Freestyle Embroidery - Dog Handkerchief

I haven't done a lot of completely freestyle embroidery before, but I've always wanted to stitch a design on to a handkerchief, and this made the perfect Christmas present for a relative!

I based the design on my in-law's dog, Millie. The stitching took a lot longer than I expected it to though haha, but then it's not surprising given that the white fur alone is created from 5 or 6 different shades of thread! I love the result, but I might need some time before I do any more, certainly with this level of detail!

2012's Top Ten Posts

With it being the last day of 2012, I thought I'd share the ten most viewed posts of the last year! I thought it would be a good recap in case you missed anything :) Click on the appropriate image to see the original post.

A Beautiful Impression

R2D2 Christmas Stocking

Sock Owl Giveaway

Stab Stitch Textures

Baby Bunny Crochet & Blanket

Denim Jeans Skirt

Felt Dolls

Skirt to Dress Transformation

Crochet Butterflies

Christmas Decorations

Happy New Year, everyone :)

George Update!

Well, my George is living the life! Since the Jubilee earlier this year, the Lady Lever Art Gallery has dressed him up for many special events!

For Christmas? A reindeer, complete with antlers, a sparkly nose, and a sleigh...

For halloween, Count Pengula!

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And for Beatles week? Well, he became one himself!

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He is even in the entrance hall at the moment, meaning you cannot miss him when you go and visit! I am so proud of him, but miss him so much!

Inspire: Simon's Cat

Maybe this is a slightly odd choice for Inspire. Maybe. But as I sat here thinking about any art I had seen recently which had influenced me, it was this that came to mind.

Simon's Cat is a cartoon by Simon Tofield, which I originally discovered on Youtube. Me and my husband both fell in love with the magical story telling and the simple graphics, and my husband received several of the books for Christmas, too!

I think the reason it inspires me is two-fold. One, the graphics are so simple, yet effective. Although having also seen him colour in an image, it's not all as simple as it seems! And two, how something so simple has become such a huge success. It makes you think, doesn't it?

I am approaching a point where I'm considering doing the occasional video, whether it's time lapsed creativity or adventures in the world of macro, I'm not sure yet. Watch this space...!