Making embroidery Modern!

This is one of my mantras - I confess.  I know I have said it before, but I am always on a mission to 'Make Embroidery Modern'.  It is such a beautiful and creative medium to express yourself and what's more, its useful too.  This week an impromptu project came along that whipped itself up into a day of non-stop stitching.   The result .... well, I was pretty excited about it.

A few days before hand, I had been to visit Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighly.  This is a charming small museum set in a house that was once owned by the family Butterfield.  In the 19th Century, vast fortunes were made in the north of England with the Industrial Revolution making it the heart of textile production in the World.  The Butterfields were an example of a family that were at the centre of this.  As with all great family fortunes... the first generation is the exceptional one, taking the risk and developing the business.  The second generation exploit and enjoy it and the third generation usually squander it and the fortune having been spread around so many descendants is thin on the ground and finally fizzles out.  So it was here, but in the gilded age, Cliffe Castle was a magnificent residence that supported an opulent and dazzling lifestyle. 

Henry Issac Butterfield was second generation son, who made Cliffe Castle a magnificent place.  Splitting his year between America (there were Roosevelt connections in the family through marriage) and Paris and Yorkshire, he bought expensive furniture and furnishings on his travels and shipped them home to create a mansion in true high victorian style.  

Overloaded with gilt and heavily carved and embossed items, the rooms are chokingly opulent.  Magnificent chandeliers and fireplaces are the centre pieces of rooms in which every surface is covered with pattern.

There is a small but lovely collection of costumes on display and as I always find, I am drawn to those beautiful embroideries on silk that embellished the bodices and waistcoats of the late 18th and early 19th century.

Things were so much prettier in those days (if you were rich of course) and I love how the women were so feminine.  I looked at my jeans in despair!!!  That evening, I came home and browsed through my small collection of historical costume books, which frankly make much better reading than the fashion magazines of today.  Then something else happened. 

 We booked a last minute trip to Venice for a few days to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  Like all of us girls are prone to do....I flew into a panic...at not having anything nice to wear.  It is quite a while since we took a trip like this to a warm and sunny and exotic place and my wardrobe was sadly rather more geared up to windy and chilly Yorkshire days.  I dashed into our local town where we have a delightfully old fashioned department store called Harveys.  They have a fabulous selection of lovely and unusual clothes that aren't geared up for 20 year old stick insects and you even get wonderful customer service.  I picked up a few items and amongst them was this white linen tunic made by Phase Eight - which is actually easily available everywhere and not expensive.   I love White fabrics and although I sometimes get a bit cross with all the creasing that goes on with linen, I found the style of this top so appealing and comfortable that I bought it and knew the second I put it on, what it needed.   EMBROIDERY!

I began a little cautiously.  A few lazy daisy flowers in 12 weight cotton thread.  A couple of leaves followed and dispelled all inhibitions - I sewed and sewed all afternoon and into the dusk.  All the stitches used are basic embroidery stitches, most of them self taught from a book or Youtube.

 Colonial knots (much better than french knots bye the way), Button hole stitch, Split Stitch and a simple Back Stitch were the basis for the design.   Drawing a rough outline with a fabric maker pencil helps to position your flowers, but otherwise just let your imagination run away with you. The great thing about doing something like this is that you can be as whimsical or as real as you like.  I mean 'a turquoise dandelion' - how lovely is that to wear around your neck?

I chose fresh and cheerful colours and I think the result is a sort of modern version of the all those 18th century costumes I love so much.  In fact, we are the lucky ones really... we don't have to wear all those 'take your breath away' corsets and strangling collars and frills and flounces.  We can simply take the best of it and translate it onto our own more modern, washable, breathable items of clothing.  

This little project has brought me so much joy and I can't wait to wear it, hopefully languishing on a gondola!!!!!

Next time, Alice in Wonderland....I promise. Love Ruby x

Steamer Trunks, Edgar and a Flag!

Hi everyone,

Lots to share with you today on the blog and I know I haven't written in a while, but I have been trying to finish off my final submissions for my 'on-line' embroidery and textiles course and it has been the most enormous amount of work.  I hope to be sharing more about this whole experience soon, but for now I am just sitting with my fingers crossed!!!!  Well sort of.... I have been sewing a little too.

First up - the Steamer Trunks Quilt is finished and its my favourite-est ever quilt!  It is just so pretty and cheerful and fills the room with dreams of travelling to far away lands in bygone times.   It was super fun to make all the labels and extra appliqués that make it special.

When it came to backing the quilt, I had a problem, because the fabric that I had originally bought, somehow didn't really sit well with the finished quilt.  I hunted through my stash and found the same fabric in a lighter colour way which worked perfectly, but I didn't have enough of it for the whole backing.  What to do.... solution.... a bit more patchwork.  I added two side panels of a gorgeous Kaffe Fassett spotted fabric on either side and it worked perfectly.  

I thought about the quilting alot, but am not entirely sure I made the right choice.  My daughter suggested a paisley design and this was the right choice, but I am not sure that I shouldn't have done something different on the trunks themselves.  I think that the problem was I thought the design of the quilt was so beautiful on its own, that I didn't want the quilting to distract from the picture.  On reflection, it may have enhanced it.  My other quandary was what colour thread to choose as I had the light newspaper prints and then the heavy bold colours of the trunks.  I used a fine 50 weight Aurafil ivory coloured thread, but it was not a brilliant solution against the trunks.   Perhaps a grey shade would have been better.  

