Embroidery Warm Up

I have a plan inside of me for a larger embroidery project that I would like to work on. I don't totally know what that means yet, but something illustrative on a larger scale than usual. Still cute, but maybe a little dark, too.

But I haven't been embroidering much of late, so I've been knocking out a bunch of small pieces to get my hands back in shape--available on etsy soon.

Go Bears!

Chicago is deeply entrenched in Bears-y football fever. I'm not a big football fan, but I'm excited for the city. Plus the young guy who sits next to me at work is from Milwaukee and is therefore a huge Packers fan and it's fun to talk about the Bears and yank his chain.


But little felt christmas ornament bears is really the closest I've gotten to the fever.

Is It Weird to Love Felt So Much?

Is anyone in the same boat as me? I think it's similar to the love of sequins still in containers waiting to be sewn on? Or maybe like loving rows of embroidery floss all lined up together in rainbows? Or maybe like coveting shelves of jewel-toned high cotton fiber content papers?

It's the future promise of beautiful things. . . the potential of the things and your creativity making something marvelous, if given time.

I've started working on a project that takes both into consideration. . . my guess is that the final products will be Christmas ornaments, but for now, it's just the fun of laying woolen colors against one another.

New Pillar at Fivetrees

Rainy Productivity

So, up until Monday afternoon, we had had only one day of full sun at the beach. Meh. We were still having a good time, but we were all going a little stir crazy.

Lucky for me that I have my craft work to tinker with. Since being here, I have completed two rattles, two pairs of mittens, a tall mouse doll and three pieces of embroidered art.

Here are two of the embroidery pieces as proof:

Both have already been posted to etsy at the fivetrees shop. . . though, I can't ship anything until I return to civilization on the 12th!

Embroidery Bug

I've got the bug and I enjoy every part of it--setting up the canvasses, picking embroidery thread colors, making a plan, embroidering it.

Usually, I'm a much more illustrative embroiderer and work on pre-painted canvasses that give my work depth, but I've been trying something a little more free form this past week. And now two new pieces and a number on the way as a result:

Tiny Mum

I've prepped a bunch of embroidery canvasses for my impending vacation to the beach--where I will craft up a storm. But I don't want to start on them, but also kind of do--like when you were a kid and your mom bought you a new book or a new tape cassette or a new magazine to keep you occupied on vacation and you weren't allowed to have it until you were buckled into the car and had left the city limits. You both wanted to get your hands on it and also didn't want to--anticipation was king.

So, I'm holding off, but in the meantime, I knocked off this simpler piece just to satisfy the embroidery bug. . . because I'm not a kid any more and I can do what I like. :) Plus, it's the season of the mum and we should celebrate it, no? Fall's last flower.

Hope everyone had good vacations this year. . . I'm counting the seconds until mine.

Next Zapruder Point Album

Dan has been working hard to put together the next Zapruder Point album--this time with help from Larry Brown and John Aselin. I can't wait to hear the finished product.

In the meantime, I've been working on a cover for the album at Dan's request. I can't show you the final artwork, because the album's not done yet, but I can show you a few elements that went into the album cover. . . a little sneak peak!



It's been a great fun to work on this. . . The new album should be ready in a few weeks or less. Check the Zapruder Point website in the meantime for streaming music to tide you over.
'

Caterpillars and apathy

new embroidery available on fivetrees (except the blue pillar. . . he sold at Renegade)

this little 'pilllar sold in the first few hours of Renegade. A super nice lady handed it to me with a look of glee after looking at it for only a minute or two. Sincerely, that's the best kind of compliment--that brief look, grab and out thrust of the arm accompanied by giant smile that says, "oh my gosh, yes please, sell this to me." Thank you, stranger. You made my day.

ingenuity

I could transfer designs to fabric for my embroidery projects a bunch of different ways, but the cheapest (and greenest) is using my office window and the sun as a light box.


Clearly a few caterpillars are on their way. . .

embroidery heading shopwards

Embroidery! More is on its way, but these are the bad boys I have been able to finish so far. The one that looks like a bike wheel (spokes and all) is the back of one to show the stretching treatment they get once finished.

This one's for Silent Thunder

This is Alex's favorite word. So, inspired by him, I embroidered it. Someone else may love it, too. Who knows!

More Embroidery

A new little tree. . . done! Making a number of simple designs--all designed by me--and then embroidering and embroidering and embroidering. My favorite, so far is the caterpillar, and I think a few fuzzy monsters might be my next push in design.

Pillar Fini!

Senorita Caterpillar is complete!

Embroidered Pillar

Working on a new project. Always enjoyed embroidery, but haven't been inspired to do any of late. . . until about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Not very interested in traditional embroidery (I mean, I think it's gorgeous and i wish I had the patience), more interested in using it the way an illustrator might use colored pencils. Much more illustration-y.


I'll show you when he's all done!