Bird Embroideries

I am really happy to have been taken on by Yellow House Licensing recently and look forward to new horizons as a result. So I have had to collect images of work for them to make a portfolio to represent me. These two bird embroideries were made some years ago, maybe 4-5? and it has been great scan them properly as I never had time when I made them ... but I am definitely feeling it's time to make some more machine embroideries ... time? I must make time. The cottage is now going on the market so I have to keep it tidy and clean and as my kitchen is the nerve centre of this business that is quite a challenge .. also doing these embroideries is incredibly messy and it is a requisite to empty out piles of scraps to rummage through, resulting in myself, the cottage and the dog are then covered in trails of threads ... but I have explained to the agent this is a place of work as well as a picturesque and perfect kentish cottage.

If anyone is interested in a very unique, beautiful 400 year old cottage on the edge of heaven, please contact me .... 

Orange Cuckoo

Pink Cuckoo

Tree Bird Embroidery

 

Detail of bird

I have been reworking this embroidery this last week, though time for doing this work has been limited because there have been many orders to fill, thanks to the feature in Country Living. But here it is ... 24 cm x 25 cm ... silk, velvet, with rayon thread embellishment
All enquiries to info@nancynicholson.co.uk
I do love doing these again, but there have been many distractions these last couple of weeks, including my dear youngest boy Will who has been "helping" in the parched and desiccated garden. Having persuaded me to buy a lethal looking strimmer he is now occupied happily annihilating all in his path, but at least it stops him using the other garden tools for things they were not intended ... he needs topping up with food every half hour too, but it is good to hear the thrashing outside as I really have no time at the moment to compete with the growth out there. But love it too all ram shackled.

The next post will feature the newest Radial AND an exciting new venture which has also distracted me somewhat this week ... but wait and see.

Shed, and Pigeon embroidery production

I love working in the shed, it gives me the feeling I am actually going out to work rather than getting up and sitting down to it in my kitchen/studio with my tea and porridge and not stopping till the jobs are done. I NEED a girl Friday, any offers? Bored graduate who loves textiles and would not mind roughing it in a quaint, beautiful, no mod cons cottage for a few months .... get in touch!

Here are some pictures of my little garden studio/shed. Biddy loves it too and sleeps behind me on the futon. Though during the heat it was all a bit much for her and she kept asking me to turn down the thermostat, which I tried explain was not really up to me, which just made her sulky and bad tempered, and refuses a licky lolly. Ruby the dog next door likes to be hosed down, with much hysterical and excitable yelping. Does make me smile!

And here some pictures of the next piece I am working on, "The Pigeon" embroidery, on the go as an infant and as it grows. It is a large piece and is tiresome to get through the machine with all the twisting and turning necessary when doing these embroideries but a couple more weeks should do it! Then I will post it!

The Etzy shop is exciting too ... There I will have one off pieces and other things, just really an alternative audience source hopefully. I feel uncomfortable about putting prices here on the blog ... but the Swallow is £110 unframed but beautifully finished with a linen backing and edges. But on Etzy I won't feel so bad. It all feels a bit spammy somehow. What do you think? I will let the world know (!) when it is all spik and span and ready to visit!

Teaching tomorrow at The Sewing Space so if your coming along I really am looking forward to meeting you and having a great day!

The Pigeon being embroidered on hottest day ...

The small but lovely interior of my summer workplace!

My own and my father's old brushes he used for his oil paintings, and an lovely old anglepoise lamp

Cuckoo under construction

First stage of laying out the Pigeon pieces. Velvet, silk, prints, ready for embroidery...

