The wonderful Autumn weather brings with it the most vibrant colours and those cool, blue, crisp days. It’s around this time of year that I retreat into my sewing room to rediscover textile projects and some long forgotten embroidery that needs a little tweaking or finishing. This year it includes Hares, Hearts and Hexies.
Mr Hare and Mr Fox
My latest thing is mounting work in anticipation of new hanging space in my home. Also helped by a fast approaching deadline for a local quilt show.
Some pieces have been moved around my sewing room for so long that the thought of having to frame them has made me really focus. Pushing me to work on ‘how to finish’ the piece. I’ve sourced some fabulous white frames and I’m now on a roll.
The lovely Mr Hare and Mr Fox, both made on a Katie Essam workshop, have been sitting in a ‘to-do’ pile since last year. They’re now ready for exhibiting at my local Quilting Group‘s November Show.
Hearts and Hexies Embroidery
This six inch square of hand embroidery, made in Irish Linen and vintage papers, was started on a Jessie Chorley workshop in 2013.
It’s sat on my shelf since then waiting for the finishing touches. I’ve really been stumped about the mounting of it. Then last year I was given the most wonderful boxes of textiles from a dear friend whose mother had been a dressmaker all her life. In the box was a handmade, fine wool blouse (the garment was too thread-bear to be worn), but the cloth itself had lots of life in it. After a little unpicking, I used a section of it to mount the heart.
The red cross stitch covers the unpicked area where a dart had once been (i love it when a piece of cloth carries on its memories).
This final piece ‘Simply Hexagons’ was made this year (also a submission to my local Quilt Show).
All summer I’ve been experimenting and gradually building up a stash of cloth and yarn coloured with natural dyes. By the end of August I’d a wonderful collection of silk cloth that lent itself perfectly to a new slow-stitching project. Once made, I was a bit stumped on how to mount it. An afternoon of my favourite gluing and sticking soon solved the problem.
Share your thoughts
I must say, having to produce work for a deadline has definitely made me focus and think about my work in a different way.
Let me know if I’ve inspired you to finish and frame some of your wonderful Stitchery beauties like my Hares, Hearts and Hexies.
Hi Kate and Arnold. I am an art lover and these pieces of some marvelous art have all my attention. I would suggest that you guys start giving out tutorials as well.