12.19.08
Posted in Book Reviews at 7:00 am by deRomilly
This book was my holiday present to myself. I love bead and sequin embroidery – it’s the glitz factor that also keeps me in cabaret bellydance instead of tribal…. ooo! Shiny!
There are many artists out there doing bead embroidery in heavy collars and bracelets. The two authors of this book (Heidi Kummli & Sherry Serafini) are two of the best.
I didn’t actually buy this book for technique information, as I already have my own methods for the work I do. But just leafing through it has given me some new ideas (and so will their websites). Unlike so many art and craft technique books on the market today (that seem to want to hide parts of the technique the artist used so you really can’t reproduce their designs, these two women have shared many little details such as finishing techniques and their favorite adhesives and stitches, that will allow you to truly create something lovely.
The designs start with an easy belt buckle, with each step illustrated with a clear colored photo from glue to stitching, and progress up to a huge beaded collar, all with the same standards of instruction. While I haven’t tried any of the techniques yet, I’m impressed with the reading of them. 
And the inspiration is wonderful! This was the real reason I bought this book, and it hasn’t disappointed me. The photos are clear and luscious and the depth of color and texture these women use in their work is amazing.
If you are at all interested in decadently embellished all-bead encrusted embroidery, I have no problem recommending this book.
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12.17.08
Posted in Stitching Genres at 9:25 pm by deRomilly
I have, at the moment, several doodly little floral pieces that are begging to be embroidered and made into cocktail purses or coin pouches. Maybe even an evening wallet.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been in a position to do any of it. I was off work for over a week a bit ago for surgery and so messed up because of pain and pain meds that I couldn’t touch a needle. This week, my heart-sister is preparing to move out of my guest bedroom and off on her own as a newly-single Mom (newly single, not newly Mom!) and the EO is laid low with a herniated disk in his back — not conducive to stitching at home, either!
So I spend my days at the office writing help files for a computer program and wishing I had a needle in hand — or space, fabric and clear gesso, but that requires my studio tidied, which is definitely not happening before the beginning of the year, after all the moving of people has been finished. Stitching is portable, but generally frowned upon by employers! I stitch at lunch, but right now it’s not enough for me!
So what do you all do when your life intrudes on your art addiction? I’m attempting to hang on until after the holidays, but it’s really, really hard right now!
Dora (the 4-year old kitten) says: Why don’t you just stick your sharp pointy things in the other humans until they leave you alone? That’s what I do!
I think that Dora is being unduly influenced by the cat over on the “Life of Pookah” blog.
Mostly, life is just busy right now, what with injuries and holidays and such. There will be time soon.
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12.14.08
Posted in Dance at 12:24 pm by deRomilly
I set the pattern to post on Wednesday as much for me as for y’all. And yes, we did have a little interloper who kept trying to come into the house with the Dear husband with no sense that the cat had her eye on her for a light snack. I did, however, expect to get back to things before this. My apologies. As is usual with life, not only me, but my father and my husband, the “Evil Overlord,” henceforth known as the EO, had health emergencies that have kept me away from the computer!
I was talking to a blogless friend last night about how we all learn things at our own varying paces. She is in the process of training at work and said the following:
“When we’re training on something new, I get very fussy and whiny and bitchy and cry-ey: and the trainer pulled my manager over and said, ‘I don’t get it, she’s getting it beautifully.’
Her manager said, ‘Relax, let her fret, in ten minutes, she’ll be fine and teaching everybody else. You just gotta slice her some cheese to go with the whine for the first little bit.’
Like he says, “everybody has their process. Just leave her alone, you’ll like the results.”
Everyone does have their process. I’ve been doing hip circles since I got home from the hospital, and I’m now working myself into full workouts again. I don’t particularly want the 14 pounds that went away to come back, even if it DID go away in a rather unpleasant manner.
