Hello everyone
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that the new year brings everything you hope for and deserve. School holidays have come to an end and it is back to work – although I hesitate to call what I do “Work”. Work is not work if you love it! I had a lovely time over the Christmas period stitching and sewing and thinking up new ideas (between all the other normal things one does in ones life………….).
So what are my new years resolutions, besides the usual, eat less, do more exercise, and all those other things that we generally dont stick too I have some much more exciting resolutions to share with you – you can shout at me at the end of the year if I fail to fulfill any of them!
1. Progress. A New Year calls for progress and that means new ideas or expanding on a theme, as Eisenhower once said “Unless we progress, we regress”. So this year I will be i ntroducing a new range of kits and patterns – ideas on what to do with your finished embroidery. I have spent months fiddling with different ideas and polishing up my rusty sewing skills and think I have come up with a range of accessories that are practical, useful and pretty. Combining embroidery with a sewed item required much thought and research on different types of fabric, interfacings etc, it has opened a whole new world for me – but I will tell you more about the process in a later blog post. These items are still in the designer stage, but am currently putting together instructions and sourcing materials so hopefully will have the first ones ready to launch by next month.
2. Instruction. Knowledge and instruction are vital if we are to develop our embroidery skills and with this in mind I plan to introduce a series of mini lectures on needle painting throughout the year.
3. New Book. The book I was working on in 2013, Miniature Needle Painting Embroidery (working title) is safely in the hands of the publishers in Australia and work starts on the edits next week. It is due for release about June 2014 and I promise to tell you more about it soon.
The Etsy shop has re-opened for business as usual, meantime, wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and many happy stitching hours. Trish
Unless we progress, we regress.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER,
Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/p/progress_quotes.html#liLaldDYJYyGrObY.99
Oh… one other thing. Would love to learn to do scenery in thread painting. Have seen pics from others who have done it. Do you have any books or info on how to do scenery?
In Christ,
Gail J.
Hi Gail have considered this many times but have not found a landscape scene that I like or feel led to embroider. Will certainly give it some thought for future. Trish
Another thought Gail if you want to do scenery or gardens you may want to have a look at Di Van Niekirks work: http://www.dicraft.co.za/blog/
Hi Trish, I did try and contact Di via e-mail as I did not see any thread painting on her blog unless a little of it was combined with her lovely ribbon art. Thank you for the suggestion. Am also on “Stitchin Fingers” as well to get help.
Hi Trish, have not been on here for awhile but wanted you to know I am doing many of the projects in your beginner book right now so that my technique for thread painting, improves. I just finished the little violet and I added a tiny bug to it using Jane Nicholas’s book on stump work. (which I am also learning and practicing.) Now I want to design my own small butterfly for thread painting. I would show you some pics of my work if I knew how to send them to you. There doesn’t seem to be any place to post progress photos here. I really love your books and have two of them. Its really nice that thread painting and stump work sometimes use similar stitches and techniques.
Thank you for your time.
In Christ,
Gail J.
That’s wonderful Gail would love to see your work. You can email me at needlepainting@gmail.com. Trish
Hello Trish. Happy New Year! I love your idea of using our finished pieces of work to make things we can use. I’m working my way through your Needle Painting Fresh Ideas for Beginners. At the moment I’m doing the wild rose on a piece of dark cream silk. I think it’s going to make a lovely evening bag.
All the small pieces have been used for coasters.
The wild pansy I e-mail foundered three of the petals of the main flower as stump work and it made a lovely top to a satin covered box.
I can’t wait for your new book and all your ideas and kits for us to make.
All the best for 2014
PS from Jilly with regard to her comment. The sentence about the wild pansy should read “The wild pansy I embroidered three of the petals in stump work…..”
Sorry about the error.
Welcome back, Trish! Oh, how I love that sweet peas piece.=) If you’re still planning on doing the intermediate/advanced needle painting book (as mentioned on p9/10 of the beginners’ book), then DO PLEASE include this piece!=)
All the best for a productive year and work doesn’t have to be a chore. Pleasant tasks can be called work too. My current tasks include working a few pieces from your beginners’ book – I’ve just started the second one….=)