tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69191099857463330812024-02-08T02:56:23.268+00:00Hanging By A ThreadStitch shenanigans of an embroidery artistCharlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-13059667314263738652013-10-15T14:38:00.001+01:002013-10-15T14:38:05.567+01:00My blog is moving..... http://hangingbyathreadembroidery.wordpress.com/<br />
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Hanging By A Thread's blog is moving!!! Be sure to follow my latest work and escapades here on wordpress.... Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-76011333749675874662013-10-08T13:10:00.002+01:002013-10-08T13:12:13.828+01:00Ridiculously Tiny Goldwork CouchingWell, as the days start getting shorter, it's the time to make the most of all that natural daylight we've got left. Especially when I'm taking my goldwork or nue to new and somewhat ridiculous levels. As I blogged previously, I drew out the Budweiser beer label to start couching, only to find that two strands held together proved too thick. To get the detail I wanted, the only way was to re-commence the embroidery using ONE starnd of the red metallic thread to couch over at a time.<br />
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Considering that the red metallic thread is less than a mm wide, this took a LOT of patience. One inch high has 29 parallell rows. Yes, 29 rows covered vastly by tiny white couching stitches. Keep your hands clean (white's a pain to work with on such a scale as this) and stop every so often to put your eyes back in their sockets.<br />
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<br />Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-16953710338343763042013-09-06T10:33:00.002+01:002013-09-06T10:35:01.769+01:00Whitework Gone Wierd #2Some more experiments subverting the traditional technique of whitework and doing it in my own way. I have a whole pin-board of these samples just waiting for 'something more' to happen with. Maybe integrate them into something to wear...<br />
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Whitework shouldn't just be about pretty cotton tablecloths and motifs worked into the edge of hankies. Surely it's time for something new? <br />
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White trailing experiments on cotton organdie, cotton a broder thread. Yes, I've perfected the technical technique, but this is... well, a bit boring..... </div>
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White PVC with organdie inserts (left) and black + white organdie combined with trailing and eyelets added over the top (right). <br />
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I like the addition of the black in the right hand one - personally, I really don't like plain white (I painted my bedroom black as a teenager) and it's an interesting contrast. As for the PVC, well, if I'm going to wear white it's going to be PVC. <br />
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White PVC wedding dress, anyone? Exquisitely embroidered with surface detailing, trailing and cutwork eyelets, of course.... <br />
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<br />Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-67269945148028975222013-08-08T13:45:00.001+01:002013-08-08T13:45:47.706+01:00Budweiser WIP: some reconsiderationsAnother alcohol bottle label has been started, but alas, I have been forced to stop and reconsider this particular piece. The label is 'Budweiser' beer, and began well as usual: the original design traced out onto fabric, ready for the lines of metal thread to be couched over. <br />
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Now, the red metallic thread I'm using is exceptionally thin (much more so than the gold and silver passing I usually couch over.) So, I thought I could 'get away' with using two strands held down together. The result is below - yes, it works, and the logo is still legible: however, I'm just not happy about the (lack of) detail achieved. The solution would be to enlarge the logo, but as the labels must remain their original size in order to be glued back onto the bottles at a later stage, this isn't an option.<br />
My decision? To start the entire thing again - this time using only one strand per line - hopefully the smoothness in the curves of the lettering will justify the extra time! <br />
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The very lowest two rows were done in this way, with only one strand, to prove my point to myself that it did indeed look far better. <br />
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Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-1294834422575023652013-08-05T11:39:00.000+01:002013-08-05T11:39:04.874+01:00'Bulmer's' cider logo completed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em>Actual size of the real label ( I plan to cut 'em out and glue 'em back onto their original bottles)</em></div>
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After far too long languishing unfinished in my studio, it was time to crack on and get this next goldwork illustration completed. My personal life has faced some setbacks and as such, my stitch found itself a little neglected (try having the entire contents of your bag / car stolen and the time you don't spend on the phone to the police is definitely not a mindset I can calmly sit and stitch with.) </div>
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However, that episode behind me, a renewed determination to complete this 'alcohol labels' collection has set in. The goldwork 'or nue' technique is definitely my favourite at the moment, and as such, want to use it as much as possible. <br />
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Here's the original for those of you who aren't familiar with Bulmer's cider:<br />
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As for my subtle re-wording, well, I find it mildly amusing. If I can't laugh at it, what can I do? </div>
Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-45255042159068124412013-07-30T21:57:00.001+01:002013-07-30T21:57:16.030+01:00A Pirate's Life For Me <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKAcwlCvsfmQF-Qof_ek93alUn9D3iehg9m_z3D98x3ARVqdOsQF5tR3V5oPu5N1kD_orK2Wq2OrCkdtKJe3-uxzYUnaAV_1yqofk4A3Ehh7JCoclZt7JDEBrTzy_SMzEdy-OSrllWelq/s1600/pirates.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img bba="true" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKAcwlCvsfmQF-Qof_ek93alUn9D3iehg9m_z3D98x3ARVqdOsQF5tR3V5oPu5N1kD_orK2Wq2OrCkdtKJe3-uxzYUnaAV_1yqofk4A3Ehh7JCoclZt7JDEBrTzy_SMzEdy-OSrllWelq/s320/pirates.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ahoy there..... a little unusual for me, to be mentioning the work of other artists here, but here's someone so amazing I couldn't pass by the oportunity to share his work. </div>
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Last weekend was Hastings Pirate Weekend on the south coast of England (last year they gained the Guinness world Record for most Pirates in a single location.) Obviously, this needed attending, in suitable swashbuckling attire (oh, how I do like to dress the part!) What can I say ... thousands of Pirates, several parrots, and a LOT of rum. Which is all gone now (''why is the rum gone??'') For once, this was a day NOT to engage with embroidery...<br />
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You get the picture. (The suitcase had rum reinforcements in. As for the cat-O-nine tails, well, we won't detail that here.....) But what I really want to show you is the artwork of 'The Roving Artist', aka Charles Burns, who was cutting out silhouette portraits by eye alone. Basically, we stood there in profile and in a matter of minutes he had snipped his way through what looked like an indeterminable tangle of paper to produce a perfectly proportioned full-scale likeness. I was amazed......</div>
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Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-92047816369669913762013-07-05T10:39:00.001+01:002013-07-05T10:39:34.369+01:00Don't play with your foodAlphabetti spaghetti. Mindless procrastination? Or subtle integration of new lettering into my illustration? I don't know. Either way, 'edible art' is definitely a new one for me. <br />
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Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-84963430644725624462013-06-11T13:22:00.002+01:002013-06-11T13:22:46.386+01:00Goldork Or Nue Cider label WIPMore new or nue.... I haven't been doing any of this for quite a while. But 3 months of hell are coming to an end and I have to work out how to re-engage with myself and my stitch practice. I go back to work tomorrow after 6 weeks of being signed off and you know what? It's absolutely vital, now, that I get my portfolio processed and complete enough to start presenting. I don't want to be trapped in corporate retail any longer. Neither do I want to be trapped skiring the edges of depression again being entirely un-creative, because it's a vicious circle. <br />
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So this is the latest instalment of fiddly, obsessively intricate goldwork couching -still inspired by the labels I absent-mindedly peel of bottles in the pub, but with the wording twisted around a little. (Look closely.) Work in Progress, of course (both the embroidery and the subject matter). <br />
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Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-12841292528582109872013-06-03T10:45:00.000+01:002013-06-06T11:39:33.915+01:00Rock 'n' Roll PatchworkThe progress of the patchwork quilt...... me being me, I wasn't going to let other life events interfere with its progress. Namely, Saturday 1st June, when I camped out overnight at Emirates Stadium, London, to see my favourite band and idols Green Day.<br />
I got there about midday on the Friday, sat down with similarly like-minded fans also clamouring for the front row of the gig, and therefore had 28.5 hours to kill before the doors even opened. <br />
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So this is me, having had very few hours sleep, and right in front space in the queue......... <br />
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F*ck yeah!! </div>
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Needless to say, we made it to the barrier in the mad scramble of doors opening, and had a lovely view right from the very front row. Just what I needed to cheer me up. Thankyou Mr Armstrong and co. for a fantastic 2 1/2 hours of pure Green-Day bliss.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BZcKCj181AWjV0AwIexUvOG6USapLfBvX_Aioho3F5Ta4SQkT9FMrS3xpwRj8hEO3mK8cfISDo5Jf0gZfY-yQtYwFeVnut8e37OjJjJ6LfTl4iF9QVTy8SrDMJKfuDIOZy-P3lzCLmtp/s1600/zp_Green-Day-53-130601MAFC_7638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BZcKCj181AWjV0AwIexUvOG6USapLfBvX_Aioho3F5Ta4SQkT9FMrS3xpwRj8hEO3mK8cfISDo5Jf0gZfY-yQtYwFeVnut8e37OjJjJ6LfTl4iF9QVTy8SrDMJKfuDIOZy-P3lzCLmtp/s320/zp_Green-Day-53-130601MAFC_7638.jpg" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div>
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype></span></v:shapetype></span>Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-19873762403430299502013-05-24T19:48:00.002+01:002013-05-24T19:48:54.542+01:00'Safety is Six-Sided': Patchwork As Therapy
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hello again, real world. I’ve been away for a while.
Not-so-good things have been going on, and because of these, let me tell you
about my latest stitch project. </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unlike the majority of what I would consider my ‘work’,
here is something entirely to do with the stitch process itself with any
aesthetic value being secondary. In other words, it’s the act of stitch itself,
the tactile qualities of holding and working with the fabric....the end result,
whatever that may be, is almost irrelevant to the process of producing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5e2anxVBQSAl0HBAwdap39G4BA0CKsTLBRO4pMPQT8n9t4mgU6GRC-F3xnqNvxnMvkacYHUNdFrD82xIEFpoH4zF4ymA4DkpARuVnzyuhaR7x2NHleP2gqjyG9mS9AxEQuuk77FyA4j-_/s1600/newquilt+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5e2anxVBQSAl0HBAwdap39G4BA0CKsTLBRO4pMPQT8n9t4mgU6GRC-F3xnqNvxnMvkacYHUNdFrD82xIEFpoH4zF4ymA4DkpARuVnzyuhaR7x2NHleP2gqjyG9mS9AxEQuuk77FyA4j-_/s320/newquilt+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, clawing myself back
from a minor nervous breakdown and a month signed off work, I present to
you..... more patchwork as therapy. I fell in love, and my partner went to
prison: a bullying campaign against me also reared its ugly head, and I found
both my creativity and ability to function in general severely compromised.
