Lettergirl

Reverse applique.

You may remember seeing the start of this project on this post.   The embellishment is my own design made into a stencil, painted onto old black t-shirts from Goodwill (three, in the end), and hand-stitched.  The tank pattern is modified from Alabama Studio Style.  (And how excited am I for the third book in that series to be released later this month?  I preordered it months ago.)

Applique.

A new hand-stitched piece I'm working on.  This one is regular applique, with individual pieces stitched to the surface (rather than reverse applique, with parts cut away, which is what I often do).

The above photos are the back of a long sleeve shirt; the front has a keyhole opening at the neckline:

I learned early that when you're sewing with 100% cotton jersey, it's best to start out on the snug side.  Even washing & drying by machine doesn't do much for the recovery of the knit.  Wish I had figured that out before I made the skirt!

New work this week.

In the middle of this grey winter, I needed a little color.  I started with a paper collage in blues and greens:

I tidied it up and am having it printed at Spoonflower:

So far, my plan is to print one plain and one with the lines of a poem written in each block (although I may just change my mind!).

Yesterday, I made this little yellow-orange-red piece from old sheets of stamp artwork:

I started with four layers of paper painted with Dynaflow, sandwiched with randomly cut pieces of synthetic organza.

I stitched all the layers onto a piece of Peltex I had sprayed with color.  (The Peltex really absorbed the pigment; I didn't care much as this is the back side.)

I cut between the stitching, through all the layers except the Peltex, and then roughed it up with my hands and a wire brush.  I made this just as a practice for the technique, but I love the way it turned out!  I'm thinking of adding a few beads, nestled between the layers.  I'll keep you posted!

Holiday spirit, part 2.

Holiday cards from Dinah and Teresa, two more customers I have loved working with through the years!

Holiday spirit.

Darling photos -- on cards created for Angie, Carrie, and Karen.

Recycled Friday.

 
A tree of life:  words to celebrate.

45 + 1 day.

 
 

 
I had so much fun on my birthday!  I was able to do almost everything on my list, including painting this silk scarf.  I used a combination of Dynaflow and SetaSilk paints.

 
Then I screenprinted this skirt, and wore it out to dinner.

The winner of my birthday giveaway is Cheryl Jaeger:

Happy birthday! My movie favorites this summer were Crazy Stupid Love; which I had no idea I would like, Sweet Home Alabama (not new but sweet), and Yours, Mine, and Ours (Dennis Quaid-need I say more?). Enjoy your day!

Cheryl, please email me at lettergirl66{at}gmail{dot}com and let me know whether you'd like the set of 5 handwritten quotations or the address stamp.  And thank you all for your birthday wishes and movie suggestions.  The movie I most enjoyed this summer was Fright Night -- although I really only watched about 7/8 of it.  (I closed my eyes for the rest!)

Recent work.

Some tres chic stationery for a young girl, a 50th anniversary party, a Colorado wedding, and a new baby sister:

 
 
 
 

Recycled Friday.

 

 

These are my first two Alabama Chanin-inspired garments, stitched three summers ago.  Both pieces are based on the designs in Natalie's first book, Alabama Stitch Book -- though I wish I'd made the corset a size smaller as she suggests.  And I hadn't yet discovered Mokuba elastic ribbon, so don't look too closely at that waistband.

When I first started hand-stitching, I gravitated right away to freehand painting my own motifs instead of stencilling them -- both for the organic nature of painting (the occasional "whoops") and my comfort level with the materials.  I still prepare my projects that way, but have been looking at other options as I expand my skills in surface design:  painting with thickened dye and screen printing.  As always, more ideas than time.  Enjoy the long weekend!

On the road.

Before our spring break to the treehouse, I shared the scrapbook I had made ahead of time.  Add some photos and a Saturday morning and this is what I've got now:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I was so enamored with the way this project came together, that I'm planning to bring a stack of blank cards to our Airstream so I can record summer weekends before they slip away.

If you missed out on the Love Your Letters Workshop giveaway last week, you have another chance this week over at Paper Crave.  Class materials will start shipping a week from tomorrow!