Double, Double Toile and Trouble!!

Nancy Prator's 'Paris Embroidered Bird'

This morning, while visiting my usual blogs over a hot coffee, I managed to find myself cruising Etsy - Which always seems to a gold mine of inspiration and creativity!

It's here I came across Nancy Prator, who's 'Paris Embroidered Bird' caught my attention immediately. Made from about 100 miniature photocopied maps of Paris, and then ran through a large printing press. She then preceded to draw on the bird and branch, then finishing by hand-embroidering them both. The detail is impressive!

I love this piece, and with it I was hit with so much inspiration!!
After my fun with making the Christmas Stockings for my family, one might think I'd be sick of a needle and thread! But nope, old enthusiasm was ignited and now I think I'm hooked!


'Paris Embroidered Bird' In Detail


Domino Magazine Toile Article, Dec/Jan '09

As I thought about this idea further, I was reminded of a piece of work by Richard as it was featured on his blog spot, Historically Inaccurate, which I had stumbled upon a while back.
Funnily enough, the above article from Domino Magazine featuring Toile and it's come back only fueled my ideas even further!

Richard had featured two Knoll Tulip Chair seat cushions, which he had spent three months embroidering last summer. Adding bright color and a few little, and subtle, humoring twists to a simple piece of toile made these seat cushions something quite special! The detail in the stitching here too, is also very impressive!


Richard's Embroidery, In Detail


One of Richard's Embroidered Cushions

Below are my two favorite images from the Domino Toile Gallery, I must say... I do like a bit of this toile myself, in fabric and wallpaper!

Now....where's my needle and thread?!

Santa, Stockings and Sewing!

Me and My Dad

My Sister, My Mum, and My Brother

Well, it's about time I posted all my news about Christmas and New Years before the holiday's are really over!! So here goes, btw.. this will take a few posts!

I may have mentioned this before, but this past Christmas was the first year my whole family wasn't together. And as this had to be decided a few months ago now (due to plane tickets etc) I had time to plan a little something extra for my family, a little idea I had.....

It was that I would do something that would bring us together, or connect us in some way, where we could still feel together. Remind us all that we were a family and that oceans couldn't stop that.

So I set to work. And played Santa! 

Shown above are just the front panels of the stockings, made out of my favorite Lulu DK fabrics! I picked fabric which I felt was right for each person too. Templates were made for everything so all sizes matched. And each little Felt person carried the characteristics of it's soon-to-be recipient! (Dad's also included Fred - when we were kids, it was the name given to the one little hair left on his bald head!!)

Then the felt figures were lightly glued on, and detailed with embroidery threads and moving eyes! The first initial of each person was also added to the stockings.

The back and front of them all were their Lulu DK fabrics, and then each were lined with a Donghia white linen. On the tops, I added white felt edging and a tab to hang them from! And for a little something extra I sewed on an assortment of solid and frosty white buttons, with sparkly silver thread.

I was really pleased with how they turned out, and seen as how I made them all with just a needle and thread (and pricked my fingers wayyy too many times!!) I was pretty proud of them too! I only hoped they would receive a warm welcome from my family!

Each (other than my own!!) was stuffed with little goodies, and a bigger present (if it fit! - otherwise I was wrapped to the side). Everyone also got a giant Hershey's Kiss and a Candy Cane!

Now of course, I would have loved to post the blow by blow of the process as I went through it before Christmas, but it would have spoiled the surprise if they all saw it here first!! I did enjoy those many evenings of listening to Christmas music on the radio and sewing away... It got me in a very festive mood!!

Below you'll see the finished products!

Finished! My Dad and I on the Mantlepiece on Christmas Day!

Finished! My Sister, Mum and Brother, just before I packed them up ready to be sent to England!