Friday Instagram Finds No. 72 with Thimble Thistle

Starry Night pendant just added. Find it in my shop, link in bio, International shipping available! Thank you @dandelyne for making these fun little hoops! 🌌🌌🌌 . . . #embroidery  #craftposure  #etsy  #thimblethistle #contemporaryembroidery #embroideryinstaguild #hoopart #modernmaker #broderie #makersmovement #bordado #handmadeparade #stitchersofinstagram  #handmadeisbetter  #makeracademy  #dandelyne #blicksweeps #starrynight #vangogh

A photo posted by Jessica Blazek (@thimblethistle) on Sep 17, 2016 at 10:12am PDT

How beautiful is this mini hoop?! Today we feature Jessica of Thimble Thistle on Friday Instagram Finds. Her feed is filled with the most lovely mini hoop necklaces (from @Dandelyne) that are miniature replicas of masterpieces, pets, animals, and other adorable motifs. You can buy her masterpieces in her shop.

Custom Pitbull pendant . . . . #embroidery  #craftposure  #etsy  #thimblethistle #needlework #bordado #contemporaryembroidery #hoopart #modernmaker #feelingstitchyig #makersmovement #handmadeparade #stitchersofinstagram  #handmadeisbetter  #favehandmade #makeracademy #happysojo #dandeleyne #pitbull #pitbullsofig #pibble #dogembroidery

A photo posted by Jessica Blazek (@thimblethistle) on Aug 23, 2016 at 12:20pm PDT

Wolf Howling at Full Moon.  One more day of black and white tomorrow! Find all my creations in my shop through the link in my bio. The pendant hoops can be found @dandelyne . . . . . #embroidery  #craftposure  #thimblethistle #contemporaryembroidery #etsy #hoopart#embroideryinstaguild #modernmaker #broderie #makersmovement #bordado #dandelyne #stitchersofinstagram  #handmadeisbetter  #makeracademy #handmadeparade #blicksweeps #wolf #wolfmoon #moon

A photo posted by Jessica Blazek (@thimblethistle) on Sep 24, 2016 at 10:10am PDT

I have a new pendant to share today! This is 'Two dancers on Stage' by Degas. You can find it in my shop through the link in my bio. . . . . . embroidery  #craftposure  #etsy  #thimblethistle #needlework #bordado #contemporaryembroidery #hoopart #modernmaker #broderie #feelingstitchyig #makersmovement #handmadeparade #stitchersofinstagram  #handmadeisbetter  #makeracademy #happysojo #dandelyne #blicksweeps #degas #dancers #ballet

A photo posted by Jessica Blazek (@thimblethistle) on Sep 10, 2016 at 7:54am PDT

Wonderful Wednesday #20: Trellis and Thyme

I am loving this wonderful Eggplant Sampler pattern in Trellis and Thyme's Etsy shop. I really enjoy the delicate, subtle hues they've chosen for this pattern - beautiful!

Friday Instagram Finds No. 71 with Sweet Addie Beth

Hello stitchy friends! I hope you've had a great week :) Today we're featuring @sweetaddiebeth. Laura makes state hoops embellished with pretty florals and personalized hoops. I especially like her "I promise to put a smile on your face every day" hoop. The colors are so pretty, and her stitching is beautiful. You can find out more about Laura and her shop Sweet Addie Beth on her Instagram feed and Etsy shop.

Just a closer look at the flowers on my Oregon State Love hoop! 🌻🌸🌷

A photo posted by Quality Handmade Embroidery (@sweetaddiebeth) on Aug 14, 2016 at 7:19pm PDT

It's wedding day! I have my gift all ready to go, and now I gotta warm up my Nikon because I'm the wedding photographer too! 😊

A photo posted by Quality Handmade Embroidery (@sweetaddiebeth) on Aug 13, 2016 at 9:40am PDT

Have a two year anniversary coming up? The traditional gift is cotton, and these stitched wedding vows are so sweet!

A photo posted by Quality Handmade Embroidery (@sweetaddiebeth) on Aug 1, 2016 at 3:24pm PDT

Want to be featured on Friday Instagram Finds? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!

Wonderful Wednesday #19: Namaste Embroidery

I've been admiring the gorgeous handwork of Namaste Embroidery for some time, so I was quite excited to see this lovely Floral Wreath PDF Pattern in her shop. This would make a perfect sampler for a birth or a wedding, or just something beautiful for yourself.

Stitchy Snippets - 'Rag Face'

Yoon Ji Seon's 'Rag Faces' stare at you in vividly appealing colours that draw your eye in. Her series 'Rag Face' is an accumulation of three years of her work and has been on show at New York's Yossi Milo Gallery last year and the Gallery at BRIC House earlier this year.

