The Idle Housewife

   With these last exercises I was much more at ease that I was with drawing, besides feeling more at ease with the drawing itself because I stopped caring about so much about how it comes out and caring more about its usefulness as a working basis. Making marks with fabric and stitches seemed much easier than making marks with drawing. Even though I use drawing to prepare my future marks made with on fabric, doing it with sewing makes feel that I can express myself through it and this does not happen with drawing. I embroidered squares trees in linen fabric using wool, cotton and polyester threads. The colours chosen aim to represent the four seasons of the year. I also made a Christmas tree to use golden thread with French knots. Well, I do not like the result but it was perfect to use the French knot stitch. The stage 6 tree was inspired in a picture of a real tree. I truly enjoyed these exercises and I think most of them went really well. Exploring stitch techniq...

This should have been done using one of my drawings but as I recently became addicted to Pinterest  I couldn't resist using a picture I saw and  found so inspiring. I used different yarns - wool and polyester - and also wool for felting, the fabric is linen. The more uncommon material was the window rubber insulation strip. I was surprised to see how well it worked, it made a soft an voluminous tree trunk where I could easily embroider the moss. The felting wool was used for volume and the wool yarn to create the leaves' texture. Photo from Robert Friel

Square Fall Trees :: textures created with stitches Eloise Renouf Quinta do Avô António This exercise was inspired by  Eloise Renouf  textures and by  Quinta do Avô António 's logo. The colours were inspired by Belgian Fall colours, the colours that I can see from my windows everyday during October and November. I used this picture because since move to Belgium that Fall became my favourite season with beautiful colours full of joy and golden peace. During this period I only see orange and yellow and golden and I even try to reproduce these colours when I cook. These last exercises were strongly season-influenced. The materials used are: linen, wool, cross stitch embroidery thread, crochet yarn, machine sewing thread.  Square Fall Trees sketch book draft Wool and cotton thread :: hand and machine satin stitches, cable stitch Wool and cotton thread :: cable stitch Wool and cotton thread :: cable stitch and free machining Wool, cotton, cro...

Tree leaves from the garden   Marks made with tree leaves and goache Wool needle technique and free machining Wool needle technique as seen in this  video   Machine sewn :: free machining Machine sewn  Machine sewn :: free machining Machine sewn :: free machining

Cotton crochet yarn Cotton crochet yarn

Cable stitch with different stitch lengths, it works great but only with straight stitch. I really liked the effect and I will try it with different threads. Cable stitch using fabric stretched on the embroidery hoop. The upper thread - the same colour as the fabric - can be seen here. Cable stitch using fabric stretched on the embroidery hoop with free machining, no presser foot at all. My favourite experience until now, it opens so many possibilities. Cable stitch with free machining, normal tension on the bobbin. Cable stitch using fabric stretched on the embroidery hoop with free machining and a little more tension on the bobbin. Cable stitch using fabric stretched on the embroidery hoop with free machining and even more tension on the bobbin.

Global view of a part of the materials I will be using, crochet yarn and my log-note book Fabrics and embroidery hoop  Fabrics, embroidery hoop, hand embroidery needles, sewing machine needles Embroidery thread These threads are recycled from a big embroidery picture that I planned on making in the beginning of 2006, I made maybe 50 stitches. and abandoned realising that embroidery and knitting are not my favourites ways of self-expression. More cotton yarn