Wonderful Wednesday #47: Joelle Gebhardt

Adorable Sushi Roll PDF patterns are now in Joelle Gebhardt's Etsy shop! So cute and so much fun to stitch, and such a great way to practice one's French knots, huh?

Joelle is an artist and illustrator from Berlin, and I was happy to feature her embroidered artwork on on our blog some time ago: http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2015/10/lets-meet-joelle-gebhardt.html

Friday Instagram Finds No. 17 with Erin McMom

Welcome to your weekly edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Today I'd like to introduce you to @erinmcmom! Erin's embroidery is beautiful, and she has gorgeous and unique designs.

@erinmcmom

I'm a sucker for typography of any kind, but most especially when it's embroidered. The sentiment of this quote is darling, and I love the French knots made to look like confetti. Staging the photo on a bed of tissue paper confetti is brilliant!

Image By Erin McMenemy

This Home Sweet Home hoops is my favorite of all of Erin's hoops. I love the design, and the colors on the grey fabric stand out so beautifully. Erin's stitches are so well done! They're tiny and tidy.

Image By Erin McMenemy

Isn't Erin's skyline of Vancouver, Canada beautiful?! It's cross stitch, but without any Xs on the Aida cloth. And there's the confetti again! 

Image By Erin McMenemy

When I saw this, and then read that it's a cross stitch globe that Erin created, I was blown away! I mean, WOW! I've never even seen a cross stitch globe before this one. Erin also sewed it together evenly and beautifully. She's got a lot of talent! 

Image By Erin McMenemy

That's it for this week's edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Join in the conversation by commenting below. While you're on Instagram checking out Erin's work at @erinmcmom, make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We'd love for you to stop by and say hello. You can find Feeling Stitchy on Instagram at the handle @feelingstitchyish. You can find Amy @randomactsofamy on Instagram.

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

Friday Instagram Finds, No. 2

Welcome back to Friday Instagram Finds! I've found three awesome embroiderers from Instagram to share with you this week that I think you're going to love!

@merriweatherc
Danielle, of The Merriweather Council, is an absolute dynamo! In addition to her gorgeous hand embroidery work, she's also one half of She Percolates, an awesome podcast that highlights amazing women and their successes.

I have a thing for granny chic cabbage roses, and pairing that with typography is fresh and fun!

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 25, 2015 at 8:42am PDT

Danielle's phrenology hoops are one of the most genius things I've ever seen, and has me thinking, "Why the heck didn't I think of that?!" They are seriously so clever, and any word could be stitched in it.

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 2, 2015 at 7:00pm PST

Sometimes it's the simplest things that make the biggest statement. The colorful lines on these pendants would pair so well with any outfit.

A photo posted by The Merriweather Council (@merriweatherc) on Mar 18, 2015 at 12:52pm PDT

@wildflower_threads
Christa of Wildflower Threads creates beautiful embroidery, often in miniature in her sweet hair accessories and jewelry.

Look at all of the stitches that Christa incorporated into this, "love wildly" hoop! It's a colorful and modern version of a sampler.

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Apr 1, 2015 at 8:59am PDT

This necklace pendant may be small, but the little scene with flowers and grass is absolutely precious!

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Mar 28, 2015 at 1:17pm PDT

These embroidered bobby pins are so fun! They are so dainty and ladylike.

A photo posted by Wildflower Threads (@wildflower_threads) on Jan 15, 2015 at 7:39am PST

@thekitschystitcher
Sara, The Kitschy Stitcher, is fearless in her embroidery, and she tries fun techniques and flosses to create fun and original pieces!

Even though we only get to see a little bit of this piece, it has some great stitches going on! The French knots (one of my favorite stitches) in the basket look like a bountiful bunch of flowers spilling out, and check out that gorgeous chain stitch for the bike chain - how clever!

A photo posted by ✂Hand Embroidery for the home✂ (@thekitschystitcher) on Mar 31, 2015 at 5:53pm PDT

Check out this crown in miniature full of bling and metallic floss!

A photo posted by ✂Hand Embroidery for the home✂ (@thekitschystitcher) on Mar 26, 2015 at 8:36am PDT

Do you see what I mean by using fun techniques? Sara used watercolor pencils to create depth to this portrait of Bacon, the French Bulldog.

A photo posted by ✂Hand Embroidery for the home✂ (@thekitschystitcher) on Feb 26, 2015 at 3:45pm PST

I hope you've enjoyed edition number two of Friday Instagram Finds on Feeling Stitchy! Please leave comments below to let me know what you thought. If you find a great embroiderer or stitch-related needle worker who you think I should feature, be sure to tag one of their pictures with #feelingstitchyig, and I'll take a look!

While you're on Instagram, make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We're @feelingstitchyishWe'd love for you to stop by and say hello :)

Friday Instagram Finds, No. 3 will be published Friday, April 17, 2015.

