Diary of an Intern: Julia at Hand and Lock, week 5

Пятница, 22 Мая 2015 г. 09:00 + в цитатник

According to the Danish Fashion Institute's study in 2013, Fashion is the second most polluting industry after oil. Big fashion designers and individuals are pushing for a more ethical and sustainable industry and the new Fashion Revolution Day promotes this movement. Fast fashion is likened to 'junk food' and consumers are urged to seek out a more ethical product and 'up-cycle' old clothes as well as acquiring new skills to make their own.

The addition of a monogram gives an item a unique touch which seems to appeal to our increasing need for real worth and reflects a rejection of throwaway consumerism as Lizzi Walton, organizer of SITselect craft Festival explains. "In a world of bland mass production, to own something individual is enhancing. It’s a pleasure to have something that is made with love and made by hand. Sometimes to have less is better." This recent flow of consumers towards hand crafted and artisan products (often more ethically produced due to their nature) is a big reason for an increased popularity in monogramming as it gives a garment a refined bespoke finish and by doing so can allow it longevity, as it becomes part of the owner's capsule wardrobe.

In the last couple of weeks I've decided to learn more about monogramming. I was kindly invited to join a weekend course at Hand & Lock where I picked up some of the essentials of this intricate technique. Monogramming work makes up a core element of the business at Hand & Lock, which has led me on a quest to discover what this type of embroidery entails and why it is so popular.

We are all partial to a personalised item from mugs to stationary and linen to luggage. This type of customisation certainly befits fashion and has been trending in recent years. What was once an embellishment mainly adorned by the Savile Row society is now sought after by the many and is certainly a fashionable way to stand out from the crowd. Consumers are less interested in elaborate logos, so the appeal of a monogram also ties into our cyber world of acronyms and avatars and acts as a way to brand ourselves. Moreover it allows the buyer to get involved in the design process and gives them a greater attachment to the product.

A constant stream of customers come to Hand & Lock to have their goods monogrammed. The house is renowned for its outstanding quality of hand embroidered work and they have also moved into the 21st century to offer machine embroidery at an affordable price, thus a wide range of orders are delivered. Clients can vary: a business tycoon requiring their shirt to be initialled, a mechanic ordering a well considered gift of a monogrammed shammy leather cloth for his co-worker or a lady wishing to personalise an heirloom for a wedding present.

Typically it can take a professional embroiderer a few months to master the technique. Different guidelines are adopted to execute the variety of letters in the Latin alphabet and when an array of font styles are added to the mix then an additional set of rules are applied, making this embroidery work relatively complex. Hand & Lock have their own particular way of monogramming which ensures that all of the embroidery work that leaves the house is uniform and has exactly the same finish.

Many businessmen initial their garments such as shirts, coats and ties. Surprisingly some will even have their socks and boxers labelled. Could this be a die hard habit that harks back to life at private and boarding schools? Traditionally these types of application of monogramming was reserved for wealthy gentlemen and dates back centuries. It is certainly a statement of status amongst peers and a way of adding a delicately customised finish to a bespoke garment. This could be the ultimate expression of luxury especially in men's fashion when compared to women's; where it's easier to add a personal touch to an outfit with a handbag or printed blouse, for example.

For such a small and intricate embellishment there is a variety of customisations available and even an 'etiquette' of how initials should be combined. A larger edged font in a bold contrasting colour can have a very different effect to a soft script monogram subtly embroidered in the same colour silk as the garment. I've also discovered that often a monogram will be placed on a part of the clothing that is not visible to the public, such as by the hem of a shirt. Although this may seem frivolous in fact it demonstrates the growing trend in ownership of a one of a kind item.

The monogram does not only have to be elaborate and act as a personal emblem. It can also be a discreet symbol of a well-loved garment that can make the owner feel special when wearing it. The customer's input in the creation of an item clearly initiates a greater connection between owner and product. By leaving their stamp on a product the owner gives it a form of identity which adds greatly to its purpose. This will become an increasingly, more important aspect of design in a diluted market that is dominated by over consumption.

Hi, I'm Julia! Based in Amsterdam, I am an embroidery enthusiast with a life long passion for textiles. I will be contributing during my work placement at the prestigious Hand and Lock a London based, embroidery and embellishment company with 250 years of heritage.

Join me every other Friday for my Diary of an Intern posts!
Find me on Facebook.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/05/diary-of-intern-julia-at-hand-and-lock.html

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Embroidered bookmark for summer reading

Четверг, 21 Мая 2015 г. 13:00 + в цитатник

Summer reading lists are popping up everywhere as people anticipate the laid-back days that often come with warmer weather. As much as I enjoy technology, I'm still pretty old-school when it comes to books: there's just something about the weight of a book in your hand and the feel of paper on your fingers as you turn a page. I have a bad habit of dog-earing pages (even in library books--shhh!), so maybe a new bookmark will start me on a new path. So, regardless of whether your summer (or winter) reading is required or purely for leisure, join me in creating an embroidered bookmark!

MATERIALS

13" of 2" wide ribbon

6" x 6" square of fabric

2" x 2" square of lightweight iron-on interfacing

file with two flower designs and square template (1.8" x 1.8") or choose your own
Embroidery floss
Pinking shears
Water soluble fabric marker

Transfer and embroider the design on the 6" x 6" fabric square.

Iron the interfacing to the backside of the embroidered design.

If using the square template provided, cut out the inside of the square without cutting through any of the square's edges. Center the resulting square hole over your embroidered design and trace a square around it with the water soluble fabric marker.

Use pinking shears to cut out the design, following the square's outline.

Fold the ends of the ribbon under twice--1/4" each time and sew in place. The open weave of my ribbon made stitching a little tricky. If your ribbon won't fray you can cut an inverted triangle at each end instead of stitching.

Position the embroidered square wherever you would like on the ribbon and hand- or machine-stitch in place using a scant 1/8" seam allowance.

Pop your finished bookmark in your latest read and head for the nearest beach, hammock, or hearth (for those in the Southern Hemisphere!).

What's on your to-read list for this summer/winter?

P.S. In two weeks I'll be back to kick off a stitch-along that will span June, July, and August; the end result will be a fun project to add to your autumn decor. See you then!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/05/embroidered-bookmark-for-summer-reading.html

Метки: bookmarks embroidery summer tutorial

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Friday Instagram Finds No.5

Пятница, 15 Мая 2015 г. 14:00 + в цитатник

Welcome to the fifth edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Today I am sharing with you three very talented embroidery artists who I think you need to check out. First up is...

@ladyjanelongstitches
Jessica and Hannah are co-owners of their Etsy shop, and are self described, "Hand Embroidery Artists/Goddesses", and I wholeheartedly concur with their assessment! Every time I see a finished custom portrait, my mouth just drops open in awe. You need to follow their feed to see the pictures their works are based on, and their works in progress.

Like this amazing scene! This embroidery piece is based on a photograph, and it is absolutely fabulous!!

A photo posted by Jessica Patterson Pambianco (@ladyjanelongstitches) on May 5, 2015 at 4:55am PDT

The attention to detail that's put into each custom portrait is fascinating. Take the sand in this one, for instance. If you check out the in progress photos, you'll discover there's so much more than some tan floss stitched out for the sand. There's layering, and depth, and dimension.

A photo posted by Jessica Patterson Pambianco (@ladyjanelongstitches) on Apr 22, 2015 at 11:54am PDT

In addition to the custom pieces, they create pieces like this that stretch themselves creatively. The hand tinting used on the jar gives this hoop a bit of oomph that you wouldn't see in it otherwise. And the flowers are beautiful, and add another layer of dimension.

A photo posted by Jessica Patterson Pambianco (@ladyjanelongstitches) on May 12, 2015 at 9:51am PDT

@tuskandcardinal
Lindsay creates eye catching embroidery pieces with fantastic iconography and bright colors.

I cannot even get over how incredibly clever this whole hoop is! This stand of trees is beautiful in its simplicity. And can you even believe the clever way she attached rope to the hoop for hanging?!? This is seriously the most unique way I've ever seen someone hang a hoop.

A photo posted by

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/05/friday-instagram-finds-no5.html

Метки: embroidery bead embroidery mollie makes embroidered jewelry fif embroidered collar random acts of amy feelingstitchyig friday instagram finds hand embroidery embroidered portrait

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Mooshie Stitch Monday: My First Mountmellick Embroidery Kit

Понедельник, 11 Мая 2015 г. 19:28 + в цитатник

In my last post I told you about my visit to the Mountmellick Embroidery Museum in Ireland and I purchased a small embroidery kit at the museum to try stitching.

