A Creative Life

I've been making more postcards for Hanna's DIY Postcard Swap. They are all on a common theme based on this quote from Joseph Chilton Pearce:

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong



I made stencils of crosses; then took some fabric from my scraps box and painted these with black and red acrylic paints. I also experimented a bit with some sequin waste on one piece. Then I chopped up the painted bits of fabric, sewed them back together in a different order and added the quotes. I am pretty pleased with how they turned out, and think they convey the message well. This time, rather than using Vilene and muslin for the backs, I have sewn them straight onto a heavy cardstock using a machine zigzag. It knackers the needle but works fine! So, that's six made, four to go :-). Check out the Flickr group to see all the great creative postcards being made.



I have also made a start on the latest set of Sharon B's Stitch Files. This little sample shows Algerian stitch. I enjoyed working these - I think my favourite is the second row of smaller stitches in a wave pattern. Next thing is to try the stitch on a more interesting background material.



And lastly, I have finished the coin strips for my friend's baby quilt. It's very feminine and muted, not my style at all (!) but think it will go down well so that's the main thing :-)

Get Your Stitch Files Quick!!

Hooray! Sharon Boggon has released the next instalment of the Stitch Files. She is offering these at half price for the next two weeks. They are $5 (which works out at £3.18 for us Brits), normally $10. If you want to see what they are like, you can download the freebie sheets as a taster. Just go here to join in the fun:

http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2011/3/9/sharon-bs-worksheets-stitch-module-5-available-at-a-special.html

Here's some pics of work I have done on previous Stitch Files:










Join in! You know you want to :-)

More Stitch Files

I've done a bit more on my stitch files...

I experimented with running stitch to make some darning patterns:



And made a little sample of feather stitch:



After looking at the amazing samples on Raphaela's blog, I will definitely be back to explore this stitch a bit more :-)

The Stitch Files - Running Stitch

Sharon has released part four of the Stitch Files - you can download them here.

One of the stitches this time was the humble running stitch and I have had fun with it. First off, I challenged myself to stitch with colours that do not normally form part of my palette (pastel, muted, pink - feminine!!) and made this little felted piece:



I actually quite like it, and so does DH, cos he has pinched it for a mat to put on top of one of his speakers!

Then I had a play with whipping and interlacing rows of running stitch, and I like the way they look too:



As well as working on my stitch files I have also been doing a bit of holiday related stitching. Some I can't reveal as the recipients may well see this blog first, but I can show you this, which is a little embellished and stitched piece I created to affix to a sketchbook for my much loved stepdad:



I think this is my favourite piece of embroidery so far, I especially love the effect of the chain stitch tree trunk. I was inspired to stitch this by some of the lovely brooches made by Kayla coo - check them out on her blog.

I am also busy making a mini (doll sized) quilt using some of my hexagon flowers. Waif has demanded a quilt for his soft toy guinea pig - the imaginatively named Guinea Baby - and apparently Guinea Baby insists on hexagons and a red/orange/yellow/brown colour scheme! I don't have time to piece a whole hexie quilt, even this size, so I am hand appliqueing the flowers to square blocks which I will then sew into a four patch. The first two are yellow and orange flowers on red backgrounds, the next two will be red/brown flowers on an orangey yellow background. I think it will look pretty nice :-). Let's hope Guinea Baby approves!

More Stitch Files

I've been adding to my collection of stitches learned...you can check them out in my Flickr set here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/towardsagoodlife/sets/72157625237157390/with/5163666791/

This is my most recent and most fun: