CESP

 

There was a touch of brightness in the sky so I tried to get some up-to-date shots of my wool embroidery.

 

The last main character of "Nighttime In The Enchanted Forest" is Papa Bird coming home for the evening. Only his head and jacket are stitched; pants and bird legs to come. 

 

Here is the overall scene.

 

And here is Papa Bird again. I'll be adding a few more worms to his pocket and his basket.

Where I Work

 

I thought you might enjoy seeing where I work. As I type this I am sitting in the black chair in the picture above.

 

I am surrounded by just a little bit of color.

 

This is my life size version of Grandmother's bed as initially built in my dollhouse story "The Red House".

 

It is my favorite cozy spot.

 

If you turn around as you stand in front of the bed, you will see my beautiful marble corner sink. And it works! To the right is my new sewing closet. 

 

Originally this space was 2 separate closets and a shower, each opening off to a different room. I combined the three space into one with access now from my studio.  

 

View from the new sewing closet back to the main work desks.

 

And now you can see where the bears live.

 

The second half of my studio is devoted to my hand embroidery.

 

One wall scene.

 

My beautiful painted table! Many years ago a department store had used it as part of a Christmas display. I snatched it up after the holiday.

 

When I first brought the library ladder home my husband whisked it away to his downtown office where he had the space and the need to put it to use. Of course his real concern at the time was that he would have to build a room tall enough to accommodate it if it stayed at the house.

Now I have the right space, and he no longer had the need. It worked out perfectly!

I hoped you enjoyed the tour!  

Slow But Steady Progress

 

I have decided doing the chain stitch is what hurts most. So I have been doing little of it.

 

But by popping the embroidery back in the hoop I have been able to make a thatched roof for the cottage and some new flowers off to the left.

 

A Blast From The Past

 

I'm still cleaning my old basement studio. Yes there is that much STUFF! 

I came across a box filled with 'unpublished' drawings. As you can see from the date above, I've been at this for awhile. It says 1983! 

Created long before computers, I have now scanned in the originals, tried to clean them up and added color.

 

Intended for a magazine originally (and some may have been published, I just can't remember)  Fitzroy Bear has always been a gentle favorite of mine.

  

I hope to be able to post a printable size copy somewhere here on my site for you to print out and play with. ( Look under the 'Images' tab above. That should be a good size to print out. Let me know if it does or does not work.) You can play alone or with a child. As the copyright notice says , it is for you personally, not to be sold to the world.

Enjoy. 

A Fashion Doll

 

My basic doll house size doll has been modified to become a fashion doll. Everything stayed pretty much the same but I lengthened the legs to the typically overlong fashion leg!

 

This jacket was embroidered a long time ago!

 

Her simple little shoes are similar to the sandals on my angels.

 

I'm liking her hair! Room for improvement but definitely the right direction. 

Hello Again Dear Friends!

 

Hello again dear friends! I have been enjoying the holidays, family, food and great parties.

And I have been resting my hand. The bad news is that the rest has not been enough and so I will be seeking therapy beginning tomorrow morning.

The good news is I am very optimistic! 

 

So I am illustrating this blog with a wonderful needlework frame I bought off the street at a London Church Jumble Sale, while I tell you about a 'journey' I have signed up for. 

 

I'm going to make my own casket! And just as I used to say "I come from a long line of hookers", it isn't what it might first sound like. This is the 'Cabinet of Curiosities' a 10 year in the planning project masterminded by Tricia Wilson Nguyen of Thistle Threads.

Tricia has brought together the materials (lots of materials), supplies(lots of supplies) and the history (oh yes, lots of history!)

to allow embroiderers a chance to create a 17th Century embroidery covered casket, or wooden box. This isn't just any wooden box, it has secret doors and drawers and spaces to tuck things away!

 

And each person gets to design their own panels to embroider using threads specially made, reproduced for this class. Actually EVERYTHING is specially reproduced for this class. Follow the links to see more. And stayed tuned to hear and see more about this project. The class doesn't officially begin until May 2013 and then it proceeds as long as we want to enjoy working on it. That's why I think of it as a journey.