The kit included the satin jean fabric, needle, thread, pattern with stitch suggestions and stitch instructions - along with some history about Mountmellick embroidery.

Tracing the pattern.

I used a washable blue pencil to roughly trace the pattern onto the fabric.

Stitching!

The satin jean fabric is thicker than what I am used to - at first I felt as though it was tough to pull the needle and thread through the fabric - but I did get used to it after some stitching.

Here it is all stitched.

I followed the stitch suggestions (noted on the pattern photo above) with the exception of using the snail trail stitch. I also did not use the feather stitch inside the leaves and used them stem stitch instead. Just my own personal preference - because after I tried the feather stitch inside one leaf, I didn't like how my feather stitch looked :)

Finishing - Soaking and Boiling

Next I followed the finishing instructions that came in the kit.

I was nervous about this step because I have never boiled my embroidery before. Honestly, I have never soaked to remove the pattern lines either!!! Usually I use a disappearing ink. But I didn't want to use the disappearing ink because I wasn't sure how long the stitching would take me.

I soaked it in cold water with a drop of laundry detergent for a few hours. The instructions said overnight, but I could see the blue tracings were gone within a few hours. Next, I boiled it for about 20 minutes and let dry overnight.

I looked at the instructions again and realized I didn't boil it with detergent! So I boiled again - this time with a drop of detergent for about 20 minutes and let dry overnight again.

Here it is after boiling, ironed, and in a little hoop. I am pleased with the end result. I think it turned out pretty good for my first Mountmellick stitching! :)

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/05/mooshie-stitch-monday-my-first.html

Метки: Mooshie Stitch Mondays mountmellick mountmellick embroidery whitework

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Thimblenest Thursdays: How to Display Small Embroidery Designs on Canvas

Четверг, 07 Мая 2015 г. 13:00 + в цитатник

I've always wanted to try mounting a finished embroidery piece on artist's canvas. However, when I went to display a set of three finished designs on canvases, I discovered that on two of the designs I hadn't left enough surrounding fabric to attach them to the frames. So this week you get two tutorials in one: one for extending the size of small finished pieces and one for mounting the entire piece to a prepared canvas. Let's get started!

MATERIALS

(dimensions given are for my specific project; this tutorial can easily be adapted for projects of any size)

8" x 10" (20 cm x 25.5 cm) artist's canvas (thrifted or new)
12" x "15" (30.5 cm x 38 cm) piece of quilting cotton or other fabric (base)
7" x 8" (18 cm x 20 cm) piece of quilting cotton (backing/"frame" for embroidered piece)
6" x 7" (15 cm x 18 cm) finished embroidery design
Staple gun
Painters tape
ruler/measuring tape

PREPARE BASE CLOTH & CANVAS

If you are using thrifted canvases and your fabric is light colored, double-check to see if the paint on the canvas shows through. In my case it did, so I painted the canvas white. When I ran out of paint for my three canvases, I ended up affixing a white piece of paper to the canvas instead.

Serge the edges of the large base rectangle (12" x 15") or finish with pinking shears. I will not use the cotton muslin I chose again--it was almost impossible to get the wrinkles out and my iron left marks on the fabric.

EXTEND SMALL PIECES TO FIT CANVAS

(if your finished embroidery piece is large enough to fit on the canvas by itself, you can skip to the "Mount to Canvas" instructions below)

Turn the edges of the embroidered piece (6" x 7") under 1/2"; turn the edges of the backing piece (7" x 8") under 1/4".

Center the embroidered fabric on top of the backing rectangle. You can eyeball this or check it with your ruler. Pin and edgestitch together.

Now center your piece from the previous step in the middle of your 12" x 15" base cloth. It's best to check this carefully with a ruler or measuring tape since you want everything to center nicely on the canvas.

Pin and edgestitch the quilted/patchwork embroidery piece to the base cloth.

MOUNT TO CANVAS

Lay the canvas face down on the wrong side of the fabric. Use painter's tape to hold your fabric in place while you check for centering/evenness. Once you're sure your fabric is positioned where you want it, use the staple gun to secure your fabric on the long sides of the frame.

CORNERS & SHORT ENDS

Bring the corners of the fabric on the short ends up against the canvas much like you would if you were wrapping a gift. Take your time here--this part can be frustrating and a little fussy. The more you can smooth the fabric and get it to "hug" the canvas, the better the final result will be.

