Embroidery pendant of Selworthy Somerset.

Hi, It has been a lovely summer and we had a great holiday in North Devon and Somerset. I took some photographs of Selworthy that were crying out to be painted or embroidered and here is my first embroidery. It was a beautiful sunny day which I have tried to capture in this small pendant. See my on line sites shown above for this pendant and other brooches and necklaces for sale.

Hand embroidered pendant of Parrot Tulips.

HI, I have just completed an embroidery of Parrot tulips on green silk. I based the design on a watercolour I painted. The tulips are beautiful flowers to paint and embroider. Last Saturday I went to the Royal School of Needlework for a day class in metalwork.  Our tutor was Becky Hogg and the design we were stitching was a fox. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and Becky was a great tutor with lots of tips on how to get a good finish. I haven't quite finished the fox  but I am thoroughly enjoying the stitching. I have embroidered since I was very young but up until last week hadn't tried any form of goldwork/metalwork. I will definitely be continuing with this form of embroidery. 

Hand embroidered pendant. Spring flowers.

Hi, I stitched this pendant on green silk fabric which enhances the spring flowers beautifully. The flowers are stitched using Chameleon Sole de Paris threads which I purchases from Lorna Bateman on etsy. The threads were lovely to stitch with and have a beautiful sheen and come in gorgeous colours. I really enjoyed designing this embroidery feeling like spring is here.

Hand embroidered pendant, Snow scene.

Hi I have finished another pendant necklace. This time I decided to stitch a snow scene. I thought a cottage beside a lake with fir trees in the snow would look nice. I used the same fabric as the last project to give that lovely frosty look. Very pleased with the final pendant. My next project will be earrings with a traditional nutcracker design.

Hand embroidered pendant.

Hi, Just completed a hand embroidery Christmas robin and holly design. I have mounted the embroidery in a gold oval frame pendant. The fabric I used for the background gives a lovely frosty feel. I love stitching for Christmas. More designs to come.

Hand embroidered Christmas tree decorations.

Hi, A few weeks ago I made a set of embroidered Christmas tree decorations on blue fabric. When my son saw them he wanted them for his Christmas tree so I have made them again but bigger this time so that I can sell then separately in my Etsy shop. They look lovely and I have enjoyed stitching them again. I think I will now make a couple of pendants and brooches on a robin or Christmas floral theme. More to come soon.

Hand embroidered Christmas tree decoration. The three Christmas teddy bears.

Hi, Just back from holiday in the Lake District. We were very lucky with the weather and had a great week. I had embroidered three new Christmas decorations for the Christmas tree before I went on holiday. I have a teddy bear called Sidney and thought I would use him as a basis for designing three Christmas teddy bears. They were great fun to sew and look very cute.

Hand embroidered pendant. Mullion cove, Cornwall.

The new embroidered pendant I have stitched has a design of Mullion Cove, Cornwall, England. This is one of my favourite places and I thoroughly enjoyed designing and hand embroidering this landscape pendant from a holiday photograph. I have a custom embroidery to stitch next which will be great fun.

Hand embroidery pendant. Fields and poppies.

This embroidery is a view across the fields where I live which I thoroughly enjoyed designing and hand embroidering. The pendant is an oval hoop and comes with an antique bronze plated chain. These little embroideries take several hours of stitching and I use my knowledge of painting with watercolours to create my embroideries.
           I have also had my embroidery of a Purple Emperor butterfly included in the Gallery page of the latest edition of the Embroiderers Guild magazine Stitch. This is a lovely magazine for anyone interested in embroidery.

Hand embroidery pendant. St Bartholomew Church, Lake Konigsee, Germany.

Hi, I have completed another little embroidery. I have designed a pendant hand embroidery of St Bartholomew Church, Lake Konigsee, Germany. I have tried to capture in this little embroidery the tranquility of the  lake and the lovely reflections of the church in the water. I thoroughly enjoyed designing and hand embroidering this one of a kind pendant. I think for my next embroidery I will stitch a typical English view across fields with some poppies in the foreground.

Hand embroidery pendant, roses round a cottage window.

I went to Sissinghurst gardens a couple of weeks ago and the weather was lovely. The gardens at Sissinghurst are fantastic and gave me the inspiration to embroider a view of a cottage window surrounded with roses. There were many beautiful roses growing at Sissinghurst and I took many photographs. The result is a hand embroidered pendant necklace of roses round a cottage window.

Hand embroidery of Crowns Engine Houses, Botallack, Cornwall.

I think this is my favourite miniature embroidery so far. This is such an atmospheric place to visit and changes with the light. The day we visited was very changeable, one minute sun then the next rain. I have tried to capture the engine house in sun. The sea takes on some amazing colours in the sunshine.

Hand embroidered wedding bouquet.

I am thoroughly enjoying my embroidery and am creating some lovely designs. I have added to my shop customised embroidered wedding bouquets. They would make lovely gifts to remember a very special day. I have created an embroidery as an example from my friends sons wedding. The flowers were beautiful and have made a very pretty design. I have used a combination of DMC and Anchor thread on silk fabric chosen to compliment the flowers. Great fun to stitch.

Embroidery pendants.

I have completed three more embroidery pendants to add to my collection. I based these embroideries on places I have visited on holiday. The first piece I stitched was from a photo of a rowing boat on Lake Konigssee in Germany. The lake is a very peaceful calm place and I have tried to portray this in a small embroidery, not easy! I love the aqua colours of the water. Mainly straight stitch was used for all the embroideries. My second choice was a stitched from a photo of a beach in Cornwall with a person walking into the breeze. It was a little difficult stitching such a small person but I think I have achieved an impression of a person. My final design was of Boscastle in Cornwall looking back towards the village from the coast which is such a lovely view. I deiced to outline the houses because they weren't standing out. These pendants and brooches are a joy to sew. More to come.

Miniature hoop embroideries.

I have been having great fun designing and stitching some miniature embroidery pendants. I based them around my idea of a beautiful garden. I have embroidered three oval designs; a rose covered arch, a fountain and a garden bench. The rose covered arch has tiny french knot roses rambling around with a path stitched in straight stitch. I have tried to create shading under the arch. The garden bench is stitched with french knot roses and straight stitch shadows under the bench. Both these design are sewn on a blue silk fabric. The fountain is stitched on a gorgeous green batik.

Embroidery Spring Bookmarks.

Hi, Its been a while since I posted. I don't know where this year has gone. Lots of things have been happening and I have been very busy teaching my watercolour classes. My last sewing projects include two bookmarks for my BrushesAndBodkins Etsy shop. They took a long time to stitch but I am pleased with the results. The designs are based on two of my watercolour paintings and mainly stitched in cross stitch using a lot of half cross stitches to create the shapes of the petals. I have used straight stitch and french knots to form the details. I then stitched on a layer of  felt to neaten the backs. These were lovely to make and  corresponded with all the spring flowers and hedgerows bursting into life. I am currently working on some summer designs for necklaces which I will adapt for two summer designs for bookmarks. Watch this space.

Hand embroidered jewellery

Hi, I have had a very busy time lately. I have just completed a commission to paint a wedding bouquet in water colour and am now drawing the design for this years Christmas card for my local church. In the evenings I have stitched several embroideries to make into jewellery mainly brooches and necklaces. I have embroidered several Christmas themed designs and also two dogs. I have some more different styles yet to make so its back to the drawing board and out with needle and thread.