Bacteria

More science fun :) I am beginning to think these are also being inspired by the sick little boy I have here with me at home. He has been kind enough to share with Mommy too. How sweet :P

On to the latest germ...

And a close up angled view...

The backsides are turning out pretty tidy now...

I have one more sciencey piece to do and then on to some fanboy stuff...Resident Evil, Dark Willow & Dr. Horrible are the next three that I have hooped & ready to go.

Brain Cell

Brrraaaaiiinnnnnssssssss. Well, cell anyway. It even looks a little like a monster depending on how you look at it.

I had a hard time getting an angled shot. I think it was the light colors. But you can see the filled in sheath areas here (the coral colored rectangles).

And the backside. I did say I would be taking pics of it, so I figure I should show it. I have been cheating a little and starting my lines with a knot instead of tucked into the line.

And a big thanks to Mr X Stitch for featuring this on their blog!!! :)

Paramecium

I have my Bachelor's in Biology and have always loved the illustrations. I decided to use some from my notes and old books to make some embroidery pieces. This is the first and my fave single cell organism, a unicellular ciliate protozoa to be exact...the Paramecium - always fun to say :)

It should have cilia, I know, but they are so short I just left them off. I may still add something for effect, not sure.

And the sketch it came from...

Ivy's Backside

Um, no, not that backside! Although, it is quite prominent in the piece :P

I am talking about the actual backside of the piece. I have been trying to keep things nice & tidy back there.

Some of it, like the hair, looks pretty cool. I might try to make it the front side on a piece sometime.

Finishing off the piece has been making me a little crazy. I browsed many shops on Etsy to see other people's backsides (okay, that sounds wrong). I was hoping to find some I like to try myself. But so few shops had pics of the back. So I turned to tutorials online. I found a few ways that I want to try. This is the first trial. It is simply some card stock cut and lightly glued to the inner hoop to sit between the fabric & hoop.

No matter which way I end up using for the long term, I plan to use this signing method. The awesome Handmade stamp was one I found at a great Etsy shop, Wine Makers Sister. You should check this shop out - very fun!

Science Lab Oopsies

I am not so sure about the title, but it works for now. This embroidery used an oval hoop - I know, let the wildness ensue!

I based it off a sketch I started making for my youngest. He wanted to see a mad scientist at work.

Here it is hooped, but not quite finished off...thus the excess fabric peeking out.

And a couple close up angle shots...just because they are fun :)

My son decided he liked it so much that he wanted to make on of his own. I think it turned out quite well for a 5 year old...but that could just be proud mama talking :)

Wordless Wednesday

Don't Be Square

No, that is not an self help statement :P It is the name of the fabric for my 3rd Dee bag. The color they give it is "Tabasco". This is another burlapy fabric. I am really liking this stuff. It has such oomph. I used red canvas for the contrast - it really makes a 'pop'.


You can see the red on the bottom pretty well in this pic...

And with the snap shut...
Okay, I know it won't exactly hold everything in, but in a bag this large, the opening tends to be, well, more open than smaller bags.


And the red pop inside...

Poison Ivy, Leaves and All

She is done! Well, except the finishing off of the backing :P And I am quite happy with the results. I should have set a timer or something to figure out how long it took to complete. It was probably around 12 hours all told...2-3 hours over about 4 nights. I know I showed off most of it earlier this past week, but now the leaves are on and it gives it a whole new look :)

So here she is...bit by bit...

This angle shows off the "texture" of the leaves pretty well.

And the flower stands up quite a bit also...

Can't forget her tooshie...rather naked as it turned out...

And her dainty little feet...

This was taken with the hoop on it's side - almost. I think it looks pretty neat, so I am showing it off...

The leaves - and the flower - were all made by embroidering on bits of singed organza. This is them in a bowl. As I went I found that I had to cut most of the pieces smaller. Next time I will burn them with a candle flame...should be much easier on my fingers than always flicking a lighter on. Of course that means I will have to go out and actually buy a candle...

Teal and Tan Burlapy Hobo

Actually, I decided on a name, so it it now a teal and tan Dee bag. Since I usually go with the person's name whom the first bag went to but don't know the name of the buyer (it was at a weeks long show/shop), I decided to go with the name of the woman who ran the show. It was actually hubby's idea. Go hubby!

It has taken so long to get going on these bags because of a certain little cutie who was home all week with a nasty cold. If he were older, he would have been in school...but Kindergarteners get an easier pass with the ookies. At least I had the evenings for embroidery.

Now for the bag....The fabric has a strong texture to it, almost like burlap but with a tighter more stable weave.

The inside is huge. I put a smallish curved pocket on both the front and back insides. Cell phones and other electronic devices would fit well. Even old fashioned memo pads...you know, that stuff with paper that you write on :)

It looks kind of neat when the snap is closed too. I debated about a zipper, but it is almost too big for that. Besides, with the curve of the top, the placement would be awkward.

Then there are the straps. I was not happy with the first cut - it was a bit short. So I decided to have some fun and flip flop the fabrics at the top center. I like it!

Next week should be the week I finish the rest. Little guy is feeling better and will be back in school Tuesday...Monday is still break time. Three more days with them both home...at least the weather is improving so we can go for a walk.

Yesterday's Teaser

Yesterday's Wordless Wednesday was a teaser of my newest hand embroidery piece. It is from another comic, this time Poison Ivy. What I am showing off now took 3 nights at 3-4 hours each to complete. But I am not quite done.

I still have to add the leaves. I decided to give the piece some texture by using organza bits for the leaves. You can see from the original artwork that there are lots and lots of leaves. I am not sure just how many I will be adding. We'll see...

Wordless Wednesday

Chocolate Squares Hobo

Okay, I really need to find a name for this bag...it is not exactly a hobo. I usually name my bags after the first person who bought or received it, but this one sold at a holiday show when I was not there. I'll think of something soon. For now - here is the first of the 5...they are quite large...


note: the color is best in the 2nd picture

Last Blue Dude...er, Gal

I don't know why I think of this one as a she when the other two struck me as boys. Maybe it is the cute slate blue dottie fabric I used for the body. And tail. The tiny one did not have a tail. This one does. It props her up nicely too.


So now there is a whole family. Although one is just embroidery. And the original was a sketch.


They have been in a few treasuries also, which feels great. Daddy is usually found by his smile :)

America's High Five
Monster Need Love Too
Monsters
Smile
All Creatures Great & Small

Hobo Bag WIPs

I cut out a 5 pack of bags last week and have slowly been making progress on them. I realized I have only shown off the creations I have made in the evenings...the embroidery. So I thought I would share with you a sneak peek of the cut bags. Of course it just looks like a mashed up pile of fabric...

Oh - and this is the bag they will be. I suppose it is not exactly a hobo, but I have yet to name it.

Fight Like a Girl

Another fab design by Urban Threads. This time, I may keep it for myself.

Now these wings. Yikes. Have you ever used metallic or pearl essence embroidery floss? Not fun. It is so stiff and the strands do not like to stay together. And at the point of the needle's eye it sort of shreds. But it looks so cute and sparkly :)

She may become part of my gym bag. Or I might just wait and make another since I still have to make the gym bag itself :P