Winter Woodland Play Pillow for Fat Quarterly

Fat Quarterly issue 15 is out today and of course it's all about Christmas!

And, for the first time, I have contributed a project - my Winter Woodland Play Pillow.

I have made a few woodland themed mini quilts, some for swaps and some for commissions, and they have all featured trees with pockets. I thought a cushion version would make a nice festive project.

So we've got a wintery tree (a sort of holly/Christmas hybrid!) with some charming woodland animals hiding in and behind it.

Meet Oggle and Rufus. These two feature in a few of my woodland embroideries and it was fun to bring them to life as 3D characters. And yes I know the scales all wrong but we are talking about a 14 inch cushion here!

As in my original woodland (or fairytale) quilts I have embellished the tree top with felt leaves, embroidery and button berries.

I'm a big fan of Fat Quarterly, it is such good value for money as you really do get so many fabulous projects in each issue.
If you are a subscriber then I do hope you enjoy this project, and please let me know if you have a go at making this (unless it doesn't work out very well, in which case keep it to yourself. Only kidding!).
And if you are not a subscriber then head over to the website and sign up!

New Embroidery Book and GIVEAWAY!!

Last week I was sent this beautiful new Embroidery book by the publisher's Jaqui Small.
Sophie Long (who worked on Kate Middleton's wedding dress!) has put together the most exquisite book on needlework that I have ever seen.
As well as instructions on every technique imaginable it also features a wealth of textile inspiration. Just about every page is sewing eye candy.

Here's a page on crewelwork.
But what's that you say? That little fellow holding a chicken? Yes he does look familiar...

 ... it's Boris the Bear! The first of my range of Woodland embroideries I designed last year. I had totally forgotten that I had been asked to submit some photos for a new book, as it was over a year ago.
But then I got an email from the publisher's last week and then the book arrived!

 I am really honoured to be a featured contributor in such a gorgeous book as this. And in such incredible company! Look at that amazing pumpkin above!

 Here's a page on quilting, including the wonderful Silly Boo Dilly's Victoria Gertenbach on the left.

And further on in the quilting section I crop up again! That photo at the top is the back of Felix's Colour Picker quilt.

I really could have opened the book at any page and showed you beautiful work. At £30 it's an investment, but if you are going to buy one book on embroidery and hand sewing then make it Mastering the Art of Embroidery by Sophie Long.

And now for the Giveaway!
Jacqui Small has very kindly given me another copy of the book to giveaway to one of my lucky readers!

And I have added to this with a copy of the Boris embroidery pattern, Essex linen and all the Anchor embroidery cottons required to complete the picture! So the winner will have absolutely no excuse not to get started on some embroidery straight away!

So would you like to win that fantastic package above? Just follow one or all of these steps:

1. Leave me a comment. I'd like to hear your thoughts on embroidery, do you like it? Have you made something wonderful? Do you own some old embroidery made by a relative? Do you hate it? Are you just getting round to it? Just chat to me on this subject, as briefly as you like.
2. Are you one of my dear followers? Let me know in a separate comment and you get another shot.
3. Post or tweet about this giveaway and get yourself one more shot at winning!

This giveaway is open to international entries and will close at midnight next Wednesday 1st May.
Good luck everyone!!

Cedric the Badger

Meet my new woodland friend, Cedric the Badger. Cedric's had a difficult birth but he's here now and ready to be stitched. Yes I have a pattern all ready for sale on our website!

This was the sneek-peak preview you got a few weeks back when I did a tutorial for the Raised Rose Stitch.
I made Cedric as a birthday present for my Mother-in-law, who lives at a house called Badger's Drift, and I was waiting for her to receive it and for my IT consultant (ahem) to sort out the PDF pattern before I showed him to you.

Badgers are really hard  to draw. I tried to do a badger as one of the mini woodland portraits I made for the FQ Retreat Sample Swap, but he just kept turning out either evil or very sad so I gave up and did an owl instead!
But, undettered, I had another go. I thought you might find my early sketches entertaining!

For a while he kept veering between a corgi and a pig! One of the things that makes them difficult is that they have black eyes in a black face and the other is that they are always very low to the ground, more like furry slugs really.
I kept at it and eventually got a badger who looked like a badger and, hopefully, won't scare any children!

