Basquiat Inspiration

I first came across Jean Michel Basquiat's work not in a gallery but on film. Although the biopic is flawed in places, it captures the energy he put into his work and the world in which his work came to prominence. Central to the film is the superb performance of Jeffry Wright (it also features David Bowie as Andy Warhol).

I've travelled extensively but have rarely come across his work in galleries until a couple of Summers ago in Bilbao where there was an exhibition of his work at the Guggenheim. The Guggenheim Bilbao's website has some great information about his work along with some images of his work.

I almost left it too late to see the exhibition at the Barbican in 2017, but I booked an afternoon off work and headed to the exhibition.

I find his work interesting and inspiring because of the he way he combines text and images, his naive style, he puts himself into his work, literally through self portraits, references to SAMO© or though painting his influences. But above all I think his personality comes through in the work.

Stitch Showcase: Herringbone Stitch

Herringbone stitch is a variation on a cross stitch - the point of the cross is off centre so that there are two long legs and two short legs off the cross ie it’s a cross stitch at a jaunty angle.

• If you are stitching this as a border then you might want to draw two parallel lines to guide your stitching. If you are using it as an isolated or textural stitch then this is not necessary.

• Bring the needle up though the fabric and then take it at a diagonal and pass the needle down through the fabric and then up a little further along (you can do this in one motion or up and then down).

• To complete the stitch take it diagonally down to create a (wonky) cross.

Most commonly you’ll see this stitch worked in a line to create a border, but I prefer to use it as isolated stitches, varying the size and point of cross. Layering the stitches using different thread gives a great textured look.

Want to try this stitch? It’s one of the stitches I suggest in my sunflower sampler kit.

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Five pens for transferring embroidery patterns

There are more ways than ever for getting patterns transferred onto fabric to stitch on such as pre-printed fabric, carbon paper, water soluble paper. But if you are drawing your own pattern or just want a basic transfer methods then all you need is a pen. There are 5 main pens you can use for transferring embroidery patterns:

• pencil - whilst not strictly a pen this is a very good option if you are just starting out in embroidery, you just need to draw slow and steady as if you don’t draw accurately you could see the pencil marks show or you have to alter your stitching to cover them up

• biro - I’ve see some embroiderers use a biro but you have to be brave to go with this option! At least with pencil it can fade/wash out, biro is a commitment. The only time I use biro is when working with felt as it draws really well on this surface

• water erasable - this was the first type of specialist pen I tried, in general it works well, but you have to wet your embroidery all over to get rid of it, this can mean that there are wrinkles in the fabric when it all dries. I’ve also found that some pens require more than one wash to remove

• air erasable - the one I bought had a really fine tip which was great for drawing embroideries, however you have to work quickly! The one I had was meant to last 48 hours but the drawing started disappearing in minutes - not helpful

• heat erasable - I’d seen a few embroiderers on Instagram recommend this so I purchased some and I’m really impressed. I just run my hairdryer over the fabric once I’ve finished and the pen marks disappear. I did have once incident when I managed to erase a tracing by accident as it was stuck to another piece I was using the hairdryer on but that was user error rather than the pen!

Overall I’d recommend either a pencil or a heat erasable pen (Pilot frixon is the make I use ) for transferring embroideries.

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Stitch Showcase: Bullion Knot

This is one of the trickiest stitches in embroidery but I’ve been stitching it as much as I can lately as, much like the French knot, practice really helps.

There are two methods for creating a bullion knot. The method I prefer isn’t the one that you’ll find in most stitch tutorials. I like it as I with the traditional method my knots are often thicker at one end than the other, but give them both a try and see which works for you

Traditional method

• Create a straight stitch but leave a loop when you complete the stitch, then poke the needle through the fabric at the start of the stitch, but don't push it all the way through.

• Using the loop, wrap the loop around the needle enough times to match the length of the stitch.

• Carefully pull the rest of the loop so the needle lies flat, then push the needle through (holding onto the wraps) and finally complete the stitch.

My method

• Bring the needle up through the fabric at the point you want the knot to start, then pass it back through the fabric where you want the stitch to end, don't pull the thread all the way through.

