Thursday 24 September 2009

LINDA TOLD ME TO DO IT ...



Linda told me I had to put this on my blog! I've seen some wonderful felt brooches around and about and fancied having a go at making one. The felt is a jumper of my daughter's which I rescued from the charity shop bag because a) it was wool, and b) I absolutely LOVE the colour. I put it through the hot wash and it came out shrunk enough to fit a toddler, since when I've been working on pieces of it. I'm not actually going to show you attempt one (too embarrassingly bad) but no.2 above is an improvement. I added a panel of silk taffeta and explored some of the decorative stitches on my sewing machine.

After adding another panel, velvet this time, I took it downstairs and had a go at hand beading and embroidering it. This is the part I'm less pleased with - perhaps I should have had a more definite pattern in my mind for the beading, I just did it randomly and I'm rather afraid you can tell! I don't see it as finished, but am resting it for a while in the hopes that inspiration might strike. What I want to do is how do you do beading "properly" and is there a book I can learn from? Answers on a postcard please ....!!

8 comments:

ooglebloops said...

I thought the first pic was the finished product - and I love it - but now that I see the beading - I like that one equally as much!!! Kind of abstractly placed which works very well with it!!!
I like that green also -

Linda Vincent said...

Rosie I think its great....very original. Don't be so self-critical! (Now where have I heard that before.....?) I love the idea of washing an old woollen jumper to felt it then use for creating - I'm going to do that!! Now make another with a structured pattern of beads and stitching and see which you like best.
Big hugs
Linda x

*jean* said...

hi rosie - beautful color!! you know, there are some wonderful crazy quilt and bead embroidery books out there...i was lucky enough to learn from a local woman here years back...she wrote a fun little book called the garden of beadin' her name is nancy eha and you can order it from her website...but i rather like your idea of letting it sit and coming back, you can always change it...i am a random beader myself...

*jean* said...

okay...i looked her up...her website is beadcreative.com and her old book has been redone but you can find it there...when i took classes from her, we did stitch samplers...maybe that is what you could do here...make several of these and play with beads!

and i agree with linda...don't be too self-critical...you are an artist already...half the fun is the playing

Lynn said...

I am glad Linda go you to post this, I think we can all be very self critical at times, but to me it looks lovely :)
I am sorry I don't know anything about beads either but would love to find a good book on crazy quilting because they always look great to me. I could see one of those ribbon stitched flowers on this piece, but I personally like a bit of random beading.

Unknown said...

How cool! I would tell you to put it on your blog too! Now I'll have to add "woolen items" to my mental list of things to look for at thrift shops :)

Jackie said...

Of course you should put it on your blog. Its something lovely that you've produced very imaginatively and creatively.
I liked the first picture too, beautiful colours very soft and subtle and jewel like.
Keep it up and don't be so critical of yourself.

~*~Magpie's Nest said...

very inspiring and lovely Rosie ... you make me want to play with wool and beads!
and you should always listen to Linda ;)