Happy Friday, Stitchers! I hope you've had a great week so far, and have a fabulous weekend planned. Today I'm introducing you to Claudia from the Instagram account @ladylapsus and website MeinHood.comhttp://www.meinhood.com/. Claudia lives in Germany, and creates wonderful hand embroidery. I particularly like how she uses patterned fabrics to embroider on, and her designs are very creative. I discovered Claudia because she used #feelingstitchyig. Take a look!

@ladylapsus

Image by @ladylapsus

Image by @ladylapsus

Image by @ladylapsus

That's it for this week's edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Join in the conversation by commenting below. While you're on Instagram checking out Claudia's work at @ladylapsus make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We'd love for you to stop by and say hello. You can find Feeling Stitchy on Instagram at the handle @feelingstitchyish. You can find Amy @randomactsofamy on Instagram.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/02/friday-instagram-finds-no-40-with.html

Hello Stitchers! Do you have big plans for Valentine's Day? As of today, my husband and I don't have anything planned. I hope I can convince him to make me his delicious eggplant dish that he "invented" for me :)

I'm excited to introduce you to Katie of the Instagram account @katitekutthroat! Katie and I have been social media buddies for quite a long time. Hers was one of the first accounts I followed when I started on Instagram way back when it was first out. Katie is a cross stitcher who stitches funny and sometimes (okay, oftentimes) naughty and subversive sayings. You may have seen her cross stitch pieces on the set of the hit HBO series Girls. When Katie first announced that her pieces could be seen on set, I was so excited for her, and tuned in to spot them. :) Take a look at a snippet of Katie's cross stitches.

@katiekutthroat

Image by @katiekutthroat

Image by @katiekutthroat

Image by @katiekutthroat

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/02/friday-instagram-finds-no-39-with-katie.html

The contemporary embroiderer, Sophia Narrett, is currently in residence at Lux Art Institute in Encinitas which will conclude in an exhibition. 'The show will consist of new work made on site, as well as some of the embroideries I have created over the past few years.' says Narrett.


For many years Narrett focused on painting and she found her preference for embroidery by serendipity. 'I just love working with the material' Narrett explains. 'I began making art as an oil painter. I struggled because I was always more interested in the idea of an image rather than in physically working with the paint.'


Narrett finds much inspiration in pop culture and her most recent work was influenced by her favorite TV shows, which are a constant influx as she sits before them and works on her embroideries: 'I watch a lot of TV — or listen to it while I sew. I love long-form narratives. Reality shows or dramas that go on for a while.' 'This Meant Nothing' is a four-part sequence inspired by the popular TV series 'The Bachelor'. Sophia adopts the means of a film set and re-creates real TV characters to illustrate her own fantasy narrative. Her childhood affection for doll play is ever present and is led into an adult world through erotic themes.


The layers and interplay of thread in the embroideries add even more detail to Narrett's incredibly complex compositions. The embroideries are hung inches away from the wall creating natural shadows and the pieces are each given an organic, formed frame with threads that cascade and dance drawing the viewer in.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/02/stitchy-snippets-embroidered-minatures.html

Bring the needle up through the back of the fabric just to the left of the pin and wrap around the pin top again.


Now you will begin weaving.

First row weave from the right to left: under / over / under.


Next row weave from left to right doing the opposite: over / under / over.



Continue this process until you reach the bottom.


All done weaving.


Pull out the pin and you are finished!

Here are a few pics of what it looks with pin removed and the woven picot lifted away from the fabric to give you an idea of the dimension.


Pretty cool, huh?

I am using a #5 perle cotton thread. I hardly ever stitch with perle cotton but I read that the woven picot looks best when stitched with a thread that has a good twist to it (like a perle cotton).


I continued to stitch more woven picots around my blue circle to create my flower petals.





Then, I added french knots for the flower center with yellow DMC floss (all six strands).

Here are some more photos just to show the dimension of the stitch.






Have you ever tried the woven picot? Post your photos in the Flickr Embroidery Group!


P.S. I learned the woven picot from watching Mary Corbet's video tutorial. Check it out!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/02/mooshiestitch-monday-woven-picot-stitch.html

Hello Stitchers! It's Friday - hooray! I'm excited because in two days I'll be headed to sunny Florida with my son to visit my parents. It will be nice to leave the colder temps in Chicagoland for the sunshine of Orlando!

Today I'm introducing you to Anna of the Instagram account @naive_needle. Anna creates pretty hand embroidery, and what strikes me most about her pieces is that she often uses satin stitch or needle painting to fill spaces in her work. The results are beautifully composed embroidery pieces that are colorful and pretty. Her "flower flamingo" is particularly clever. I came across Anna's work because she tagged some of her pictures with #feelingstitchyig.Take a look!