This project was not so much inspired by awful events as insisted by them: I
needed something to calm me down besides Valium, and previous patchwork
experiences led me blindly back to the one thing I could start ‘re-engaging
with myself’ through. ‘<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Safety is six
sided.’</b></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXFcO3ykvPRwx_kN7P64toqalg_Ma3TlJazngduIETl9N8wqbfcZmZcdYAIgsjAT6HXU43aWyTiW3nfg9Y2LMwuPLHSWx93U5Flu9mvlUgn3R7mAMZG27brhbavvotPmLtG9zALfA-75u/s1600/newquilt+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXFcO3ykvPRwx_kN7P64toqalg_Ma3TlJazngduIETl9N8wqbfcZmZcdYAIgsjAT6HXU43aWyTiW3nfg9Y2LMwuPLHSWx93U5Flu9mvlUgn3R7mAMZG27brhbavvotPmLtG9zALfA-75u/s640/newquilt+013.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following is an excerpt from a letter I wrote: If you
will, persevere with my rambling, my perspective on this should hopefully
prevail......</span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My passion for
embroidery extends beyond the purely professional, recognising its highly
therapeutic and emotionally beneficial nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A number of years ago, alongside my professional practice and my
subsequent degree, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and as such fell
prey to a circumstance of seven shades of hell. It was during this dark period
that I was unable to get out of bed, to function normally: trapped in my own
‘mental prison’ of clinical depression and an eating disorder, I could see no
light at the end of the tunnel. Gradually, unconsciously constructed
self-condemnations of worthlessness gave way to utter personal conviction that
there was no hope and as such I became suicidal. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was at this
point that I discovered patchwork. It became my therapy, a reason not to
despise consciousness, and a method with which to start reclaiming my sense of
self-worth. Mundane as it sounds, rhythmically preparing paper hexagons with
fabric and combining them into the beginnings of a quilt became my highlight of
the darkness I was lost adrift in. I would find myself able to engage mentally
with an activity that then progressed into long periods of time, hours on end,
happily immersed in something other than my own apathy. Patchwork completed for
me what Prozac couldn’t, and as my quilt grew, so did I: eventually, I was able
to go back to ‘the real world’ and my quilt was displayed at the 2011 NEC
Festival of Quilts.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But what really
inspired me to start this project is events of recent months. My partner was in
court six weeks ago and sentenced to prison.
This event alone, along with a subsequent bullying campaign from those around me
and other events prompting a severe emotional fallout, had put me in a bad
place yet again. Unable to eat, losing weight, sick with worry, running on no sleep and awake
at every hour of the night was showing warning signs of another depressive
episode. So somehow, without even thinking about it, I found myself in my
studio at 3am beginning another quilt. Just the repetitive, rhythmic action of
sewing – of engaging with the fabric, of the tactile qualities, of having
something to hold when I was wide awake in an empty bed – helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using the English traditional method of
piecing over papers, the back of every piece has a thought or an emotion –
mostly about my boyfriend – written into them, thus I am quite literally
‘stitching my thoughts together’. </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The pieces are a sensible size, 6cms from tip to tip, and
it’s extraordinary not to care about the colour arrangement or any such sense
of ‘outcome’. Hopefully it’s the first step into re-engaging with my craft, and
hopefully something a little less ‘robotic’ and more spontaneously creative
should emerge next..... </span><br />
Urgh. Spilt my guts yet again.... <br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-33312514477678014672013-02-27T18:23:00.002+00:002013-02-27T18:23:26.120+00:00Plastic tubing couchingMore or nue, but me being me, I'm still eskewing traditional metal threads and trying something new within the spectrum of 'goldwork'. This time it's the turn of thin plastic tubing as a base thread with which I can then couch over in stranded embroidery cotton. <br />
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The red 'escape' measures 5cms by 2cms:</div>
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And another interesting use with the transparent plastic is that you can have stitches beneath it, worked directly onto the background fabric, which still show through: this way, part of the background can be given a 'shine' (I think it looks a little like the shadow on the 'A'is underwater). Solid metal threads obviously do not have this potential. And in the right direct light, the plastic really shines, 'illuminating' it. <br />
Blue stitched area 2.5cm by 2.3cms:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGABO5QlvrVw-zB7JTyVOLSgsec38Cal-ZpywiWGkQJkkAVhPU4A4NaQONDNRmARLmwoTrmO3Ri-H22oVHD0xNHoV1TniKmF2l8BlS-8pWIkS96MuvqyAhjMUe57o-QY5kfNCUZEms0az/s1600/Aplastic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGABO5QlvrVw-zB7JTyVOLSgsec38Cal-ZpywiWGkQJkkAVhPU4A4NaQONDNRmARLmwoTrmO3Ri-H22oVHD0xNHoV1TniKmF2l8BlS-8pWIkS96MuvqyAhjMUe57o-QY5kfNCUZEms0az/s400/Aplastic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The next one was worked onto cotton organza (which is the most transparent fabric I could find). Unfortunately, unlike the organdie I've been sticking to as of late, it's just too fine for this sort of stitch: the slightest pull, the slightest over-tensioning of the stitch as it's worked, and the organza will just rip. I got away with it here due to excessive patience but practically, it could 'run' and spoil far too easily. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FXzulFWprvVbj7wpTPHJMm0oLwjIxR26sEClNBTFtcFxxaoge9goaPjXK5JWBIeI3mHdXoiWJvoQxeocQbzZXH2Fu9rxGmCcrMnp3To9jgltBnqJB1jJX9DCaf4DECjhOiCuUIrZCEGA/s1600/escape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FXzulFWprvVbj7wpTPHJMm0oLwjIxR26sEClNBTFtcFxxaoge9goaPjXK5JWBIeI3mHdXoiWJvoQxeocQbzZXH2Fu9rxGmCcrMnp3To9jgltBnqJB1jJX9DCaf4DECjhOiCuUIrZCEGA/s320/escape.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But feeling inspired by my persistently patient approach to the sample above, I took an A4 plastic wallet, chopped a section out and started stitching onto that too. It spells out 'nothing' but didn't especially need to be done to completion: <br />
