News / Commissions
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May 05, 2013
Phase 1: Atlas Moth
Read more →As always, the foundation of a piece like this is all. So this will be a relatively dry post full of boring preparation shots. But, y’know. This stuff matters. First of all, I knew how big the finished, framed size had to be, so I plotted this out on some brown paper, then added in the frame and mount sizes to give the aperture – the embroiderable (?) size. Then I laid out the individual moth patterns I made to get an idea of how they would fit on the piece. I will be embroidering the latin names of the...
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Apr 28, 2013
The Moon, the Elephant and the Atlas.
Read more →Hi everyone! Remember me? I’m still here, and I’ve not been idle. What I’m sharing with you today is some backgorund info on some amazing and beautiful creatures that I have the good fortune of having the pleasure to embroider for a lovely private commission I’ve landed. I am creating a framed piece depicting 3 of the most beautiful moths in nature. It’s funny – when I decided to start accepting commissions I was very clear I didn’t want to be an ‘embroiderer for hire’ and would only accept work on the basis that it inspired me; as such I...
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Jan 04, 2013
I made a special Kitty
Read more →Now he’s all packed up on his way to Blockhead’s Cat-mum. And now – to work on my NEW COLLECTION!
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Jan 02, 2013
Last Private Commission of 2012
Read more →This is Blockhead, my talented friend Hazel’s cat. Well, one of them. She is a confirmed cat lady. She asked me to immortalise him in thread for her. Now I would not normally divert from the Mother Eagle path and do something like this, but Hazel is a very magical girl, and Blockhead is a magical cat, so all good. He’s not COMPLETELY finished, I need to make him a bit more jowly, and obviously set him in a pendant. His eyes are aqua silk and the rest cotton, built up in free running stitch, split stitch etc. He’s quite sweet...
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Dec 31, 2012
Disaster! High Dramas and Heart Warmers
Read more →I’ll just let that one sit with you for a moment. Closer look? Are there words to describe the sheer tear-soaked devastation I felt on receiving my precious, sweated and slaved-over Swans from my framing lady, completely smashed? I mean, can you handle the drama? It’s like Eastenders Xmas Special. Or something. I came home on Tuesday (18th) night to find my framed piece in the kitchen. Nervous and excited me and Mister carefully started to slice open the well-packed and layered parcel. Then I heard it. Like Sleigh bells but more ominous. Tears were shed. Many many tears. The good...
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Dec 17, 2012
Death’s Head Hawkmoth - Private Commission
Read more →I finished off this guy, a special commission, on Friday. I realised he looks bizarre here, with a bad hair day, but this is the first row of turkey rug stitch. It’s not the first time I’ve used this stitch, technically stumpwork as it is a raised effect (although it’s used in a teeny patch here). I used it for the first time on my Death Cap Pendant and it is actually very simple to do, only tricky to do evenly in such a tiny area. I won’t go into how-to’s – I’m not that kinda blogger – but if...
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Dec 03, 2012
VIP Commission: Swan-a-thon is over!
Read more →THEY. ARE. DONE! Let’s go back a stage. So I knew the 2nd swan would be quicker to do than the first as all the decisions had been made and I was essentially copying. This first pic is actually what I did last Sunday after the mega stitchathon. Over Thursday, Friday and Saturday I did the rest: So it’s gone from this: To this: The finished pair. If it was mine, I would call it ‘Swans Kissing In The Snow’. I added just a sprinkling of french knots to prevent them looking like they were floating, like stickers. I’ll...
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Nov 26, 2012
VIP Commission: This weekend’s work
Read more →I am very very pleased with this. I used spun silk in satin stitch on the tail, back to cotton on the under wing. The large wing gave me design problems as I couldn’t initially decide on the best way to complete it, but then inspiration struck from the art-deco style and I created overlapping arces in two tones in split stitch. You might be able to see tht if you view the pics enlarged. The face is split stitched. I totally got a reward when I put the face in and suddenly there he was, a proper swan....
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Nov 22, 2012
VIP Commission…This is an Endurance Sport.
Read more →This is what my desk currently looks like. Tidying up, along with all other non-essential tasks, have ceased to work on the VIP Swans. It’s going well. Better than well, probably my best work. But I am a very bad embroiderer. My mister says it’s the ‘Mad Scientist’ in me. I literally sleep, dream, eat, breathe this piece. Well, I would if I actually ate (or drank) anything during a session of stitching. I’m bad. I get all intense and can’t leave my chair. At night I obsessively think of the next bit and what stitches to use and...
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Nov 16, 2012
VIP Commission…transferring the pattern
Read more →So my pinboard which I usually use for damp-streching my finished work has been taken over by swans (and toadstools). Progressing with the pattern transfer. This was a lesson in trusting one’s instincts versus trusting one’s ruler. It was a draw. Here is my prepared piece; you can see the backing cotton under the doily with tacked centre lines and circular lines attaching both together. On goes the tissue paper pattern and I line up the centre lines. Here’s the start of my problems. Because I had tacked the two fabrics together in a rough circle, it was fooling...