@naive_needle

Image by @naive_needle

Image by @naive_needle

Image by @naive_needle

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/02/friday-instagram-finds-no-38-with.html

Welcome back, Stitchers! I hope you've had a pleasant week, and have fun plans and activities for the weekend. Today let's take a look at Jen of the Instagram account @sewjenaissance. Jen creates colorfully geometric works, and embellishes printed fabrics with hand embroidery. I love her series of gnomes. In one of the pictures below, you can see the before and after, and how much texture the hand embroidery brings to the fabric. I'm sure you think like I do; embroidery makes everything look better! Jen's geometric pieces are super cool, and remind me of Spirograph designs. Take a look!

@sewjenaissance

Image by @sewjenaissance

Image by @sewjenaissance

Image by @sewjenaissance

Image by @sewjenaissance

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/01/friday-instagram-finds-no-37-with-sew.html

In keeping with it's regal name, the British Royal School of Needlework is centred at Hampton Court Palace which stands grandly alongside the river Thames. The school teaches the traditional practice of embroidery which has been passed down through the centuries. The training focuses on precise and exact techniques and can be rigorous at times for the amateur such as myself. Not dissimilar to a Kung Fu student who is put through their paces, although using far less muscle.


Attending a class at the school is truly enjoyable, especially in such an awesome setting. As I sat tucked away in the light airy galleries of the palace, overlooking the manicured gardens I wondered if there could be a more apt location to do drawn thread work. This type of embroidery is often grouped with Whitework as it is usually practiced on white linen, embellished in white and often combines several types of embroidery. A key feature of this style is to cut warp or weft threads away from the base fabric and embellish the remaining threads which creates a lace effect.


The preparation requires a lot of patience as threads should be counted accurately in order to follow the pattern (which posed a challenge first thing on a Saturday morning). Traditionally, the stripped threads are woven back into the fabric to leave a seamless edge. Once the preparation is underway the stitching is relatively straightforward although I found that the stitches that at first appeared simpler were the most difficult to execute well.


The action of deconstructing and reconstructing the fabric is very fulfilling and the delicate outcome that is produced has a unique finish and effect compared to other types of needlework.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/01/stitchy-snippets-counting-threads.html

Hello Stitchers! It's Friday again, and I'm going to jump right in to this week's featured needle artist Dani of @begoodnatured. I have to admit, I'm a bit in awe of Dani's talent. I'm amazed by artistry with felted wool. Her account is one of my favorites on Instagram. I just love the pet pieces she creates. We had to say goodbye to our dear Pitbull/Labrador Retriever mix Mina on 12/19/2015, and I've been looking through my photos to find just the right one to commission Dani to create a beautiful memento. Take a look at her beautiful artistry!

@begoodnatured

Image by @begoodnatured

Image by @begoodnatured

Image by @begoodnatured

Image by @begoodnatured

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/01/friday-instagram-finds-no-36-with-be.html

Happy New Year!

Since some of you readers may be experiencing snow - here is a little "winter" themed project.

I have become slightly obsessed with the woven trellis stitch. I wanted to use it to stitch something other than a flower so I decided to try stitching little pine trees.

I practiced a few trees by drawing some triangles and followed the same steps as the woven trellis stitch.





Once complete - turn the triangle around and it looks like a little pine tree ... right?





To make a little wintery tree scene, I roughly drew some trees on linen inside a little oval hoop - something different since I always use round hoops.




For the snow covered ground, I cut a piece of white felt and whip stitched it to the fabric.





Then added the tree trunks with straight stitches.




Now time to weave the trees!







I added some french knots and little eye stitches for snow flakes.




If I would have finished stitching this before the holidays, my plan was to decorate the trees by stitching little ornaments on them, or adding a star on top each tree. Maybe next year.....


P.S. To finish the back of the hoop - I followed this excellent tutorial.


See you next time!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/01/mooshiestitch-monday-winter-woven-trees.html

Hello Stitchers! I hope you've had a fabulous week and your January has been awesome so far! Today I am sharing the Instagram account @pixiecrafthandmade with you all. Katy is a hand embroiderer in the United Kingdom, and she creates bright and happy pieces. I love the embroidered quotes she creates because they have such inspiring messages. And her mini hoop necklaces are absolutely adorable! I came across Katy's work because she tagged some of her pictures with #feelingstitchyig. Take a look!