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There's some even stranger stuff following shortly in another post. Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-23714572038612538012013-02-16T01:42:00.001+00:002013-02-16T01:42:23.540+00:00Whitework eyelets re-workedAs I've already briefly explained on a previous post, whitework currently has my interest. But before I can start 'creating' anything out of it, I need to fully explore the technique and just what its specific potential holds for me and my work. So I've embarked on a sampling spree to become better acquainted with the technicalities of what works, how to do it and what effects can be achieved. Nothing especially 'final' at this point, more of a space to play....<br />
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No white thread on white cotton, that really doesn't inspire me - so surely I should be working with materials that do? Hence the 'less traditional' fabrics I'm embracing (although cotton-a-broder is still my favourite thread of choice.) As for the name 'whitework', it refers more to the traditional techniques encompassed by that name rather than a specified colour scheme. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiMbEuZEJNZmxLKi1bTLNdbaRAuHppePS6Bb3D2ojikb3Uq2eUS5UwOLN6j8VbxDiMUzjUs9noLfVKBsNhnTLHRsxnn8ajkSL_qZBa0hZ6GF3ZIJdwXUdhit7ufqpGKVYpkdxa0oG7htE/s1600/PVC+eyelets+black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiMbEuZEJNZmxLKi1bTLNdbaRAuHppePS6Bb3D2ojikb3Uq2eUS5UwOLN6j8VbxDiMUzjUs9noLfVKBsNhnTLHRsxnn8ajkSL_qZBa0hZ6GF3ZIJdwXUdhit7ufqpGKVYpkdxa0oG7htE/s320/PVC+eyelets+black.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Black PVC - it's easy enough to sew onto: the shiny surface has a stretchy nylon-like backing, which means the plastic won't rip apart or tear without considerable force. Just don't overly tighten the hoop or the tension will leave a mark. <br />
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'Shark fin' - some form of rubbery synthetic that still has a woven base so, just like the PVC, it can be stitched without ripping. It's a matt surface but it was the closest thing I could find to latex (the craft shop didn't sell that, sadly). The interesting thing is that it doesn't fray. Technically, the oversewing of the cut eyelets is therefore redundant, but as an aesthetic function I still like it - you can introduce other colours, eg red, and even the black oversewn edge stands out slightly. <br />
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And then I got hold of some black latex.... and proved it is actually possible to stitch on, much to my surprise. The key is patience, to go very gently, and remember that one little rip whilst working it will destroy the entire sample. I'm still not sure as to its stretchability post-embroidering: the sample can stretch a bit, assuming you'd need sufficient 'give' to get a garment on, but I doubt there'd be a great deal of stretch without distorting the stitching.</div>
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Nobody else really seems to be embroidering into latex, at least as far as I've seen: probably for good reason, but it's an area I want to consider playing with. How to embellish it, and what to do with it afterwards. </div>
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Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-33935791747481262822013-02-14T22:39:00.002+00:002013-02-14T22:39:31.532+00:00Anti Valentine's DayHave been experimenting a lot with the technique of whitework. Now, back at the Royal School of Needlework, we had a whole module in it. Which was a brilliant technical grounding that I now consider absolutely essential to have done. <br />
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But I don't particularly find white thread on white fabric very inspiring. The techniques, yes: broderie anglaise, cut and oversewn eyelets, trailing lines .... But producing traditional tablecloths and suchlike? Not so. <br />
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I've been compiling a whole book of samples entitled 'Whitework Gone Wierd'. In this I'm using all the traditional techniques but on things like latex (I do love my latex) and transparent PVC. Partly for the simple reason of whether or not it's technically feasible, and partly because it's something new I've not really seen before. Text still features a large amount in my current practice, alongside the corporate logos I'm still completing in goldwork, and seeing that it's currently Feb 14th..... happy Anti-Valentine's Day: <br />
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Worked on cotton organdie in the technique of trailing - a form of couching where the entire of the base thread is covered with the oversewing one on top. The black letters are about half a cm tall and the red ones about 2cms tall. <br />
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Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-90175824757884465952013-01-23T11:28:00.001+00:002013-01-23T11:28:19.055+00:00Goldwork Rizla logo WIPStill working along the theme of commercial / corporate logos, the next to fall prey to my stitch curiosity is the Rizla cigarette paper. I started it last month, thinking: 'I'm fed up with Christmas. Let's do something totally unfestive.'<br />
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It took longer than average because of all the solid blue area - yes, that all had to be filled in with adjacent rows of stitches, close enough together to stop the gold showing through underneath, and all in one strand of embroidery cotton (any thicker would have covered ground quicker but been bulkier.) Patience perciveres: <br />
