Today I'm going to share with you three amazing hand embroidery artists from Down Under...Australia!

@dandelyne
Sonia Lyne of Dandelyne is one of my favorite people in the world, and we've never even met! She is the brains behind the mini embroidery hoops that have made stitchers like me so happy. She's one of the happiest and upbeat people out there, and 100% genuine. She is incredibly generous to the stitching community, and frequently shares the work of others who make art with her mini hoops.

Sonia's mini hoops are so fun and versatile. Here are a whole bunch that she stitched up. She used a variety of mediums and designs inside the hoops, like embroidered designs, pretty fabrics, and felt with stitching.

A photo posted by Sonia Lyne (@dandelyne) on Mar 15, 2015 at 4:54pm PDT

In addition to her mini hoops, Sonia is known for her sweet custom portraits. She blends fabric, felt, and embroidery stitches to create one of a kind keepsakes.

A photo posted by Sonia Lyne (@dandelyne) on Mar 25, 2015 at 6:58pm PDT

You can buy her mini hoop kits to create your own fabulous necklaces, brooches, and she now even has 1" hoops for earrings! Each kit comes with really neat patterns for motifs you can stitch inside the mini hoops.

A photo posted by Sonia Lyne (@dandelyne) on Mar 22, 2015 at 5:15pm PDT

@suosaaribymariafeaton
Maria Featon is the reason I applied to Feeling Stitchy to be a contributor! She saw the blog post, and sent me a message letting me know that she thought I'd be perfect for it. I probably wouldn't have applied, thinking I would never be accepted, if it hadn't been for her. I'm starting to sense a trait amongst Aussies! They must be the nicest people on the planet! Maria's embroidery is bold and beautiful. She uses vintage bedsheets and patterned fabrics to create gorgeous pieces.

This bird (is it a peacock?) is my favorite of all that Maria has done! It's understated, yet has a huge impact. By stitching a small portion of the scene, she's made the bird pop off the fabric.

A photo posted by Maria Featon (@suosaaribymariafeaton) on Apr 1, 2015 at 4:44pm PDT

Here's an example of how she uses vintage bedsheets as the perfect backdrop to the embroidered text.

A photo posted by Maria Featon (@suosaaribymariafeaton) on Mar 17, 2015 at 5:34pm PDT

I just can't get enough of the vintage bedsheets as fabric for embroidery! This picture also has fabric from a vintage nightie.

A photo posted by Maria Featon (@suosaaribymariafeaton) on Feb 28, 2015 at 6:38pm PST

@candykinscrafts
Candy Barnes is another Aussie whose kindness and sincerity comes across in her interactions. She creates the cutest, sweetest, most adorable portraits based on your children's artwork. She has even managed to stitch children's artwork onto mini hoops by Dandelyne!

This adorable scene was drawn by Candy's daughter, then stitched by her onto this mini hoop!

A photo posted by Candy Barnes (@candykinscrafts) on Apr 3, 2015 at 2:14pm PDT

Here's one of Candy's hoops of a child's drawing. She stays true to what the kids draw, and then transfers their visions onto fabric using needle and floss.

A photo posted by Candy Barnes (@candykinscrafts) on Dec 11, 2014 at 1:50pm PST

Here's another custom piece she did based on a child's drawing. In this one, Candy added felt to fully represent the original piece. This is just so sweet, and becomes an heirloom piece that can be kept and handed down for generations to come.

A photo posted by Candy Barnes (@candykinscrafts) on Mar 9, 2015 at 4:26pm PDT

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/friday-instagram-finds-no-3.html

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/album-artwork-embroidery-tutorial.html

We have our random winner in the brooch giveaway!

Nesta Sangermano • a day ago
Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway - to Karen Thiesen for the wonderful interview with artist Jessie Chorley - and of course thanks to Jessie for the beautiful brooch!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/winner-of-handmade-brooch-by-jessie.html

Once again, I am so pleased to bring you an interview by Karen Thiesen from www.womanwithaneedle.com - today, Karen interviews London-based artist Jessie Chorley. Jessie will be teaching a workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico from September 15-19, 2015. Jessie also handcrafted a gorgeous brooch to giveaway today!

Read on to learn more about Jessie Chorley, her art, her studio, and her inspiration.


You work with both paper and fabric. Do you prefer one over the other?
I would honestly say I find both incredibly inspiring to work with, I could not choose. I constantly work combining both together as I love the strength of the more robust fabric against fragile papers. I am an obsessive collector of both found paper and fabric but I do like to use my collections. I have a small selection that I refer back to for inspiration but a lot of what I collect I really do use up at quite a pace.

This is why I love having my shop as it gives me the opportunity to collect and pass these things on with a new life and a new beginning. To see some one walk away with one of my Altered Journals, for example, is like a completion to the story. My home is not crammed full of my collections but quite ordered. I love to display some things in my home for a certain amount of time and then they may head down to the shop or to the studio if needed for a particular commission.


What was the inspiration for your hand stitched souvenir hankies?
My current Souvenir Hankies were inspired by a workshop I was invited to run as part of the wedding dress exhibition here in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I was asked to base the workshop on one piece from the exhibition and I chose a hand printed paper souvenir napkin from the 1920’s.

I was so inspired by this particular piece from the exhibition, so have carried on making my own version of the souvenir hankie. I always use found and old hankies to re work into, adding simple scenes and words and sometimes incorporating simple block print. I have just created two for a couple for their wedding day.


How have you become the artist you are today?
Determination and a love for making! A lot of hard work and a passion for making. I love to make things so much and now that I teach others my skills as well I find this very rewarding. You need to be quite rounded as an individual to be a maker and shop owner, as running a shop and a business as a maker is very full time. You are constantly surrounded by your own world and the things you make. So having time out and being inspired constantly is also very important, otherwise the love for what you do will float away. I also have many friends who are makers, painters and artists who also have the same life style as me and will go to the end of the line for their own work. And these people are a great inspiration to me.

Being the maker I am today is a lifestyle that I have embraced. I have seen so many people that started in a similar way to me destroy their passion and love for making or being creative as they soon have tried to make things quicker and mass produce things. Then you just end up being behind a computer and your hands never get dirty or touch the "materials" again. I knew this was not a way that I wanted to go and always stayed well away from large wholesale orders and commissions and concentrated on smaller and more rewarding commissions and projects and also teaching my skills to like-minded others.


My workshops are now a large part of my business and always run just by me, which I think is important as a maker, as teaching others actually feeds back and inspires me as a maker. I feel so lucky for all the wonderful and inspiring people and friends that I have met from running my shop and from running my workshops and are now a large part of my world. My main passion still today after 10 years is "making" and I know deep down this will never change. But still one person can only make a certain amount, so over the last 3 years I have slowly developed a range of items that I get made locally either in London or in the UK. These items like my rubber stamps, screen printed tea towels and some greeting cards then come back to my studio and I finish them by packing them in my particular style.

I have never had any business training but I have always had a huge passion for that side of the business. Running the books and paperwork I really love doing as do I like the daily jobs at the shop and I guess it gives me a sense of control overall. When I give my years paper work to my accountant at the end of a year and she confirms all is well this is a great feeling. I am very practical as a person so I love the daily running of a shop and this also inspires my work. The two go hand in hand, and on Sundays, when my shop is full of customers appreciating my work, again, this is so rewarding and inspiring.


Since a very young age I was obsessed by having my own shop, but at the same time, I knew especially in London that would be a big jump. So since graduating from Goldsmiths College in 2005, I have worked alongside friend and fellow designer Buddug, and because there was the two of us we started the shop together. And now in July this year, after 10 years of our collaboration, I am taking over the shop on my own. For Buddug, her family and Wales has called her back but for me, London, especially Columbia Road and the shop is only just starting.

So this summer I am having a 10 years anniversary party on August the 15th and also on this date I will be launching my new book that I am currently working on "Jessie Chorley: Story of a maker". It will also be available online from August the 15th on my web site www.jessiechorley.com and will record mainly visually the last 10 years of my world as a maker.

My upcoming and newly laid out shop will also be the main hub for my London based workshops as I now do lots of one on one workshop sessions and also small groups here in London, so to have everything in one place, my shop and studio and workshops, will be great. Embracing social media and selling online has also really helped me become the maker I am today. Most of my online sales I send to the States and to Australia. My blog, www.jessiechorleyinspirations.com and my Instagram feed, not to mention my shop on Columbia Road, are my main source of advertising and I meet and work with so many other creative individuals because of these sources.

