Living in the woods offers no end to the parade of things to get inspired by. Just this week, I’ve seen these:

Even in spite of the poison ivy, it’s been a lovely summer of gardens & stitch. And I’ve been working on some new projects for the mixed media stitchbooks I’m teaching:

“Stitchbookery™” is going to be a local mixed media embroidery class that will be hosted in one of the groovy businesses in historic Parkville.  There are some really great wineries and a sweet little tea house that could be awesome venues…  I’ll post when I get the details worked out. Imagine a delicate brunch with a smooth Pinot Grigio and an afternoon of stitchbooking… Now that’s what I call summer fun!

I’ve just started working the Monkshood on unbleached muslin for my Damned Stitch series & I love how he’s coming along:  I stitched in the hair which sadly looked more like mange (!) so I ripped it all out & will begin again.

I’ll start stitching in foliage next, but I liked it SO much, I started working one on an old map that I gel transferred to my stitchbook:

I think the stitching is going to add a lot to these figures — next I’ll begin Wolfsbane. I’ve been watching Wolfman movies to set me thinking about the wolf/man character and it’s been very inspiring –  but isn’t that the cool part of developing an idea? The process of working something from sketch to stitch is certainly one of life’s sweetest pleasures. If you haven’t looked in on the slideshow, check out my From Sketch to Stitch series  *LINK* , and maybe get inspired yourself.  You never know who might show up when you take pencil to paper & start inviting muses…

I’m also sketching Hemlock… but after the poison ivy fiasco I may have to add THAT to the Damned Stitch mix (I’m STILL blistering but luckily the itching is mostly cleared up).

Speaking of classes — I’m still working out the online situation. It’s taking some editing & reworking visual materials but they’re coming.  I’m also putting up my local teaching schedule for the holidays — November December. I’m planning weekend workshops in wire work and metallics and some additional sketch-to-stitch classes.

It’s been so humid & oppressive we are using every excuse to make art indoors — I’ve got 2 sketchbooking classes coming up so we’ve been doing sample drawings & working in watercolor. Incidentally, here’s a great look at some watercolor possibilities I’ve collected from around the studio: *LINK*

In spite of the great art groove we’ve had going on, today we decided the heat MUST be embraced (as the young ‘uns were getting cabin fever) so I filled 2 baskets with WATER BALLOONS, loaded up the water sprayers & set them loose!!!!!  At least I’ve defended my “coolest mom” title for a while!

Stay cool, be inspired, and get to work! I’m back in the studio for the next 3 days…

Don’t let anyone tell you poison ivy isn’t EVIL!

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE VINES!!  I’ve cut out POUNDS of thick woody poison vines every night this week and the stuff STILL covers the fenceline…

And if you look closely along the left edge of the right photo, BERRIES! — the beastly vines are growing, weaving, winding ALL through my blackberries!!  I’ve managed to pick a full basket every night without getting any ivy on me, but I know it’s plotting to get me… so I keep cutting it out by the bucketful.

But with the bitter comes the sweet… as I cut through the first brambles in the thicket on Monday, I found an abandoned gift:

And yes, just like that, my faith in living in the woods was restored.

Those of you who know me know that I collect bird’s nests and have found several around the property which are great examples of weaving and “stitch”.

It’s getting a wash in the shade garden & will soon take its place among the others over the doorway in the kitchen.

Now — about the tutorial situation… It seems our leaders across the big pond have indeed jettisoned the teaching arm from the Hand Embroidery Network.  I know trying to develop and sustain a curriculum is a full time job in addition to their other pursuits, and they have just had to prioritize and tighten their focus.  They will maintain the blog where I’ll continue writing my columns “Caught… Being Fearless”, and “Needles on the Record”, but  all formal teaching is finished (for now).  For us, this means I’ll be editing the core classes down to a 4 or 6 week format (Stitcher’s Garden Book, 6 Stitched Shes, Metamorphostitch, and Metallics & Wire Work) and am preparing to re-package them for a go over at the Fiber Arts Mixed Media schoolhouse (FAMM link )  being developed by artist Susan Sorrell (creativechick.com).  I’ve LONG loved her vibrant mixed media stitch style, her easy free writing style, and the way she’s just been diving in to social media, and the business of art.  I think this might be a great partnership. So, as things develop, I’ll post links & you can take a peek at what’s available.

