combine some patterned fabric with the pebble embroidery panel, but I could find anything to go with it, I think I am normally quite good a combining colours and patterns, but it just wasn't happening. Maybe it was just a rubbish idea, maybe its just wasn't right in this particular piece, maybe I should just stick to plain fabric?.....

40

This last month lots of people around me seem to be turning 40. Here are a couple of the cards I have made for them.

I'm back

My blog has been rather neglected over the past couple of months. I have been really busy in my proper job and have been working very long hours, so haven't had much free time, so unfortuntley this has meant Petal Textiles has been very much on hold.

But the project at work has now finished, so I am hoping things will go back to normal. I have really missed being creative and can't wait to go get started again, but I have lots of domestic things I should probably do first, including spending some time with my fella, who has also been very neglected.

This week was Sherwood Artweek. I had work in an exhibition at St Johns Church and in Apollo blinds. Sadly I was away working for most of the week, so wasn't as involved as I would have liked and didnt manage to see any of the other exhibitions.

At St Johns I exhibited 9 small textiles pictures and a wall hanging. I kind of ran out of time with the wall hanging, so have some ideas I want to develop further.

More Lollipop Flowers

This week I managed to complete a custom order for two personalised name pictures. Its been a while since I had made one of these and I had forgotten how much I enjoy making them. They are really relaxing, as once you have made the felt, its all sofa based tasks such as needle felting and hand embroidery. I have made lots of these now, so they don't require too much thought, which is nice sometimes as I can just concentrate on choosing colours and adding different textures.

A couple of months ago also made these, but haven't had chance to do anything with them yet, but I'll get round to mounting them soon.

Saturday

On Saturday I did my monthly shift in the Nottingham Craft Mafia Shop. I actually quite enjoy it, its really useful to see what people are buying and talk to customers. But it is really hard to find the time, so I like to make the most of it.
Its a good opportunity to do some craft work. Unfortunately due to lack of space and equipment you have to plan quite carefully what you are going to do. I normally do some sewing or work on some felt pieces. Unfortunately I wasn't too organised this week so didn't manage to make any felt to work on or have any sewing. So I bunged I some cheating felt (shop brought stuff) and some embroidery threads into my bag on my way out and wasn't really sure what I was going to make.

I ended up making some felt circle cards and I have to say I really like them and I enjoyed making them.

I will be listing them in my shops soon.