Countdown to Christmas: Printed fabric

Stitched by Dawn Regan

I love this idea by Dawn Regan - using a printed fabric that is lightly embellished with stitches - so lovely!

Bad beginning with happy ending

Olá! I believe you share with me the opinion that each piece of embroidery has its own story... Looking at old pictures I found these and they reminded me of their story... I remember that this began with a sad birth... While stamping the hibiscus pattern, I made a mistake - note the hisbiscus' petal on the right side.

So, instead of only embroidering the outline as I usually do with this pattern, I decided to fill it with french knots. That was a challenge... But I'm crazy about french knots, so it was a delightful challenge...




And we can say that this was a story with a happy ending... What do you think?



I believe that this story tells a lot about embroidering... Anyone who teaches embroidery knows that learning to embroider implies learning to deal with frustration... That is very clear with children but with grown-ups the same thing happens... How to correct a wrong stitch,  how to deal with something unexpected, what to do when you run out of thread... So many things can go wrong... And so many things can have a happy ending... Just like in our lives!!

I wish you a week with many "happy endings" - finais felizes!

Orange and gray

stitched by Liana D

I love this unusual combination of colors and the subtle beauty they impart to these gorgeous TAST stitches by Liana D. According to her photo, the stitches are: Whipped buttonhole, knotted feather, French knots, and triangular feather 'whipped' with scroll stitches. Beautiful, Liana D!

Paperclip Parrot

Stitched by hanging-by-a-thread

Well, now I have truly seen everything. This embroidery by Sally was done with paperclips, and it couldn't be any more amazing. To see more detail pics and read about her process, visit Sally's blog. Amazing work, Sally!

Knotty

home, originally uploaded by PataPri.

That shape above the bird is filled with French knots.

I have done some French knot filling on occasion too.. but nothing like this. This is just, you know, crazy.

And, you know, pretty darn awesome.

Knotty darn awesome.

French Knots + Pillows = Awesome

Quilted pillows have become extremely popular items over on Flickr. Sewists seem to love the more manageable nature of pillow projects versus full-sized quilts -- you can design and make a pillow in a single sitting, trying new techniques and fabric combinations along the way. It's (nearly) instant gratification! This trend is no doubt fueled by the wildly popular Pillow Talk Swap, an online swap that showcases pillows from some supremely talented crafters and is a neverending source of inspiration.

Today I'd like to highlight some amazing pillows made by Rebecca (badecca on Flickr) that feature both amazing fabric combinations and inspired touches of embroidery. I'd love to have a few of these in my home!

French knot bursts is a feature that Rebecca uses liberally in her projects. I love the dark, masculine color scheme of this pillow and the understated yet effective touch of embroidery.

Here's another take on her French knot bursts, introducing orange to add a beautiful and bright color element:

This is a great "in-process" shot, illustrating how Rebecca might think through her color and fabric selections:

LOVE how the small red pindots are pulled into the French knot element here:

Rebecca doesn't only do French knots, though. Here is a pair of pillows featuring a fascinating shark design:

I know this is an embroidery blog, but I couldn't help but share a picture of these two pillows, featuring some of my favorite Joel Dewberry fabric and made from traditional Japanese quilt block patterns:

Some more Japanese quilt block-inspired pillows:

And finally, here's a pillow featuring an embroidered sketch of Rebecca's so masterfully integrated into the pillow design:

Want to tackle a quick and easy sewing project that can showcase one of your embroidered pieces? Consider a pillow!

Fluffy letters

nervous closeup, originally uploaded by forestine.

This is unusual, isn't it? But absolutely fabulous.

Those letters look all funkylicious in all their mohair-y goodness! And I love the contrast with the French knots. :-)

Hidden Elephant

 

Can you find the hidden elephant in this picture? Poppy and Lime combined vintage fabrics with funky prints, hand stitching and impressive amounts of fill stitching to form this colourful creature. The fill stitching is done by using the Stem Stitch and lots of French Knots.  If you haven't mastered Le French Knot yet, head over to this tutorial by Jenny Hart, there is even one for left handed embroiderers!

Remember last weeks post about the Lazy Daisy Stitch? It inspired me to make this Lazy Daisy Peacock Feather Stitch.  Which is actually a confusing name because it isn't a Feather Stitch at all, just a stitch variation to create a Peacock Feather!

Knot to B

Look what Especially Amazing Stitches I have found in the Embroidery group on Flickr this week!   14countess did a marvelous job on these French Knots. I love the unique approach of this piece as well. Following the pattern design and colours of the fabric but giving it an amazing texture with the French knots.

White Category Winner - Rainbow of Stitches Contest

Wow, who knew that judging the Rainbow of Stitches contest would be such hard work? There were so many amazing and highly deserving entries in the white category that it was hard to pick a winner, but big congrats to Caitlin (saltyoat) for her winning entry.

