Online Beading Workshop

I am pleased to announce my first Online Class on Beading Embellishment.

I have had a lot of requests to run some workshops online so am trying this one first. It will be a combination of written notes and short videos and will run from January 6th for 6 weeks.

I am really looking forward to this new venture. Click here for more information. There is a kit available but if you have a collection of beads at home you probably have everything you need already.

You could always drop a subtle hint about getting it as a Christmas Present.

Embellishing Class

Today I taught my Enchanting Embellisher class for the first time at The Purple Patch in Sydney. We had a full class of eager embellishers, all of whom had needle felting machines but had not really had the opportunity to have a good play with them. Here are half of them hard at work.

We ran through a variety of techniques and then in the afternoon each student just played around with an idea or combination of techniques. Not one was similar and the variety was amazing. There was not one broken needle all day and fabrics and yarns and foils and rovings were tested with abandon.

These were my leaves done on water soluble stabiliser and then stitched with metallic thread in the bobbin.


Here are some of the wonderful pieces. I think I learnt as much as they did and it was amazing to see the change from the tentative first needle punches to the exciting whirring at the end of the afternoon.




There is another class scheduled for later in the year at Purple Patch but if you are interested in something sooner please contact me as I think there are lots of machine owners out there that would really like the opportunity to have a play and learn how to best use their new toy.

More Embellishing

Here is my latest piece. I think it still needs a little more but thought I would post anyway. Any comments or suggestions appreciated.

First made a piece of prefelt with rovings and some organza.

Then cut this piece up into rectangles and then diagonally and placed on 2in squares of acrylic felt





The placed on a grid on some green felt and felted down. The detail in the little pieces get a bit lost . I tried doing it from both sides but didn't like the green coming through to the top. Consequently there are lots of visible holes in the squares which I don't really like.

Also felted some nobbly yarns onto the grid.

Bit of simple stitching with yellow perle cotton but I think it still needs a little more something. I will block it so it lies flat.

Water

I have been asked to contribute a small piece for a larger work of art by a friend. The topic is recycled water and we have been asked to provide a textile and a word or two which means something to us.

I found a wonderful piece of hand dyed silk at my local thrift store and so as that is recycled I thought I would use a small piece of it. My word is refresh so I have beaded it onto the silk.

I quite like the effect so may be using it further. I hope it is what she wanted.

Finished Another

Finished the embellished piece I showed earlier in December.

Added more yarn to the top and the gold foil which was on the first layer is still peeking through which is nice

I did some wonky herringbone stitching with some hand dyed variagated thread which I have had for about 4 years so I felt quite virtuous.

More stitching - probably needs a name but I am not very good at names. Any ideas?

Embellishing Convergence

Playing with the embellisher and using the Ricky Timms Convergence technique I have created a small wall hanging. Not ideal but I know what I would change when I do it again - more contrast.

BTW - thanks for the nice comments but it was not an original idea - I got it from Indygo Junction book on Needle Felting by Amy Barickman (I think - as I had only quickly glanced through it in a store - so many books - so little money)

Rovings laid out on black felt


More bits and pieces added including torn strips of organza and silk tops

More layers with mesh and other bits

Once run through the embellisher front and back it was fused onto a stabiliser then sliced into various sizes.

Slices swapped alternatively and then cut the same way but horizontally. Now I had lots of little squares and rectangles


Close up

Fused onto a backing piece but I have cut it off as it didn't work. Not sure but will probably go only something purple or black. Maybe some beads now......


HAPPY NEW YEAR and may all your wishes come true for 2008. Thanks for all your friendship and encouragement this year.

Embellishing

I have been busy with my embellisher - I have the Janome one - and this is one of the pieces I have made. I really like the colours and the textures I can create and enjoying this playing.

Think it might need some beading though.....

Re-organising

I have inherited another room since my son left home apart from his bedroom. His living room has really just been a corridor to my studio for months and I was tripping over myself in my studio. I have also been fortunate to win a Horn Craft Cabinet which was being wasted as there was nowhere but my main living room to have it opened up. It is only a small room but seemed such a shame to waste it. First to go was the the three piece lounge suit and coffee table so a blank canvas to work with.

So for the last week we have been shifting stuff around. I think this new room will be my embellishing studio and the original one can stay as the quilting one. I know that they cross over all the time but now I have somewhere for my embellisher and also the beads all in one spot. I think a design wall might be needed too fairly soon and some decent lighting.

I have however come to the conclusion that I HAVE ENOUGH BEADS!! Seeing them all like this together has made this statement fairly self explanatory don't you think? The top containers are two deep as well.