@pixiecrafthandmade

Image by @pixiecrafthandmade

Image by @pixiecrafthandmade

Image by @pixiecrafthandmade

Image by @pixiecrafthandmade That's it for this week's edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Join in the conversation by commenting below. While you're on Instagram checking out Katy's work at @pixiecrafthandmade make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We'd love for you to stop by and say hello. You can find Feeling Stitchy on Instagram at the handle @feelingstitchyish. You can find Amy @randomactsofamy on Instagram. Want to be featured in Friday Instagram Find? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/01/friday-instagram-finds-no-35-with-pixie.html

Recently I visited the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester to absorb the beauty of the textile art exhibition on display. One of my favourite pieces was the work of Do Ho Suh, a Korean artist working from London and New York. Suh's brightly coloured thread drawings were molded and stitched onto lush paper creating many textural elements. Originally stemming from 'doodles' Suh produced this body of work whilst working on his residency at Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).


Do Hu Suh talks about his inspiration for the work. 'It also suggests the life before me, which is the heritage, the history, the culture and the knowledge that has been passed on to me from generation to generation which you cannot visualize ... This is the human relationship I try to visualize with the lines.'


These drawings began as research for sculptures that Suh produced some ten years earlier and through his thread drawings Suh develops those concepts further. 'I was thinking about how we are all interconnected and also the idea of reincarnation and karma. I was thinking about people I would meet or I have met throughout my life ... when you think about it, they are entangled threads. A web of relationships' explains Do Ho Suh. In the work below - Paratrooper-I - Suh has hand-stitched 3000 names and signatures onto linen and draped the drawn strands over the stainless steel paratrooper figure.



Do Ho Suh is well know for his intricate architectural sculptures which are made from transparent fabric. They capture the story of his nomadic adulthood; moving to various continents and cities.


His work reflects his personal journey, the spaces he has occupied and the memories that reside there. Talking about his studio Doh Ho Suh says 'There are so many artists that come and go, and everyday many times a day they touch these things – to flip a switch, to turn the lights on. There are probably many layers of history on the surface of these objects. I want to bring these invisible connections or memories that these daily objects possess.'

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/01/stitchy-snippets-drawing-threads.html

Recently I visited the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester to absorb the beauty of the textile art exhibition on display. One of my favourite pieces was the work of Do Ho Suh, a Korean artist working from London and New York. Suh's brightly coloured thread drawings were molded and stitched onto lush paper creating many textural elements. Originally stemming from 'doodles' Suh produced this body of work whilst working on his residency at Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).


Do Hu Suh talks about his inspiration for the work. 'It also suggests the life before me, which is the heritage, the history, the culture and the knowledge that has been passed on to me from generation to generation which you cannot visualize ... This is the human relationship I try to visualize with the lines.'


These drawings began as research for sculptures that Suh produced some ten years earlier and through his thread drawings Suh develops those concepts further. 'I was thinking about how we are all interconnected and also the idea of reincarnation and karma. I was thinking about people I would meet or I have met throughout my life ... when you think about it, they are entangled threads. A web of relationships' explains Do Ho Suh. In the work below - Paratrooper-I - Suh has hand-stitched 3000 names and signatures onto linen and draped the drawn strands over the stainless steel paratrooper figure.



Do Ho Suh is well know for his intricate architectural sculptures which are made from transparent fabric. They capture the story of his nomadic adulthood; moving to various continents and cities.


His work reflects his personal journey, the spaces he has occupied and the memories that reside there. Talking about his studio Doh Ho Suh says 'There are so many artists that come and go, and everyday many times a day they touch these things – to flip a switch, to turn the lights on. There are probably many layers of history on the surface of these objects. I want to bring these invisible connections or memories that these daily objects possess.'

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/01/stitchy-snippets-drawing-threads.html

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2016/01/friday-instagram-finds-no-34-with.html

It seems to be a new Christmas tradition with me to need to pull together a creative way to give a gift card/cash at the last minute. I find myself in the same position this year and thought I'd share it with Feeling Stitchy readers, too!

These mittens can be left plain or embroidered/embellished in any number of ways: initials, random designs/embroidery stitches, Christmas motifs, etc. A holly motif is included with the mitten template.

MATERIALS

Most likely you'll have the materials that you need on hand. Here's what you need to gather:

• 1 sheet of felt
• freezer paper
• embroidery thread
• 4" length of ribbon
• Mitten template
• chalk or other fabric marking tool
• scissors
• ruler

TUTORIAL

Embroider the motif or design. Then, cut out the mitten front around the outer edge.


Fold the ribbon in half and stitch in place at the inside middle top of the back mitten piece.


Align the top embroidered mitten piece over the back mitten piece. Hand or machine stitch the outside edges together, leaving the top (mitten cuff) edge open.


Insert your gift card or money and hang it on the Christmas tree!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/12/thimblenest-thursday-well-wednesday.html

It seems to be a new Christmas tradition with me to need to pull together a creative way to give a gift card/cash at the last minute. I find myself in the same position this year and thought I'd share it with Feeling Stitchy readers, too!