Today I finish the Art Institute series & send my students out into the world, then, this weekend I’ve got a mixed media art workshop Saturday & can (hopefully) get new classes developed Sunday/Monday.

Endorsement-wise, notice the Creative Troupe badge in the right sidebar — I am officially doing a little product testing & project development for Liquitex acrylics via C&T Publishing (in addition to designing for DMC Threads) so I’ll be posting some “Mad stitch scientist” experiments soon. Anyone use soft bodied acrylics??  Here’s a tiny peek at the latest studio goings-on – it’s my beloved Mandrake in a mixed media watercolor sketchbook project:

You all know I’m a watercolor girl, but  Let’s see what these acrylic babies can do…  heh heh!  Be Fearless!

Here we are at the end of the first week of the summer Art Institute classes

I have a really great students — though they were SO quiet on the first day that I was completely UNhinged! I had no idea if they were on the same page with me, or completely lost… come to find from their written work they are very thoughtful, and actually very good writers, just mostly shy about it.  NO problem!  I’m looking forward to discovering their poetic talents & seeing their take on Text as Art –  I get so much energy from their interests & in their enthusiasm!

On the work table, I’ve been writing the new tutorials — first up: the Mandrake, this time worked on watercolor paper in floss & fiber. LOVE that design (& may have a new opportunity for him soon).

Over at the HEN, I’ve spotlighted Karen Cattoire for her amazingly lush mixed media embroidery:   In this Pastel piece, she’s layered glue, fabric,  paint, stitch — you name it!  Go see!  *LINK*

Meanwhile, I keep developing projects for DMC and JoAnn, and staying cool (we’ve been making lots of garden foods: beans, lettuces, berries…

There is just nothing better than a handful of frozen berries in fresh green tea (which we’ve been brewing in the afternoon sun).

Soon, the elder berries will start to fatten up & then we’ll try wine!

So far, the only downer has been the discovery of a HUGE overgrowth of poison ivy ALL through the wild berries on the east side of the garden! I hate to poison it with chemicals since it’s only about 8 feet from the strawberry patch, but I am SO allergic to it, I just don’t have a choice — some of the vines are the thickness of my pinky!!! I’ll have a go with the chemicals & try pulling the small seedlings with my gloved hands — otherwise life in the woods this summer has been really lovely!

Just a quick hey’all to let you know the Hand Embroidery Network classes are in a bit of a… transition.  I’ll let you know what’s up as SOON as I know for sure — but I’ve thrown in my hat & heart (& needles) to help with the admin of the education department because I think our dear HEN leaders are a bit overextended. For those of you who run a blog, and a business, and are crafty, and, and, and… you know just what trying to manage it all is like. I’m hoping they can find the resolve to let me give them a hand & help develop the online program.

For those asked about 6 Stitched Shes and the new Metallics & Wire Work class, I’ll release new dates as soon as I know what the teaching situation will be.

For those who have just completed the Basic Wire Work class locally — NICE WORK!

Me, I’ve been alternatively rolling around in my DMC thread piles (nom,nom…) and designing new projects. I also led a GREAT Intro Drawing for Kids class last week

& really enjoyed the enthusiasm of the young artists — definitely planning to do more of that this summer! I am always reminded of my own love affair with paints and sketchbooks when I lead a class of beginners down the path of blending lush watercolors and creating vibrant compositions… certainly is rejuvenating to just dip in & play in the yummy paintbox!