Once again, use painter's tape to hold the corners in place until you're ready to staple. Always check how things look from the front of the canvas. Getting misplaced staples out of the fabric without ripping anything is challenging (ask me how I know!).

Nicely finished corners should look something like this!

When you like how everything looks, staple with wild abandon!

Now you have some tailored embroidery pieces to find a spot for!

What is your favorite way to display finished embroidery pieces?

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/05/thimblenest-thursdays-how-to-display.html

Метки: canvas quilting sewing Thimblenest Thursday tutorial

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Craftster May Hoopla Along: Circus, Carnival and Sideshows!

Среда, 06 Мая 2015 г. 19:28 + в цитатник

Ready for another round of the Craftster Hoopla Along? I am so excited about this month's theme. I can not wait to get stitching!

May's theme is:

CIRCUS, CARNIVAL, SIDESHOW

Let's all quit our jobs, run away and join the circus. We can become the amazing stitching artists on the flying trapeze. Okay, so maybe we can't join the circus, but we can stitch it up. This month's theme is all about the midway: Circus, Carnival and Sideshow. Do you have a favorite sideshow performer? Why not pay homage to them by stitching up their portrait. Maybe you are more into the foods at the carnivals (everyone loves fried dough!), stitch it up and that way you won't worry about the calories. Whatever you love about the circus, carnival or sideshow-put it in hoopla form for the entire world to see!

Little Details:

You have until June 1, 2015 to be eligible for the random monthly drawing
Post your project on the Hoopla Along on Craftster.org HERE
This month's prize is 25.00 Etsy Card
You can read more about the Hoopla Along HERE.
If you are new member, I can post the pictures for you, if you just post the link.

Come one! Come all! Join in the fun!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/05/craftster-may-hoopla-along-circus.html

Метки: craftster. challenge hoopla along

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Learn the Couched Filling Stitch

Суббота, 02 Мая 2015 г. 17:00 + в цитатник

I don't know about all of you, dear readers, but I am so relived that it's finally the weekend. It's been so busy in my little world that I was thrilled to find the time to sit down and teach myself a new stitch from my encyclopedia this month, and it turned out to be a fun one!

Today we're going to learn something called the Couched Filling Stitch, also known as Jacobean couching. It's simple but the result is really fun! I love fill stitches like this that are open and airy. They lend themselves to so many different uses. This one is also a great fill stitch because the whole fill is worked at once, meaning you see progress much faster!

Let's dive in! I'm working in a plain weave fabric, with two different colors of stranded floss. This stitch would also be beautiful on aida or canvas where you can count out your spacing and be really precise. It's extremely important to use a frame or hoop to stretch your fabric though, as we'll be starting with some long stitches that we want to keep tight and even. I'd also recommend a ruler and a pencil or (preferably) a water soluble pen.

The first thing you need to do with this stitch is lay out your foundation stitches. You can eye ball it if you wish or count your stitches on your aida, but I used a ruler to make tick marks every quarter of an inch across my hoop. I did the same thing from top to bottom, making a right angle with my hash marks. You can see the cross section in pencil in the photo below.

Now you can begin stitch. You're going to create long stitches all the way across your hoop. Start in one direction (I chose top to bottom) and make all of those stitches first.

In the first picture, you can see how I used the ruler to guide my stitches and kept them aligned with the hash marks and nice and straight. This isn't necessary, but it really helped. Once you have all your stitches from top to bottom, do the same thing from side to side on top. (This is where a water soluble pen and a super tight hoop come in handy! You can see a few pencil marks because my fabric came a little loose while I was stitching.)

Unlike some other couching stitches where you have to weave your foundation stitches together, this one doesn't need that. It's going to look loose and messy at this point, but once we add our final step it will all fall into place.

Now that our whole area is covered in this grid, we're going to add individual cross stitches at every intersection to anchor the threads. You can begin anywhere in the area that you like. Simply choose an intersection and come up with your needle in the bottom left corner and go back through your fabric in the top right corner. Come up again in the top left, finishing in the bottom right.

Repeat this step at every intersection! If you're filling in a shape you can use different colors on your cross stitch to add shading or use a different texture from your foundation grid.