If anybody buys this pattern don't worry if the face on the pattern looks a little weird. Because the face is made from mainly black and the pattern is white it has the quality of a photo negative (remember them?!). I hope that makes sense. Just go with it and he will get more badger-like the more black you use.

I have used split stitch for the badger stripe and nose, this is the first time I have used this stitch and it is an excellent filler. It is basically like a backstitch but you stick your needle through the middle of the previous stitch to 'split' it. It takes a while but I think the results are worth it.

I am enjoying using variegated perles at the moment. I like the way these look on the ivy and the tree trunk. And I've used a variegated orange mixed with yellow on my rose bush. I just love doing those roses now!

So, a new character to add to my woodland gang. If you would like to buy the pdf pattern click here .
I have to thank my sister, Jane, for coming up with his name. I think Cedric suits him perfectly, he seems to me a slightly cautious, polite and proper badger. He is slso clearly watching something or someone from behind that tree. I wonder what it is?

Embroidery Pattern launch with FREEBIE!

 You have been asking for these and I have been promising them, and at last I can announce...

... that my embroidery patterns are ready to buy!!

Thanks to my IT consultant (*cough* husband), who has been working hard on this all week, you can now buy a pdf of any of the designs on this page from our website.

The pdf features the pattern both right way and reversed, instructions for 2 different methods of transfer and stitch instructions with exact DMC colour codes so you can obtain the exact look shown here. Of course it would be lovely to see some of my designs in your own chosen colours!

I plan to do a tutorial on the blog very soon to accompany the Sampler Tree pattern above, showing some of the more unusual stitches like the raised rose and the wheel. Meanwhile anyone very keen to get on with this (and quick!) can email me for any extra help required and I will send you links to on-line stitch diagrams.
The other patterns only use very basic stitches such as back, running, satin and French knots, so should be easily tackled by anyone who can hold a needle and thread.

My little Woodland Portraits are available on their own or as a set and prices start at just £2.50!

And as I special thank you to all my blog readers for the support and encouragement you have always given me for my projects, I am giving away one of these mini woodland portraits absolutely FREE!
Yes, you can 'buy' Boris the Bear Woodland Portrait Pattern pdf with 100% discount on our website using this code mybearpaw. Just head on over here, and click to buy! But don't dawdle because this offer will only be available for a limited period only (at least a week, so don't panic too much!).

I chose Boris as he works so well with the name of the blog and so can be a bit of a mascot! I hope you like my 'try before you buy' offer but I hope that doesn't stop you from 'buying before you try' with some of the other patterns!

AND if you want more embroidery pattern action Blueberry Park are hosting a giveaway to help launch my patterns too! 5 winners can choose the pattern of their choice and 1 lucky winner will get a pack of 10 DMC perle cotton 8's! Head on over to Karen's blog for more details and to enter!

As some of you may have noticed, this blog is changing slightly. I have my dear, sweet, lovely IT consultant working on a re-build, so expect a few more changes before we've finished!

FQ London Sample Swap - Embroidered Portraits

I've finally finished my pieces for the FQ London Sample Swap. Basically you make 4 pieces of something and swap them in groups of 5 so that everyone comes away with 4 different things.

I was very keen to consolidate my recent woodland embroidery theme, so I thought some mini embroideries featuring my cast of characters would be a lovely gift (I hope the rest of my group agree!) and would be a bit different too.

And this gives me an excuse to introduce my newest Woodland friend, Hester the Hare. Hester looks like a very wise and handsome hare, with a calm, serene air about her.

Here's Oggle the Owl, he only had a supporting role in my last embroidery, so it's good to put him in the spotlight here. He has calmed down a bit too, all that standing very still while I stitched his portrait has made him have a thousand yard stare!


Boris was my first Woodland friend. There is something a bit Japanese about him (to me anyway!) so I always stitch cherry blossom (sort of) around him.

Rufus the fox is in contemplative mood, he is quite deep for a fox (or is he just crafty?).

I hadn't really meant to do this but it seems that each of the vignettes has a seasonal theme. So Rufus is Spring, Boris Summer, Oggle Autumn and Hester Winter. Thanks for pointing that out to me Sarah!

I have attached complimentary ribbon for hanging them on. The hoops are 4 inches across.

