February is National Embroidery Month!

The last time I set a goal for National Embroidery Month, I fell very short.

"Since February is National Embroidery Month, I have decided that I must embroider every day for the next 28 days... Well, 27 since today is the 2nd. This is a sacrifice I will have to make for the sake of my craft! LOL"

Ha! Very short indeed. That was 2 years ago. I don't think I even did anything specific in 2014. Therefore, this year, 2015, I will celebrate this wonderful crafting month! But what to do? Just "embroider every day" seems very vague & not very goal oriented. I need to think of a specific goal that is achievable with my crazy 3-jobs-&-a-teenager schedule.

Getting back into #embroidery mode on this joyous #snowday! Watching Xmas specials with my bae. #MovieToStitchTo The Real Story of #Christmas. Fi totally digs #Krampus. #dragons

A photo posted by Tisha (@aprilsongstress) on Dec 10, 2014 at 8:26am PST

One thing I could do is work on finishing the dragon embroidery for the quilt I promised to my bestie on the birth of her baby girl Katie Beth! To do this, I need to pop over to the store & get a few more skeins of this particular green embroidery floss.

I also have to finish the TARDIS for the Doctor Who Stitch-A-Long from Fandom In Stitches. I have been planning to give the finished product to a friend's daughter, as she is a huge Doctor Who fan & her 15th birthday is in March.

TARDIS design by Angelica Rodriguez from hewtab.com

Well, it looks like I have 2 works in progress (WIPs) I want to complete by the end of February. Whether I wind up binge embroidering on my 4 days off, or pacing out over the 28 days, or a combination of both, we'll see if I can get both of these finished! I will post here, but you can also catch me on Twitter & Instagram- @aprilsongstress, & on Facebook.

Happy Stitching,

La Catrina for me!

So, I LOVE my La Catrina pattern so much, I decided to embroider it on something for myself. I bought this shirt at K-Mart & thought it would be a good candidate for my embroidered shirt. So much easier tracing this pattern out on white cotton, than the turquoise jeans from the charity project.

Pattern traced out on ready-made white shirt

This year I kind of got in to watching the FIFA World Cup. So that was my #MovieToStitchTo for most of this project.

Embroidering while watching the World Cup Quarter Finals

The wrong side of the embroidery

Oh, floss! I used black DMC #310, red DMC #321, & turquoise DMC #3846. I love how this came out. I want to wear it all the time. LOL

Me modeling the finished product

Happy stitching!

Doodle Stitch-along: Part 1

Hugs Are Fun is hosting a Doodle Stitch-along. I'm joining in because I haven't stitched much these last 2 weeks after I finished my last project.

I grabbed a bit of fabric from my stash & doodled a beginning design. Now to start embroidering. I've decided on 2 blue variegated flosses, DMC 121 & DMC 93. We'll see how it turns out!

Traced out a doodle on a fat quarter I've had for years

If you'd like to join me, the link to the Doodle Stitch-along is HERE!







Happy Stitching!

Redwork Portrait Won a Prize!

Now that I have finished my newest work of art & submitted it to an actual, real-live art show, I figured I let you know how my last competition went. I don't mean to boast or anything, but isn't blogging about sharing? & I am so proud that my embroidery is getting some recognition now that I have stopped being scared & started putting it out there. This blog & you, my readers (& fellow bloggers), have helped me with that! So, "Thank you!"

Mom & I heard back from the DAR this week. Mom's Sunbonnet Sue quilt took 2nd place in the Quilt category in NY State! My redwork portrait pillow took 3rd place in embroidery. This was the essay that went with my piece:

Portraiture has been around for as long as art has existed. Pre-historic human figures were featured in the cave paintings of Lascaux (France), and the rock art of the Anasazi (Southwestern USA).  Throughout recorded history, wealthy people paid artists to render their likeness in oils, marble, and bronze. With the advent of photography in the Nineteenth century, and the subsequent advances in technology through the Twentieth century, more and more people, no matter their circumstances, were able to have their “pictures taken.” Because of the accuracy of photography, artists began the experiment with abstraction, cubism, and surrealism in portraiture. Today, my twelve-year-old daughter is better at snapping a “selfie,” or self-portrait, with her iPod, than I ever was at trying to capture her essence with my own digital camera.

