This is one of my current projects - an attempt at some embroidery! When I was younger I did a long stitch kit project of a scene with some rabbits in front of their cottage – I think it might have been based on a Beatrix Potter illustration. I loved it. It took me ages – I would work on it for a while then put it away and take it out again months or years later to work on it again. I was so proud of finishing it, and kept it away safely for many years…and even bought it with me to Turkey with the hope of framing it and putting it up in Yashar’s nursery (I still haven’t gotten around to that…) Considering that we moved to Turkey with only a suitcase of things each, it is definitely a treasured item for me.
Recently I bought an awesome young lady a pretty special embroidery kit for her birthday (which hasn’t happened yet, hence no naming who it’s for). It’s from Sublime Stitching – which has lots of modern and kitschy designs to chose from for super cool stitchers. I’m hoping she will enjoy it as much as I did all those years ago. Choosing it got me inspired to try some embroidery using one of my illustrations as a basis. I like the way embroidery gives you a chance to easily mesh notions of traditional art with that of craft.
I took this illustration and simplified it to outlines, printed it and then traced it on to a piece of linen. Then I centered it on the embroidery hoop and have been using satin stitch to fill the deer in. I used the instructions on Sublime Stitching for how to do satin stitch, although I have to say, I couldn’t quite follow about bringing the needle up in the same place (if you read the instructions and try it out maybe you will see what I mean?)
So I hope I will be showing you the finished piece soon! I’m not quite sure what I’m going to use it for once it’s finished…what do you think?
And some more making has been going on around here…I recently finished a commissioned illustration for a dear friend and very supportive customer. She commissioned it to give to some friends of hers as a wedding present. Their wedding was on the weekend and apparently they loved it and already have it hanging up in their house – yay!
You probably guessed that the illustration was inspired by the Lear poem The Owl and the Pussy Cat – very fitting for a wedding! The words are here.
This was a bit of a mixed media piece – I first used ink to draw it, then did some digital colouring, then finished it off with some pencil work. Prints of the illustration are also available now in the shop. Yay!
10 comments:
I think you could leave it in the embroidery hoop when you finish it and use it as framed art work, maybe with bunch of other artworks in a hoop or with mixture of artworks,photos etc. and make a display wall.
I think a lovely little cushion for the dear little thing.
Oooh, I like both of those ideas! Maybe I can do a couple of embroideries and do both :)
I think you should make four of these: each deer in different colours. And sew them over a nice hand-made wool baby blanket. The baby, then the child when grown older, will bring the blanket everywhere and remember the deers even s/he gets older! I still remember my baby pillow case embroided with a mouse and rabbit holding carrots.
Oh cute! I love that idea! I might try embroidering on something softer so that the baby can snuggle up to it. Aren't the things we remember from our childhood so special. It's something that I really want for Yashar - of special hand made things for him, of baking together and playing in the sand...
Talking of things remembered from childhood, recently I remembered I had a library bag at school 30 years ago . I remembered it was white drill and had a hobytex picture on it but couldn't remember what - a fairy? a unicorn? My mum recently found it- it was a pixie/elf. Its nothing perfect but its so special
Awww, that sounds so cute. And the idea of a library bag is so lovely - do kids still use them now? Yashar is not old enough yet...hmmm and I don't even know where the local library is here!
You mentioning that reminds me of the sweetest little red case I had at kindergarten, with an elephant on the front. Its funny the things you remember isn't it :) I loved that case! And I still do actually...I wonder if I can find it tucked away somewhere at my Dad's house...fingers crossed!
Just wanted to "like" this post and say I highly recommend commissioning a Verity Heysen-Kizek original for a special present!
This is one of my all time favorite childhood poems...I'm going to have to get the print! Lovely.
Thanks Kara Melissa! I really love this poem too :)
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