Inspiration

I am always looking for fresh inspiration for my work and most times I find it's from color.  I love finding new and interesting color combinations then figuring out how it will work as a bracelet or a brooch.   Pinterest has been a veritable font of inspiration lately, for instance.....  

This colorful blouse:

Inspired this bracelet:

This room:

Inspired this bracelet:

I have a whole Pinterest board waiting to be translated into embroidery pieces.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Addicted to Pinterest

Have you heard of Pinterest?  I hadn't until about a month ago when I noticed a few views in my Etsy shop stats coming from there.  At first when I went to check it out I didn't really get it, and wasn't too impressed.  After looking around the site a bit more I have since changed my tune, and made my own account.

If you haven't heard of it, basically it's a virtual pin board for...whatever.  You can set up categories to suit your own interests, for example a few of mine are: Dream Home, DIY, What to Wear, and Sweet.  You can browse and follow other peoples boards for more ideas and inspiration. One of the things I like about it is that when you click on the photo, or a link next to the photo it takes you to the original source, so due credit is given (that's how it's supposed to work anyway).

I have to be careful not to get sucked in, it's easy to loose an hour just browsing. 

  

One idea I found on there that I hope to try out this week is this:

Fabric Covered Mat

Do you have a Pinterest? What are some of your favorites?

Moving my needles

Last year I made a quilt for the first time. I never made a quilt before, but I decided I needed one for all the picnics I plan to take (more on that later). It was fun, more fun than I thought it would be. Still, I don't think I will ever progress out of the crazy quilt stage for I hate to measure and be precise.

Anyhoo, I decided to do a little embroidery on the quilt. Just a little initial here, and a bug there. I hadn't done any needlework for quite some time, but once I got started I couldn't seem to stop. It went from a simple lady bug on the corner of a quilt square to wall hangings and then cuff bracelets. I'm having a lot of fun.

All of my most recent projects have been inspired by gifts from my fabulous parents (hmmm, seems to be a theme lately).

First, these beautiful gloves that my mom bought on the Champs Elysees, on a trip to Paris with my dad some time around 1958. On a side note, she came home from Europe with child... my eldest brother....ahhh Paris.

and the result:

and

Second, this lovely barrette that my father bought for me around 1987 in Tel Aviv, Israel. He said he walked around town all day trying to find just the right gift. I think he did a great job, I love it and still wear it often.

I'm not completely finished with this one

I'm partial to a black background, can you tell.

Third, the fabric from this apron. It was my grandmothers. I can picture her wearing it, some time in the 40's making bread in her sweet little kitchen back in Minnesota...brrrrrr...she probably spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking just to stay warm. =)

I like how this came out, but I may give it another try.

I need to get back to painting some time soon, but for whatever reason I'm currently paralyzed by the blank page...all the more reason to just get painting...maybe after one more embroidery project.

Slap My Hand

I have been neglecting my blog. It was in my head that when school started I was going to be soooo productive. So far not so much. My husband said that I have crappy time management skills. After cooling down and looking at the comment more objectively, maybe he's right. I made a schedule for myself, and will try to stick to it. Anyhoo, hopefully if I manage my time better that will also translate to being better about blogging as well.
On another note, I found this coat on sale at Anthropologie a couple of years ago, waited too long and the coat in my size was gone. A few days ago I found it again on Ebay and dangit the bidding went over what I was willing to pay. I've decided I'm going to try to modify a pattern I already have to make one that is similar. If it works out I will post some pictures.



Somehow I misplaced the photo of the coat on the mannequin where it shows off the lovely waist...oh well.

Let the tongues wag

"The tongues started to wag… I was laughed at, blamed, criticized. But this kind of mental attention was neither contagious nor dangerous, and as a result they did not find it useful to fetch some doctor of the mind. I was then free to devote myself to my passion in spite of everything."

-Ferdinand Cheval

Grand Adventure

An artist named Swoon and her crew of 30 put this project together and crashed the Venice Biennale. What an amazing adventure this would be.
All photos are credit to Tod Seelie. (tons more on his site if you want to see)

I came across this via Blood Milk, check it out.