This would be a great fill stitch for any kind of silhouette project, and actually made me think of stars while I worked. It would be fun to use similar colored fabric and grid thread, and a metallic thread in certain spots to stitch the big dipper or other constellation. Of course, it also looks nice all on its own!

I myself went a little rouge on my hoop. It's fun knowing how to complete all the traditional stitches, if only so I can break the rules when I use them later!

I loved how geometric this was turning out, so I decided to leave a portion of my hoop open at the top with only vertical grid stitches, and to fill in only sections of my grid with cross stitches. Sometimes it's fun to use embroidery to simply create a texture, not stitch a particular object. Of course, you can see some spots where I missed the pencil marks completely, but those will erase right out!

Well I hope you enjoyed learning the couched fill stitch, and if you already knew it I hope I inspired you to try it again in a fun new way! Be sure to upload your examples of this stitch to the Flickr Pool for everyone to see and leave me a comment with any questions or suggestions. See you next time!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/05/learn-couched-filling-stitch.html

Метки: couched filling stitch couching cross stitch embroidery embroidery tutorial fill stitches tutorial Whitney s Stitches

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Friday Instagram Finds No. 4

Пятница, 01 Мая 2015 г. 14:00 + в цитатник

Today I'm going to share with you three needle artists I "discovered" because they used the hashtag #feelingstitchyig on Instagram. You can click on any of their user names (at the beginning of each section, or on the Instagram photo) to go directly to their Instagram feed.

@cozyblue
Among other things, Liz, a.k.a. Cozy Blue, is an embroiderer and illustrator who creates detailed hand embroidery pieces. She uses texture and color to tell a story with each of the pieces she creates.

This beautiful piece is one she created based on a photo of a beautiful filed of yellow flowers with a backdrop of mountains in Asheville, NC. As a big fan of French knots, I just love all of the French knots, and the variation in the shades of yellow. It looks like she used paint on the fabric to create the beautiful clouds.

A photo posted by liz (@cozyblue) on Apr 25, 2015 at 1:57pm PDT

This beautiful closeup is a poppy that Liz designed. Isn't it neat when an artist creates something that isn't an exact replica of what it's supposed to be? I think this shows a high level of creativity and cleverness.

A photo posted by liz (@cozyblue) on Apr 14, 2015 at 11:07am PDT

This neat piece combines embroidery with weaving. Isn't it clever?! It reminds me of the sun.

A photo posted by liz (@cozyblue) on Apr 2, 2015 at 5:38pm PDT

@bustleandsew
Bustle & Sew is a mother (Helen) and daughter (Rosie) team who create original applique and embroidery designs and put out a monthly magazine. Their embroidery work features gorgeous florals, whimsical motifs, and beautiful color schemes.

This workroom hoop is so pretty, and would look great on any workroom wall (or door). The stitching is precise, and, again, I just love the colors Helen and Rosie use.

A photo posted by Bustle & Sew (@bustleandsew) on Mar 27, 2015 at 2:55am PDT

This pillow has an interesting blend of embroidery and applique, that Bustle & Sew is known for. They used freestyle machine embroidery to affix the applique and create stems.

A photo posted by Bustle & Sew (@bustleandsew) on Apr 15, 2015 at 10:15am PDT

This cute fox looks like felt applique with embroidery accents, and the texture is what gives it such great character.

A photo posted by Bustle & Sew (@bustleandsew) on Mar 23, 2015 at 12:35am PDT

@cotton_clara
Cotton Clara, a.k.a. Chloe, creates needlepoint kits that she sells, and her Instagram feed is filled with color and her cutie kids.

This little robin is made up of lots of seed stitches in different colors. I think it had to take a lot of patience and a vision for what it should and would look like in the end. Personally, I have a difficult time working with seed stitch, and I always end up making too many. Chloe has the perfect number, in the perfect alignment.

A photo posted by Chloe Hardisty (@cotton_clara) on Apr 18, 2015 at 6:55am PDT

I'm going to continue with the bird theme with these plastic canvas birds Chloe created. I have never tried plastic canvas needlepoint before, but these make me want to try!

A photo posted by Chloe Hardisty (@cotton_clara) on Apr 11, 2015 at 10:48am PDT

Here's another plastic canvas needlepoint design that Chloe created. This little bunny is super cute, and I think it would have made a great addition to an Easter basket or Spring-themed wreath.