What is your favorite thing that you've ever made?
A salmon pink poem dress. I originally bought the dress from Spitafields antiques market here in East London and I hand embroidered a poem inspired by an Angela Carter novel around the neck. I kept the piece for about 6 years and exhibited it widely until it was bought by a store in Tokyo. I still have many photos of it and have since made a new version on a bright 1930s yellow dress.


What is your studio like? What's the most important tool you have there?
My studio is currently within a large old factory building out in Hackney Wick. So it is very tucked away and very organised but can also be quite messy, this is what I love about my studio. I often go. There is my work apron and I enjoy getting completely involved, painting, frames, paper mache are all things I enjoy doing here. The studio is quite isolating so I tend to make creative decisions here but then I prefer to do my Embroidery work when at my shop or at home. I get to my studio early in the morning and work fast and then often head to open the shop later on and finish work there. I only have 3 months left in my current studio as in July I am moving my studio to the back of my shop so my current studio is about to be packed up and lots of sorting to be completed before the move happens.



Do you have any special rituals while you're working?
Lots of tea and I love always to listen to music later in the day and Radio 4 first thing is a must. I never do any computer based work in my studio as this breaks my creativity and mood.




You have said you are very inspired by The Museum of Childhood in London. What is your favorite exhibit in there?
That is a hard one as there are many. But I am always drawn by a 1930 piece that is a collection of small dolls slightly squeezed into a glass fronted box. It was a personal piece from someone’s home. The box is covered in old green torn paper with a gold tint. What most inspires me about this piece is the way that the box is actually made from an old cupboard drawer with a glass frame attached to the front.




You were homeschooled in Wales by your mother, artist Primmy Chorley. What is the best thing you learned from her?
"Small is beautiful". This is how I run my business today, keeping things small but keeping the passion. Her love of collecting and making is deeply embedded in me as a maker not only in my work but also in the way I run my home.


To follow Jessie's story, shop online, and view her upcoming workshop dates, visit www.jessiechorley.com. Jessie will be teaching her first workshop ever in the US in Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 15-19, 2015 - details can be found at www.womanwithaneedle.com.

Thank you so much to Karen Thiesen, for providing this wonderful interview, and thank you to Jessie Chorley for a wonderful glimpse into your life as an artist, and your process!

Now, for an exciting giveaway - Jessie has created one of her signature brooches as a giveaway for one very lucky Feeling Stitchy reader! This giveaway is open to all of our readers.



To win Jessie's beautiful handmade brooch - simply leave a comment on this post by 9 PM US CST on Monday, April 13 - and answer this question: If you could have a studio to embroider, make art, and craft in - what would your dream studio look like?

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/interview-with-jessie-chorley-and.html

During my work placement I have been consistently inspired and sometimes overwhelmed. From the environment to the array of exquisite samples and materials, there is continually something which whets my creative appetite.


Hand & Lock’s quintessentially English meeting room is known in-house as the ‘bead room’. Its walls are decorated with lush embroidery samples and military regalia. Ceiling-high cabinets line the edge of the room and house a vast variety of beads and an extensive collection of samples. I believe it could take a day or two to peruse through the entire archive. Each design is different and almost every type of embroidery is displayed. It’s such a pleasure to be able to thumb through such a beautiful collection. I quietly imagine the ways I could apply some of these techniques and styles to my own work and how I could adapt them. Although I will have to learn how to execute them first.

Certainly another great inspiration for me is the array of materials. It’s also interesting to learn why each piece is selected for use. One reason is that the fabrics, beads, threads and other decorative objects all project a particular impression and impact and the way that they interact with each other also plays an integral factor. I am also noticing how a particular material can be fundamental to a design. In using an object which is not commonly adopted in couture embellishment the unusual texture and shapes can project a different effect.

For instance, the Hand & Lock embellishments created for the Louis Vuitton and Terence Koh limited-edition menswear collection incorporate paint brush bristles and only the metal casings from gemstones:


The collection features lavish and extraordinary designs by the artist Terence Koh and the unusual materials used by the Hand & Lock team complements the artist’s quirky style.


Most importantly, a primary source of inspiration for me is the environment itself and the people in it. When I take a moment to look around the atelier I see inspiration at every angle. Creativity almost pulses under its beams.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/diary-of-intern-julia-at-hand-and-lock.html

Regardless of which hemisphere you're in right now, the season in most places is cardigan-friendly (not too hot, not too cold). The following tutorial will show you how to brighten up a cardigan or sweater with embroidered elbow patches.