Want to get to know Caitlin a little bit better? Here's how she answered our winners' questionnaire ...

What inspired your entry?

I was actually really inspired by this piece. I love doily and lace patterns, and knew I wanted to create a piece that reflected that. I also liked the idea of using the work to experiment with stitches and create a sampler of sorts. I started stitching the piece in an embroidery class at the Stitch Lab here in Austin.

What is your favorite stitch?

French knot

Who or what inspires you to stitch?

I'm really inspired by vintage embroidery transfers and fabrics. I also get a lot of inspiration from the blogs I read, Flickr, and the thrift stores I frequent.

How long have you been stitching and how did you get started?

I started cross-stitching when I was a kid, using premade kits (horses and Christmas ornaments were a part of my repertoire). I started doing embroidery last fall, using Jenny Hart's Embroidered Effects as my textbook.

Are there any stitchers in the Feeling Stitchy Flickr pool you have noticed?

I really love the white stitching on paper that jessicakelly entered in the contest (editor's note: we love it too and this entry was a close second!), and I'm a big fan of the work of septemberhouse, doe-c-doe, and the Pin Pals.

--

Thanks, Caitlin ... and good luck going up against the colors!

For some more of the outstanding contest entries in the white category, check out the mosaic below or browse our gallery.

Oh my, greens!

Knotty Weeds, originally uploaded by JammySage.

Or, OMG if you like. ;-)

I love (love, love) when stitches are used and shown off to their very best. Different stitches are so beautiful in themselves and it is great to see pieces that let the stitches play the leading role in stead of being the supporting act. This is an excellent example of that.

And it's green!

French Knot Highlights

Having now completed countless mini & doll quilt swaps over on Flickr, I can still look back and point to the single piece of inspiration that got me interested in joining my very first swap. It was this little lovely, created by Jennifer (who also blogs at Mama Urchin):


I coveted this quilt something fierce! The emphasis here is definitely more on the quilting side than the embroidery side, but look at how much just little touches of brilliant embroidery adds to the overall design of this mini:


The small french knot discs in a perfectly coordinated color are subtle, but manage to take this quilt from great to WOW WOW WOW! It helps that this was made from one of my all-time favorite fabric lines. Check out the little buttons, too.

Sigh. Three years later and I still covet this quilt.

This is knotty!

French knots!, originally uploaded by appleblossomfl.

Nothing stitchy makes me happier than when people use French knot as a filling stitch. Like in this mermaid from appleblossomfl. That takes patience! But I think it is always worth it.

See the whole mermaid here.

Embroidery Ideas

I guess it's kind of reverse collage isn't it?







I've made a copy of the page I wanted to use, traced the original dress, stitched it up & then cut away the dress from the magazine page to "frame" the embroidered piece.

I think that this idea would look wonderful if you used pattern envelopes or pages from vintage picture books.

Edit: Of course there are no new ideas. It seems that Doe C Doe has done it all before & really beautifully too. Just take a look here.

Dandelion Fluff in a Square

What can I say, I just love embroidered Dandelion Fluff! This Dandelion looks like it's made with tiny (tiny!) cross stitches and french knots and fly stitches for the fluff. Emily's cute embroidered squares are part of the 39 squares Stitch A Long. The good news is that you can still join in and embroider along.

Blossoms

Stitched by Kirsten's Fabric Art

Wow. Simply wow, Kirsten!

swap update and tutorial

embroidered buttons by Fioleta
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Here’s a list of all the swap partners in the embroidered button swap –
If you have not received an email from me then please let me know and I’ll send the details again.

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Mollie & Shannon
Susan & Amy S
Adaiha & Caitlin
Jo & Mary
Megan & Kellie
Charlie & Judit
Beth & Charity
ClaireH & Claire M
Cathy & Aj
Lisa T & Rebecca
Kitty & Erin
Naomi & Quinne
Kim & T’lia
Leigh & Sam F
Kristin & Rebekah
Amy W & Lorna
Hannah & Lisa M
Kate & Robina
Jennifer H & Morgen
Sophie & Sarah
Pam & Reilly
Carly & Shanti
Michelle & Rose
Sami & Leah
Angela & Laurel
Holly & Amy M
Carey & Janalyn
Amy S & Vanessa
Molly & Courtney
Dione & Karina

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And as mentioned last week here’s a tutorial for using Prym cover buttons, which you might find useful if stitching French knots, or any other delicate stitches that you don’t fancy squashing in a button mould!
It took me a while to get the hang of this type of cover button, but the nice thing with these is that you can easily take the back off and reposition the fabric is needed.

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If anyone has any tips they'd like to share for this type of cover button then please feel free to add a comment below.

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This example shows how to make a little French knot sheep button ... (click 'full' to enlarge tutorial)

How To: French Knot Sheep Button