Monday 7 November 2011

Percolating Ideas.

I'm not sure I should tell you this but I've been brooch making today, when really I should have been making bunnies...ssssh....don't tell anybody.
I've been experimenting a little using paper as well as fabric and hand embroidery. It all started with an old copy of the book 'Little Women' that I found in Wonderful Mans office (don't ask). It had the most beautiful illustrations in it which I though would look lovely cut out and stitched onto something. Well being the kind of gal that I am, there was no way that I could cut up a perfectly good book... any way to cut a long story short; one thing lead to another and that's how I ended up with some vintage style script stitched onto my brooches instead.
Isn't it wonderful how ideas percolate through us and come out as something quite different but with a little bit of 'us' in them.

The pink fabric above the heart is a piece of silk that I hand dyed myself to make the tiny flowers.

I really enjoyed making these. For a while now I felt as though I've been making things just because I can but they've not had any 'me' in them, do you know what I mean?

I think I lost my creative way for a little while.


I did escape for a short walk to the post office to post Macavertycats bunnies. Yes plural, the lovely lady couldn't resist both bunnies in the end.

So tomorrow I shall clear my brooches away and get into bunny making mode for everyone who has requested a little embroidered friend of their own.

As for little friends... here is mine. Sneaky Dog...

trying to snooze while someone kept sticking a camera under her nose!



22 comments:

Sandi said...

Fi, your brooches are gorgeous and how sweet the embroidery on the button. I just love the use of material, embroidery, buttons, lace and paper, right up my street (so to speak) Poor sneaky dog, how dare we interupt that very important sleep. My cat gives me 'the' look when I interupt hers, but hasn't a care in the world when she interupts mine.
xx Sandi

Stocki said...

Beautiful work on those little brooches...I love the combination of textures. Good to hear more bunnies are to be... um... 'born' :) Doggy hugs from my dogs to yours :)x

**Anne** said...

I love your brooches and I also love how you were inspired to try something different.
Anne xx

Kris said...

Beautiful. And cute doggin' too!

Used-to-Bees said...

Such pretty brooches - and so sweeet the way you have embroidered the buttons on!
x

The Patchwork Heart said...

we are so alike! I love the mixture of textures you have worked with it is something that is on my to do list to try when I get time away from school and the order book! I am fancying covered notebooks in this style!
Heather x

Annie said...

Your little brooches are so very pretty Fi. How lovely to have a little brooch with a little bit of you in them :-)....with the added ingredient of love of course.
Good luck with the bunnies.
A x

Wendy said...

The brooch is lovely.

I like embroidering on paper too - am afraid I have no problem cutting up old books. :)

I'd like to ask you a question about the embroidered flowers...are the stems made of one long stitch, or did you do a series of really little stem stitches?

It looks to me like one long stitch but I can't be sure - they look so pretty but my fear if I did that is that it would be prone to loosening and would get easily caught on things.

Caroline Lovis (Redneedle) said...

Love the combination of fabric and paper

MarmaladeRose said...

Hi Wendz.
It's just one stitch but these brooches are only small so the stitches themselves are only small and delicate. The brooches have also been stiffened so there is very little chance that the stitches will get pulled.

One of my favourite sayings is...
'It has to be fit for purpose.'

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

They are lovely designs. I love your work. Those little embroidered flowers on the buttons are so sweet!

Shortbread and Ginger said...

Your brooches are absolutely beautiful.
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

Jeanne Feijó Machado said...

Adoro os teus trabalhos, acho maravilhosos, cheios de encantamento. Parabéns. Bjs.
Jeanne

KC'sCourt! said...

What a very pretty brooch
Julie xxxxxx

Little Blue Mouse said...

The brooches are gorgeous. I love how even the buttons have flowers on.

sue said...

What a lovely little project, the flowers, embroidery and button are so pretty!

lemonade kitty said...

Absolutely gorgeous, you always come up trumps in whatever you make, Lucey x

Twiglet said...

Very pretty and a lovely idea to use a little bit oof text. Our friend Tina at http://www.silverfootprints.blogspot.com/
makes her collages with old letters etc - it just puts an added interest into your tiny little treasures doesn't it.

Cathy at PotterJotter said...

To-die-for brooches! What a crazy wonderful idea.

Scented Sweetpeas said...

That brooch is lovely!

Planet Penny said...

I know just how you feel about cutting up books. I love book art, but i can't bring myself to do anything to books but read them!

French Nanny said...

They are very sweet - and don't worry about the bunnies - Mr and Mrs Bunny will keep on making them...