Yet More Embroidered Jumpers!

Fairy princess embroidered jumper

Yet again I have to apologise for the title - it isn't "Yet More Embroidered Jumpers" - it's "Yet More Embroidered Jumper".  

I think it's becoming a bit of a thing!  I now have a little stock of jumpers waiting to be upcycled & embroidered with some strange & wonderful(?) phrase.  

The cycle begins like this, first scour the charity shops for suitable candidates (in jumper terms that is - I like to buy pure wool ones in nice colours - which generally, for me, means anything that isn't brown), then await inspiration in terms of a phrase (this can be immediate or very slow - write them down when you think of them - then you'll have some to choose from.)  Next, plan out how the phrasing will look - capitals, joined up writing, one line, several lines, any additional details etc., draft it out exactly as you want it to appear on the jumper and get going!

I have just completed a lovely pink sparkly one with "fairy princess" on.   .... And no, it wasn't for a littley, it's with a large pinch of irony for a teenager.  Don't know what everyone else thinks but it's certainly keeping us entertained.  Although the next one in the pipeline probably rates as an "in joke" so I'm not sure whether it'll ever see the light of day.  Watch this space ...


Quick comment on this jumper - I won't be using the sparkly pink thread again - it made it very hard to thread the needle and from time to time the thread itself, which is like a continuous chain stitch, just all came undone and had to be finished off quickly to stop it affecting what I'd already done.  

If you'd like to know how to do these jumpers in more detail leave a comment.  They're a fun way to spend a few hours and you can wear them afterwards.

You might like to take a look at my other embroidered jumper blogs:

http://hippystitch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/more-embroidered-jumpers.html

http://hippystitch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/happy-new-year-with-embroidered-jumpers.html

People & Places - New Range of Brooches & Rings Now Available on Folksy

Last year I went to Iceland - you may have seen my blog about it:
http://hippystitch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/icelandic-fish-leather.html 

People & Places Brooch & Vintage Map Pouch

It was a fabulous trip.  And with it's faults, volcanoes and plate boundaries (getting a bit more technical here!) it rekindled my love of geography.  That inspired me to get thinking about maps and then the people who inhabit those places and the things they do.  Inspiration for my new people & places range was born!





So - I have now finished planning & testing and have a new set of people & places brooches and rings - you won't find any two the same!  They had their first outing at the Selvedge Spring Fair in Chelsea where they excited alot of interest and there are now some available in my Folksy shop.
http://folksy.com/shops/SallyStone 

People & Places Brooch - Lady Shopping in Whitby

They involve a certain amount of recycling and upcycling as they use vintage maps and in the case of the brooches, bottle tops.  Each item comes in it's own vintage map pouch.  Usually the pouch relates to the same general area as the map included in the brooch or ring. 

Vintage Map Pouch for People & Places Brooch

 
Some of the maps needed patching as they were quite old and worn.  But this provided another possibility - adding a different geography to a place.  Suddenly an area of heath might appear in a forest - and I liked that idea.  So some of the map pouches are patched.

People & Places Ring

The rings have people in too - often seated - it gets very wearing standing up all the time - especially if you're chatting to a friend or reading the paper!





 

Pop over to Folksy and take a look!
http://folksy.com/shops/SallyStone

Wool House - Somerset House

Yarn & Needles

After exhibiting at the Selvedge Spring Fair (or visiting for that matter) what better way to relax than to visit the Wool House - a transformation of the West Wing of Somerset House into a showcase for wool presented by the Campaign for Wool.  (Several Selvedgees were spotted there!)

Amy Sommerville's Mammoth Chair

Hooked, as I walked through the door, by the balls of yarn on the table, I had not yet seen the greater delights on view.  But feeling a little tired I relaxed in Amy Sommerville's Mammoth Chair & could have fallen asleep but for the polite but obvious queue to also try it out. 

Hats by Barbara Keal

The hats by Barbara Keal were quite something although I'm not sure I'd like to have bumped into their owners!

Hummingbird Wallhanging designed by Alexander McQueen

There was an impressive Hummingbird wallhanging designed by Alexander McQueen.




 

But one of my favourite pieces was Claudy Jongstra's Composition Blue & Composition Yellow (and the chairs were cool too and very comfy!)

Infinity by Zuzunaga

The runner lining the corridor was designed by Zuzunaga and was called Infinity and looked like a pixellated image - very effective!

 

Damson & Slate Moodboard

Damson & Slate Moodboard

There were some interesting moodboards put together by Damson & Slate

There were also 7 designer rooms. My three favourites were the Modern Room by Anne Kyyro-Quinn, the Nursery by Donna Wilson, & the Bedroom by Kit Kemp.

Curved Laine, 3D Acoustic Panel & Cushions by Anne Kyyro-Quinn

Donna Wilson Nursery

Pippa Caley Headboard in Kit Kemp Bedroom

For more info check out the websites:
http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/wool-house

http://www.campaignforwool.org/wool-house/

Enjoying the Selvedge Spring Fair

People & Places by Hippystitch

What an exciting time it was at the Selvedge Spring Fair! I had a very early start on Friday travelling down by train to London.  

I managed to get everything in a couple of suitcases and even managed to negotiate the tube and the local buses to arrive in time to set up my space and be open for business at 11am.   

Marea Mermaid Brooch by Hippystitch

Liberty Necklaces by Hippystitch

Selvedge Spring Fair

 
Friday was very busy all day with just a short break before the evening reception kicked off with glasses of fizz and (more) goody bags for the visitors.  Family and friends joined the throng to say hello.  It was all very jolly.