In shopping news, if you haven’t checked the Artfire studio lately, go have a look:  *LINK* If you are a maker & don’t know about Artfire – it’s time you investigated this WONderful online shopping resource!   I have new Organic charm Bracelets for sale, and will be adding more samples as things get photographed…  Can I get a Hell Yeah from those who are running an art business?? My summer semester at the Art Institute

is about to begin and as I am teaching young artists about writing for art (artist statements, grant proposals, descriptive materials etc) I’ll be talking about the Business of Art, and how, even as a professional artist, the largest part of your work time is spent swapping hats: manager, book keeper, marketer, administrator, writer, agent, secretary, etcetcetcetc — the work never stops, and BARELY leaves enough time for making the damned art!!!  And yet, for those of us who are compelled to do it, we can’t imagine any other life.

So, stay cool, make art, be fearless, & I’ll check in soooon!!

To those who have been asking – I’ve scheduled the Stitcher’s Garden Book class to begin 26 June – 6 sessions over 12 weeks of mixed media stitched journal FUN!! I’ve added some COOL bugs like the praying mantis, and dragonflies… and some figure stitching using hands & human forms… guaranteed to be a lifetime of skills – and all without bug bites or sweat!

I’ve also scheduled the 6 Stitched Shes to begin 19 June (6 sessions over 12 weeks) and should have a few returning players from the previous class for another go:

The Shes are built on the idea of a Victorian silhouette, but with the modern twist of using mixed media treatments to embellish the image. We’ll explore everything from paints and paper collage to fabric piecing and a little wire work — don’t miss out! (And with a little planning, you could easily create one or a set of these to give as a very special keepsake holiday gift…)

**NOTE: both Stitcher’s Garden Book & 6 Stitched Shes will finish as the school year starts — so this would be a GREAT summer project for a mother+daughter or a sister combo… C’mon girls! Grab your best friend & give it a GO!

Next up is Metamorphostitch: a mixed media stitch adventure in the tradition of Dr. Frankenstein meets Exquisite Corpse –

read more here *LINK* and join me for a little mad scientist stitch! Class begins July 25 – 4 sessions over 8 weeks… let’s create something, or someone…

Next up is the Metallics & Wire Work for Hand Embroidery!! Finally, it’s really here…

Featuring manipulations in metallic threads, wire, and the COOL new product from DMC: Memory Thread. We’ll create all sorts of wearables including brooches, pendants, earrings, bracelets, and with the skills you learn – MORE!! Tentative start date is 20 June, 6 sessions over 12 weeks at $70.

Visit the Schoolhouse for more info *LINK*

For immediate reservation, email me at victoria@freedomofstitch.com — for direct sign up, visit www.handembroiderynetwork – tuition

More updates to come… See you in the workroom!!!

After slogging through many many failed twists & bends, the new Metallics and Wire Work for Hand Embroidery tutorial is *HERE*!!!!!

Is this the COOLest (earrings & brooches)??? I’ve combined lots of special threads, and wires, and beady beads… YUM!

This class will be available on the Hand Embroidery Network super soon (our Admin is OVERrun with deadlines… but we’re getting there!) The class will open in mid June but will probably be a one time downloadable — more info as it pans out. I’m thinking of going to more of an e-book formatwith the classes… again, we’ll see.  But Check out these earrings:

I LOVE these threads!

Again, MUCH love to the lovely Emma Broidery over at DMC for my design package — it’s certain to yield LOTS of great projects for y’all!!

Incidentally — it’s time for a studio clean out!!  That’s right, I won’t say “fire sale” (cuz I DON’T want that karma!) but I’m certainly on FIRE to sell the old to make room for the new!  If your heart desires a little mixed media stitch love EMAIL ME!!!  victoria@freedomofstitch.com

I’ve got wall hangings and lots of embroidered jewelry so step right up, make your request, I’ll ship your wish! For those who need to ogle first, I’ll be posting a Sale Gallery this week, so look around & see what you like!

I’m also open for commissions if you have a preferred color! I hope this Memorial Day weekend leaves you fortified and refreshed (& maybe a little stitchy) ;0}

Don’t be late for this VERY important date!! Emma Broidery has officially announced her Garden Party Week, and look who’s helping to get the party started:

It’s my sweet purple garden posy and the sassy mantis… both will be making more guest appearances as the festivities are revealed…  So get out your hoops, or gather some lovely papers and collage materials (and plenty of  DMC threads!) because there’s mixed media embroidery afoot, and lovely free patterns, and of course LOTS of prizes all week!!