A photo posted by Chloe Hardisty (@cotton_clara) on Mar 10, 2015 at 7:45am PDT

I hope you've enjoyed edition number four of Friday Instagram Finds (FIF) on Feeling Stitchy! Please leave comments below to let me know what you thought. If you'd like to be considered for FIF, or if you find a great embroiderer or stitch-related needle worker who you think I should feature, be sure to tag one of their pictures with #feelingstitchyig, and I'll take a look!

While you're on Instagram, make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We're @feelingstitchyish. We'd love for you to stop by and say hello :)

Friday Instagram Finds, No. 5 will be published Friday, May 15, 2015.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/05/friday-instagram-finds-no-4.html

Метки: Amy applique color embroidery freestyle machine embroidery french knot Friday Instagram Finds hand embroidery Instagram Random Acts of Amy texture

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Mooshie Stitch Monday: Visiting the Mountmellick Embroidery Museum and Buying Supplies!

Понедельник, 27 Апреля 2015 г. 17:41 + в цитатник

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to travel to Ireland to see one of my best friends get married. I have been planning this trip for over a year - so back when I was researching different whitework techniques and found out about Mountmellick embroidery - I knew I wanted to visit the town while in Ireland - especially when I found out there was an embroidery museum!

Because of a few last minute itinerary changes - the only day we could get to Mountmellick was on the very last day we were in Ireland - which meant getting there all the way from Northern Ireland. My sister-in-law Anne was with me on the trip and thanks to her awesome driving, we made the 5 hour drive all the way down to Mountmellick with an hour to spare before the museum closed!!

We arrived at the museum and one of the ladies who works there, Orla, was kind enough to open the exhibit and show us the amazing embroidery.

Sign outside the Embroidery Museum

It was pretty amazing seeing these embroideries in person for how old they are.

I mean, a quilt embroidered back in the 1870s??? An embroidered dress and cape dating back to the 1890s?? Wow.

There were pillow shams, doilies, tablecloths, etc. All beautiful and looked at though they were stitched just last week!

I feel bad - but have no photos to show you of the beautiful work on display.

There were signs asking for "no photography please", so I wanted to respect their wishes. Although, we did snap one quick photo of a part of a wedding dress on display...

Photo courtesy of my SIL Anne

Side Note: The photo above was only taken because it was a dress on display that was not behind glass and was recently stitched. That is the only reason we took a photo of it. All of the original old embroideries were behind glass and had the signs for "no photos please. Just to be clear.

Here is a photo of the embroidery museum from their website - to give you an idea of what it looked like inside.

Photo Credit: from the Museum Website

One more photo sneaked inside the exhibit

It was lovely speaking with Orla about the history and the pieces on display. She explained they are trying to keep the embroidery alive by teaching all the children in town the technique.

They offer classes and workshops on Mountmellick embroidery throughout the year too at the museum. She says the museum averages about 300 visitors a year.

But the best part was that they sold supplies! It was hard not to buy everything, but I managed to get quite a few things! Cotton thread, needles, satin jean fabric.

I was even able to buy the book I wanted by Yvette Stanton. There are many projects in it that I want to work on and I will most likely be posting about here! (If you have this book also, let me know! Maybe we can coordinate and work on the same project together?!?)

I also purchased some embroidery patterns that are some of the original Mountmellick designs.

Original pattern designs!

So - I will begin my first "real" Mountmellick embroidery project with this little kit I purchased there. It includes some history, fabric, thread, needle, stitch instructions, and a little paper frame for the finished project.

Mountmellick Embroidery Kit

Sorry for the lack of actual embroidery photos this time, but next post I hope to show you my stitching progress on the kit above!

Check out the Mountmellick Embroidery Museum's website for more information on the history of Mountmellick embroidery and here for more on the Quaker Heritage.

Want to purchase embroidery supplies directly from the Museum? Here is a link to their online shop!!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/mooshie-stitch-monday-visiting.html

Метки: embroidery ireland Mooshie Stitch Mondays mountmellick mountmellick museum

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Patterns: Lova Revolutionary

Воскресенье, 26 Апреля 2015 г. 08:30 + в цитатник

Lets go for a ride by Lova Revolutionary

I'm getting a real sense of Spring and movement in Lova Revolutionary's patterns at the moment, they just make me want to grab my needle and hoop and get outside and do some stitching!