• Push the needle back up through the fabric at the starting point of the stitch, but don't push it all the way through. Wrap the thread around the needle enough times so the wraps are the same length as the stitch will be, you can flip the needle down to check.

• Using your thumb to hold the wraps in place, pull the needle back slightly so you can push the tip of the needle through the fabric at the end point. Pull the excess thread on the top of the fabric through to the back then pull the needle through carefully to complete the stitch.

In both these examples below, the bullion knot has been used as an isolated stitch - in combination with other stitches and on its own.

Want to try this stitch? It’s one of the stitches I suggest in my heart stitch sampler kit and my floral stitch sampler kit.

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Certification

I was taking part in an Instagram Challenge recently and the prompt was ‘hype yourself’. I found it quite difficult at first to think what to write and then I reflected on why this was and this is what I wrote.

For a long time I didn't think I was qualified to start my own creative business as I didn't even study art or textiles for GCSE. But I've reframed those thoughts, so here’s my attempt at hyping myself...⁠
⁠
- I have 25+ years of crafting experience and have designed and made hundreds of my own creations⁠
- I'm mostly self taught, meaning I'm adept in solving problems and developing my own techniques (I started long before YouTube could give you an instant tutorial)⁠
- my skills were developed through curiosity and experimentation, not to meet the needs of a syllabus so I've developed expertise rather than a superficial understanding⁠
- I've used many patterns and kits designed by others so I know what goes into making the best kits and writing the best instructions⁠
⁠
I pour all of that insight and experience into designing kits for my customers to encourage you to follow your creativity and curiosity.⁠
⁠
I also now have a qualification to back up all of my experience, having recently completed my Level 3 City & Guilds Accredited programme in Hand Embroidery (the certificate should be here this week!)

My certificate arrived this week and they also made a video from a selection of my work which you can watch below.

I think for now I’m happy that I’ve proved to myself I am capable and don’t feel the need to pursue any further qualifications but instead I want to spend the time on personal enquiry and experimentation as this is how I like to learn and play.

Sarah

Stitch Showcase: Jacobean Couching

Jacobean couching is a stitch that originated in the 17th Century and requires precision and time to get both the laid down threads and the cross stitches that couch them down lying evenly.

• Start off by laying down the vertical threads evenly spaced across the area. (The closer together the threads the more couching you'll need to do.)

• To help get each stitch straight lie the thread on top of the felt and get the correct angle before you complete the stitch.

• Now repeat the same process for laying down horizontal threads. The effect looks best if these are spaced out at the same distance as the vertical threads but play around with the spacing for different effects.

• The intersection of each vertical and horizontal thread is where a small cross stitch will be added to secure or couch the threads.

• To add these, start by bringing the needle up at the top left of the intersection and then taking it down over the threads at the bottom right to complete a half cross stitch. To complete the cross, work from top right to bottom left.

• My preference is to complete all the half crosses first and then go back and complete the rest of the cross, but you can complete each cross before moving on. I'd suggest you always work the first part of the cross in the same direction for the best finish.

• You can work methodically from one side to another. Alternatively work every few stitches on each row to tack the threads in place which helps maintain the even spacing, before going back and filling in the gaps.

This is a great stitch to experiment with different thread thicknesses and colour combinations. The sample below is stitched with one strand of embroidery floss and a single strand of metallic sewing thread.

Want to try this stitch? It’s one that I suggest using in my monstera kit.

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Six techniques for embellishing with sequins

Sequins are great for adding a bit of sparkle to a project but how is best to attach them?

1. Single stitch

A single through the centre to one edge is the easiest way to attach a sequin. It works well whether you are using invisible thread, matching thread or contrasting thread. It’s also a great technique to use if you are overlapping sequins. But it’s not the best technique to use if your piece will be rubbing against something else as the sequins can flip or bend.

2. Multiple stitches

These give a much more secure finish. Most commonly I’d just use two stitches at 180 degrees to give the look of a continual line but you could use three, four or more stitches in a more decorative fashion - the more stitches the more secure the sequin. I tend to use invisible beading thread for this technique as I want the focus to be on the sequin rather than the thread.