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However, in the last I don't know how long, Rizla themselves decided to relaunch the design of all their papers - meaning that the version I've started is technically out of date now. The text slopes the other way, the drop shadow is on entirely the wrong side, and most of all - the precise blue has changed. Gone is that lovely Mediterranean-pool blue to be replaced with something darker and duller (my camera doesn't really do it justice but trust me.) It's strange how you only really notice such things when you've been staring at something for a disproportionately higher than average amount of you time..... <br />
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<br />Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-29919626746272409372013-01-22T12:16:00.001+00:002013-01-22T12:16:03.711+00:00Hanging By A Thread's blog is backApologies for the delay. I have been taking some time out to readjust etc and can now say I am back with new vigour. For those unaware, I have moved to Brighton, have my own studio and am exceedingly excited about the future potential of my (relatively) new set-up.<br />
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Hanging By A Thread has left university and is now 'out there' in the 'real world' as an independent and unique embroidery practitioner, trailing a large debt but with equal determination to make this career a success. <br />
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<u>Things inspiring me at the moment:</u><br />
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1. Corporate logos - especially the Rizzla cigarette paper<br />
2. The Goldwork technique of or nue<br />
3. Latex<br />
4. Traditional whitework broderie-anglaise worked onto said latex<br />
5. The skull on my shelf<br />
6. Experimentation with French seams<br />
7. The illustrative potential of stitch<br />
8. Tubes of toothpaste<br />
9. The Golden Syrup tin<br />
10. Plans for my next tattoo<br />
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Seemingly ecclectic? Things will make sense. (Possibly.) Pictures and the contents of my innermost creative mind to follow shortly. Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-47303777603257664332012-09-13T18:24:00.003+01:002012-09-13T18:33:14.882+01:00Exhibition Collaboration: Maggs bookshopA short while ago I collaborated with embroidery artist James Hunting to help produce an artwork to be exhibited in Maggs Bros bookshop, London. <br />
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My contribution to the work was the three-diemensional fluffy roses worked in a technique called 'Berlin Wool Work': <br />
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<a href="http://www.jameshunting.com/index.htm">James Hunting</a><br />
Exploring the dichotomy of Victorian exploration and repression through the layering of stitch, a great nineteenth century occupation. Volumes by the explorer Sir Richard Burton will be constrained and suffocated by an over-layer of Berlin woolwork – a technique considered daring and vibrant by theVictorians, but now vulgar and colour saturated.<br />
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Maggs beneath the Covers</h3>
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Works to be displayed alongside the rare books and manuscripts that inspired them</div>
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21st September - 21st December 2012 Maggs Bros Ltd, 50 Berkeley Square, London W1J 5BA<br />
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Twelve artists have been commissioned to create works inspired by books or manuscripts from Maggs An exciting new Arts Council England sponsored project, Maggs beneath the Covers responds to rare and unique publications not normally available for public view. The collection will explore the interface between craft and fine art practice. It includes a ‘food-belt-rope-ladder' inspired by Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, and a sculpture of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browningon their balcony at Casa Guidi, recreated from prints of the literary couple and their letters.<br />
It is an unprecedented opportunity for artists to work with unusual and rare books, explore a rich seam of heritage and offer the public a glimpse of previously unseen areas of Maggs's historic Georgian buildings.</div>
<br />Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-64136636993612730842012-08-17T11:07:00.002+01:002012-08-17T11:07:46.085+01:00Mr X Stitch Article<a href="http://www.mrxstitch.com/2012/08/16/the-cutting-stitching-edge-charlotte-bailey/#comment-17858">http://www.mrxstitch.com/2012/08/16/the-cutting-stitching-edge-charlotte-bailey/#comment-17858</a><br />
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Very proud to be featured by the fabulous Mr X. <br />
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This reminded me....has it really been a year since the monster of a patchwork quilt I exhibited at NEC Birmingham last year? Wow, the progress I've made since then! And luckily, at this point in time one year on, my hands aren't shaking from excessive caffeine consumption as I frantically get the quilt hemmed and packaged up in time for the show. <br />
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You can also find me featured on the front cover of the Royal School of Needlework's 140th anniversary edition of their newsletter - <a href="http://www.royal-needlework.org.uk/shop/product/530/rsn-140-souvenir-newsletter">click here</a> for more details. <br />