Selvedge Spring Fair

Saturday brought horrendous weather - snow, hail and wind so we say thank you to all those brave souls who turned out to join us and made the day a success.  

Hand Made Food at Selvedge Spring Fair

There were delicious morsels to sustain us over both days and fab coffee.








Altogether it was great fun & I met lots of interesting people.  I can't name them all but do take a look at these folk:

Becky Adams
http://www.beckyadams.co.uk/
Hen's Teeth Art
www.hensteethart.blogspot.com
Jess Quinn
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JessQuinnSmallArt
Sam Pickard
http://www.sampickard.co.uk/
Rob Ryan
http://www.misterrob.co.uk/ 
Clare Beaton
http://www.clarebeaton.com/



I also had some great help - so thank you very much to...

To check out all the exhibitors:
http://www.selvedge-drygoods.org/pages/exhibitions/exhibitors.aspx 
 

Getting Ready for the Selvedge Spring Fair

I've had such an exciting time recently getting ready for the Selvedge Spring Fair.  And here are a few photos marking the journey...

People & Places Rings

Part of the fun has been getting my new People & Places range ready - brooches and rings with little people set against vintage map backgrounds.

People & Places Map Bags

Each ring or brooch has its own map bag and I have finally managed to finish making all the map bags.  Hurrah!

The Spring Fair will be its first outing and I hope both the rings & brooches will be popular.

Fabric necklaces

There will of course be some Hippystitch favourites like the fabric necklaces - look at all those luscious Liberty prints.

Flower button bracelets

And flower button bracelets in a range of fab colours.

Resin button brooches

There are also some colourful resin button brooches and some hairclips for those with unruly locks.

Button hairclips

Mermaids & Divas are also to be found and for those who like all things sparkly - some pretty flower brooches.

Magical Mermaid brooch

Sparkly flower brooches

Oswald the Monster Egg Cosy

If your thoughts are turning to Easter and are egg related - how about a Monster Egg cosy.  A limited number will be available.  Take a look at Oswald here - isn't he a splendid fellow!

Hippystitch bags

I've also changed my packaging so there's been some work to do on that too. 


 




There'll be more besides so if this appeals to you and you can make it then do come along to stall C17 and say hello ...

http://www.selvedge-drygoods.org/pages/exhibitions/venue-information.aspx

New York High Line

For those of you who haven't heard about it (e.g. me until recently) the New York High Line is a linear park on the west side of Manhattan, built on a disused elevated freight line. (Think of all the UK disused railways that are now footpaths - but raised up)

It's fab - has a walkway, seating, artworks and in warmer weather, refreshments, numerous access points together with lifts & facilities.  The whole thing is a pleasant stroll at about a mile.  We walked the full length getting on at West 30th Street between 10th & 11th Avenues down to Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District.  It was opened in two phases.  The first in 2009 and the second in 2011 moving northwards.  The final section consists of the railyards between 30th and 34th Streets and is privately owned.  But the Friends of the High Line hope it will eventually be transformed into a continuous public open space.

El Anatsui - Broken Bridge ll (part)

Even in winter it is a great place to be and the artworks en route are interesting.  These are some of my snaps with info where I have it (and not necessarily in order!)  Some of the advertising is quite amusing too!

Ghanaian artist El Anatsui uses recycled pressed tin and mirrors to create wave-like patterns and folds evoking traditional West African tapestry weaving but at the same time reflecting the High Line.  I really liked the texture of this piece and the contrasting surfaces of the tin and the mirrors.

Below is a colourful display of posters featuring You and Me by Allen Ruppersberg.  The printed word is typical of his work.  (Saw an exhibition of his at the DCA in Dundee some years ago - lots of colourful posters presenting an homage to Allen Ginsberg's "Howl".  The DCA is another place well worth a visit)

Allen Ruppersberg - You & Me

Spencer Finch - The River That Flows Both Ways (part)

I took some photos of this before I realised it was an artwork.  This is Spencer Finch's The River That Flows Both Ways.  It is a glass installation based on a 700 minute journey on the Hudson river.  Finch took a photo every minute and the colour of each pane of glass is taken from a single pixel in each photo.  They are then arranged chronologically in the existing mullions (perhaps that's why I didn't realise) - looks good though!

Alessandro Pessoli - Lilliput: Old Singer With Blossoms

Alessandro Pessoli's figure, 9 feet tall, stands amongst the vegetation - cool knitted hat!

 









And I have to take my hat off to Manhattan Mini Storage for their amusing adverts!

For more info about the High Line

http://www.thehighline.org/ 

For more info about the DCA in Dundee

http://www.dca.org.uk/ 

More Embroidered Jumpers

An over zealous title I'm afraid.  Really it should be "More Embroidered Jumper" but that sounds a bit funny.  Anyway this is just to let you know I've completed another jumper - this time with BOOM on the back.  And the jumper was green to start with!  I did wonder, when I was embroidering it, whether the black would run into the green in the wash.  But I didn't let that stop me.  And guess what - it did! 

However a couple of packets of Colour Run Remover and a couple of days later and the runs have gone.  The jumper is now yellow - a happy coincidence because I had wanted to use a yellow jumper in the first place - just couldn't find a suitable one.   So hurray for Colour Run Remover! But on a cautious note - you do have to be a bit careful when you use it.

If you like the scarf teamed with the jumper this is by York based textile artist Karen Mabon.  She does lots of great scarves which you can find at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/redbricknorth