Barefoot Shepherdess

M a k e

That's exactly what I've had to do for the past month and a half: make, make, make.  Make things for my shop for the holiday shopping season, make attempts at new designs and make preparations for my first ever 'event.'

A couple of weekends ago, a group of Etsy sellers in the Tokyo region got together to participate in Make: Tokyo Meeting 07 at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.  This was our collaborative booth-- each box represented a different shop.  My box was on the far right.

Though the focus of the event was on technology-based creations-- robots, machinery and such-- they also had a section for handmade goods, which was where we were.  And what variety we offered too!  Each shop had its own distinct style, which hopefully, made it fun and interesting for the visitors to explore.

We even had a workshop section at our booth, offering button-making and wood picture frame-making (that by one of the sellers).  Kids especially, seemed to enjoy the button-making, happily showing off their original buttons once they were finished.

Since Etsy still isn't well known in Japan, this event provided a good opportunity to gain exposure for the online craft market.  In fact, many people were interested, both from the standpoint of sellers and shoppers.  And interest in our shops ranged from children...

... to adults.

Truth be told, I was somewhat nervous going in to the event, not knowing what to expect, but with the other sellers there for support and camaraderie, I ended up having a really good time.  And I was surprised to find that talking to customers wasn't so hard and actually... fun!

All in all, it was a great experience.  And now, I'm off to re-make things for my shop...

Simple Wristwarmers

Just your basic wristwarmers with dark bronze beads on linen-colored yarn.  Made for a custom request.

I usually prefer my beads to blend in more with my yarn, so that they are visible in some lights and almost disappear in others.  But I really like the contrast on this one.  Perhaps it works because there are so few beads-- they aren't overly assertive, but keeps the wristwarmers from becoming too plain.

I wonder what an additional row or two of beads-- maybe in staggered rows-- would look like.  Whatever the case, another instance of less is more.

Leaves :: Two Ways

This is turning out to be really pretty--

I'm very pleased with the rose bloom portion of it; all it needs now is a rhinestone in the center.  I simplified my version from the pattern by using just satin stitch in the non-seed bead sections.  The original combined satin stitch & gold bullion thread, like this--

As for the leaves: I wasn't happy with them the first time around.  I had planned on following the pattern as shown above, with a combination of beads & sequins.  But when I finished outlining the leaves, I felt that it looked out of balance.  The flower seemed weighty compared to the leaves, even considering that the addition of sequins might adjust that a bit.  So I searched for a different technique and switched to this--

I think this looks much nicer!  And I didn't have to go get the sequins besides.

In Progress

So I'm moving beyond the basics.  Because simple rows are just not enough.

Sampling :: Bead Embroidery

Just trying out some bead embroidery techniques--

{ seed beads :: scattering effect }

{ cupped sequins, cupped sequins + beads, seed beads, bugle beads }

{ flat sequins :: side-by-side, overlapped rows and fish scale effect }

Rather than being tedious and annoying, sewing down these beads & sequins one by one was calming and soothing... hypnotizing, almost.  Would it surprise you to know I'm already addicted?

Impressions

An old-fashioned hollyhock.  Based on my own sketch.

Though I'm nearly finished-- the only part left are the center of the flowers-- I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with this one.  Now that I look at it through the distance of a photograph, the green I used for the leaves appear a little too dark.

From the beginning, I knew that my choice was not true to life-- the actual leaves of the hollyhock are only a shade or so darker than the buds and the stem.  Despite the difference, I deliberately chose something darker in an effort to express, in a single hollyhock stalk, the vivdness and vibrance of summer.  And that-- stitching not just the thing but the mood or feel of a thing also-- is more important to me than realism anyway.

Ever since I started embroidery, my aim has been to create impressions, capturing the essence of the subject, rather than re-creating precise replicas.  In fact, such an approach seemed to result in more lifelike forms-- in my mind, sort of like having to take a photo from a different angle than the intended view in order to achieve that same view.  As long as it better communicates the image in my head, I don't mind a bit of botanical artifice.  In this case though, I'm wondering if it was for the better...  The leaves simply seem to outweigh the flowers.

So I pulled out all my greens and started assembling a new palette.  The green in the middle is the one I used for the buds & the stem; the darker green would be for the leaves and the pale green, for the leaf veins.  Still, I'm not entirely convinced that this would be better.  And redoing would mean that the time & effort I spent to make sure that the thread strands weren't twisted-- a pet peeve for me, especially when doing satin stitch-- would have been for naught...!

To redo or not redo?  I'll be mulling over this one for a while.

Autumn Leaves

Japanese maple...

...and gingko.  Two classic symbols of autumn.  These are destined to be coasters, just as soon as I find a suitable fabric for the back... maybe a plaid of some sort?

Outside, the real leaves have yet to change to their bright fall shades, with only mere hints of color here and there.  Perhaps in a few weeks time, the outdoors will catch up with these colors indoors.

:: Mint & Cream ::

The wooly kind.  With a bit of sparkle.

I know autumn is really here when I start to feel the urge to knit.  You could call it my seasonal crafting cycle.  There's nothing more comforting than the touch of soft, cozy wool and the repetitive, rhythmic movement of the knitting needles to fill a quiet, autumn evening.  Add a cup of hot cocoa and a warm blanket to that, and one could almost wish for cool weather all year round.

To satisfy my knitting side, I made another pair of wristwarmers.  I usually prefer to pair my yarn and beads in analogous colors; this time, I decided to try a little contrast-- pale mint beads with a hint of gold on cream-colored wool.  Turned out to be a fresh, cool combination, I think!

These were made for my shop-- you can find them here.

Autumn Moon

September 12th was otsukimi-- literally, moon-gazing day-- here in Japan, a time to celebrate the lovely autumn moon.  Each year, it falls on a different date, sometime in September or October and tradition entails decorating with susuki (Japanese pampas grass) and eating tsukimi-dango (rice dumplings).  While the weather isn't always cooperative, this year, we were very lucky-- the night was perfectly clear and the moon, luminous and beautiful.  As nighttime photography is not my forte, the above picture hardly does it justice.

Inspired by the occasion, I drew this sketch--

A pair of rabbits gazing at the moon on a clearing in a pampas thicket... perhaps feeling wistful for home?  Because an old legend here states, that there are rabbits on the moon.  I guess the shadowy areas on the surface of the moon looked like rabbits to people in the past.

The sketch turned into this embroidery--

I've yet to get a proper hoop frame for it, hence the makeshift cardboard hoop.  It's the one I use when I'm working on a new design, to help me decide on the exact portion of a sketch to use.  I find it really helpful to visualize the layout this way.

My favorite part of this embroidery is actually not the main stitching, but the moon--

I attached a piece of fabric for the surface and outlined it in silver metallic thread, which creates a faint shimmer along different sections of the moon, depending on the direction from which the lit hits.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out when I had the idea in my head, but I'm really happy with it!  The effect is really subtle and pretty and also gives the moon a certain dimension, an appearance of thickness that makes it more prominent.  Just right, for an autumn moon.

Workspace

In which the ironing board doubles as a lap desk.  And on it, my current work in progress.  Something with a more autumnal feel this time.

For a long time, I kept my starting end free as I stitched in order to work it into the back of the finished embroidery for a nice, clean finish.  But all too often, I would realize, with a sinking feeling, that it has gotten caught up in the stitches in a hopeless tangle.  So now while I work, I carefully pin the thread away from the stitching area, like this:

This way, I can ensure that the back of my work looks as neat-- or almost as so-- as the front.

On with the rest of the embroidery!