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<img alt="Product Image" class="prodthumb" src="http://www.royal-needlework.org.uk/images/products/s_d64a340bcb633f536d56e51874281454.jpg" width="140" />Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-36957619661996534372012-08-13T11:41:00.000+01:002012-08-13T11:42:18.867+01:00Stella Artois goldwork label WIP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lettering, logos, and if you spend long enough staring at something – I think it starts to creep into your subconscious. Something about the elaborate design of the Stella Artois logo must have appealed to me the day I dragged the bottle back from the pub and sat it on the side in my studio, where it’s waited patiently for a good month now, awaiting its inspirational purpose. Being relatively uninventive I decided to replicate the logo entirely in or nue, a task made more challenging by the swirling gold detailing and the slight drop-shadow of the lettering itself that demanded accurate capturing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I fully recommend surrounding yourself with inspirational items and allowing them to infiltrate your creative headspace (and I’m not simply referring to the contents of said bottle.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(life-size: 9x10xcm)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I start by drawing out the design onto the background fabric. The couching thread here’s going to be silver, which means any other areas of colour (including all the red) must be ‘coloured in’ with dense rows of stitches. By colouring in the background in the corresponding colour, not only does it give you an accurate ‘colour by numbers’ to work from, it helps disguise any minor discrepancies: deviations where the thread doesn’t couch down quite parallel, and a tiny glimpse of background is left uncovered. Threads can pass along the back of the work but I wouldn’t recommend having them loose in this manner for more than an inch or so. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the design has been worked, the ends are plunged through to the back: potentially the trickiest section, here. After the gold band of edging, the ideal is for the silver ends to disappear exactly where the gold stitches securing them stop, for otherwise you’ll be left with nasty silver highlights at the ends of rows where they don’t belong. There are two tricks to ensure this doesn’t happen. One: when working the edges, make them as accurate and the gold curves in as smooth a line as possible. Two: a great deal of patience in needle placement when the silver is threaded up and actually plunged. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This label isn’t finished: next stage, it requires the fine black outlining around the gold leafy swirls and the trumpet. These are far too narrow to have been worked as part of the or nue, so will be added later in backstitch over the top. Then I intend to cut out and hem the entire logo, and attatch it inconspicuously to the side of the bottle. The end result shall be a bottle that at a glance looks perfectly normal, but actually has an exquisitely embroidered label that shimmers when the curve of the bottle catches the light. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then I’m possibly going to go and drink one to celebrate. </span></div>
Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-38040885346801615172012-08-13T11:19:00.003+01:002012-08-13T11:21:52.782+01:00Goldwork Script WIP<div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a real interest in text going on at the moment. If you look back to my earlier experiments in lettering (see see earlier post) you will recall I was especially interested in capturing the delicacy and detail of letters through goldwork couching and the technique of or nue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Current experimentation follows in this train of thought, since I find myself captivated by logos in particular. The choice of font is important: in order for me to want to stitch it, it has to be at least a certain thickness (bold, thick lettering preferable over spindly characters) and – even better – a ‘drop shadow’ behind it, which adds another challenge to execute in stitch. Once you start looking around you can’t help but notice just how many signs and labels actually do have this 3D-effect to their lettering. But I digress. </span></div>
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<o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(10x3.5cm)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To start with, here’s the Krispy Kreme doughnut logo: the challenge here – can I keep it at this relatively small scale, and still fit in enough detail to make the letters ‘flow’ without looking square-edged and step-like? (remember that each row’s height is dictated by the width of the silver thread you’re couching over, meaning that subtle curves are limited. Over a block ten rows deep, for instance, you can only achieve ten gradations of where you place the edge of the letter.) I think I succeeded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next phase of this will be to hem the edges and integrate this logo into part of a larger piece of work (a chunk of fabric worked separately and re-applied like this is called a slip.) The bigger piece shall depict a doughnut or something equally appropriate, possibly worked in Berlin wool-work velvet stitch, and this logo could feature on the napkin it’s placed on. I’m not quite decided yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Secondly, (9x9.5cm – the actual size on the side of the can)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ever-recognisable Coca-Cola logo. I’m not as pleased with this one: since my red couching thread was considerably thinner than the above silver, I decided to use it two rows at a time (this would save me half the time not having to work each row individually, a luxury I couldn’t really afford if I wanted to work the entire area of the sample.) Traditionally, goldwork couching was usually done this way, holding down two strands at once to couch over: personally, I’ve always thought this just limits the scope for detail. It’s true that if I had worked one strand at a time, the curves of the letters would flow a lot smoother: but still, it’s passable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although the fabric is obviously stiffened by the application of all the metallic thread, it’s still fairly pliable: this logo could then be applied over a raised or padded background, moving something currently flat into 3D – an area I am very eager to explore. It’s time for or nue to start breaking some boundaries. </span></div>
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Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-3721103828606920902012-07-14T17:28:00.001+01:002012-07-14T17:28:55.554+01:00Blue Pebble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another experiment: this time the stone is visible through the embroidered covering - you can reach out and touch the the stone's surface itself. Couched metallic blue thread. <br />