3. Sequin trims

Trims are great for adding a line of sequins quickly. Sequin trims come ready stitched onto thread so to attach these you just need to couch the thread or stitch through the sequins using small straight stitches. When working with sequin trim you need to plan how you secure the start and edge of the trim. You can slip a couple of sequins off the trim and then fold the thread under and couch this in place. Alternatively slip off a few more and then sew the end of the trim through to the wrong side and secure there.

4. Sequin patches

There are some amazing sequin patches available and these are the easiest way to add sequins to a large area or in a particular pattern with minimal effort. You just need to so some small straight stitches to secure the patch. The only thing to consider when using patches is that you get the right size as these can be difficult to trim to the right size without all the sequins falling off!

5. Beads

I love combining the sparkle of sequins with even more shininess by using a seed bead to secure sequins. Just bring the needle up through the centre hole, thread on a bead and then take the needle back down the centre hole. Because the bead is bigger than the hole it keeps the sequin nice and snug.

6. French knots

These can work in a similar way to beads to secure a sequin, rather than sewing on a bead, you just use one or more French knots to hold the sequin in place. The one thing you do need to make sure is that the finished knot or group of knots is much bigger than the hole, if they are just slightly bigger then the sequin could pop off the knot if rubbed the wrong way. It is best not to use this technique for sequins that will have regular rubbing/contact for this reason.

Want to try embellishing some sequins? I include sequins in my floral stitch sampler kit and my spring blossom kit.

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Stitch Showcase: Cross Stitch

Cross stitch is most commonly worked on Aida or even weave fabric which has an regular number of weft and warp threads to allow the creation of even sized stitching, however it can also be used in free form embroidery as well.

• Bring the needle up at the top left of the stitch (A)

• Make a stitch diagonally to the bottom right corner (B)

• Bring the needle up at the top right (C)

• Take it down through the fabric at the bottom left corner (D)

• If you are stitching a panel of cross stitches you can stitch the first half of the stitch (A to B) for the whole area then work back over the area completing the crosses (C to D)

• However you stitch make sure that you always work the first part of the stitch the same way to create a nice even finish.

The first picture shows a traditional use of cross stitch - it fills an area and is worked on Aida. The second picture shows that as well as being used to fill areas, it can also be used as a single isolated stitch to couch other threads.

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12 Crafts of Christmas: Redfearn The Cat Decoration

The finale for the 12 Crafts of Christmas series is your chance to make your very own Redfearn The Cat. If you follow me on Instagram you may recognise him (he’s got his own Instagram Stories highlights if you want to catch up on his adventures).

Last year I bought some patterns for felt Christmas decorations from The Make Arcade and I’ve been happily stitching them up this year for the tree. But there was one creature missing from the tree - a felt cat.

We’ve had our cat Redfearn for 6 years and he’s a proper part of the family, so I’ve recreated him in felt!

You will need …

• Felt - Redfearn is ginger and white but select the colours for the cat you want to create

• Embroidery floss to match the colour of the felt

• Needle & pins

• Scissors

• Gold pleather/yellow felt (if you want to add the crown)

• Scrap paper and a pencil

How to …

• Print or trace the template at the bottom of this blog post.

• Cut out two shapes from your base colour (Redfearn’s base colour is white) & one shape from the accent colour (Redfearn’s accent colour is orange)

• From the accent shape cut out markings to best represent your cat (Redfearn has ginger ears, big ginger patches down his sides and a stripy tail) and lay these onto the base colour until you are happy with the positioning. Pin and stitch in place using backstitch and one strand of floss.

• Once all the accent felt pieces have been added, stitch on the face details. I used black floss so that the features stood out (Redfearn actually has white whiskers). I also added a pink nose from a piece of scrap pink felt but you could embroider this instead.

• Match up the back piece of base felt with the front piece and stitch all the way around using blanket stitch, I used two strands of floss for the blanket stitch. When you are at the top, stitch in a hanging thread - I used a short piece of embroidery floss (all 6 strands) with a double knot in the end and made sure I stitched through the knot to secure it in place.