Materials:

• knit or woven fabric for patches (minimum 4" x 6"/10 cm x 15 cm)
• cardigan or sweater
• embroidery design (the clover design I used is found here)
• lightweight interfacing
• pinking shears
• embroidery thread
• water-soluble fabric marker
• patch pattern (mine was 3.5" x 5.5"/9 cm x 14 cm)
• seam roll (or a rolled up magazine, catalog, etc.)

Prep Cardigan & Pattern/Embroider

Prep Finished Patches

Sew Patches to Cardigan

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/thimblenest-thursdays-embroidered-elbow.html

I couldn't resist telling you guys about the most awesome challenge happening right now over at Craftster.

This month, thanks to Ticketmaster, Crafster is showing the love for live events from concerts, to Broadway shows, and more! Your mission this month is to craft a project that shows major love to one of your favorite live events or productions! Concerts, sporting events, family entertainment, music festivals, arts & theater, you name it! You can use any crafting mediums of your choosing as long as your project features or pays homage to a live, ticketed event of some sort!

Maybe your project will actually incorporate that old ticket from the very first play you ever attended. Or maybe you'll create a project from scratch such as an awesome concert ticket embroidery pillow! Perhaps you could create the perfect music festival headband, bag or other accessories. You could even create an epic quilt from all of those concert tshirts you've been hoarding over the years.

Ticketmaster has provided a bundle of prizes for the challenge this month! The first and second place winners will be selected by the online community voting poll here on Craftster. The third place winner will be selected by a panel of judges at Ticketmaster! Oh! And a little birdie told us that the panel of judges would love to see some sort of nod to barcodes, locks, etc. (security-related concepts) included in the winning project. How cool would it be to add a secret barcode to your project?

Additional Rules and Details:

• Entries open to US and Canada.

• Craft your project during this challenge period (Apr 6 2015 - May 10 2015) only. Projects created before this timeframe will be excluded from the voting poll.

• On May 1, 2015, there will be a special folder created for entries. Post your entry on the specified entry board during the period of May 1 - May 10 11:59:59 PDT 2015. No sooner. No later.

• Voting will happen from May 11 - May 18 2015.

• The winner will be officially announced on the first business Monday of the next month (in our June newsletter), on this thread and on the Craftster blog. Ticketmaster will also feature the winners on their blog, Twitter and Facebook! We will contact you via Private Message, after the announcement, to get your prize package information.

• Enter only ONE project. Your entry can have multiple components to it.

• If cheating of any sort is discovered, the applicable entry and votes will be disqualified.

Originality:
It's probably impossible to know whether your project is 100% original, has never been posted on Craftster, or made by anyone else in the past. But if your project was definitely inspired by something you've seen before, please give credit to that project.

Prizes:
At the end, we'll set up a poll right here and the winners (US or Canada) will recieve:
Ticketmaster prizing:(1) Grand prize, first place winner (voted by Craftster community): $250 Ticketmaster gift card(2) Second place winner (voted by Craftster community): $150 Ticketmaster gift card(3) Third place winner (voted by Ticketmaster): $100 Ticketmaster gift card
Gift cards can be used to purchase events on Ticketmaster.com / Ticketmaster.ca. Ticketmaster will also feature the winners on their blog, Twitter and Facebook!
As well as:(1) their project in the Featured Projects area(2) their project in the Craftster Blog(3) and a prize from us at Craftster.org -- any one item from one of Craftster's online shops!



You can read more about the contest and get inspiration HERE.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/rocking-challenge.html

I couldn't resist telling you guys about the most awesome challenge happening right now over at Craftster.

This month, thanks to Ticketmaster, Crafster is showing the love for live events from concerts, to Broadway shows, and more! Your mission this month is to craft a project that shows major love to one of your favorite live events or productions! Concerts, sporting events, family entertainment, music festivals, arts & theater, you name it! You can use any crafting mediums of your choosing as long as your project features or pays homage to a live, ticketed event of some sort!

Maybe your project will actually incorporate that old ticket from the very first play you ever attended. Or maybe you'll create a project from scratch such as an awesome concert ticket embroidery pillow! Perhaps you could create the perfect music festival headband, bag or other accessories. You could even create an epic quilt from all of those concert tshirts you've been hoarding over the years.