On the whole though, it all comes out in the mix OK and the quilt is just lovely.   Our sitting room is starting to take shape now and the new addition will be perfect on our new sofas, if they EVER arrive!  

Now to introduce you to Edgar Owl.

In between everything else, I couldn't resist having a go at making up this Heather Bailey pattern that just charmed the socks off me.  You can find the pattern on her lovely website, along with delicious fabrics and heaps of inspiration.   It was so fun to do and a quick little project.   I have never really made stuffed animals before and he probably could have done with a little more stuffing in his tummy, but I think he might need a little girlie companion to keep him in line, so perhaps she will be a little rounder, shall we say (figures.. huh?!?!?!).  'Edgar' though,  is just the handsomest dude and sits beside my sewing machine now, inspecting everything I do.   He is supposed to be a pin cushion.... but honestly, I can't bring myself to stick a pin in him - he is much to serious for such a frivolous occupation.  Chief consultant on stitching decisions, seems way more appropriate although, in truth, he has as much to say about it as the rest of the boys in the house...LOL!

Finally, there has been some nice programmes on the TV recently to mark the anniversary of the Victory day celebrations after the second world war and an especially charming one about the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, sneaking out of the Palace to join in with the crowds in the Streets of London. This prompted me to think about making a Union Jack quilt for the garden and I made a start on this new project.  The pattern I have is called Jumping Jacks from Joanna Figuero of Fig Tree Quilts.   I love her vintage style and it seems perfect for a project that has its roots in the 1940's.  The creams and tiny prints of her fabrics make you think of WI cake stalls, bunting and Land Girls. 

The first block is done and I am thrilled with it.  It is not the easiest block to make though because of the angles of the stripes and this takes a bit of getting to grips with.  I have it sussed now though, so the next blocks should be much quicker.   I'll be writing some tips about this as I go along in the next few weeks, so if you are interested check back, because making those points work is not as easy as it might look.

I hope the Bank Holiday weekend brings you all lots of sunshine and time for pondering all the wonderful sewing projects that are out there.   A little Alice in Wonderland coming up next time.  Meanwhile, Happy Stitching.... Love Ruby x

Taking a Right Turn!

Well, it's nearly the weekend and I just wanted to pop up this little post in time for bank holiday.  I wish it was a little warmer and sunnier, but still, it is May and summer must be on its way.   Talking of summer, this week, I have been working on a little project that has been on my 'to do' list for over a year and as we are thinking of arranging a short holiday in June, it was finally time to get on with it.   It's a summer bag and I love it so much that I feel as if I am on my way on hols already. 

The bag is called 'The Right Turn Bag' by Anna Maria Horner for Janome and you can find the free pattern and instructions here:  

Anna Maria demonstrates every step of the way in the video tutorial, so I am not going to say much more except TA DA.......!

If you want a fun weekend project and have lots of scraps to spare, then have a go and you can experiment with some of the decorative stitching (which you never really know what to do with....LOL) on your sewing machine.   The bag is light and roomy and  perfect for holidays and easily fits in your suitcase too.

Otherwise I am just about to embark on quilting my steamer trunk quilt.  It is layered up and ready to go....

So I wish you all a Happy May day weekend from Yorkshire.  Love Ruby x

'Dwell'

Hope you all enjoyed the glorious, and somewhat unexpected, sunshine over the Easter holidays.  For us, the  long weekend was full of family and food and the garden.  I finally got started on a vegetable patch, which a totally new concept to me and quite exciting too.  The ground work is all done - the space was there and even a few fruit plants were there too, but it was overgrown and neglected after two summers of changing hands.  I have absolutely no idea what I am doing really, but the idea of being able to stroll over to the patch and pick something fresh for supper seems simply divine.   I have a book, I have some packets of seeds, so we shall see if I actually manage to grow anything at all.  I'll post some photos soon.

I haven't had nearly as much time for sewing as I would like, but one project is finished and just in the nick of time too.  For ages I have been wanting to make a baby quilt....or rather this specific baby quilt.....it was just that we are at that age where there are not many baby's around, if you know what I mean.  Anyhow, the chance came along, and I decided to have a go.   This pattern, called 'Dwell' is from my favourite book 'Simply Retro' by Camille Roskelley.  I have made quite a lot of the quilts in this book now, and I do love the fresh modern approach of her design.  I used her fabrics too and jumbled up the colours and it was a quick quilt to assemble.   It would be an ideal project for a beginner as it is not too big either.

It was really fun mixing and matching the fabrics to construct the little houses.

The quilting was fun too, allowing for a touch of whimsicality!  I think it is just charming and it will be on its way to a little girl who was born on Thursday.  I hope it is loved and snuggled in and played on and brings cheerfulness every day.   For my part, there is something magical in creating a gift for a whole new life.... a new little person and a whole new beginning.

Next time: The Steamer Trunk Quilt Part 2 - it's turning out to be really cool project, so hope you'll pop back and check it out.  Bye for now... Ruby x