Flowers, Flowers and More Flowers! And a shiny new work space - woo hoo!

Its been a while, so lots of rambling coming up! Have been on holiday, revamped my work space, me and mum have started a million (and one) projects, and got heads bursting full of ideas!

Among many things I'm working through Danny Gregory's book - "The Creative License". It's about grabbing a Sharpie and sketching something / anything everyday - it inspires you to "just do it", even a few minutes a day.  I figured I could translate this principle into the textiles world too, and into a series of small challenges - otherwise days / weeks can fly by without picking up a needle or piece of wool because "I am too busy" - huh?

Here are a couple of the pieces so far...they are not masterpieces by a long shot, they are experiments and samples (approx 22cm x 16cm) for some much bigger ideas I have in my head (more on that later) but at least now I have recorded so that I won't forget!

Because I have been experimenting with marker pen and coloured pencils recently I first wanted to see if I could get this down into feltwork and machine embroidery.  I tried a couple of ways.  The picture above started as a blank canvas of pale scrims laid on white wool, then the "ink" outline and colour was applied by fabric applique and dark thread.  It's OK, but has room for improvement.  I'm not sure I like the blue colour of the "ink" but it is something to play with further.

Here's how it started:

And a bit of detail from the finished sample:

The other way, which I haven't felted yet, is to add rough outlines in black silk (throwsters waste) to a couple of random basic felt flowers. The ink and paper sketching is somewhat more portable in that you can do it anywhere, anytime but the principal is the same - freedom, experimentation, and most importantly practice.

I'll report back with progress!

The exercise of the next picture (below) was all about limiting the "palette" of materials (initally anyway!), and working faster.   

I always work quickly once I get going but what I mean by this is to start the process with less faffing!  I tend to spend so long "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing" over jumbles of pretty colours and worrying that I might have missed a nice piece of thread that I just don't get going (mum is the same!). I also keep reading that limiting your resources can force you to be more creative. So I bravely (and quickly!) picked a small handful of colours, one small bag of fabric scraps and laid out this small piece.  I had no idea when I started what it was going to be but as I worked it unsurprisingly turned into a vase of flowers!  However, it was very free-ing to just lay down bits of fabric and fibre until I saw one of my favourite subjects emerging!

I think the next thing to address would be knowing "when to stop". This was going to be a really simple little picture, but I kind of got carried away when I reintroduced all my stash back into the mix!  I also tried to incorporate the "ink" aspect in darker threads but decided it was not really working on this sample, but it added a bit of clarity in places.

Also, on the flowers theme, my neighbour kindly dropped round a beautiful bunch for me before I went on holiday a couple of weeks ago...

and when I got back they had "dropped" splotches all over the cabinet they were on.  I can definitely see a potential embroidery in this one...!

Its crazy what you start to notice when you are actively looking for what to sketch next!

I have purchased five little pinboards so that I can pin up all my favourite and inspiring things during the day - I am forever clipping at magazines, collecting scraps of fabric and odds 'n' ends, and I want to be able to see them all at once!

Now....drum roll....the "Big Clear Out" has finally happened! Woo Hoo!

Since I moved into my house 7 years ago and claimed the downstairs room at the front to be my "studio", so I've been filling it with "stuff". Bits of thread, odd balls of wool, countless stitching books, and piles of fabric.  If you make things, you will understand!  

But it was getting a bit unmanageable, and Mum and I have been meaning to "get Annie organised" for such a long time, and finally could stand the mess no more. So we went through every box and bag and ruthlessly chucked out anything remotely uninspiring or that neither of us could imagine using in a project.  About a third of the room!  I also decided that I would decorate while we were at it - to make it a more inspiring place to be.  

I am so lucky to now have this light and airy (and organised!) workspace....

....transformed from this gloomy mess ! ....

So it was out with the woodchip wallpaper, beige tatty 30 yr old carpet, and piles of junk. In with sanded floorboards, and lots of white paint.   I'm just saving up for my new table and then I can finish the last of the rearranging, all of the baskets can stack neatly underneath the table, and I can put my inspiration pinboards up :-)

Its such a great feeling now I can actually find everything, in fact I even know what I've got now!  Bliss!

Finally, a mention of a bit of fame :-) We were chuffed to be published in the Embroiderers Guild Stitch Magazine in the June 2012 edition, in the regular feature of From Sketch to Stitch ....

...and we’re thrilled to be included in the Artists and Crafters section in a new monthly magazine ‘Make and Craft’ (available as a digital or paper version) http://www.makeandcraft.com

It’s a creative hub for the Craft Community packed with inspiration, crafty tips, creative tricks and exciting ideas, featuring contemporary tutorials and projects using a wide variety of supplies and techniques, as well as reviving traditional crafts worth cherishing.  ‘Make & Craft’ magazine also brings you  the latest trends, up-to-date products, craft books and supplies, new techniques, sneak peeks behind the scenes of Artists and Crafters, the best online sites, news round ups, a diary of craft events and a whole host of competitions and giveaways.

I'm sure there is much more, but for now, I'm gasping for a cuppa! We hope you are all well, enjoying some creative time, and not thinking too much about Christmas yet!  There, I said it.  The "C" word ;-)