Portrait Class

I am enjoying this portrait class with Suzie Vikery.  The idea is not to over think the process, just look for the essence not the detail.

This is my progress to day 3.

A small world

Whilst waiting for the barge the other day I noticed that one of my neighbours had a nifty box mounted on his bike.

He had brought this all the way from the UK when he moved here and then found a use for it even using it to hold the wiring for his bike light.  It holds all kinds of stuff.  Wooden boxes are hard to come by at any time and one like this is a gem.

WIPW

I have 3 three items on my work table at the moment.

My Shakespeare inspired piece for January, and that is not too far off a finish.

What I am also pleased about is how quickly my brain adjusted to 'Old English'.  I have to be careful that I don't start talking like that!  (I find myself sitting reading the sonnets and just loving the beauty of the words, over and over again.)

I keep looking at this quilt on the board, I need to get back to that as well.

And I have to decide just what this little cross stitch is going to be used in?

And I am on day I of my portraits class, so just a start here.

 

Another free class

It must be that time of year.  All the free classes are appearing.  Now, I know they are just 'bait' to get you to buy the sellers other products and I don't have the spare cash to do that.  So, I am going to take advantage of the offers and go in my own direction and do my own thing, but, who knows what creative journeys they may open up?

So this one is "A little Art" from Mindful Art Studio.

It is about making small pieces of work, 2" square, each day.  You can do more than one piece of art or more if you want.

What I like about this class is they way the author has fully prepared her lessons. 

• It comes with print and video instructions. 
• You have time to prepare your materials so that they will be ready do go each day.
• And if you want to (I don't) you can by her products which are advertised.
• It doesn't start until February, so there is plenty of time to prepare.

Looks like January and February are both taken care of for tutorials.

Some other ideas for 'Emotional Support Stitching'

Natalie Bird, who is the designer behind Birdhouse Designs and is also a member of my local patchwork group, Star Sea Quilters,  has some really easy, non thinking type stitching in her range.  (These are available in her shop.)

What is good about them is that they come pre-printed onto cotton and there are a number of different designs.  I bought the "letters to my daughter panel".

I cut it into strips and put a cotton voile fabric as a backing and take it with me to the Guild or other meetings just to stitch. I used these little embroideries in cards, pin cushions, needlebooks etc.

I think I need another panel to add to my emotional support stitching but was unable to find any in my local patchwork shop.  (I will have to order them on line.). But, that got me thinking about small embroideries and how they have been around, in one form or another, since forever.  The ones that spring to mind are those of the Elizabethan era that you can find on Pinterest.

Or what about the Folk Designs from just about every culture?

I think I might use some of these sources to come up with my own small stitcheries.