Monday 20 February 2012

Flowers and Fish

I'm back from another lovely residential weekend at Missenden Abbey. As always it doesn't feel like work to be in such wonderful surroundings, especially with the small but select group of students that I've had the pleasure to work with all weekend.


Outside the grounds were carpeted with snowdrops...


But inside we were producing our own flowers. The following is a small selection of the work produced by this group of  machine embroidery beginners.


I just love Mandy's interpretation of doodled flowers and her foiled brick wall below.


Another lovely bouquet from Rosemary...



and her geometric foiled piece.


Flowers and a fish from Margaret...


and more flowers from Sheila.


While the students were busy stitching their flowers I got to work on some of my own...


But mine were rather smaller!


And designed to cover the lid of a matchbox!


This little flowery book was commissioned for Mother's Day so is not for sale I'm afraid.


I also managed to finish another commission this weekend...


This one is for a Piscean birthday but in the style of William De Morgan


The book has a machine embroidered cover that is very loosely based on a De Morgan design (VERY loosely... I was exercising artistic licence) and on the matchbox is a a tiny ceramic button that is a reproduction of a De Morgan tile design.


And as a bonus... an extra little folding book tucked inside with a horoscope for Pisces.


Tomorrow there will a book for sale in the shop... so keep your eyes open!

9 comments:

  1. I know your students will have had a winderful time with you - all lovely but my favourite is the geometric foiled piece. Gorgeous.

    And hello, Miss Gina? The books? I think my heart gave a little skip when I saw the fishy one and I don't even read horoscopes!

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  2. I just love that Pisces book - I'm a Pisces too and love William de Morgan designs. I'll keep my eyes peeled in case a similar one crops up. I used to live a bus ride away from Missenden - too far away now and probably just as well as I'd be wanting to run amok in Rainbow Silks.
    Your students made such a lovely variety of designs, and so individual too - always the sign of a good tutor.

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  3. Beautiful work, they certainly don't look like beginners to me. :)
    V x

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  4. Your little matchboxes are so cute Gina. Are you keeping track of them in one place, so they'll be able to be viewed as a collection?

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  5. fab work from your ladies at Missenden Gina. your matchboxes are just wonderful. so many different styles and that's going to be a very lucky mum on Mother's day.

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  6. Wow Gina, you're really on a roll with these little books - each one is such a work of art and so beautifully detailed. Loved seeing what your students have created too - lovely work, I'm sure you're proud of them.

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  7. These matchboxes are just wonderful: each one a little work of art! Your students' work is just lovely. They must go away with heads full of ideas.

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  8. Excellent work from your students and your matchboooks are to die for!

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  9. Love the tiny book, so cute; glad you had fun at Missenden.

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