• To add the crown take a small piece of pleather or felt about 1cm by 2cm and cut points in the top of the crown. Stitch in place (a jaunty angle looks great).

• Add your furry friend to the tree!

Stitch showcase: Whipped Running Stitch

This stitch uses running stitch as a foundation and then weaves thread in and out of the running stitches on the surface of the fabric. Double whipped running stitch creates a fabulous looped chain-like effect.

• Start by stitching running stitch along the full length of the line

• To add the ‘whipped’ detail, bring the needle up at the end of the last running stitch (A)

• Pass the needle under the first stitch (B)

• Repeat this process making sure that the 'whipping’ thread always moves in the same direction eg always from (C) to (D)

• This will give a great wave pattern which can be pulled tight or left looser.

On the first sample below there are two examples of whipped running stitch. On the right hand side you can see the effect of using a thicker thread for the ‘whipping’ stitch compared to the base running stitch. On the left hand side you can see a much more open wave created by the distance between the individual running stitches.

For the second sample below and in the pink sample at the top of the page you can see the wave of this stitch really clearly. I’ve left the wrapped thread looser to create this wave effect. Sometimes a tiny couching stitch is needed to hold the wave down closer to the fabric.

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12 Crafts of Christmas: Scandi Figurine Decorations

I made these figures from a kit I bought from Flying Tiger a couple of years ago. I’ve not made it into one of their stores for a couple of months so I’m not sure if they have these or something similar in this year but here’s how to create something similar.

You will need …

• Large & small wooden beads

• Felt

• Embroidery floss

• Needle & pins

• Craft wire

• Glue gun

• Scissors

• Sharpies

How to …

• Cut a strip of felt about 2cm and long enough to wrap all the way round the wooden bead. Stitch it together at the back to create the hat. Sew running stitch at one end of the tube and pull tight to create the top of the had and secure the thread.

• Cut a two tunic shapes from the felt, embroider or decorate with a winter motif and stitch both sides of the tunic together leaving a gap at the bottom and at the end of the sleeves, don’t sew up the shoulders yet.

• Take the wire and snip a length to act as the arms. Thread on one small wooden bead, fold the wire over and twist at the wrist, snip off any excess wire. Repeat for the other hand.

• Stitch the hat onto the wooden bead (head) and secure the head to the centre of the wire by stitching or glue gunning. Close up the shoulder scenes of the tunic. If you want to add some hair take some hair coloured floss and plait it and tie off with a contrasting floss.

• The final touch is to add some eyes and mouth with black and pink sharpies.

Seville Inspiration

I wish I could send some time in the sun this winter but with COVID restrictions, that isn’t an option. So I looked back to a February trip to Seville for inspiration instead.

12 Crafts of Christmas: Cross Stitch Cabin

Cross stitch is a fabulous craft for kids and it is how I started on my crafting journey, but I rarely cross stitch nowadays. So when this cross stitch project appeared in my Winter 2019 Craftpod box I knew it would be enjoyable and got stitching straight away.

If you want to stitch any cross stitch project you will need:

• Aida (a special even weave fabric for cross stitch)

• Embroidery floss

• Cross stitch needle (it’s a small tapestry needle with a blunt end)

• Embroidery hoop (although you can cross stitch without one if your Aida is stiff enough)

• Scissors

• Pattern

There are lots of great cross stitch designs out there which you can search for on Google or Pinterest. You might also be able to get free access digital magazines via your Library - there are quite a few different cross stitch magazines out there. But it’s also quite easy to design your own cross stitch pattern - I use a website called Stitch Fiddle.

If you love the Craftpod design then keep an eye on their Instagram as they sometimes release past projects as one off kits.

12 Crafts of Christmas: Holly Leaf Garland

I love how simple this project is and these garlands look great on a mantle piece or draped over a picture frame.