The artist stitches into her photographed self portraits. Taking self portraits wearing a variety of different expressions, Yoon Ji Seon incorporates a lot of humour into her pieces:
"I didn’t just want beauty. I’m not against beauty, but I didn’t want to put a general beauty inmy work. I wanted to put some humour. One of my nephews, when he saw the work, said, “Aunt, you have noodles coming out from your nose.” It was fun, and I wanted to put some humour in it."

Stitching by hand and with her sewing machine, layer after layer rich textures are constructed. The layers of thread are combined and unite to create new tones and shades. The direction of stitches are changed to create shadows, depth and dimension in her pieces.

Yoon Ji Seon openly and humorously explains how she began working with the sewing machine and how she developed her style. "I never learned how to sew with a sewing machine. I tried to make stitches, and I made lot of mistakes. I mostly learned from the mistakes. It’s not normal sewing, like for clothes. It’s very different from that kind of sewing. The sewing machine broke many times. The man who fixes the machine insisted that I stop. I was torturing the sewing machine. It’s not a common way to use it. At the beginning, I’d stitch by hand, but those were small pieces. Now that my work is getting bigger and thicker, I mostly use the machine."

Yoon Ji Seon talks about her working process where she often works throughout the night. Her studio environment was very compact and she didn't have enough space to lay out her larger pieces of artwork whilst sewing at the machine and would frequently have to roll up her work and continue to stitch from memory. "I had to roll it while I was working. My room is very small, so I couldn’t unroll it to see the work. I had to remember everything I did. That’s why I couldn’t stop working and that’s why I didn’t sleep."

In Korean culture it is regarded a taboo to ornament or cover your body, for example with paint. Yoon Ji Seon's work has previously shocked local audiences as they struggle to can't understand her work and are fearful of it. Yoon Ji Seon states that "We think that hurting our body or destroying our body is not beautiful and very disrespectful to our parents.... It’s a taboo. I once planned a solo exhibition but it was cancelled because people were scared of what I did."

Inspired by traditional Korean masks, her needlework spreads and covers the original photographs often leaving only the eyes visible, thus forming a mask over the photographs. The artist explains. “Masks are very attractive because masks have various kinds of facial expressions and they usually exist as substitute personalities that express real-live people’s desires. I never tried to imitate these masks, but they often inspire me.”

I feel warmed by Yoon Ji Seon's striking 'Rag Faces' which are full of character and intrigue. I hope you enjoy them too!

Friday Instagram Finds No. 70 with Lolli and Grace

Good morning! This Friday we're featuring @lolliandgrace. Anne's Instagram feed is so colorful and beautiful! Her pictures are gorgeous and beautifully staged. I adore her Lady Flower Crown hoops that use appliques using pretty fabrics to add visual pop. You can find out more about Anne and Lolli and Grace on her Instagram feed and Etsy shop.

These lovely ladies (minus the hoop in the upper right corner) are live in the shop now! Click on the link in my bio to get to Lolli & Grace on Etsy. www.lolliandgrace.etsy.com

A photo posted by Lolli & Grace (@lolliandgrace) on Aug 6, 2016 at 3:45pm PDT

Handmade tassels, a hamsa and colorful embroidered flowers...this lovely pendant necklace is in the shop now. Click on the link in my bio to see it!

A photo posted by Lolli & Grace (@lolliandgrace) on Aug 3, 2016 at 3:53pm PDT

Oh, so happy to be stitching a few of these hoops this morning. Truly happy.

A photo posted by Lolli & Grace (@lolliandgrace) on Jul 25, 2016 at 7:54am PDT

Remember the Lady Flower Crown hoops? They will be in the shop tomorrow! Until then you get LFCH (Lady Flower Crown Hoop) spam, er, sneak peeks today.

A photo posted by Lolli & Grace (@lolliandgrace) on Aug 5, 2016 at 9:15am PDT

Want to be featured on Friday Instagram Finds? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!

Free Halloween Sampler Pattern by Amy

Halloween Sampler by Amy Byrne a.k.a. Random Acts of Amy

Hello, Stitchers! Our regular Friday Instagram Finds author, Amy from Random Acts of Amy, is offering a free Halloween Sampler pattern over on her blog. This is her very first pattern and it is wonderfully detailed - with a full guide to colors, stitches, and number of strands to use. She'd love to see you stitch it up! Follow the link above to get the pattern.

Wonderful Wednesday #18: Hawthorn Handmade

I adore the colors and stitches in this lovely Bear Embroidery Kit. The kits by Hawthorn Handmade look so detailed and a great place to start your stitching or a small side project for the more experienced stitchers.

Friday Instagram Finds No. 69 with Oh Sew Bootiful

Hello - it's Fri-YAY! This Friday we're featuring Steph and her Instagram feed @ohsewbootiful. Steph lives in Blackpool in the United Kingdom. Steph creates modern and fun embroidery kits and needlework patterns, and her kits come with everything you need to complete them. You can find out more about Steph and Oh Sew Bootiful on her Etsy shop and Instagram!