Ticketmaster has provided a bundle of prizes for the challenge this month! The first and second place winners will be selected by the online community voting poll here on Craftster. The third place winner will be selected by a panel of judges at Ticketmaster! Oh! And a little birdie told us that the panel of judges would love to see some sort of nod to barcodes, locks, etc. (security-related concepts) included in the winning project. How cool would it be to add a secret barcode to your project?

Additional Rules and Details:

• Entries open to US and Canada.

• Craft your project during this challenge period (Apr 6 2015 - May 10 2015) only. Projects created before this timeframe will be excluded from the voting poll.

• On May 1, 2015, there will be a special folder created for entries. Post your entry on the specified entry board during the period of May 1 - May 10 11:59:59 PDT 2015. No sooner. No later.

• Voting will happen from May 11 - May 18 2015.

• The winner will be officially announced on the first business Monday of the next month (in our June newsletter), on this thread and on the Craftster blog. Ticketmaster will also feature the winners on their blog, Twitter and Facebook! We will contact you via Private Message, after the announcement, to get your prize package information.

• Enter only ONE project. Your entry can have multiple components to it.

• If cheating of any sort is discovered, the applicable entry and votes will be disqualified.

Originality:
It's probably impossible to know whether your project is 100% original, has never been posted on Craftster, or made by anyone else in the past. But if your project was definitely inspired by something you've seen before, please give credit to that project.

Prizes:
At the end, we'll set up a poll right here and the winners (US or Canada) will recieve:
Ticketmaster prizing:(1) Grand prize, first place winner (voted by Craftster community): $250 Ticketmaster gift card(2) Second place winner (voted by Craftster community): $150 Ticketmaster gift card(3) Third place winner (voted by Ticketmaster): $100 Ticketmaster gift card
Gift cards can be used to purchase events on Ticketmaster.com / Ticketmaster.ca. Ticketmaster will also feature the winners on their blog, Twitter and Facebook!
As well as:(1) their project in the Featured Projects area(2) their project in the Craftster Blog(3) and a prize from us at Craftster.org -- any one item from one of Craftster's online shops!



You can read more about the contest and get inspiration HERE.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/rocking-challenge.html

DMC floss on the left and #5 pearl cotton on the right.

I really like this stitch. It isn't too difficult to learn and I think it has great texture.


In my whitework project this week, I used part of this pattern I found on Pinterest.


Stitches included: Cable Plait, Chain and Satin Stitch.



Want to read more about the cable plait stitch??

Vetty Creations explains the difference between the cable plait stitch and plaited braid stitch.

Click here to see another video tutorial.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/mooshie-stitch-mondays-cable-plait.html

I have a feeling I may have mentioned the Summer Flowers pattern by Sarah Jane before but I couldn't resist this lovely stitching by Bloom, especially as the little pouch is laying on a gorgeous patchwork pencil case made from a pattern in the Little Lady Liberty book by Alice Garrett.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/patterns-summer-flowers.html

I’m so thrilled to be sharing my first post on Feeling Stitchy! I’ve been a reader of the blog for a long time and it’s very exciting to now be a part of it.

I spend a lot of time stitching, but there are so many stitches I've never mastered, or even tried. So I’m going to work my way through an encyclopedia of stitches, learning and teaching you as I go!

Starting, well, now, I’ll share a quick how-to for a new stitch on the first Saturday of every month! You’ll notice I may not always do things the traditional way, but I like putting my own spin on things and making the stitches work for me.

So, let’s jump right in, shall we?

For my first post I started with an easy one- The Back Stitched Chain Stitch!

This is essentially just a combination of those two stitches, so I’m guessing most experienced stitchers will be able to jump right in!



I’m using contrasting colors of thread (stranded cotton) so you can easily see the two different parts. Start by making a chain stitch across your fabric. I actually work chain stitch a little differently than most (it’s backwards!), which I’ll explain below. If you like your way, just skip to the next section!



Begin with an anchor stitch. Come up with your thread at a point just below your anchor or previous stitch. Pass your needle and thread through the anchor stitch, pulling all the way through. Then insert your needle back into the same hole you started with. Repeat until you have a chain as long as you like!

When your chain stitch is in place we’ll go back and add the back stitch.

Begin by finding the end of your chain and come up with your needle just after the “hump” of our first chain stitch. Back stitch into the final stitch of the chain and pull all the way through. Come up again just over the chain stitch and back stitch into beginning of the previous stitch. Continue until you’ve backstitched through the whole thing.