As an artist, my media of choice are thread and fabric. I am an embroiderer focusing on redwork. A few years ago, after seeing the embroidered portraits of embroidery artist, Jenny Hart, I began stitching my own. I started out with a self-portrait, and then moved on to embroidered portraits of my daughter, and nephews. This particular embroidered portrait, Portrait of a Young Woman in Redwork, which I am submitting for your consideration, is a combination, and a continuation of all that came before. Based on a “selfie” taken by my daughter, this portrait is rendered in redwork by me. It is a modern representation of a girl coming of age through a traditional, folk art form popular from 1880-1930. By combining all of these elements, I am Honoring Our Heritage: Art through the Ages.

Below is the embroidered portrait I made of my daughter Fiona from the  selfie she took last year. Rendered in redwork, DMC floss #321, & sewed into a pillow using one of the fabrics from an Alex Anderson redwork fat quarter pack.

Redwork portrait pillow

My 3rd place certificate! My embroidery won't be headed to National this year, but I'm pretty proud of 3rd place. Let's see what next year's theme will be...

3rd place certificate

 

Redwork Tree Skirt- Part 1

Most of the items I am currently working on are for gifts, so I can't share them yet. However, this particular custom redwork project was designed by my little sistar, so I can start posting the process.

Heather was (& is) the kind of kid that would go sneaking through the house looking for the Christmas presents that mom would wrap & hide throughout the house. One year she found the coveted Cabbage Patch dolls & had the nerve to hint that what she really wanted was a bald boy doll with a tooth. So mom had to brave the stores again to replace the blond, blue-eyed girl doll with the requisite bald boy.

She also loved to guess her gifts before opening. This was not a problem on her birthday, but at Christmas it was annoying. This was because we are very close in age & mom would buy us the same things but in different colors. So, I had to watch what she was doing so I could open the same gift at the same time (pink & purple hairdryers, Walkmans, dolls).

Anyway... Heather drew the redwork patterns out for me & I am just trying to get them done in time. Here goes...

Original drawing by Heather Dolton- Acorns

 Above is one of Heather's original drawings for her new tree skirt. She then had to scan the drawings & send them to me via email because she lives in Las Vegas & I'm back home in Upstate NY.

After adjusting the size of the drawings, I was able to create the patterns. Below I am tracing the pattern out on cotton muslin using a #2 pencil.

Using pencil to trace the pattern

First stitch

 I started stitching on the long trip to New Orleans to see my brother & his family over Thanksgiving. I got quite a bit done: 2 whole panels (out of 8). I could have done more but the highway in Alabama was so bumpy that I couldn't embroider without poking myself & bleeding all over the fabric.

Finished first panel

Second panel is started- bird

Heather chose DMC floss #321, which is a typical redwork color that I always have on hand.

Tools of the trade

Starting panel 3- pine cones

I've gotten a bit farther on panel 3. I should finish it today. Some of the other panels are not as complex, so they should go a little faster... I'll keep you posted on my progress.


Click for UPDATE.

Little Mix project- Jade, Leigh-Anne, Jesy

So I have completed the embroidery portion of the Little Mix project for my daughter. I think they came out just as good, if not better than the One Direction portraits. Now to make them into something. I was originally thinking 4 pillows, but now I am thinking 2 with 2 members on each, or 1 giant pillow. Hmmm...

Well, while I remain indecisive, check them out below!

Fiona chose for Jade Thirlwall to be embroidered in blue, because Jade is her fave, just like Louis is her fave in 1D (I embroidered Louis in blue too. Remember?) Blue is not her favorite color, she just wanted Jade & Louis to match.

Jade before embroidery

Jade after embroidery

Next up: Leigh-Anne Pinnock is embroidered in the same green as Niall of 1D. Leigh-Anne didn't take as long to embroider because of her straight ponytail in the image below.

Leigh-Anne before embroidery

Leigh-Anne after embroidery

The 3rd & oldest member of Little Mix: Jesy Nelson is embroidered in orange just like Harry. The pillow(s) will match the One Direction quilt, using the same fabrics & colors.

Jesy before embroidery

Gathering supplies. Let embroidery commence.

The underside of embroidery

Jesy after embroidery

The 4th member of Little Mix I blogged about a couple of weeks ago: Perrie Edwards. Let me know what you think of my embroidered portraits. Check out my flickr. "Like" me on Facebook. Follow me on twitter: @aprilsongstress

Now on to my next project!

Little Mix project- Perrie

My daughter's other favorite band is Little Mix. I am in the process of embroidering the 4 young women in the same manner as the 5 young men from One Direction.

I began embroidering Perrie Edwards at JFK Airport waiting for our flight to London last week. Between the 2 flights & 2 nights watching British TV, I was able to finish.

