Briefing Time

Finally, Miss 'Briefing Time' is complete - clocking in at 55hrs, she has been quite a ride!

Original design by me, inspired by the 'pin-up girl' artwork on 1940s military planes.

Worked entirely in 'or nue' with single-stranded embroidery cotton over silver passing thread, the ends of which have been plunged and secured on the back to present the oval effect. Getting the detail in her eyes was especially tricky, due to their tiny scale, as was trying to give her shape and depth using such a limited palette of 'block colours'.

I think I deserve a drink now.

Stay tuned.....

http://needlework.craftgossip.com/a-sparkling-pin-up/2012/05/19/

Oh, and you know how Virgin Atlantic Airlines have their girl in red painted on the nose (inspired by the same 1940s artwork): well, why did I never know before now that Dita Von Teese did a publicity stunt for their 10th anniversary?! I should so stitch this one next (although I'll definitely have to raise my game to get it anywhere near up to standard if I'm drawing the divine Dita....)

'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!)

Sailor Girl

Another Goldwork Or Nue post. Finally, my pin-up-inspired Sailor Girl has been completed....many hours of work and a couple of headaches later, here she is!

Dimensions: 9.5cm x 8.5cm

She is worked entirely in silver passing thread, couched down horizontally with single-strand stranded embroidery cotton. As I found doing this piece, it's a bit of a pain that your vertical stitches have to be as long as the width of the silver, making it harder to do really tiny detailing such as the eyes. Mix into that the constant screaming at Anchor when my black thread kept snapping (for no apparent reason, all the others were up to quality standard) and I'm quite relieved to see the back of this one!

In a shameless effort at self-promotion, yes, she IS AVAILABLE FOR SALE - I'm having her professionally framed, and anyone potentially interested please feel free to email me. (The rent on my new bedsit, sorry, shoebox, needs paying somehow!)

Stay tuned for more Or Nue escapades because despite the tedium of the end of this one, there's another design underway....