Notebook Heaven

I adore notebooks.
And I've been making my own for about 18 months now. I'm getting much better.

Here are two I made this week. I positioned them like this so you can see that they are actually notebooks, not wall hangings.

The larger one is an appliqued exotic flower that I designer myself. My mum gave me a lesson on how to use Vliesiflex and machine applique to speed up the process. I usually use needle turn, but it's so slow. The flower was stitched onto one of my hand dyed pieces of cotton. I love how the colours worked together.

 The second, smaller one uses a painted background, free motion embroidery and suffok puffs. I have no idea why I had a sudden desire to use suffolk puffs. But they were fun to do and I'll probably do more.

I have no idea what I'll do with these notebooks. My original intention was to make quite a few and sell them at the Springwood Art show. But with going back to work I won't have the time ... and I find I am probably far too experimental when it comes to craft market production. This slows me down, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't stand completing repetitious craft work.

I thought maybe I'd see if Handmade Magazine would like them. It would be easy enough to write up instructions. But again, now that I've had to give up on the idea of desinging full time I kind of feel like MEH! What's the point.

Then of course I could put them on ETSY where they would sit forever and probably not sell. LOL

Thanks for reading

Jennidee

Lovely Post

The parcel man drove up to my door this morning with a lovely surprise. Two of my cross stitches have returned to me framed (I sent them unframed). The frames are gold gilt, and just lovely. It was very nice of the magazine to let me have the frames.
Here's how Shhh looks in the Magazine;

It has been published in Embroidery and Cross Stitch Vol 10 No.10 which is out now. I like how it turned out.

I can't show you the other framed piece until it's published, but I'm pretty sure that won't be long.

Over my wobbly

OK
I've had my wobbler about going back to work. Now it's time to move on.

Once I have found a job I'll still be stitching and beading - just in my own time.

I have circus pony to finish and then I hope to do one more cross stitch before applications close on June 1st. If I get none of the jobs I've applied for I'll just keep stitching and applying until something does come up.

My appologies if I put anyone off. I'm an emotional person ... what can I say?

That's It, Back to work

well I tried ....

I haven't earned enough money and things kept breaking around the house (my house is working against me). So I have to find another job.

I've applied at four different places so far. None of them are very exciting, but they all have one advantage. A regular pay cheque.

I've totally lost enthusiasm for anything, so if you don't hear from me in a while, you know why.
I'm so sorry to be a downer to the 31 lovely people who follow this blog.

I hope to continue producing cross stitch, bead and patchwork projects in my spare time. But it's now just a hobby.

Oh well, at least I'll get to do some of that Joan Eliott stitching I've always wanted to do.

Thanks
Jenni

Textile Art

 I'm so sorry I have been absent lately. I was spending some quality time with my sewing machine making art quilts. Originally this was because I was going to take a place in an art gallery in Melbourne. Unfortunately lots of things have been breaking lately and now I don't hav ethe start up cost. But my husband convinced me to put the quilts up at ETSY until we can get back on track money wise. The quilt above is called Pearl of the Ocean. The face in the circle was painted with textile paints and then I sketched the details with my sewing machine.

The quilt below is called Flowers of Inspiration 2.
I have a painting I did years ago that I like so much, I reproduced it in this quilt (on a smaller scale). And I'm really happy with how it turned out.
The center panel was painted with textile paints, then embellished with thread sketching. The panels that border the flowers are my own hand dyed cotton fabric.

 The quilt below I nearly called Troublesome Mr Peacock. But in the end he's just 'Peacock'. My machine was playing up really badly on this one and the thread kept breaking. But after lots of unpicking he turned out beautifully. There is quilting in nice scroll pattern too.
They are all available at ETSY
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TapestryMoon
and more will be available soon, so keep checking back!

Hooray

I had my first sale at ETSY last night while I slept.
I was beginning to wonder if there was any point having an ETSY store. Perhaps there is after all.
If you would like to have a look, it's here;
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TapestryMoon