'Briefing Time' WIP: WW2-inspired goldwork

Apologies for total radio silence. The new flat doesn't have internet yet, meaning I'm stealing wi-fi where I can ... actually, I've gone two weeks sleeping on the floor without a bed and the fridge is still lost in the Argos ether. (At least I can blame the sleeping arrangements for the neckache and not the or nue!)

But anyway. Here is my latest piece of work, going on display in my degree show in two weeks' time. Ever seen the movie 'Memphis Belle', following the WW2 crew of a bomber-plane as they undertake their final mission with an oh-so-saucy girl painted on the side? I think it's such a lovely idea, whether she's your good-luck token or just a piece of eye candy, to have a girl painted on your plane.
(More reference material: Pearl Harbour, which although does drag on for hours, has the major bonus of Kate Beckinsale in a period-era nurses' outfit...need I say more??)


 Following on from my pin-up girl fixation, here is my original design of a 'plane pin-up' transformed into goldwork: 'Briefing time' ...

Stitched area size: 17cm x 10.5cm
Work in progress: check back soon for the finished thing.

I have some hang-ups with this one but I won't go into them here; my major one is that she looks too 'cartoony', although the style I've drawn her in - with the thick black outline - does lend itself to becoming 2-dimensional. I want to try the next piece using (gasp!) no black lines whatsoever, and getting much more subtle with my shading in an attempt to make it less 'colour-by-numbers' and moving away from solid blocks of colour.

In other news, I'm looking to take up burlesque lessons - I attended London Burlesque Week and was so astounded that it's convinced me I simply do have to have a go. Honestly, I'm far too self-conscious, and so if I can do this it will do me more good than all the therapy will.
(And I get to buy yet more new underwear!)

Applique experiments

There's only so much covering paperclips with stitch I can do at once. (Actually, the second parrot's underway, but I'm going to wait a little while until that work in progress makes it onto here.)

In the meantime, technique whore that I am, I have decided to do some dabbling into applique - the technique where pieces of fabric are cut out and applied onto a background. It's brilliant because you can create whole 'blocks' of colour without having had to previously stitch or dye them, which can then be embroidered onto as well. Pretty exciting stuff, huh.

Avian creations aside, at the moment I'm really into vintage pin-up art (more will come of that later!) alongside my ongoing interest in text:

In this example, the skin-coloured fabric was applied onto the pale yellow background, the white fabric banner applied on top of that, and THEN the hair embroidered over the top in split-stitch with the whole thing mounted in a frame for tension. (this close-up segment measures a couple of inches square) The thing I most love about applique (well, at least my method of working it) is that all raw edges get tucked underneath during the application process, leaving no fraying ends on top. (I simply can't stand fraying edges in my own work.)

NB: sadly, she isn't REALLY my girlfriend. Sigh.