Biddy complaining about the heat

The boxes of Rayon threads I use

Rain, heat, pleasure and Swallow embroidery

I am writing with the blessed sound of rain on dry parched garden, great big luscious drops and it is fantastic. Yesterday I found work so hard in the shed as there is a breeze most of the day but when the sun comes round it is like a microwave, and the most I sweated (pardon me using the word) the more the  ... thunder flies stuck to me until I was almost weeping with the irritation ... little tiresome so and sos (can one swear on blogs?) The rain is lovely and I have to say I am not one for heatwaves when there is stuff to do ...
But ... I have also worked out one of the things in life which gives me enormous PLEASURE ... not half naked young men, not chocolate, not shopping for shoes, but a piece of new equipment ... ahhhh yes. On Saturday I bought a reconditioned Pfaff expression 2048 to replace my tired 15 year old one ... in part exchange which I am drooling over since, everything WORKS, it has countless new stitches to play with, and I just love it. It makes work a pleasure, eliminates the swearing and curses and it is the ultimate in stitchery satisfaction. So as a result of this purchase I can work so much better .... also same day bought three proper bras for the first time in three years! That pleasure was great also. The lady in BHS was an absolute darling who I will never forget, and thank you dear Eileen who came to help me on a very hot old day. I now have a cleavage again and feel great!

Swallow

Now down to business. The Cuckoo has winged it's way off to New Zealand yesterday, Rachel, I hope you enjoy him! I am on a roll now and really loving getting back to this work again. It makes me want to do kits for each design which I am thinking of .... but here is Swallow, 26cm x 17cm a machine embroidery with some hand stitching also. Old (note deliberate lack of words "vintage" and "retro") velvets, silks and own printed fabrics. The next one is The Pigeon from our poster design which I have had half finished for months, and one day would love to make into a kit, maybe for Christmas ...anyway enquiries about this embroidery to info@nancynicholson.co.uk

And lastly Many Thanks to all at http://www.rachaeltaylordesigns.blogspot.co.uk/ for a lovely feature on this great blog, which has a weekly creative review on a Tuesday, which is such a fantastic idea ... so get over there and check it out!

Cuckoo embroidery

I have just finished this embroidery, just now this minute! Took my machine out to the shed in the garden to work with the breeze keeping me cool, as it is another baking hot day! Find I am secretly wishing for a little rain?

I was so pleased by the response to The Blue Bird and now it has a new home in Bristol ... that I have dived back into my other work which has been neglected this last two years with the stitch kit business, but I think the two will compliment each other.

So here we have Cuckoo, an old shape I love but larger and with more embellishment. It is 265 mm x 165 mm and like most of my machine embroideries is made in wool, felt, silk, and old velvets and stitched in rayon thread. I may add some hand embroidery tonight.

Hope you like it ... all enquiries via here or info@nancynicholson.co.uk

Blue Bird

I have not been idle, though quiet here for a week or two. There is much to do always, and many hats to wear ... designer, producer, packer, postmistress, business manager, blogger, self promoter, office dog walker, tea girl (most important job, photographer ... brain stormer ... well it does not stop.
Some days it feels as though I have achieved very little of any substance though the steps forward are great but not actually the show and tell variety. I do spend too much time on the computer sourcing, researching, emailing, and dealing with orders. But when it works it works beautifully and I would not be doing anything else. I wish I had more time to blog though ... will try to make more time.
But here I am this week think and starting to make one off embroideries again ... it has been in my mind to do so for a while and before the end of the month I hope to have several to put onto my new etzy shop ( not there yet!)
But here is my first for sale ... Blue Bird, 23 cm x 23 cm, appliqued in silks and vintage velvets also my own printed fabric scaps, machine embroidered in rayon threads ...
Please email me if you are interested. It will be unframed but packed beautifully ready to frame as you would like and a one off. Let me know what you think.
I will of course offer a free stitch kit of your choice to the purchaser!

Detail of Blue Bird

Embroideries

I have been going over old work from 6 years ago to last year (the facing birds) for my "gallery" on Tumblr, where I am trying to archive and showcase my work over the years, something which has been quite private before now. It makes me want to do some more embroideries again. But time is so precious now, with the business demanding every moment. I need a "Man (or Girl) Friday really. I have such a huge collection of beautiful fabrics all waiting patiently for me to find that time, all boxed and colour coded, but worryingly getting damp in the garage ... threads all rolling around in the drawers reminding me that I have Not sat down to sew for such a long time.