I stitched these predominantly with perle cotton 8. I really prefer using these to floss/silks, I find them easier as they are not stranded and they have a lovely sheen. I still need the odd bit of stranded floss for thinner lines like whiskers. Look out for packs of the perle cotton colours I like to use coming to our website soon!

I know I always say this when I talk about embroidery, but I absolutely LOVED making these! Right from the initial drawing to the final stitch, they are a total joy.

And now that I have got the craft department started up on our website, I will be turning my attention to producing patterns for my embroideries and selling them there. If you think you might be interested in these you can sign up for our newsletter and be the first to hear about them when they are released!

And there is still time to enter my Massive Giveaway!

I have had to change the closing date as I had forgotten about leaving for FQ London first thing Friday morning (duh!), so the giveaway now closes tomorrow night (Wednesday) at midnight. Just head over here to enter.

And back to FQ London. I had shown you the beautiful name tag Emily sent me here, but I hadn't got round to posting about the one I made for Trash. Yes, I know, I felt a bit bad stitching 'Trash' on this! But the lady herself insists this is what everyone calls her! Do you remember the pieces I made with left over scraps from my Solid Science quilt? Well I used another one up for this (1 left!). It was a secret swap but she has received it now. And in a couple of days time I will be seeing it again around Trash's neck!!

I will be the envy of FQ London...

...with my beautiful name tag!! How gorgeous is this little embroidered badge made for me by Emily of Strawberry Patch Blog?! I am participating in a name tag swap for the Fat Quaterly Sewing Retreat in London next month (so excited!!). I hadn't even started mine when this exquisite little thing popped through my mailbox (I still haven't, shh!). I totally agree with Emily that 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery', she saw my latest Woodland Embroidery and recreated part of it here, but in minature! Those stitches are so tiny and beautiful. I love the little bespectacled owl, and the ric rac. I am in awe of your lovely neat embroidery Emily!

 

Even the back is gorgeous! Thank you Emily, I am completely in love with it and have even been wearing it around my shop and will wear it at my workshops too. I just don't want to take it off, it makes me so happy!

I finally got the 2 embroideries that I received in the Hoop Up! Stitch & Send Swap into suitable hoops and photographed together with my original inspiration piece. They look so good together. I must add that they won't stay permanently on my barn door, but it was too dark inside to get a decent picture so I pinned them up here for a bit of (rare) evening sunshine.

This adorable little lion was made for me by Dolores. I just love everything about this design, The felt leaves, the tree bark, the little owl with his chevron feathers and press-stud eyes! And especially the lion with his little heart tattoo. Thank you Dee!

And from Leila came the sweetest little fox clutching a star! He looks so cuddly and cute, and I love the design with those gorgeous leaf wreaths and cute little pink flowers. I did very well in this swap and loved every minute. I still have one piece left but I will be handing that over in person in June so I have a few weeks yet *gulp*. I better get on with that name tag!

More Woodland Friends

Meet Rufus the fox and the excitable owl. 

A few weeks back I completed this embroidery featuring Boris the bear and his chicken as an inspiration piece for the Hoop up - Stitch & Send swap. I really loved making it and went on quite a bit about how much I was enjoying embroidery.

My lovely assistant, Sarah, had a very special birthday last week and as she had been particularly keen on Boris this seemed the perfect excuse to have another go at a woodland themed embroidery. 

Sarah has a bit of a phobia about birds, so no chickens this time, but she doesn't mind owls, so there's one sitting in a tree behind Rufus. Actually I think he is jumping up and down on the branch, trying to get Rufus's attention and shaking all the leaves off the tree in his excitement! Hopefully he won't displace one of those big pink fruits - they look like they would give Rufus a nasty bang on the head if they hit him! 

Here is Sarah earlier today looking very happy with her pressie. Sarah has been working for me for 8 years now and she is worth her weight in gold. I really could not run our store without her, she is amazing!! And talking of our store - look at all that wool! Over the last few months I have been filling the shop with wool, fabric, ribbons and buttons, but haven't had much time to share this with you! I promise to show you more very soon.

 Sarah thought the colours of the embroidery looked lovely against this basket of wool.

One last look at the pretty stitches.
I am so pleased that I have managed to create these designs myself. it is a long time since I've done anything really 'arty', and I am very happy that I can still do it. Now there will be no stopping me - look out for a whole series of these!