You will need …

• Green & red felt

• Thick thread such as perle cotton

• Scissors

• Needle with an eye big enough for the thread you use

How to …

• To create the holly leaves you can create yourself a template but they are quite easy to freestyle cut. Take a strip of felt the width you want your leaves and fold this in half longways. Make the first cut in a quarter arc from the centre fold to the edge. Then make a semi circle arc from the edge where you finished the first cut to further down the strip. Then make a final quarter arc cut from the point where you finished to the centre fold. You can vary the size and shape of the arcs and if you don’t like the look of any when you open them up you can trim them down until you are happy with the shape.

• To create the berries you can cut around a coin or just freestyle cut circles.

• Once you’ve cut a range of leaves and berries you can start threading them together to create a garland. Cut a length of thread as long as you want your garland to be and thread the needle. To add the leaves and berries stitch running stitch through each in turn and push them towards the end of the thread (but leaving at least 20cm from the end). The garland looks best if leaves and berries alternate and if you mix up the order of the leaves if you’ve used different colours.

Stitch Showcase: Double Whipped Running Stitch

This stitch uses running stitch as the foundation, then two threads are woven in and out of the foundation to create a chain-like effect.

• Start by stitching running stitch along the full length of the line you want to embroider

• To add the ‘whipped’ detail, bring the needle up at the end of the last running stitch (A)

• Pass the needle under the first stitch (B)

• Pass it under the next running stitch in the same direction as the first

• Repeat this process until you get to the end of the row of running stitches

• Then work on creating the second ‘whipped’ thread starting in the same point (A)

• For the second pass the thread will be passed under the running stitch in the opposite direction to the first eg if the first thread went from B to C the second thread will go from C to B

• Each thread will create a wave pattern - the whipped threads can be pulled tighter or left looser as a wave.

In the example below the final row of stitching is double whipped running stitch, you can see the two ‘whipped’ strands cross over just under the running stitch, it is this that gives the appearance of a chain.

Want to try this stitch? It’s one I suggest in my embellished bauble kit, which is released each Christmas.

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Stitch Showcase: Blanket Stitch

Blanket stitch is most frequently used as an edging stitch because when stitched carefully it can look identical on both the right and wrong side. It is normally used on fabrics that don’t fray very much such as felt or blankets. As an edging stitch it can be the foundation for a further decoration such as a crochet border. It can also be worked flat as a decorative stitch.

• Start by pushing the needle from the back to the front of the fabric, then bring the needle over the top of the edge and through the fabric from back to front again (A)

• Bring the needle through the same hole (A) from back to front. Pass the needle under the thread from the first stitch

• Bring the needle through the fabric (B) from back to front.

• There will be a little loop lying on the top edge of the fabric. Pass the needle under this loop (C)

• Repeat the action of taking the needle over the top of the edge and push from back to front, catching the loop each time. You will start to see a bar of thread over the edge.

• For the neatest blanket stitch look at where you are pushing the needle through from the back as well as where it appears at the front.

As well as a flat edge, blanket stitch can also be used on a soft sculpture to join different pieces. To get the neatest finish I find that stitching the stitches the same distance apart as depth from the edge eg 2mm down from the edge and stitches 2mm apart.

Want to try this stitch? It’s suggested as part of the embellished bauble kit that is available at Christmas.

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12 Crafts of Christmas: Fabric Heart Decorations

This is a great project for using up scraps of fabric and give a Scandinavian flavour to your festive decorations.

You will need …

• Fabric

• Felt

• Buttons/Beads (optional)

• Ribbon/string

• Stuffing

• Needle & pins

• Thread

• Scissors

• Paper & pencil (for the templates

How to …

• Start by creating your templates, you will need one for the fabric and a smaller one of the felt. For the fabric template, don’t forget to add about 5mm seam allowance.

• Cut out your fabric and felt using the templates. You will need to cut out two from the fabric and one from the felt for each decoration you make.

• Take one of the fabric hearts and stitch on the felt and button/bead in the centre of the heart.

• Place the right sides of the fabric together. Take the ribbon or string and cut an appropriate length for a hanging loop. Fold the ribbon or string in half and place it between the two pieces of fabric so the ends of the loop are sticking out of the top centre of the heart slightly. With the ribbon or string sandwiched in this way, when you turn the heart the right way out the hanging loop will be securely fastened.