Now don’t dally! Get your garden bonnet on & GO SEE Emma!!!  *LINK*

Yep that’s right. I can finally reveal the details of my mysterious delicious liason! It’s been sooo luxurious in every way… see I’VE BEEN SEDUCED BY THREADS!!!! Sultry Satin, Luminous Pearlescent, Stunning Jewel Effects, AND Glow in the Dark thread!! *gulp* And my favorite… Wired cord *swoon* Called Color Infusions Memory Thread… (it’s wired fiber) SOOOOO many possibilities…

It went down like this…

After spotting me across a crowded interweb, I was wooed by Threads — DMC Threads, to be exact –  to apply my mixed media embroidery design shenanigans to their snazzy new Color Infusions. The seduction was swift and sure, as I had to confess right off that I’d LONG pledged my loyalties to that smooth and savvy fiber. It stood up to every bad girl thing I could throw at it, heat, tension, the cold shoulder… and yes, even tantrums and cursing and  ripping it out again and again… I knew it was love at first stitch. And then came… the GIFT. A simple unassuming box. But when I savagely sliced open its belly in a wild eyed frenzy there they were… HUNDREDS of skeins of EVERY kind… Oh Mother of Stitch… Jewel Effects, Precious Metals, Flourescent, Pearlescent, GLOW in the DARK, variegated and SATIN (as smooth as… well, SATIN!!) Oh sisters and bruthas, there are few among us who are ever wooed like this… and none who recover.   So, as I continue to gorge myself like a love crazed school girl on color, hue, and dreamy creamy texture, you can visit DMC US in the coming days for a lovely Garden Party hostessed by the gracious Emma Broidery and featuring a Garden Stitcher’s Embroidered Journal Project (and for those of you who have arrived here FROM the DMC Garden extravaganza), click on the Schoolhouse to get the FULL 12 week, 6 session Stitcher’s Garden Book Project experience commencing in June for your continued stitching pleasure!!

But back to our romance, in a hot 10 day tryst I sweated, worked, and did EVERYthing the thread demanded *blush* …and it was AWESOME!!!! I’ll be posting pix over the next few days to reveal my torrid activities, cuz I KNOW you wanna see;0}

But DO check out the DMC threads blog, download patterny goodness, play with Emma & me, and PLEASE post in the flickr Fearless Stitcher Gallery & Boneyard *link* if you get involved in the garden book project — cuz I like to *see* too!!!!!!!!!!It’s not just that we want to play, but we want to see what wonderful creations YOU can make with stitch in the garden (& give you a VIP room to rub elbows around in)!

Meanwhile… I’m barricaded in my studio with my box of threads and a bolt of muslin… just back away and no one gets hurt… *drool, leer* Until next time… ;0}  Be Fearless & GO stitch up the place!

5-oh de Mayo…

It’s no surprise to me that the only word I can think of to describe my stitching of late is… schizophrenic!!

I’ve been working something practical and “mend-y” almost every day for 2 weeks.

Seems my son has a real talent for blowing out his knees… and jacket elbows…

and the fence climbing has claimed two inseams…  alas…

But then, I’ve really really wanted to get going on the figures for my upcoming Figure Stitching class –  so I finally began putting stitch “sketches” in an old World Atlas… and I mean old SMELLING! pee yew!  It’s only from about 1965, but it smells like it died long before that.

(it was sold to me in a garage sale after the basement flooded — hence the stink!)

But even all water damaged & moldy, it’s still going to make a great project!