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Am planning on spending some time with the sketchbook to get back in touch with my drawing and mark-making - in the meantime it's things like this I'm playing around with to refine my technical stitch capabilities.Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-89517843531836746232012-07-06T21:03:00.001+01:002012-07-06T21:07:05.834+01:00Pebble with rainbow picot feathers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A sample seemingly lacking in coherence (I mean, what's the point of covering a pebble with tiny picot feathers in rainbow colours?) but one which, again, is intended more of a learning experience than anything else. If I can do it, therefore I will: and having mastered the technique of needlewoven picots, wanted to experiment using them in a much greater density on a three-dimensional base. <br />
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The rainbow colour scheme was ideal to practice subtly 'blending' one area of the stone into another, say, graduating the blue area gently into the pink without being too segmented. (Although pre-vareigated rainbow thread can have its uses, it was strictly forbidden here: the needle threaded up with one flat colour at a time.) Three strands of stranded cotton were used, and I have no idea how many individual picots were worked, but can only estimate thousands. The idea was to completely cover the entire stone, however time restraints mean than I'm moving on to something else having done sufficient to get the gist of what is, after all, only a sample. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1omOpTKgxd8qL9zXX4zj8B2ou6dbCr2pl7zTFNxP9X4v28yea8y5QNFzCQBQj7G2bUzGaBCu9vragG1dZQbF4TM-FwsFMTfHA8oOvL-6qnLUz_OMV_U4FX8AvfkOi3Qq73KUJOzusKg59/s1600/rainbow+x4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1omOpTKgxd8qL9zXX4zj8B2ou6dbCr2pl7zTFNxP9X4v28yea8y5QNFzCQBQj7G2bUzGaBCu9vragG1dZQbF4TM-FwsFMTfHA8oOvL-6qnLUz_OMV_U4FX8AvfkOi3Qq73KUJOzusKg59/s640/rainbow+x4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-28991128746682744632012-07-05T23:07:00.001+01:002012-07-20T11:40:49.793+01:00Dinner - Worshipful Company of NeedlemakersLast night I was priviledged to be invited to the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers' Court Dinner. The evening was thoroughly enjoyable, the first formal dinner I've ever attended, and was a lovely function to attend - whilst formal, highly friendly, and an event I am very grateful to have been allowed to be part of. <br />
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In receipt of 'Best Stitchcraft' award, during the speech ceremony after dinner, I was presented with a cheque and a charming needlecase - which I intend to put to very good use forthwith! There was also the opportunity to present a selection of my work and to talk informally about it.<br />
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Last but not least, the desert of plum sorbet, peach melba and white chocolate mousse all served up in a gigantic wine glass was definitely not one to be missed.<br />
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Pamela Goldberg, Master of the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers' blog post: <br />
<a href="http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/needlemakers-court-dinner-4-july-2012_18.html">http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/needlemakers-court-dinner-4-july-2012_18.html</a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8YBWKlUGEDU3SOT_7q0KR-pMICeCSFOUxiU6CzSVfa11loOrkfj2bwsCnYdhX3tjCgsaIx2hnowMG2Q3Wntjl3N12gaZXDYabMlfVJHW8qPxjFd4_f9kF0dRmE5BuE-yTEVFooLEEYGb/s1600/Charlotte+Bailey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_vyb0vc="2" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8YBWKlUGEDU3SOT_7q0KR-pMICeCSFOUxiU6CzSVfa11loOrkfj2bwsCnYdhX3tjCgsaIx2hnowMG2Q3Wntjl3N12gaZXDYabMlfVJHW8qPxjFd4_f9kF0dRmE5BuE-yTEVFooLEEYGb/s320/Charlotte+Bailey.jpg" width="217" /></a>Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-34392359974672542582012-07-03T14:04:00.002+01:002012-07-06T22:16:54.472+01:00Berlin Wool Work RosesA deviation in an entirely new direction, here: I have temporarily swapped my gold couching for wool and canvas in the name of 'Berlin Wool Work'. <br />
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This was a style of counted embroidery popular during the Victorian era, with patterns and imported wools originating from Berlin in the early 19th century. Breakthroughs in dying technology, including new chemical dyes, facilitated the production of vibrant blues, purples and magentas - hence the full-on, almost garish colour scheme. Motifs were typically floral, scenic or pet depictions: designs were full to the brim with overblown roses in a mass of vivid colours. As women found themselves with more time to stitch as a hobby, the relative simplicity of following the charts made Berlin Wool Work an immensely popular hobby. <br />
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Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this technique is the introduction of a new stitch alongside the flat tent stitch: it has many names and variations - velvet stitch, rya stitch, turkey work - but produces a very three-dimensional, sculptured surface. Stitches are worked leaving 'hanging loops', which are then cut and trimmed after completion. Worked with dense rows of wool, the resulting fluff can be sculpted as one might trim a topiary piece (see 'Edward Scissorhands' for further inspiration.) <br />
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I have been experimenting with this stitch (which I shall henceforth refer to as velvet stitch). Unlike more traditional examples, the colour scheme for these was kept very muted and dull: <br />
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The design is sketched onto paper to show the colour variation in the petals: this same design is painted directly onto the canvas in acrylic paint. This background serves as a 'colour by numbers' with which to work the corresponding wools over. </div>