• Thread the needle and start stitching on the right hand bump and working in an anti clockwise direction. I recommend backstitch to make sure everything is securely stitched. When you get to the hanging thread make sure you stitch through the ribbon or string.

• Continue stitching all the way round but leave a gap of 2-3cm. Tie off the thread but don’t snip the end as you will continue using the thread later. Snip into the seam allowance every 1cm - but be careful not to snip into your stitching, this will help get a smooth finish.

• Turn right side out and make sure all the edges have been fully turned out. You could press the seam allowance if a smoother finish is needed.

• Carefully stuff the heart, you want some padding but don’t want it to be over stuffed. You could add some spices such as cinnamon or cloves in with the stuffing for some lovely Christmassy smells.

• Carefully stitch closed the opening using an invisible stitch.

12 Crafts of Christmas: Pine Cone Trees

I made this crafty project a couple of years ago at a WI meeting. It’s a great (albeit slightly messy) project that you could probably do with kids.

You will need …

• Pine cones

• Corks (and a knife to chop them up)

• Wooden star or other star embellishment

• Paint

• Glitter

• Paintbrush

• Glue gun

• Newspaper & old takeaway container

How to …

• First things first, get your newspaper down where you will be working

• I’d recommend starting by glue gunning the cork to the bottom of the pine cone as this will give you something to hold when decorating the cone. You may need to cut the cork in half to stop it toppling over.

• Once the glue holding the cork has dried its time to start decorating - start by painting the cone, I used green paint but you could use any colour

• While the paint is still wet you can dip the cone in the glitter if you just want glittery edges or sprinkle glitter all over if you want a fully sparkly look. Shake off any excess glitter and leave to dry.

• If you have wooden stars you can also paint and glitter these. Once the cone and the star have dried you can glue gun them together

4 ways to finish the back of embroidery hoops

You’ve stitched your piece and you want to proudly hang it in a hoop on the wall. But for it to lie flat on the wall you need to finish off the back of the hoop.

There are several different ways to do this:

1. Glue

This is great if you know you don’t want to use the hoop for another purpose at a later date and perfect if you’ve not got enough fabric to gather. Just get your glue gun out and work round the hoop section by section

2. Gathering

The easiest non-permanent way to finish a hoop by stitching around the edge of the fabric at the back of the hoop and gently pulling the threads to tighten the edges. Just use a large running stitch round the edge of the fabric and gently pul until the fabric has gathered. You can get an even flatter finish if you criss-cross the threads at tension across the back of the hoop as well.

3. Cardboard

This is my current favourite as it is so simple, works best if you’ve already gathered the lose fabric although you can sometimes get away with not having done this. Just draw round the inner hoop on a bit of cardboard and cut it out inside the line, trimming by a small amount if the card board still doesn’t fit

4. Felt

This gives the most professional finish again you need to gather the fabric first before carefully stitching the felt on to the fabric. Draw round the inner hoop on the felt and then attach with either running stitch or blanket stitch

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12 Crafts of Christmas: Cardboard Trees

If you are getting as many online deliveries as I am at the moment you will have a lot of cardboard in your house. One of my favourite Christmas projects is to make these cardboard trees. I think they look great as they are, but you could paint them, cover them in left over wrapping paper or otherwise jazz them up.

You will need …

• Cardboard

• Paper scissors

• Scrap paper

• Pencil

• Ruler

How to …

• Start by creating your tree template on some scrap paper. My trees measure 10cm across the bottom and are 12cm high, each set of branches is 3cm high. You could also make these trees just as triangles.

• Draw round the template twice on your cardboard and cut out the tree shapes.

• You will then need to cut a slit in the trees about the same thickness as your cardboard. One tree should have a slit going from the top of the tree to the middle, and the other tree should have a slit from the bottom to the middle. One of these slits needs to be about 1cm longer than the other for them to slide together perfectly.

• Slide the tree with the slit in the bottom down through the tree with the slit in the top and make sure the two sections stand at right angles.