Embroidery

14 January, 2010

Paisley

beckarahn2010-01-14T10:02:35-06:00Embroidery, Sewing & Design|5 Comments

I love paisley. I think paisley was one of the first patterns that I can remember being able to identify. It’s like when you realize that a robin is a robin and not just another generic brown bird. I can remember a time when I would look for paisley when we were out shopping just to see if I could find any. Anyhow, a friend asked me yesterday what I was working on after the holiday frenzy and this is it.

Paisley brooches. They are made from a couple of layers of nice wool felt, with a sort of reverse applique where I have cut patterns out of the top layer so you can see the color underneath. Then stitched with beads. I have been on a kick for brooches lately. Something about wearing a lot of cardigans with turtlenecks, they seem to beg for a fun pin. (I got the most amazing wooden owl one for Christmas from my mom & dad – I will show you that later!) I am not sure that everyone is as charmed by pins & brooches as I am, so who knows if anyone will want to buy them, but I am getting ready to put a few in my etsy shop and I might take them to the Textile Center shop as well. (I’d love to hear your opinions!)

15 November, 2009

Beethoven’s 5th

beckarahn2009-11-16T00:13:55-06:00Embroidery, Sewing & Design|3 Comments

Symphony No 5 in C Minor (Chickadee)

2009

8 x 8 inches

Materials: cotton fabrics, fine tulle netting, perle cotton thread, crystal bead

Techniques: sun painted fabric, raw edge applique, hand embroidery

Artist’s Statement:

There is rumor that the opening bars of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony were inspired by the song of a german cousin to the chickadee. After hearing a concert performance of the 5th, my husband and I joked that it must be “some big chickadee” to inspire music on that scale. Later, that conversation came to mind and I let this chickadee grow a little oversized and listened to a little Beethoven as I stitched.

This is the piece that I made and donated to the Dahl FIne Arts Center “The Goods” auction. A very nice lady took it home with her (according to my mom-in-law who attended the event).

Click the images to see them bigger.

The image is made with many small pieces of cut fabric. This is a technique I had seen and finally had the excuse to try it. First, the background and the spruce branches I cut from the same fabric, but the background I painted over to make it darker. There are faint sunprinted outlines of other branches on the background fabric. Then, since the cut branches are such tiny pieces of fabric, the whole background is covered with a layer of bridal tulle and then machine stitched over to make branches and stems and other details. The tulle helps hold everything in place and gives it a little texture. I then stitched the chickadee on top, first with machine stitching and then embroidered the details by hand. The eye is a little black crystal, so it has a little sparkle.

16 October, 2009

Spoonflower Shop is Open!

beckarahn2009-10-16T19:08:57-05:00Embroidery, Spoonflower & Fabric Design|Comments Off on Spoonflower Shop is Open!

You can now purchase my designs on fabric from Spoonflower!

Go to Becka’s Spoonflower Profile and you can see the 6 designs I have available. Order a swatch or even several yards to use for your projects.

I have 2 designs inspired by 1930’s quilt fabrics. Myrtle is my favorite. The colors are warm and cheery.
Two are based on my Animal Outlines embroidery designs (which you can find in my etsy shop.) You could coordinate a hand embroidered t-shirt with a pair of pants all with a wild west theme! How cool would that be?
The oboe print is for Andy.
The fishes are because, well just because I always have to have fishes.
More on the way soon.

29 June, 2009

Jean Matzke

beckarahn2009-06-29T22:38:01-05:00Embroidery|Comments Off on Jean Matzke

The fiber art community lost an amazing artist on Friday. Although I only met Jean a handful of times, her work truly spoke to me. I work every day surrounded by textile art and I remember the first piece I saw done by Jean and the “wow” reaction I had to it. The first postcard I designed for the Textile Center had a piece by Jean on it. It was a lime green face with tendrils of hair wound through the words “mind memos”. It was all hand embroidered with fantastic texture built up in the stitches. I spent a lot of time looking at that file and the actual piece was even more amazing in person. I am sad that I never got to take a class from her. I will always remember how kind and generous she was when she taught classes for us.

You can see her work here and here.

She will be missed.

21 June, 2009

Pattern Freebie – Snaggle Tooth

beckarahn2009-06-21T16:46:27-05:00Embroidery, Freebies & Patterns, Sewing & Design|Comments Off on Pattern Freebie – Snaggle Tooth

For your crafting delight, I decided to put together a pattern for my Snaggle Tooth onesie. With a nephew getting his first teeth in and a very grown up friend who is losing his baby teeth already, I decided there are plenty of reasons to celebrate snaggle teeth. Click on the cute dino above for a .pdf of the pattern and some ideas about how to use it to make your own snaggle tooth fashions.

12 January, 2009

Tiny Embroidery

beckarahn2009-01-12T14:58:00-06:00Embroidery|1 Comment

Sublime Stitching, my favorite place to get embroidery patterns, has issued a challenge: tiny monograms. There aren’t many rules, but you can see the contest here: little pillow

I woke up yesterday with a cold, which kind of snuck up on me. So I decided to make a pot of tea, put on my bathrobe and stitch a tiny monogram. Here is my monogrammed pillow.

It is silk dupioni fabric embroidered with silk thread. The monogram is 5/8″ tall, the pillow is about 1 1/2″.