Kreinik Threads

Many moons ago I used to design and sell kits with silks (Pearsalls - now sadly deceased) and gold threads (Kreinik - very much alive http://www.kreinik.com).

Out of the blue Kreinik got back in touch and asked if I still used the threads, well, what could be more appropriate…… with the HARES? (Remember them?)

Look what came in the post from the wonderful Dena.

Opening the box….

Oh wow…..

Look at those wonderful colours and textures.

Purple!!!!
Perfect.

I spent yesterday sorting out the ones to use to create my hares..... I was like a kid in a sweet shop.

(Minus the calories)

Kreinik really do produce some wonderful threads in many colours and various widths.
They are much easier to use than the traditional goldwork kit but still have the glitter and a bit of bling that I love.

Life is getting better (these threads really cheered me up) and I’m grabbing some time in the studio, the green dress is progressing and I promise to take some photos for you today.

Happy Eostre

The goddess of fertility and spring was often portrayed as an egg or a hare.

Sometimes Brigit, Freya, Ostara or Maia.

Raising a glass of whatever you’re having to the longer daylight, more frequent days of sun and warmth, the flowers forming and the seeds germinating.

Wild times.....

I have one family member out of hospital following a two week stay, the other waiting for appointments and I’m pretty sure I have Swine Flu (again).

Surely its time to walk to calmer weather?

Pictures from last weekend when we took a walk over the dunes on Lindisfarne.
The beach, was, as usual, packed out. 
Awful place. 

 

No time......

Mary's Tribal Skirt

One skirt commission completed!

Take yards of Sari fabric, elephant trims, tassels, gold bells and fancy ribbons…..

 

Houston we have.... HARES!

 I have new glasses :)  I can seeeeee!

Hares are back on the agenda.
I am SO happy.

 

Works outing to Edinburgh

We’ve had snow!  Not enough to be really pretty but enough and the lawn is still covered in the white stuff.

Talking of the White Stuff I took myself to Edinburgh yesterday and this was my changing room in that said shop.  
Fabulous idea!  Like a trip to Narnia (favourite childhood books, I read the whole series).

Love it. 

In complete contrast to Northumberland Edinburgh was gloriously sunny all day.
Had forgotten how much I enjoy seeing the sun. 

George Street is shopping heaven….

... Princess Street is shopping hell.

I popped into the Scottish National Portrait Gallery for lunch and to see the BP Portrait Awards.
Em, some were photographic (whats the point?  take a photo), some were simply unflattering in the extreme, the occasional one captured the essence of the person(s).
You can see more here. 

My favourite “Under the Clootie Tree”  The expression on the child's face is priceless.

Under the Clootie Tree
by Lyndsey Jameson, 2015 

Life is still in upheaval here and very stressful.
But always remember….. 

It’s all we can do.

 

Illustration & Embroidery

Draw, paint, stitch.
Whilst I think about the sleeping hare I’m working on this idea.
(Still waiting for glasses so I can start more gold work hares). 

More iPhone Photography

Those of you who know Alnwick will recognise this as the street that had a needlework shop,
sadly (another) demised emporium of threads. 

Millstone

Seen on my #samewalkeveryweek

Moonset / Sunrise

I’m still doing a #samewalkeveryweek and taking two photos each time, one on the way up the hill (good excuse to pause for a second)…..

….and one at the top of the hill before turning around and starting back home.

At the end equinox / solstice I’ll make a collage and hope to see the changing seasons.

Just colours

Creating a Hare

I had an urge to get the water-soluble fabric and threads out to make my own sleeping hare.

One hour later I had a sleeping hare panel.
I should do much more of this work as I love painting with threads.

Now I’m going to have a think about what to do next, let this evolve organically into a small picture of the hare sleeping in his form (the name for a hares sleeping place - they don’t dig burrows like rabbits but sleep above ground).

Iphone photography

Recently I’ve got into the habit of taking photos on the iPhone and have lazily stopped taking the “big” camera out to play.
Its both good and bad, quality is obviously not as good.
But the apps available on the iPhone do a lot of the work of post-processing for you. 

I use Snapseed as my photo editing app.  
Its very good and simply to use.

Take this original, unedited photo of an alleyway in Alnwick on a gloomy January day. 

In Snapseed I first head to "Tune Image” and increase brightness, ambience and saturation (just a touch).

Play with HDR.

Add a grunge filter.

Then in Instagram I think I used “Amaro” filter, then added a vignette, increased structure and added a circular tilt shift.

Its sounds a lot but takes a minute or two, thats all.
And this is the result.
Compare Before : After 

Same here, dull gloomy day in  Berwick.

But with an increase in contrast and structure, change to a tinted B&W filter and you have a great photo.

I love this one below, again of Alnwick on a VERY wet day.

Two or three times a week I’m trying to walk over 2 miles and up  a hill.
You can’t see the valley here, looks like the hills go straight across but there is a steep drop down to the road and river - and home.
This morning the moon was still out, hovering about the Cheviot Hills. 

And I always take a photo at the top of the hill and the point at which I often turn around.

Just in time....

…For January

I can only apologise for not blogging for almost a whole month :(  
How did that happen?

I’ve been so very busy both in body and mind with really important, stressful and time consuming family stuff, thats the only excuse. 

The hares are cut out and sealed with fray check.
Not yet sewn on the dress, just sort of hanging about in different positions to see how they look. 

I’m desperate to get on with a few more, but waiting on a new pair of glasses.  
That’s been a real test of patience and time too.
Boots Opticians initially gave me glasses with the wrong prescription in one eye(!), then corrected this….. and the mid-focus was completely out.  I couldn’t see the computer monitor without squinting.
And then the glasses themselves, all £500 worth started to fall apart!
Refund time. 

So back to an independent opticians, Zeiss lens ordered for the Lindberg frames I have already.
Should be here within three weeks.

Anyway here are the hares….. and tomorrow I’ll show you some photographs and discuss how you can make something really special using two simple apps on your phone.

Boxing Day

Are you all recovered from yesterday?
I’m finding it hard to wake up today, may need a third coffee….

Yesterday I lit my special candle along with other friends - a group of us who gather in spirit and in a yahoo group.
It wasn’t long until the fire was lit too. 

More hare/bunny presents.
Fabulous!

After lunch we played the Santa game (from the crackers), last year we were racing reindeer.  
Wonder what next year will be? 

Today is wet, muddy and cold.
This was the ford about 11am.  Usually you can walk over but today it would be above my head.
And its still raining so we’re keeping a close watch. 
Hibernating and munching left overs, keeping warm and chilling out are the order of the day. 

Happy Christmas

Santa made a good choice this year!

Hope everyone has a good day, our lunch is in the oven and one bottle of fizz has evaporated already. 

Three hares dancing....

 …. and celebrating Yule!  Happy Solstice everyone.
(OK, I’m a few days late posting this but I did write it at Yule!) 

The sun is coming back to us here in the north!
YIIIPPPPEEEE!!!

The first set of three hares is finished and I can’t wait to start more after the holidays…. and when I get my glasses sorted.
I have new ones as I knew I was struggling to see this close sewing.

Unfortunately the new pair have not lived up to expectations (nor price).
One lens is perfect, the other not in focus and the earliest opticians appointment to check the prescription is 5th January.

And I want to sew more hares :( 

And a new throw finished…. worked on over 5 years.

At home I’ve been enjoying making my own wreaths from home grown willow and holly.