Perrie with dip-dyed hair and pic through Sketch Guru

Pattern of Perrie created

Traced on fabric

Perrie is being embroidered using DMC floss # 321 just like her boyfriend Zayn.

Redwork begun while waiting at the airport

I started out using a dental floss container to cut my floss. (What a pain.) I quickly switched when my clever mother suggested I try the nail clippers. So much easier to use! (Though I kept dropping it & mom suggested she tie it around my neck.) I just wish I could take scissors.

Finished redwork of Perrie

I haven't started on the other 3. I think I will work on Jade next.

One Direction quilt project- Harry

Finally... the last one. He happens to be the youngest member of One Direction, Harry Styles.

Harry singing into his mic

To add visual interest I chose this image of Harry. It is very different from the images of the other members. It feels more intimate.

Embroidery in process

After creating the pattern from the Sketch Guru image, & transferring  the image to the fabric, I began embroidering Harry using DMC floss #922. Below shows the finished block. The mic came out a bit wonky, but I love how his face & hair came out.

Finished block of Harry

Harry's name just above Liam's

Harry's lyrics in What Makes You Beautiful

Fiona chose this line because Harry flips his hair a lot & she thought it was ironic. (Love my kid!) I added the butterfly because Harry recently got a butterfly (more realistic, not this girly) tattoo on is abdomen.

With all of the embroidery complete, my mom started helping me on the construction of the quilt.

Cutting the All-Star sneaker fabric

To flank the larger top & bottom group blocks, Mom pieced strips of the various fabrics to create the blocks in all 4 corners.

Ironing the strip pieced blocks

Below is the quilt top laid out on my daughter's bed. Notice all the One Direction posters. (Mom did the colorful strip paint job on the walls last year.)

Pieced quilt top

We will use the rest of the fabric to go around the top, bottom, & sides making a full size quilt. Now we need to find some backing fabric, then take it over to our friends at KC Framing & Fabrics in Saratoga Springs, NY. Maybe we will find some great fabric on our trip to the UK this week. It is my daughter's first trip abroad & she is so excited!

I'll post about the One Direction Quilt Project again when it is finished!

One Direction quilt project- Zayn

If I were allowed to have a favorite member of British-Irish boy band One Direction, it would be Zayn Malik. He's very nice to look at, shy, & (as I stated before) has the best voice. You may ask why I am not allowed to have a fave? That would be my daughter, Fiona. In her opinion, I am too old to like One Direction! (But I do. There, I admit it.)

I digress... This post is about the embroidered pieces I created about Zayn. If you have been reading this blog you must be familiar with my process by now...

1.) Pick awesome image of your subject & save it. (check)

Zayn singing, showing off his swallowtail tattoo

 2.) Create pattern by tracing over a printed copy of said image, or use an app like SketchGuru. (check)

Pattern created and traced out on the fabric

 3.) Trace pattern onto the fabric you will be embroidering on. (check)

Embroidery in progress

4.) Begin embroidering with your floss of choice (in this case DMC #321). (check)

Finished embroidered block of Zayn Malik

 5.) Finish embroidering & iron. (check)

That's it. It is so simple!

Zayn and Niall's names written by me

 Again, I like to use my own handwriting when I letter. I like using cursive more because it feels more like a design, like art. Printing feels like work.

Lyrics Zayn sings in the song Moments

Fiona wanted me to embroider nearly all of the bridge that Zayn sings in "Moments", but that was too many words for Mommy's sanity. I shortened it.

Only one more "boy" left in the boy band. Stay tuned for... Harry!

One Direction quilt project- Niall

Niall is the only member of One Direction who is not British. He is from Mullingar, Ireland. Because of that, I decided to add an Irish flag & the Union Jack to one of the blocks. I also added the 1D logo and one of Zayn's tattoos. For more on this block, check out one of my previous posts.

Cartoon 1D with signatures for the quilt

Fiona chose Niall & his blocks to be embroidered in DMC floss #904. It definitely reminds me of Ireland, even though it has been 15 years since I was there.

I've shared this block before as a work in progress. See it here. Below is the finished block.

Niall playing the guitar in embroidery

I think it came out great based on the image I created the pattern from. I didn't quite capture his quiff, but I like it just the same.

Niall playing guitar in Live While We're Young video

Kiss You lyrics sung by Niall

I think these are the funniest lyrics in the entire song. Again, I added a guitar for Niall, because I was not embroidering a chin. (Or drool, for that matter.)

Niall's name is complete- starting on Zayn

& for those of you who like to see the underside of embroidery...

Showing off my stitches

Next up is the member I, personally, think has the best voice... Zayn!