Way Cute Retro Vintage Camper by Lova Revolutionary

Because after all, no holiday whether it's a week long jaunt or just a day trip is complete without a spot of embroidery!

Way Cute Forest Love Camping by Lova Revolutionary

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/04/patterns-lova-revolutionary.html

Метки: Holiday lova revolutionary patterns spring travel

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Diary of an Intern: Julia at Hand and Lock, week 4

Пятница, 24 Апреля 2015 г. 14:00 + в цитатник

Image by Sophia Spring

This week I am going to tackle the million dollar question: Are unpaid internships a fair exchange? I expect that you have an opinion on this subject and it would be great to open a discussion and read your views. The debate about unpaid internships has recently erupted during the run up to the British political election. Should the U.K. Labour party gain power they promise to introduce a time limit of four weeks on unpaid internships.

Image by Sophia Spring

In the U.K. internships have become a recognised path to gaining a first level position in many work sectors from fashion, media and music to finance and technology. The Labour party argue that unpaid internships block the job market by restricting access to this fundamental first stage in many competitive careers to only the wealthiest individuals. Last year many corporations stated that almost half of all graduate positions would be reserved for those who can demonstrate previous work experience. Naturally students and graduates relax their work rights in order to follow their passion.

Image by Sophia Spring

According to the Independent, an average unpaid internship in the U.K. lasts three months and in London it usually costs more than lb930.00 per month in living expenses. (article) This is not a venture one could embark on lightly and obviously requires a great deal of funding. Fortunate students and graduates are funded by their parents, however this is not the only route. Many people take a weekend or evening job to supplement living costs. In my case I have used savings and I would suggest that taking a year out to work and save some cash is a possible solution.

When googling 'Fashion Internships' a host of horror stories can be found. Big and small fashion houses rely on interns to carry out an integral job. This begs the question of how these companies’ business model is structured; by using free labour huge savings can be made. Some designers have stated that their business simply wouldn't survive without interns. Cozette McCreery of Sibling resigns that “Their (interns) time is important and their input into the workings and production of a collection is really vital.” (article). No wonder that interns struggle under the pressure, or worse, not only from a colossal 12 hour day and 80 hour working week but the absolute necessity to work at great speed and produce impeccably perfect results as though they had been doing the job for years. Obviously this means that the end result may suffer and the consumer has to also pay the price for this oversight.

Is this business behaviour more a reflection of the entire industry? The fashion industry is known for scandals regarding the treatment of paid factory workers, for instance. Much of the Italian high-end fashion is produced in unscrupulous sweatshops spread across Northern Italy where Chinese immigrants are brought over illegally to work in squalid and cramped conditions.

In contrast my experience at Hand & Lock has been beneficial to me and I have learnt a great deal. From the beginning the staff have been very accommodating by agreeing to a four day working week as well as informing me that a working day starts at 10:00 and finishes at 16:30.

The majority of my day is filled with embroidery based work and my colleagues are on hand to ask for advice and feedback. After only eight weeks here, I feel like I’m part of the extended Hand & Lock family. This is a far cry from some other intern’s experiences.

Image by Sophia Spring

I support the importance of work experience for graduates or somebody entering a field of work, whether it is paid or not. The confidence and practice garnered will hold me in good stead for the future whether it leads directly to paid employment in the industry or not. On the other hand where internships are misinterpreted by employers as a replacement for a paid position and the eagerness of the worker is exploited, perhaps here in the U.K, a new law and better investigation by the authorities may lead to a positive change. It could also provide clarity to business and re-affirm a benchmark for business standards.

We, the interns, also have some power in making this change and have the option to choose what we accept. It’s important to know what you hope to gain from an internship and to stand firm. I would recommend first researching which companies are known for offering decent internships and which are not: http://www.jobsite.co.uk/worklife/intern-heaven-intern-hell-10960/

The big names are not always the best option as sometimes you can learn more from a company that is in its initial stages of growing the business. Remember that within each industry these ‘horror’ experiences are well known and it is preferable when seeking further employment to be clear about what you expect for yourself in terms of payment and rights.

Please join the debate by commenting below - I look forward to reading your experiences.

Hi, I'm Julia! Based in Amsterdam, I am an embroidery enthusiast with a life long passion for textiles. I will be contributing during my work placement at the prestigious Hand and Lock a London based, embroidery and embellishment company with 250 years of heritage.

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