Made by Hand Online

My precious objects collection are now on sale on Made by Hand online. The first collection of pieces is now up for sale and I will be adding more after Bovey Tracey Craft Festival in June – I am busy making new pieces for the show! There’s an interview with me on madebyhandonline website where I explain more about the work and the stories behind the pieces.

I am also going to be showing this work at Lustre design fair in Nottingham in November for the first time. Later this year I will also be able to make work to commission so if you have any precious old tools or family screwdriver heirlooms which you would like to have made in to a work of art please let me know. My embroideries of tools on vintage textiles will be making their debut this year at shows and I am working on prints based on these pieces too.

Daily Make (17)

This week I’ve started a new commission for Harefield Hospital

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and made some dye bundles at the first community workshop

 

The patchwork continues to grow (on the cat, as usual!)

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Puss & patchwork. My usual evening. #dailymake2015 #missmayacat

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I rarely get a day just stitching, so attending a workshop on Indian embroidery was a real treat this week.

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My first ever shisha mirror! #embroidery #dailymake2015

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Some preparation for my artist residency day

 

and some stitching stains during the residency day

Daily Make (15 & 16)

I reworked The Beauty of Stains, making the stains permanent through stitch.

 

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Stitching stains. #narrativethreads #dailymake2015

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I’ve made a lot of paper pieced patchwork for Narrative Threads.

 

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Patchwork on the train #dailymake2015

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I’ve started a birthday present for my mum but I’m not going to show it here in case she looks. I know she doesn’t look at Instagram.

 

I even made a fascinator for a workshop sample.

 

I’ve started my research visits to museums to inspire new work for my solo exhibition Narrative Threads.

Daily Make (14)

This week’s creative endeavours include decorating, curtain-making, skirt-making, patchwork and embroidery. Its been good to be making, almost every day.

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Hexagon stack. #dailymake2015

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Stitching day on the studio. #narrativethreads #dailymake2015

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Daily Make (11 & 12)

Week 11 was a complete whirlwind of final works and installation of Interlace exhibition which is now up and looking fabulous!

 

I was also hurtling through finishing a quilt for a big birthday present at the same time as opening the exhibition. It was more than a little close to the wire getting it done but it was nice to have lots of sewing to do.

 

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Trimming down gorgeous quilt blocks.

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Stripy quilt binding in gorgeous organic cotton. #dailymake2015

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Pretty pleased with this mitred corner. #dailymake2015

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As an aside, I am teaching this type of improv(ised) patchwork later in the year, along with the paper pieced type too. Find out more here.
Since the exhibition opened, things have been somewhat different and the pace of life changed completely with a few sunny, chilly days on a canal boat. There’s a lot of work to do on a boat, and lots of walking and exploring, but there was time for some simple making too. I’m slowly working on a very time-consuming piece for my Narrative Threads exhibition and making hexagon patchwork with antique fabrics, also for the exhibition.

 

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Hexagon stack. #dailymake2015

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A little stitching at the end of the day #dailymake2015

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I’m also working on the easiest bit of knitting ever – yards and yards of icord made from scrap yarn to make into long, loop necklaces.

 

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Knitted worms. To be a necklace, eventually. #dailymake2015

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Daily Make (8 & 9)

Owing to a foul illness over the last week or so, recent daily makes have just been knitting and more knitting. Both the scarf and the illness are done now, I’m pleased to say.

These #dailymake2015s also overlap with an artist in residence day so proper making has taken place too.

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Stitch ghosts. Pondering loss. #dailymake2015 #narrativethreads

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Working on ochre and yellow today #dailymake2015 #interlace

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Daily Make (7)

I’ve recently been having a great time experimenting with screen printing, which I’ve not done since school! I’ve been printing on fabrics to make into more petals for Interlace, my collaboration with Bethany Walker. Our exhibition opens in less than 4 weeks time so there is lots to do….

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Lovely leafy screenprint #dailymake2015

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Almost at the end. #knitting #dailymake2015

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Along with grey petals, I’m also celebrating the nicer shades of grey on Instagram with the hashtag #50niceshadesofgrey. I’m posting pictures of lovely grey things, when I remember.

There have also been some blues. Made on Monday, when I was really feeling blue. It didn’t last.

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Monday blues #dailymake2015

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Week 7 has mostly involved visiting exhibitions, taking down exhibitions and preparing exhibitions, which isn’t so bad. But there *must* be more needle and thread in the next few weeks.

 

 

Daily Make (5 & 6)

My excuse for missing an entire week of #dailymake2015 was my birthday last weekend. I made a dress for my birthday party and did a lot of work on petals for Interlace as our exhibition deadline looms ever closer! I’ve also got back into knitting which is a joy.

Some of the last couple of week’s makes:

 

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Smocking ready for release!

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Working in blues today. Very unusual for me. #dailymake2015

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Daily Make (4)

Again, it has been a tough week of deadlines and not as much making as I would like, with an added stinky cold for the last few days. I’m finally having a weekend off, after working 27 days straight through in January, and am spending it planning and preparing for a big birthday party next weekend! I’ve also worked out what’s going on with my phone, so I’ll have decent photos again soon.

This week’s makes

Something I made ages ago, in lieu of actually making….

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Mending my leggings. Whilst wearing them. #riskyrepairs

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Mending

Dramatic smocking on a private commission

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Coffee-coloured darn. #TheBeautyofStains #dailymake2015

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Some stitches that didn’t make the cut and came out later.

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Stitched stain. #TheBeautyofStains #dailymake2015

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Stitches that stayed

Comfort knitting after a tiring day

Back to my own work, at last

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Piles of petals. #dailymake2015

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Making for Interlace

Slow Stitching

 

Daily Make 2015 (2)

Some days I do lots of making. Some days I barely manage anything and have to resort to a doodle in a sketchbook as my #dailymake2015.

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Loudest of pinks for @bethanyswalker #dailymake2015

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Nearly there. But must go to sleep. #embroidery #dailymake2015

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A tiny bit of patchwork before bed. #dailymake2015

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Bored with insertion stitch now. Nice though. #dailymake2015

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I’m making progress on new pieces for Narrative Threads and Interlace and I’m enjoying having sketchbook on the go. I have it beside my armchair to doodle, sketch and invent embroidery stitch patterns while I am drinking tea and being sat on by my cat.