‘Baabaa’ cushion design progress.

Start of machine embroidering.

Close up of stitching.

 

Finished design, before adding stuffing etc, and applying to cushion front.

The above photos show ‘Baabaa pink Cushion’ in progress! My digital image has had machine embroidery added to it in patterns, using the machine needle like a pen. I really love this part of my cushion making …the boring bit it making the rest of the cushion!!!

 

The start of a new ‘Baabaa’ cushion design

Baabaa design on washing line

This photograph shows my own digital illustration that has been printed onto fabric, then washed and then dried on the washing line, along with the rest of the washing!! The fabric is washed in order to make sure that the design will be able to be washed in the future, once it is made into a cushion cover.

I am now at the next stage of the process…machine embroidery…photograph to follow.!!

 

Beautiful hellebores

I absolutely love Hellebores and have found them wonderful inspiration for my textile art, so feel very lucky to have some actually growing in my garden. It’s lovely to see some flowers blooming now that Spring time is nearly here.
They are rather difficult to photograph as the flower heads droop downwards, so I literally had to lie down on the floor to take these photos!!

Copyright Vicky williams, Vickywilliams(2012) Unauthorized use and duplication of images without express or written permission from this blog’s author is strictly forbidden.

New Textile Art Ideas.

New direction with textile art??

I have been producing my own cushion designs now for a couple of years, since graduating from “Newi” or the now Glyndwr University, North Wales. Up until now, I have printed ‘repeat patterns’ using thickened dyes and my own linocut designs or with actual items (onions etc.) to produce many of my designs. I fancy trying something a bit different, so have started painting with the dyes.

The above picture shows the beginning of one of my designs, which I have developed from one of my own photographs, and I hope to continue adding more detail and colour with the dyes. Once the painting has been done, I am going to add further detail and texture with free machine and also hand embroidery.

Watch this space for the results!!

 

 

Unique, personal cushion commission

'Lily the dog' cushion

Just before Christmas, I completed an excellent cushion commission which I was very happy with the results!
As well as designing and making cushions with hand printed repeat patterns, I love to design unique cushions with colourful, personal illustrations that are created from information gathered from my clients. I preliminary do a number of hand drawn sketches on paper which are then transferred onto the computer to make a final design that can be printed onto fabric via the printer. This design is then used as a base drawing for the rest of the work. The fun starts I think, when I add colour with thousands of stitches, made by ‘drawing’ with the sewing machine needle like a pencil using the ‘free machine embroidery’ technique and a number of different coloured threads to make shades and textures.

Close up of cushion

Although this design was very complicated and detailed, it was very satisfying to get it completed in time for Christmas, and my client was also very happy with the results!

Wedding Cushion Design

Before Christmas I was extremely busy completing cushions to be sold in a local Textile Fair and also had a tight deadline for two commissions. Luckily, all went to plan and I was very happy with the completed work. The two commission pieces were very interesting to do, being so different from each other, in subject matter and techniques involved.

Wedding Cushion

The first of the two commissions was designed especially for a wedding and I found it very interesting to take on. As my client wanted flowers on the final cushion, I thought a design of delicate bluebells would be very appropriate. I transferred my hand drawn design onto water soluable fabric which was then built up with layers of many stitches made from free machine embroidery. This is an excellent way of making an individual ‘fabric’ which can then be transferred onto any fabric you like. (especially suitable if the base fabric is difficult to sew on.)After washing away the surrounding excess ‘soluable fabric base’ in hot water I ended up with a flimsy delicate bluebell ‘fabric’ made entirely of stitches which was then attached to a linen background.

Close up of design

I then added free machine embroidered lettering giving details of the wedding and finally constructed the cushion with pretty lace.

Autumn Views

Down in the glen

View in the woods

autumn light

Here are three photographs (out of many!!) I took recently whilst out visiting Bodnant Gardens in North Wales. This National Trust garden is beautiful at all times of the year and also very tranquil and peaceful. The gardens are now shut until next March.

Copyright Vicky williams, Vickywilliams(2011) Unauthorized use and duplication of images without express or written permission from this blog’s author is strictly forbidden.

Autumn leaves

Copyright Vicky williams, Vickywilliams(2011) Unauthorized use and duplication of images without express or written permission from this blog’s author is strictly forbidden.

At Last!! Selling my cushions at Conwy Honey Fair

My stall at the Conwy Honey Fair

After many months of hard work and also set backs, I finally managed to have a stall at the Conwy Honey Fair in Conwy North Wales on September 13th. I had been waiting for this momemt for over a year, having just before the Fair last year managing to break two bones in my lower leg, meaning months of keeping my foot off the ground and then a lot of phsyio! Luckily, thanks to the doctors and having started going to the gym, I’m glad to say I’m very happy to be walking well and back to normal!
In all this time, I had a lot of sitting around, but was determined to continue making my cushion designs and made the Honey Fair one of my BIG AIMS for the future of being a textile artist.
Although the weather conditions at the Fair (and also the fact that most people were just coming to buy honey) were going against me, I felt very pleased that I sold a few of my cushions and had a great deal of interest in my work. One of the ladies from the local Towns Woman’s Guild was interested in me giving a talk to their ladies about how I designed and made my cushions, which I am very interested to follow up.
I very much want to go in the direction of now making individual commissioned cushions, and would be willing to post them, without an inner cushion pad.
If you do have an interest, please feel free to contact me through details shown on my website – http://www.vickywilliams.net

Examples of my cushions and publicity material

More examples of cushions

‘Hit and Run’ Arts and Crafts Show 13th June 2010 Ellesmere, Shropshire.

Vicky and Fi's stall at the Craft Fayre

Went to my very first Arts and Crafts show where I was actually exhibiting my cushions and cards with my friend Fi, her daughter and the taxi driver, my husband Glyn in the beautiful gardens next to the Mere in Ellesmere.
Felt very disappointed as didn’t managed to sell anything!!!
Was told not to take this too personally as it seemed that most of the people viewing were coming along just for a good peruse…with no money in their pockets and it poured with rain halfway through the day!
Although no sales happened, I was still given some wonderful feedback where people commented how much they loved my designs and which designs they liked the best.
Was also encouraged by the fact that I’ve been invited to do another Fayre (this time in Oswestry towncentre) on October 31st so hoped to produce more designs and artwork by then.
Also hope to do the Conwy Honey Fayre sometime in September.

View of 'Mere' at Ellesmere Shropshire.