And that’s it! You can experiment with different color combinations, types of thread and even weight.

In the picture above I used several different combinations and stitch sizes. From top to bottom: single strand perle cotton in fun, loose loops and another in small, tight stitches. The bottom three back to stranded floss, 2 strands of pink and one strand of blue. Then 4 strands of pink, 2 strands of blue and the bottom example is 4 strands of pink, 4 strands of blue.

You can see how different this stitch looks in all these different forms, and I hope you feel inspired to add this fun texture to some of your embroidery! It would definitely make a great thick outline stitch, as well as be an interesting fill texture and sampler accent as well.

I chose to use this stitch to lend some fun texture/color to a little hoop I made inspired by The Avett Brothers, who just wrapped up a three night concert stay in my hometown!

I went back to my stranded floss and used an almost ombre color scheme. The ampersand is all done in our back stitched chain stitch, and the chain stitch lent itself nicely to all the curves on the fancy font. I also did some double rows to make parts of it thicker, so you can see how this would look worked side by side.


Well, that’s it for this month. I hope you enjoyed learning with me! If you stitch something using the back stitched chain stitch, be sure to upload it to the Flickr pool so everyone can see! Be sure to leave me a note in the comments if you have any special stitch requests, or have any questions and I'll see you next time!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/learn-back-stitched-chain-stitch.html

Welcome back to Friday Instagram Finds! I've found three awesome embroiderers from Instagram to share with you this week that I think you're going to love!

@merriweatherc
Danielle, of The Merriweather Council, is an absolute dynamo! In addition to her gorgeous hand embroidery work, she's also one half of She Percolates, an awesome podcast that highlights amazing women and their successes.

I have a thing for granny chic cabbage roses, and pairing that with typography is fresh and fun!

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 25, 2015 at 8:42am PDT

Danielle's phrenology hoops are one of the most genius things I've ever seen, and has me thinking, "Why the heck didn't I think of that?!" They are seriously so clever, and any word could be stitched in it.

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 2, 2015 at 7:00pm PST

Sometimes it's the simplest things that make the biggest statement. The colorful lines on these pendants would pair so well with any outfit.

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 18, 2015 at 12:52pm PDT

@wildflower_threads
Christa of Wildflower Threads creates beautiful embroidery, often in miniature in her sweet hair accessories and jewelry.

Look at all of the stitches that Christa incorporated into this, "love wildly" hoop! It's a colorful and modern version of a sampler.

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Apr 1, 2015 at 8:59am PDT

This necklace pendant may be small, but the little scene with flowers and grass is absolutely precious!

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Mar 28, 2015 at 1:17pm PDT

These embroidered bobby pins are so fun! They are so dainty and ladylike.

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Jan 15, 2015 at 7:39am PST

@thekitschystitcher
Sara, The Kitschy Stitcher, is fearless in her embroidery, and she tries fun techniques and flosses to create fun and original pieces!

Even though we only get to see a little bit of this piece, it has some great stitches going on! The French knots (one of my favorite stitches) in the basket look like a bountiful bunch of flowers spilling out, and check out that gorgeous chain stitch for the bike chain - how clever!

A photo posted by

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/friday-instagram-finds-no-002.html

Welcome back to Friday Instagram Finds! I've found three awesome embroiderers from Instagram to share with you this week that I think you're going to love!

@merriweatherc
Danielle, of The Merriweather Council, is an absolute dynamo! In addition to her gorgeous hand embroidery work, she's also one half of She Percolates, an awesome podcast that highlights amazing women and their successes.

I have a thing for granny chic cabbage roses, and pairing that with typography is fresh and fun!

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 25, 2015 at 8:42am PDT

Danielle's phrenology hoops are one of the most genius things I've ever seen, and has me thinking, "Why the heck didn't I think of that?!" They are seriously so clever, and any word could be stitched in it.

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 2, 2015 at 7:00pm PST

Sometimes it's the simplest things that make the biggest statement. The colorful lines on these pendants would pair so well with any outfit.

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 18, 2015 at 12:52pm PDT

@wildflower_threads
Christa of Wildflower Threads creates beautiful embroidery, often in miniature in her sweet hair accessories and jewelry.

Look at all of the stitches that Christa incorporated into this, "love wildly" hoop! It's a colorful and modern version of a sampler.