I’ve also taken a break from stitching samples for Golden Circle Designs. Part of it is that the paperwork isn’t filed yet, due to my unexpected absence from everything. Another part of it is just that I’m TIRED of cross stitch. I’ve been working on needlelace brooches, and on a kit, yes, despite what I wrote a while back, I bought another inexpensive kit… that I’ve been extremely pleased with.
I had to take my Dad to the hospital this week so they could clean out his dialysis fistula (where they plug him in to “change his oil” as he puts it. So before one of my appointments I slipped into JoAnn fabrics and bought a candlewicking kit that I had seen before. OK, I actually bought TWO as I was hopeful they’d be good. I’m impressed. I finished it this morning, and while chain stitch both isn’t something I think about when I think of candlewicking, and the thread was softer than I prefer (I’d rather use actual candlewick than the soft cotton they often package these days), I was really impressed by the quality.
Note: other than the cover shot, all the stitching is mine.
The kit was a pre-made 14 inch pillow, with a zippered back. The stitching on the pillow has both normal seams and serged seam allowances, and seems very sturdy. The fabric is a cotton evenweave, with a lovely hand and interesting khaki color. Again, not the muslin traditionally associated with candlewicking, but something that will go better with modern furniture. The design was silkscreened on an stitched up very fast. (4 evenings, in fact.)
The second kit has different shades of brown cotton – and they provided full skeins of DMC perle, so I’m looking forward to stitching it. The question is, can I keep from opening it for a while now, or am I going to delay stitching that needs to be done for a bit more so I can play with the second kit!?
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12.03.08
Posted in Free Patterns at 7:00 am by deRomilly
Yesterday we had a ladybug find her way into our house. Given the fact that it has been in the twenties Fahrenheit outside at night, I can’t say I blame her for wanting to hide on my husband’s sleeve. She got back in 4 times before he finally managed to keep her off his clothing and get inside without her. Despite the temperatures, she’s much safer outside — our cat Dora had her eye on her as a snack…
This little girl to stitch is quite a bit bigger than your average ladybug beetle! Measuring about an inch long, she’ll stand out on an ornament or a pillow.
You will need:
- Red stranded floss
- Black stranded floss
- Red felt
- Ground fabric (a tightly woven calico, silk or satin will work best)
- Click the pattern to enlarge it, then either print it from the page or right-click and save it to your computer before printing.
- Transfer the “stitch frame” to your ground fabric.
- Cut 3 pieces of red felt to match the felt template.
- Tack the felt with very small whip stitches in layers to the main body of the bug on your ground fabric. Tack the smallest piece down first in the middle. Then the middle piece over that, and the full sized one over the top. Doing it in this order provides a smooth surface for the final stitching.
- Draw a line down the middle of the felt body.
- Work the head in padded satin stitch.
- Stem stitch antennae if you want them. I left them off of mine because I’m planning to cut it out and make it into a brooch, sitting happily on a needle-lace leaf.
- Satin stitch over the wings, following the diagonal lines on the diagram. Be careful that coverage is smooth and even. If the outside edge isn’t as smooth as you might like it to be, work a stem stitch around the body. This will hide any bobbles you may have made.
- With two strands of black, work French knots over the red satin stitch.
Congratulations! It’s a ladybug! Or, skip the stitching altogether and attach a cute ladybug bead that you found at the local bead store! (One of these days I’ll find a use for these cuties! click on the pictures to see them bigger!)
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12.01.08
Posted in General at 7:00 am by deRomilly
If you’re reading this on Monday when it posts, send me good thoughts as I’ll be in the hospital having my gallbladder removed.
They tell me I can go back to work as early as Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday, depending on complications! What a change in surgical procedures over the years! Not even any extra stitching time! The doctor seemed to think I might be back to bellydancing that soon, too.
Ummmm…. I think I’ll take a little time off of that – maybe a week or two? I did think about asking him to pierce my bellybutton while he had me out cold and was rummaging around down there. It’s something I’d like, but given other health issues I think I’ll pass this time, too.
On the other hand I’ve lost almost 10 p0unds this week. Not the most fun in the world doing it, however. Hopefully I’ll feel better soon and be more chipper!
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