I’m enjoying s-l-o-w-l-y adding graphite and sepia toned water color sketches, and then stitching the figure outlines… something very meditative about “finding” and revealing the body’s form. I think it’s one of the first things that drew me to embroidery — specifically mixed media embroidery. I love the work of sketch-sketching and FINDing a line, it’s such an intuitive process. And you may find and mark a different line from me, which is the VERY essence of why every single artist’s expression is valuable and vital — only YOU can express YOUR vision, YOUR line, and only I can find and express mine.  And if we sit and interpret the same figure, we get vastly different forms from the same source… just thinking of it makes me giddy. It’s what I so love about art.  I’ll be coming back to this in later posts — ( Soon, I’ll actually be coming out of “the medical closet” with a revelation… teaser teaser…)

And for something TOTALLY different…

I’ve been developing more embroidered jewelry (and incorporating wire work and beading) for my local classes.  It seemed like a natural direction to go when the education director at JoAnn asked me to develop a series based on my stitched brooches, so I did a little research and got a few spools of wire.  Being a total magpie by nature, I went immediately for the loopy swirly effects and started blending cotton & metallic flosses with different wire gauges with pretty cool results. I like coils & spirals so I began there:

Then,

I thought why not work a few cold connections for a bracelet or belt:

I really like the look of connected units — and I see all sorts of possibilities for adding embroidered elements.

It’s been quite an adventure working in wire, but oddly, it acts just like floss — but without the fabric!

If you are one of those who have asked about this as a tutorial, I’ll have one up on the Hand Embroidery Network soon – probably July (after I’ve had a chance to teach it here first). That will give me a good idea of what information I need to include for online students.

So, after all this groovy wire action, I HAD to do a sample of my favorite jewelry EVER:

Charm Bracelets!!!

Since I was a little girl, I’ve loved charm bracelets and have collected and assembled many on different themes, but I must admit, making my own from a roll of wire & my imagination is pretty fun!  I like the shape of a spiral, and an “S”, so I started playing…

Of course going back to my motto that the best discoveries come from accidents — I was TRYing to make a l-o-o-o-n-g S shaped hook to serve as a clasp…

but the form went ALL wonky and led to these long “links” that ended up very organic indeed!

I’ll also be adding a “Talismans” course where we wrap beads, sticks, marbles, rocks — you name it — any treasures that need wrapping!

And with both embroidery floss AND wire, so I still get to use my favorite things!

I’m really looking forward to dreaming up freestyle elements for this one — I’ve also figured out how to incorporate a spiderweb backstitch and a drizzle stitch within the wire structure so stay tuned & I’ll post some more samples as I announce classes.

The final sample is from the mixed embroidered cuff class. Originally, I’d designed them as a solid band of swatches:

And added the medallion and stitchy elements to pull it all together.

As I worked the new sample, I separated the swatches, and finished the edges, but kept the center embellishments.  I also joined the patches with sparkly beads and added the same toggle clasp.

I think I’ll develop the design using more embellishments like crystals, and buttons, and maybe some trims…

Again, the best part of teaching is getting to pile up possibilities and watch my students catch fire with possibility!

Meanwhile, I stitch, and bend, and march on… there’s cool projects afoot!

If you haven’t checked out the schoolhouse, do that here *LINK*

Be inspired—  be fearless— GO stitch up the place!!

For my incoming students at the Kansas City Art Institute in June… we WILL be looking over some of this material — but your handbook has the details of our journey. It will be built of text, and poetry, and the possibilities of altered books and textured journals! I understand there is to be about 20 of you, so get a nice FAT sketchbook, collect your favorite poet’s quotations, and get ready… we are going to have SO much fun! Jack Kerouac… Jim Morrison… Tori Amos… Anne Sexton… if you aren’t just giddy with excitement, you need to take your pulse… we are about to set sail on an AWESOME journey! Students on ground, locally, and online… see you soon and hang on tight… it’s gonna be a bumpy and AWESOME ride! ;0}

Just a quick note that the mixed media embroidery artist Mimilove Forever has been Caught… Being Fearless in my post over at the Hand Embroidery Network! Her work is such an inspiration, and so engaging, I couldn’t have dreamed up a better example of mixmed stitch! So whatter you waiting for? Go See!!  *LINK*