Machine Embroidery

Sample 1
Cut yarns under chiffon, and fancy machine stitches

 Learning Machine Embroidery at CEGG Class

Canadian Embroiderers' Guild Guelph

Teacher: Judy Eckhardt

The last 12 weeks I have been exploring the wonderful world of machine embroidery. Every other week we tried new techniques using our machines. The best advice I have for any one trying machine embroidery is to know how your machine works. It is also helpful to feel comfortable with free motion embroidery.

Sample two:  cut yarns and organza under tulle, free motion embroidery

For this sample I used some hand embroidered spirals using a back stitch and chain stitch. This piece will make a smashing book cover.

Sample Three:   cut fabrics under tulle, free motion zigzag

I cut away a piece for an ATC and I tried making a tree using just zigzag.

Samples for Lesson 4: Machine Lace,  stitching on wash- a -way badgemaster layered with organza

This technique is addictive.

Samples using just badgemaster only on the leaf and with a square of silk layered on

More leaf samples using organza and badgemaster. Variegated threads are very effective.

Another sample using the wash-a-way badgemaster and two layers of tulle

Last sample making machine embroidered trees in a hoop with badgemaster and tulle

A work in progress!

The ATC made for an exchange using machine embroidery techniques I learned.

Leah was the recipient of my card.

Finally, ta da!

I was inspired by a piece of fibre art in an old Stitch magazine. ( from the U.K.)

The background is chopped silk, cotton and organza pieces machine embroidered using  badgemaster.

The flowers are fused using silk fabrics. It was then machine stitched with hand embroidered accents.

I am eager to make several of these flower inspired pieces.

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the possibilities of machine embroidery and lace. 

A Two Month Break

The last of summer at Lakeside Park in Oakville. I discovered this little gem of a park, while delivering a piece of art to the Oakville Museum for the Festival of the World of Threads. I took my little buddy along and we had a delightful time at the park. I love the Lakeshore in Oakville!

Lake Ontario shore line.

View from the park

A Grand Tree in the Park!!!! Yes, those are artists and their easels.

Oatie enjoying the surroundings.

Nesting is a new theme challenge for the new year of the Oakville Stitchery Guild. My little ATC is going to be in a book cover pocket, for my completed Sketchbook, another OSG challenge. This ATC is hand felted.

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Among the many shows I have been participating in, this was one of them, The St. Clair Artwalk in Toronto at Penny Milton's gorgeous home and studio.

My art work hanging on the wall at Penny's.

My one stitch challenge for the OSG, president's Challenge. I used a piece of painted and stamped fabric, a straight stitch and some silk applique for the poppies. I is embroidered only with straight stitch and beaded. It is also the correct size for the Ontario Network of Needle workers Challenge for next May! I am ahead of the game!!!! More to come very soon on the other shows, I have had and I am getting ready for! My apologies to my followers that thought sometime had happened to me. I love you for asking why I wasn't blogging. And congratulations to my young mixed media artist friend, Sandra Spagnuolo who has just started her blog. I should have a link very soon,

Keep stitching, Donna

Before and After

The last two weeks have been busy as usual. Here is a photo of Oatis before the BIG Operation!




Here he is after, no worse for wear and all duded out in a red kerchief! Today's check up went well . He is all set to go.




This is my first paper stitchery mounted on a painted canvas. I just need to stitch it in place. I used the same method, using paper,crayon, paint, stitch witchery, fusible pellon. I machine stitched then hand stitched with added beads. I am very pleased with the results.




This is my first piece with all the embellishments completed. I just need to paint a wrapped canvas for it.

Button Cloth Doodle for a Cloth Paper Studio swap.

Go Green Cloth Doodle

More paper pieces ready for stitch.

I started embroidering my flower pounding piece I made last year with Kim Maticiw.

A felted piece waiting for some hand stitching.

I discovered this really old machine embroidery book at our guild. It was published in 1961! The year my baby sister was born. The drawings are amazing! I am practising in my sketchbook using Enid's drawings for inspiration. I hope to add some of these to my crayoned papers as design or in stitch.

Finally, I found an Ikea frame for the felted art I bought from Aileen Clarke. It is hanging up in the living room.

I also displayed my ATC's from My Embellish and Enrich Group on a memory Board my sister gave me.

My first spot is complete with all books in the bookcase next to an easy chair. I still want to buy an occasional table and a free standing lamp.

Well, I am off to a retreat to my cottage with my friends, The Material Girls, for stitching and relaxation with a bit of food and wine! Hope you are having a warm and inspiring July!

Dale's Challenge

Two of my ATCs

Atc trade from Embellish,stitch and enrich class

I have been working on my art piece for the challenge for The Thread Studio, Dale Rollerson's website in Australia. The embellishing went fairly fast and I am now working on the hand embroidery with my motif that I have chosen for the theme 'Connections'. I have found my personal style I think with the embellisher. The motif just happened as I embroidered following an embellished piece of yarn. I used it on a ATC and a bookmark I made. The real challenge will be sending my art to Australia on time. If I am included in this show my art will travel several venues in Australia. I'm hoping to make a few embellished backgrounds to take on vacation to hand embroider, too bad I can't take everything with me to Madeira Beach in Florida. I am so looking forward to palm trees, tropical sunsets, warm breezes walks on the beach and fish for supper every night. Our landlord called and it is 80 degrees in Madiera beach. http://www.thethreadstudio.com/ Go to Challenge.

In other news, I am having my first solo show at the Greenwood Quiltery Gallery in Guelph in April, 2009. My title for the show is Fibre Art from the Heart. All my art comes from a place in my heart: family, friends, places, and pets. I love the Greenwood Quiltery store. Joanne (owner) and Christine (curator)have a lovely little gallery with a quilt store that caters to the fibre artist as well as the quilter. http://www.greenwoodquiltery.com/

Finally, my group http://www.fibreartstudios.com/ has been invited to the Abozzo Gallery in Oakville next fall for the World of Threads Festival. A major invitation! I am loving my embellished pieces more and more all the time and I am sure I will include some of them in future shows.

This entry has taken double the time, I accidentally erased it by checking back for an internet web address. I won't do that again. My biggest question for bloggers is: how do I move my photos around? They always appear at the top of the blog!!!

Until next Tuesday, then I'll be on holidays! Teaching for two weeks has taken its toll, I am dog tired every night. Luckily my husband is doing all the cooking and shopping and errands. He just won't clean washrooms!

Thanks to Diane from http://www.clothpaperstudio.com/ for my Pay It Forward package that arrived today.