My Hands are not Idle...

I am currently working on trim for a friends gown. I have about 15 inches left to go.  It is a Celtic design and I am using a yellow silk embroidery thread with a strand of gold blending filament in it so that it has a little bit of sparkle..just a hint.  Here is a picture of it.

When this is done I have black work cuffs and collar to finish for another friend.  These are the last two things on my "To Do For Others" list.  Then its just me and mine for projects for the remainder of the year. 

I made a promise to myself at the end of 2015 that I would make 2016 a year to concentrate on myself and my family in regards to creative endeavors.  I have a tunic for my fiance that is sewn together but not embellished. My children only have one tunic that fits them and nothing else.  That needs to be rectified. I also want to make some more viking clothing for myself. I am woefully lacking in garb and almost nothing is embellished.  I want to knit socks for myself and my fiance (who stated the other day that his feet don't sweat and then get cold in the handmade socks). 

Now, I hope to be strong enough to hold to this.  That isn't to say that if a good friend or family member is getting some type of award that needs regalia or just a fancy piece of garb that I wont step up and help..come on! But primarily I want to make things for us.  The old saying "The cobbler's children have no shoes" is so very fitting for me.  Mine also don't have pants or shirts! ;)

Well, thankfully its slow at work and I can embroider during those slow times. In two weeks the boss goes to Florida on vacation for 10 days and it will be a lovely quiet week of work and crafting combination. 

Oh and oh yes...we have bought a house and hope to close on it in the next couple weeks. That will mean making things for the new home as well as fixing it up. I will be busy.

But stay tuned...I will post all that I do. One thing I plan is an embroidered book for myself. Ive made at least half a dozen and given them all away.

Cheers!

Making the Elevation book

Last night I spent a couple hours cutting book board and parchment paper pages for the Laurel Elevation book. Tonight I will stitch the pages together and then assemble the book. I have to make a quick run to the craft store for some end papers (and I was really hoping to avoid going to a retail store during the month of December, oh well).

Here are a few pictures I took:

All the supplies laid out

Cutting the book board

Pages cut and folded and setting in the press for flattening

Press set. Will remove and stitch pages this evening

Things of note:
1. This book board was easier to cut with a hearty pair of scissors than the exacto blade method. I did cut it with the box cutter, but had to trim it more due to rough edges. I grabbed a pair of scissors and found they performed much better.  Pictures of the cover cut out later when i get to book assembly.

2. I am wishing i had a paper cutter for cutting the pages. Would have sped up the process of cutting the parchment.

3. I am grateful for my friend MJ who gave me the book press on long term loan as it is an immense help. Its actually a flower press but works great for this purpose as well.

Tonight...page stitching, book assembly...and, of course, more photographs!

Cheers!

Yep, Another Book.

So, after a marathon 12 hour run of awesome movies snuggled up with my guy on the sofa, I finished all the embroidery on another book cover.  This cover is a commission book for a friend being elevated to the Order of the Laurel in Aethelmearc.   I am very happy with the cover as I think it is my best work yet.

My inspiration for this cover came from the Queen Katherine Parr's copy of Vellutello's of Petrarch's works, which is housed in the British Library (1544).  Though the recipient of this book has a much earlier persona, the aspects of this cover fit more appropriately for the books intended use, which is his vigil book.  Below is the original image of Katherine Parr's copy.

The materials I used for this project are as follows:

Red Silk Dupioni
Splendor silk thread
Japan gold blending filament

 I incorporated his device into the front cover in place of Queen Katherine's arms. On the back cover, I put the es carbuncle of Aethelmearc and a flying bee as another knod to the recipient.  The recipient asked that the phrase "Follow Your Bliss" be on the cover so I added it in the ribbon.  When embroidering the coronet (as he is a Court Baron), I added gold blending filament to the silk thread to add a little shine. I am very pleased with how it came out.

Getting ready to draw out the design

A close up of the pieces for tracing

Tracing the images onto the embroidery transfer medium

All traced

Adding the Sulky to the fabric and framing it up for embroidery

Image with the silks I used

Completed Embroidery

I had a lot of fun doing this project and I am so very thrilled with how it turned out.  I am making the book for it now. I will be using the same binding technique that I used in creating the book for the last embroidered book I created. (pic images here of the book construction I used then and will use now). Book construction images

I will be using a commercial brand of parchment paper for this book as it look more historical than the white linen paper I have used in the past. I found it when making the last book I created and it looks fabulous and fits this bookmakers tight budget. :D

Images with commercial parchment paper

When the book is all together I will upload more pictures and post.