These mittens can be left plain or embroidered/embellished in any number of ways: initials, random designs/embroidery stitches, Christmas motifs, etc. A holly motif is included with the mitten template.

MATERIALS

Most likely you'll have the materials that you need on hand. Here's what you need to gather:

• 1 sheet of felt
• freezer paper
• embroidery thread
• 4" length of ribbon
• Mitten template
• chalk or other fabric marking tool
• scissors
• ruler

TUTORIAL

Embroider the motif or design. Then, cut out the mitten front around the outer edge.


Fold the ribbon in half and stitch in place at the inside middle top of the back mitten piece.


Align the top embroidered mitten piece over the back mitten piece. Hand or machine stitch the outside edges together, leaving the top (mitten cuff) edge open.


Insert your gift card or money and hang it on the Christmas tree!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/12/thimblenest-thursday-well-wednesday.html

It seems to be a new Christmas tradition with me to need to pull together a creative way to give a gift card/cash at the last minute. I find myself in the same position this year and thought I'd share it with Feeling Stitchy readers, too!

These mittens can be left plain or embroidered/embellished in any number of ways: initials, random designs/embroidery stitches, Christmas motifs, etc. A holly motif is included with the mitten template.

MATERIALS

Most likely you'll have the materials that you need on hand. Here's what you need to gather:

• 1 sheet of felt
• freezer paper
• embroidery thread
• 4" length of ribbon
• Mitten template
• chalk or other fabric marking tool
• scissors
• ruler

TUTORIAL

Embroider the motif or design. Then, cut out the mitten front around the outer edge.


Fold the ribbon in half and stitch in place at the inside middle top of the back mitten piece.


Align the top embroidered mitten piece over the back mitten piece. Hand or machine stitch the outside edges together, leaving the top (mitten cuff) edge open.


Insert your gift card or money and hang it on the Christmas tree!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/12/thimblenest-thursday-well-wednesday.html

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/12/friday-instagram-finds-on-brief-hiatus.html

This winter an unusual Christmas tree was on display at the Crafts for Christmas Show in Birmingham, England. The tree measures in at 25 feet tall and is entirely knitted, making it the biggest woolly tree in the world. Along side the breathtaking tree stood a winter wonderland with a fairy tale gingerbread house, snowman and Santa.


Alison Murray started making the tree some years ago, enlisting support from some 1000 knitters to complete the project. The idea behind the project was 'to encourage people to take up the craft of knitting and show that knitting can be fun' says Alison. Knitters from four to one hundred years old took part, sending their knitted squares from different corners of the world. The tree weighs a colossal 0.87 tons and has recently returned from an exhibition in Bangkok.


'The Christmas tree has 5,633 rectangles sewn on to it and I am proud to say it has already raised lb17,000 for Great Ormond St Hospital, London.' - Alison Murray

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/12/stitchy-snippets-woolly-christmas-tree.html

This winter an unusual Christmas tree was on display at the Crafts for Christmas Show in Birmingham, England. The tree measures in at 25 feet tall and is entirely knitted, making it the biggest woolly tree in the world. Along side the breathtaking tree stood a winter wonderland with a fairy tale gingerbread house, snowman and Santa.


Alison Murray started making the tree some years ago, enlisting support from some 1000 knitters to complete the project. The idea behind the project was 'to encourage people to take up the craft of knitting and show that knitting can be fun' says Alison. Knitters from four to one hundred years old took part, sending their knitted squares from different corners of the world. The tree weighs a colossal 0.87 tons and has recently returned from an exhibition in Bangkok.


'The Christmas tree has 5,633 rectangles sewn on to it and I am proud to say it has already raised lb17,000 for Great Ormond St Hospital, London.' - Alison Murray

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/12/stitchy-snippets-woolly-christmas-tree.html

Hello! I hope you've had a great week, and have a fantastic weekend coming up! Here in Chicagoland, the weather is unseasonably warm (it's supposed to hit over 60o F this weekend!), and doesn't feel much like December.

Today I bring to you Danielle of Merriweather Council! Danielle is an embroidery powerhouse who has turned her passion of creating handmade items into helping other people be successful handmade entrepreneurs. She has an Etsy e-course that has been an invaluable tool to people around the world (including me), and an eBook packed with her wisdom. For the holiday season she busted out her needle and floss and stitched up what she's most famous for: initial necklaces and embroidering clever words and images onto fun fabric. As if that wasn't enough, Danielle is also one half of the podcast She Percolates, which offers up a fresh perspective on success that's targeted towards women.

Danielle posts the best pictures and images that are bright, fun, and cleverly styled. Take a look!

@merriweatherc

Image by @merriweatherc

Image by @merriweatherc

Image by @merriweatherc

Image by @merriweatherc

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/12/friday-instagram-finds-no-33-with.html