Ta dah!!! The summer project you've been waiting for... time to get your weave on!  The full embroidery kit is now available to get your mitts on 🌻🌻🐒

A photo posted by Oh Sew Bootiful (@ohsewbootiful) on Jul 20, 2016 at 11:14am PDT

Another new embroidery kit on the horizon 🐟🐙🐠

A photo posted by Oh Sew Bootiful (@ohsewbootiful) on Aug 20, 2016 at 12:46pm PDT

I do love a big fluffy dandelion clock!  #dandelionclock #dandelion #wishes #wish

A photo posted by Oh Sew Bootiful (@ohsewbootiful) on Aug 9, 2016 at 12:14pm PDT

Do you want to be featured on Friday Instagram Finds? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!

Wonderful Wednesday #17: SweaterDoll

Fox and Bear Embroidery Hoop Art by SweaterDoll

How adorable is this Fox and Bear pairing on Etsy by SweaterDoll? The shop also offers a pre-printed fabric design of the two, if you'd like to save yourself a fabric transfer. Sweetly simple and a fun-looking stitch for beginners.

Stitchy Snippets - Silhouettes

The French artist Nastasja Duthois explores silhouettes and shadows with needle and thread. Common themes occurring in her work are people, landscapes and animals and she likes to express the fleeting moments and surprises in everyday life.

Nastasja began incorporating embroidery into her artworks several years ago as a progression from her pictures using a biro or ball point pen. 'I have done a lot of art with ball point pen and I use needle and thread, in the same way, to trace contours or to fill areas.'

Nastasja creates beautiful line work in her unique style, often transferring techniques adopted with the pen such as cross hatching with thousands of individual hand stitches.

Currently exhibiting in Auray, France, it's exciting to see what she will produce next.

MooshieStitch Monday: Plushwork (with cotton floss)

Last week, I posted about plushwork with tapestry wool.

I decided to try the same technique with six strand cotton embroidery floss and thought I would share a quick post about how it turned out!

I used the same template and a variegated pink floss.

Half way through my first layer of satin stitches - so far I like how it looks with the variegated pink.

I completed 4 layers of floss on each petal.

Once again - the fun part - cutting through the layers.

Pull out the template...

Here is what it looked like before I "fluffed" it ...

Here is what it looks like after.

I really like the end result with the embroidery floss! I also thought it was easier to stitch with the floss than wool, since wool is much more bulky, but I am also new to wool stitching.

A few more photos of different angles...

I see lots of possibilities of using this technique to add more dimension to my stitching too.

What do you think? Which version do you like better - cotton floss or wool?

I have a few more ideas for plushwork, so you may be seeing some more posts about it in the future.....

Friday Instagram Finds No. 68 with Plaid Love Threads

Good morning, stitchy friends! This Friday we're featuring @plaidlovethreads. Valerie creates bright and colorful embroider. Valerie is based in the Bay Area, and - fun fact - used to be a Disneyland Tour Guide! I really like her necklaces where she layers lace and adds pretty embroidery. You can find out more about Valerie and Plaid Love Threads on her Etsy shop and Instagram!

These colors, whoa!! 😍 #vintagelace #lacenecklace #lacetrim #minihoopnecklace #miniembroideryhoop #minihoop #boho #bohochic #bohostyle #boholove #bohonecklace #rusticstyle #rusticnecklace #laceanniversary #thirteenthanniversary #13thanniversary #floweranniversary #fourthanniversary #4thanniversary #embroiderednecklace #embroideredjewelry #plaidlovethreads #dandelyne @dandelyne

A photo posted by Valerie - Plaid Love Threads (@plaidlovethreads) on Aug 16, 2016 at 9:37am PDT

Baby hoops are one of my favorite things to make! 😁 . #babynames #babynameart #babyhoops #nurserydecor #babyroom #nursery #rustic #rusticdecor #rusticstyle #foxdecor #woodlandnursery #woodlandcreatures #embroideryhoopart #embroidery #embroideredname #plaidlovethreads

A photo posted by Valerie - Plaid Love Threads (@plaidlovethreads) on Aug 17, 2016 at 11:53am PDT

Hello Friday!!!! And hello Instapeeps!!! Any fun plans this weekend? I have concert in the park tonight, a breakfast tomorrow morning with some friends, and I'm singing at church on Sunday morning. #hello #embroidery #embroideryhoopart #hoopart #welcome #guestroomdecor #entrywaydecor #entryway #embroideredflowers #bohodecor #plaidlovethreads

A photo posted by Valerie - Plaid Love Threads (@plaidlovethreads) on Aug 5, 2016 at 1:29pm PDT

Do you want to be featured on Friday Instagram Finds? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!