Sketchbooks and workshops

Been playing in one of my sketchbooks today and having lots of fun with glue sticks, paints and pens. It's been great to have a whole studio day to get stuck in and although I am really wanting to work some of my sketches up in fabric and stitch I am trying to be patient and carry on with the sketchbook work first - not easy!!

Have also been giving lots of thought about running small workshops here in the studio. A friend very kindly trialled out a machine embroidery workshop for me the other week and since then I have been asked about a couple of other workshops. If anyone has any advice about running sessions I'd love to hear from you. I have run art workshops in primary schools but am sure that adult workshops are a bit different!

Turkey Inn stitched sketch

Another commission completed - This has been partially done for a few weeks whilst I completed other work so it's been great to get the finishing touches embroidered on. It was a tough one to stitch and get the angles right so that it looked ok but I am happy with the result and am sure my customer will be delighted that his commission is finally done ( my dad!).

Mill chimney

This embroidery is of a mill chimney in Skipton and is to be a birthday present for my husband's brother who owns the mill. I love the simplicity of the colours with the black line embroidery over. Want to keep this one myself!!

 

Upcycled uniforms to memory cushions

Three school memory cushions all ready to be delivered today. They are all slightly different and have been made using the recipients bits of uniform. There are pictures and messages in the pockets and name tags sewn on the back. What a lovely reminder of their time spent at primary school.

Upcycling old uniforms into memory cushions

Working on a commission this morning, turning school uniforms into a memory cushion for a year 6 child who will be leaving primary school this time. The quilt pictured in the background is one I made for my eldest daughter when she left primary school and is made up of bits of her uniform along with merit badges and buttons taken from school dresses etc. It's a lovely way of creating a memory cushion and great recycling of all that old uniform!

Update!

Bertie the Sheep -pencil sketch - featured in Sketchbook Peeks

I think it's been a while since I properly updated my blog and here have been a couple of exciting things happening. Firstly I was featured on Sue Bulmer's blog last week as part of her Sketchbook Peeks series. www.suebulmer.blogspot.com or www.subulmer.co.uk for her website if you want to have a look - there are other artists sketchbooks featured as well - Sue's work is beautiful and well worth having a look at, she is an illustrator and does fab pics of birds.

This weekend I am taking two pieces of work up to The Station in Richmond for the Another Spot on the Wall exhibition which is running over the summer months. Lorraine - sheep study - is pictured below.

It was my sister in laws birthday this week and she had mentioned that she rather liked the picnic blanket I had made for Granny the other week - so a trip to Quilting Antics in Settle to pick up some fabrics and I hurriedly pulled together another picnic blanket, this time with matching cushions - she was very pleased with her present!

 

Finally, today I have been working on a commission for one of my stitched sketches - I have pictured it below as a work in progress - I have run out of thread so will have to have another trip to the shops!