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Apr 1, 2015 at 8:59am PDT

This necklace pendant may be small, but the little scene with flowers and grass is absolutely precious!

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Mar 28, 2015 at 1:17pm PDT

These embroidered bobby pins are so fun! They are so dainty and ladylike.

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Jan 15, 2015 at 7:39am PST

@thekitschystitcher
Sara, The Kitschy Stitcher, is fearless in her embroidery, and she tries fun techniques and flosses to create fun and original pieces!

Even though we only get to see a little bit of this piece, it has some great stitches going on! The French knots (one of my favorite stitches) in the basket look like a bountiful bunch of flowers spilling out, and check out that gorgeous chain stitch for the bike chain - how clever!

A photo posted by

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/friday-instagram-finds-no-002.html

April is here and that means another month of the Craftster Hoopla Along. This month's theme is Nature. The details of the monthly hoopla along are below and don't forget to check out Craftster.org for more details and to post your stitching. You could win a prize in the monthly random drawing!

Details:
We have officially shaken off those winter blues and are ready to get out and enjoy nature! This month's theme is all about the outdoors. You can stitch up anything to do with nature: birds, bees, animals and flora. Feel the sun on your face as you become one with nature and one with your hoop.
You have until April 30, 2015 to be eligible for random drawing

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/craftster-april-hoopla-along-nature.html

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/03/patterns-mr-x-stitch-52-week-challenge.html

Hello fellow stitchers, I'm back with my latest update about my work experience at Hand and Lock. As it draws near to a month since I started my internship, it feels I've reached a milestone. Reflecting back on the last two weeks, I recognise I am currently on the steep rise of the 'learning curve'. As tasks have become more complicated it sometimes feels I am taking one step forward and two steps back.

However, through this hindsight I notice how much I am absorbing and learning from watching, listening and through my own practice. I suppose this process can be likened to any newly learnt skill. Working with such outstanding and talented embroiderers and designers can be overwhelming and it has amplified how much more I wish to grow. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop my skills as much as I possibly can.


Spring is in the air in London and Hand and Lock are currently sampling for their Spring Summer 2016 collection. It’s really exciting as we are also able to contribute ideas. As interns we are generating embellishment samples and this week I have been given the creative freedom to create some fabric origami samples.

I had explored this technique with the dress that I made for the Hand and Lock Prize. It has been a lot of fun to experiment further with new patterns and concepts. I have been working on a shell motif which may be layered to give detail. Where the paper is normally folded in regular origami, here we have applied a pleat. I could happily while away many hours doing fabric origami.


Another real joy during the last two weeks has been becoming familiar with the different applications of embroidery depending upon its purpose. For example embellishment on a shoe, sash, scarf or military uniform can require a different approach. To begin with the obvious, different needles and threads should be used depending upon the material and expected result. Some tasks are better to work in an embroidery hoop and others in a frame. When applying a stitch, account needs to be taken into the precise angle of the needle along with careful manipulation of the thread as it travels through the material.


At the moment I am stitching hand embroidered badges onto leather, which will eventually be made into slippers. They are adorable 'coats of arms' framed by two bunny rabbits. However these two harmless emblems have proved quite a challenge for me. Understandably they should be attached with an 'invisible' stitch and they are to be edged in gold. The most challenging aspect for me was anchoring these delicate badges so that they remained precisely in position whilst sewing through a tough fabric. This may sound straight forward but it is a little trickier than it seems as you can't simply pin them because it will damage the handwork.

Following a traditional and meticulous method has been my solution to the task and now it is well underway. The best part about it nearing the end of the month is that I feel I have learnt so much already and there are still two more months left.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/03/diary-of-intern-julia-at-hand-and-lock_27.html

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/03/thimblenest-thursdays-twisted-lazy.html

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/03/craftster-find-baroque-lovebird.html

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/03/craftster-find-baroque-lovebird.html

Let’s continue with another stitch common to Mountmellick embroidery - the Mountmellick Thorn Stitch.

First thing I realized was the lack of tutorials and photos of this stitch online. I found this video tutorial that is good, but also a bit blurry and this photo on Flickr. Both were helpful and gave me a good starting point on how to stitch it.



I read on a few websites about Mountmellick embroidery that the thorn stitch is basically a feather stitch with a French knot on every other stitch.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/03/mooshie-stitch-mondays-mountmellick.html