shop update...

   

several new listings just hit the shop!

spotted succulent...

spotted succulent, just added to the shop...

{cotton, recycled linen, wire armature, wool stuffing, vintage pottery}

i knew when i found this piece of vintage tribal print pottery in an antique shop last month, that i'd have to wait patiently for just the right textiles... and then i came across this perfect shade of spotted cotton (a color somewhere between navy and teal and gray and green), which happened to pair perfectly with another blue recycled linen that i had.  after that, i just had to convince myself that i could part with this one!

happy wednesday

poinsettia...

stitching and painting poinsettia leaves this november morning, for holiday garlands and textile plants... from recycled wool and linen fabrics, in various shades of red and white

i'm having quite a bit of fun playing around with texture, with various painting techniques and fabrics, and with shaping each leaf using a wire core... this is proving addictive!

(as i was stitching these, a man strolled down the sidewalk by my house singing 'i'll be home for christmas'... nice of him to create a bit of ambiance while i work)

happy wednesday




**update: adding more 'in progress' photos on flickr

home...

i've been gathering a lot of linens over the last few months.  a few lovely new fabrics, which i've found on sale,  to compliment the many, many vintage/ second-hand linens.  old grain sacks and kitchen towels, vintage sheets and clothes... it's quite difficult to pass up a pretty piece of pure cotton, linen, or wool while thrifting.  now, i'm starting the process of finding ways to use the loveliness of these linens to breathe new life into pieces around the house

i picked up a set of three matching striped vintage kitchen towels, out of which i'm planning to make nice big pillows... one i'll keep for my own couch, while the other two will probably make their way into the prairie seed shop soon ;)

and i found a few great deals here, on both the jute webbing above and the black and gray linen fabric below (on sale right now for $1.50 a yard!).  i actually picked up the jute webbing to re-cover the seats of two old ladder back chairs (which are awaiting a coat or two of gray paint), but fortunately i thought to order a bit extra, which i immediately put to use!  the black and gray checked linen will also be used for these chairs, for cushions;  but, again, i ordered enough to make some pillow covers for around the house as well

the striped cover on the back of the couch, a truly lovely old grain sack, is new (well new to me) as well... now i'm on the hunt for a coordinating grain sack to cover the other side!  this was one of a set of two different vintage grain sacks i picked up from this shop on etsy.  the other is currently being used over a pillow, and atop an antique wooden box i've had for quite some time, to make a pretty (and very useful!) ottoman for  my wicker chair

tula has already claimed it as her new favorite napping spot...

happy friday (and, eek, my last night in my 20's... hello, 30!)

busy, busy...

i'm realizing that my posting here on the blog has been a bit thin recently... but, this has been the result of much stitching, which means many more shop updates over the coming weeks!

there will be textile succulents, and nests, and ornaments, and mixed media pieces... as well as these new textile orchids, which are giving me much joy to create!  and now that  i've found these delicious vintage japanese kimono fabrics, from the 1950's, i must confess that i see this busy stitching continuing for the foreseeable future...  or at least as long as my fingers hold out

happy wednesday

oh sweet joy!

ahh, the feeling of opening my mailbox, finding that package of fabrics i've been eagerly anticipating, and trying hard not to squeal (there were people in earshot... so i patiently saved the squealing for when i opened the package in the privacy of my home!). these delightful japanese linen/cotton fabrics, from stefaniexu, have already inspired many new ideas... creations i'm sure you will soon see in my shop

let the sewing commence!

in progress... 'tree'

'in progress' is an apt title for all of my creations right now... everything is in various stages of development, from the idea phase, to sketches, to half finished works in progress... i see a spring burst of finished works coming soon!

busily working on a new 'tree' fiber art piece... as you can see, i am still in the process of hand embroidering the trunk and branches with vintage thread (a process which my fingers feel by the end of the day!)

i've embroidered this piece free hand based on my sketches, as opposed to first inking my design on the canvas

the leaves will be three dimensional wool and cotton hand stitched, in shades of soft blues and greens

once completed, this fiber and textile piece will be backed with wool and mounted on the vintage metal embroidery hoop, ready for hanging or propped in a cozy corner

i was inspired to create a new tree on canvas, after coming across this old sketch of a tree i did for one of my theatre design classes back in college... the structure of a tree is a recurring theme in my work, whether in my soft sculptures or in my wall art. every spring i'm sure to feel the surprising wonder of a bare winter tree with the first soft hints of color

i really could arrange and photograph fabrics in harmonious colors and prints all day long!

oh, and shopping for new (or often vintage actually, but new to me!) fabrics, or happily finding a package of fabrics awaiting me in the mail... there are no words! i have several new fabrics making their way to me right now, which have already inspired many new ideas. can't wait to hold them in my hands so that i may begin stitching them into new forms!

you can see more images of this work in progress on my flickr page