My * Fleur Woods Inspired * Textile Piece

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Instead of flowers today we have my old trike planted with pansies & violas.  

Willie you will love this - pansies are your favorites.

On the mornings that I drive Sid to school I walk around the Domain on my way home.  This morning it was foggy & kind of ethereal looking with a light dusting of frost on the ground.

Image from Instagram

Two years ago when my dear friend Sally gifted me the gorgeous book The Untamed Thread I very much became enamored with all things Fleur Woods.  

So when I saw Fleur's Taketwoart course "Joyful Embroidery" advertised for January of this year I signed myself up to it.  What appealed the most was that I could work through the modules at my own pace & then have lifetime access to all the information/teachings.  

It took me two months to complete the course - there were 10 modules altogether plus some bonus modules on photography etc 

Rather than working on a textile piece as I went I preferred to absorb the entire course first, slowly working through each module.

I must admit it was a further two months before I even attempted a stitched piece & it was timely that our little craft group had been given these sewing panels, each of us to choose one & "do something creative with it"

I chose the panel  Happiness is Handmade  💗

I'd initially thought to make mine into a bag, then decided to slow stitch it.  I've forgotten to photograph it prior to commencing stitching the panel, but you can see the panel top left even though I'd begun some embroidery. 

Top right is me playing with doilies & embellishments which took me over a week 'til I was happy with my lay out & I changed my mind many times.

Finally - yesterday - I finished my piece, which took me just over a month to complete (which was much quicker than I'd anticipated given the speed that I work at now)

I've photographed it on my deck table as my house is darker inside but I plan to hang it in my sewing room.  I'm really happy with how its turned out despite the fact it is slightly wonky & not square - Fleur encourages us to embrace the wonkiness of our work.

And Yes I chose to hang mine from a pair of Mums old knitting needles which I tied together - they were the perfect length for my textile piece.

Some close-ups ... a piece of Sanderson fabric top left - I've fabric painted some of the flowers but left the leaves natural. Vintage Suffolk puff & hexagon top right, the lace piece is from Mums old sewing box.  I've added a few clusters of bead embellishing here.  

One of Mum's old jug covers - I added a motif to the centre & more tiny beads.  Practicing a square of thread weaving top right.

Some couching & french knots on the left & some kantha stitching on the right.  Many of the doilies were from Mums stash, some were torn but I've just used pieces of the torn ones.

  

A line of vintage crochet lace & some buttons & then top right I used a section of this orange doiley as the sewing machine panel had orange in it so I mainly focused on oranges, pinks & blues in my piece.  🧡💗💙

Rather than leave raw edges I backed my piece with a cotton fabric & bound the edges.  I wrote a label for it & handsewed this on. 

Here is my centre panel  -  I just loved how the handwork gave it so much texture & made it sort-of pop out at you. 

And Yes dear friends - Happiness is indeed Handmade !!  I just love the whole process of creativity & am so thankful for this gift in my life.

And look dear friends ... I didn't even have to iron it because Pippi & Little One very kindly flattened it for me  😖

A couple of the ladies had finished theirs last month - Gail used her panel to cover a book box & then made the inside into a miniature sewing room complete with a cat & cake !!! 

And Sharlaine made her panel into a stunning Journal cover on a piece of vintage wool.  I just love what both ladies have done with theirs & will share the others when (if) the ladies have completed them. 

Thank you so much for your ever-welcome visits here today,

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,