Monday 12 January 2009

Busy beginnings

It has been a very busy start to the new year. I have been creating work to expand a project I did a few years back adding some new techniques and materials which were not around at that time.

Today I was multi tasking - machining the panels for a box while loading music albums onto my new iPod. I didn't realise how many CDs I had and had not listened to for a long time. Once they are all loaded onto the iPod I can listen to them in my studio while I am working. I just love all this new technology.

The other piece of technology is that of my embroidery machine which stitched out ten Celtic motifs for me today. I digitised the motifs as I needed so many of them. I usually free machine a 'one off'. However, after I had machined the first side I changed my mind about the colour and spent several hours unpicking it. I have a friend who manages to get her husband to do her unpicking or 'reverse stitching' as she calls it. This motif was a quadruple stitch so it was very difficult to unpick. Here's how it looked after unpicking and restitching.

celtic-a-la-lichen

There are four panels like this and a different one for the top and inside the lid.

At the beginning of the year I made the commitment to take at least one photograph/ image every day and began on New Year's day. I have kept to that commitment and have taken image number 11 today. They do not have a theme or anything - just whatever comes to mind each day. Today I did the washing and before I put the linen bin away decided to use the pattern on the front for an image.

linen-bin

I simply tipped the bin onto its back and took the photo. Pity I needed the light on as it has created a slight shadow of me taking the photo. There's a 3 dimensional textile piece in there -'maybe'.

I am quite surprised at the diversity of the images. Some are indoors and some outdoors. It depends a bit on the weather too. I did a still life study on a cup of coffee yesterday as it was so bitterly cold outside. Problem was that the coffee was cold by the time I had finished taking the photos. Turned out well though.

On Friday I had a special delivery in the post. The final layout for my book arrived. This one is how it will go to the printers. It will be sent for production today - Monday. I have to create the index for it now. The publisher has done a great job on the layouts. It looks very stylish. Can't wait to see the actual book.

My OH went to the NEC on Friday - he engineers for a rally team- and now I have a stack of photographs to process for him. They will have to wait. Too busy at the moment.

The conifer hedges will be getting their annual cut today. It is later than usual - they must be busy too. I wouldn't have been able to take this photo if they had come at the usual time of year.

starlit-conifers

This is another of my daily images. I got a bit wet taking this but... needs must.

That will have to do for this post. I need to do some more indexing.

Cheers everyone

1 comment:

Shirley Anne Sherris said...

Comments transferred from other blog:


Doreen G

Are you putting your daily photos on a blog –it would be interesting to see them each day.


sharon young

Lovely Celtic pattern, Shirley, but I certainly wouldn’t have had the patience to unpick it.


Tracy

Hi Shirley
Love the celtic designs, I have been thinking about buying the embroidery unit for my machine, but not sure if I would get the use out of it. Can you tell me what fabric / stabiliser you embroider onto to attach to your boxes etc. or do you embroider straight onto the piece you are using in the box, I know with my own inbuilt embroidery stitches that they don’t like a heavy fabric.
Couldn’t find an e mail address anywhere to reply to your question about the soy wax - have just done some more today, leaving it to batch until tomorrow - well I might just have to wash out one piece to see what’s happening :)
Look forward to hearing from you.