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Personally, Berlin wool work - as it traditionally stands - holds some problems for me. Firstly, the colour scheme makes me feel like I'm standing in the middle of a tube of Smarties, oversaturated by vibrancy: also, the stylised, 'homely' motifs of flowers and pets simply do not appeal to me in their current state. I aim to take inspiration from the technical execution, especially the velvet stitch, and see how I may use it for my own ends. <br />
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These roses were worked as part of a commission: integrated into a larger embroidery piece by artist James Hunting, the final result shall be exhibited in Maggs Bros. bookshop later in the year.<br />
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<a href="http://needlework.craftgossip.com/berlin-work-fluffy-embroidery/2012/07/06/">http://needlework.craftgossip.com/berlin-work-fluffy-embroidery/2012/07/06/</a>Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-3555570412932609182012-06-16T20:05:00.003+01:002012-06-16T20:14:31.957+01:00Experimenting: goldwork stones<div style="text-align: center;">
Living by a beach has its advantages. Whenever I'm out for a walk along the beach I have the habit of looking down at my feet - it's strangely compelling - to look at all the millions of stones on the beach, each with unique and fascinating shapes, colours and patterns.</div>
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Since I seem to be constantly bringing new and 'interesting' stones home to sit on my studio windowsill, it seems the next step to start incorporating them into my stitching. </div>
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These two have been covered entirely in various couched goldwork threads. They're lovely to work on because the stones 'sit' snugly in your hand, and of course the tension doesn't loosen off like fabric in a frame tends to do. They aren't actually 'for' anything, more of just an experiment in taking stitch techniques (in this case couching) into the third dimension. </div>
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The secret is to use a curved needle: it just makes the whole process much easier when sewing onto curved or three-dimensional surfaces, as any surgeon will vouch. (Look at the purple stitches - they're actually surgical sutures. The only trouble is that surgical needles are intended for single-use purposes, meaning they come with a limited amount of thread pre-attatched and can then only be thrown away. The mission is now to procure a robust enough curved needle with an integral eye.) </div>
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Meanwhile, I have some gorgeous three-dimensional Berlin Wool Work underway, undertaken as part of a collaboration with embroidery artist James Hunting - stay tuned! </div>
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</div>Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6919109985746333081.post-29991715246631862422012-06-02T17:47:00.000+01:002012-06-02T17:47:57.176+01:00Degree Show<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Degree Show </span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Last weekend I was proud to participate in the RSN’s exhibition of Foundation Degree graduates, held in the Clore Centre at <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Hampton</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Court</placetype> <placename w:st="on">Palace</placename></place>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTJqG_GgrcLzBphgv4f7MXZr3KgXIsGCQZCQ22LnXyMJ7ZGyRtfh6lEZWMYYXU9Gh6U6MI3ou78r3D5sCTEHS-FJISQn-5gEIcmf97YKtnBMRi9be2lZX2exaKfuWICiNEbgjvTfi4s0w/s1600/SAM_0564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTJqG_GgrcLzBphgv4f7MXZr3KgXIsGCQZCQ22LnXyMJ7ZGyRtfh6lEZWMYYXU9Gh6U6MI3ou78r3D5sCTEHS-FJISQn-5gEIcmf97YKtnBMRi9be2lZX2exaKfuWICiNEbgjvTfi4s0w/s320/SAM_0564.JPG" width="216" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExBzO0FBa_U8Er3Lk3WtLW7hn6nXEiNI-ec-5ID0ZuRKx9p81sgjo4wapt6ISKDlvxqxvkDsx3tHBFZwABM09Dhv_7XAiVzssNfYNLJFULnFO1GWavTm7X81yvw3daLET0A_42AzU_rRB/s1600/SAM_0568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExBzO0FBa_U8Er3Lk3WtLW7hn6nXEiNI-ec-5ID0ZuRKx9p81sgjo4wapt6ISKDlvxqxvkDsx3tHBFZwABM09Dhv_7XAiVzssNfYNLJFULnFO1GWavTm7X81yvw3daLET0A_42AzU_rRB/s320/SAM_0568.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It was a hectic rush to get everything up and installed in the short turnaround space, but I think the show was very successful and showcased a diverse range of final outcomes – and to see the work of my peers properly presented, instead of work-in-progress within the classroom, seemed to mark a significant milestone in our progression. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oFIpwEvR_Pc1ZZQHuVLFtcd3WaNRqClrwtMa8St7eWANdHUC0Um2CEXoCiozGp1-GRwA2jiX-A7knKH3nHY1MEMWWtcfWCnugWTlMdHrxg_LQOAVMgPlb4Cx4s2qWStX_2HS71pktQZQ/s1600/SAM_0571a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oFIpwEvR_Pc1ZZQHuVLFtcd3WaNRqClrwtMa8St7eWANdHUC0Um2CEXoCiozGp1-GRwA2jiX-A7knKH3nHY1MEMWWtcfWCnugWTlMdHrxg_LQOAVMgPlb4Cx4s2qWStX_2HS71pktQZQ/s320/SAM_0571a.jpg" width="181" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I was also privileged to receive an award in ‘Best Stitchcraft’ from the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers, whom I shall be attending a function with over the summer:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitz4w0adi0YLErCfzgJydpy8UpFgS90Xrk9WqYdfgaCecjLTt1u1xeNgXlfsLZ1e5WInpxmyifxbZhmnV8In7aUJlB9EWI265O-aQE5B4dCuirTLgxyrG4a6HO-Ksckb2DVRPL154vT_wf/s1600/needlemakers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitz4w0adi0YLErCfzgJydpy8UpFgS90Xrk9WqYdfgaCecjLTt1u1xeNgXlfsLZ1e5WInpxmyifxbZhmnV8In7aUJlB9EWI265O-aQE5B4dCuirTLgxyrG4a6HO-Ksckb2DVRPL154vT_wf/s1600/needlemakers.jpg" /></a><br />
Academic year now done and over with, it's time to start stitching with a greater sense of self-directed purpose! Inbetween enjoying Brighton this summer, I now find myself with more time to play with stitch than I've had in a long while.... </div>
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<br /></div>Charlotte Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811093289920742431noreply@blogger.com1