Some 'Too Late' gift ideas!

I did manage to make up one book, book wrap and a couple of lavender sachets as a Christmas gift, but unfortunately I didn't give myself enough time to make up any more. I got as far as the leaf printing, and the 'Falling Leaves 2012' embroidery, but the rest have been put together since! Nothing much more to say about them really, I think the photos below are self explanatory. The books have been made up of a selection of papers, suitable either for sketching, or using as scrap books.

Machine stitching on the wrap above.

Hand stitch on this example.

If you have read this far, I wish you all a very happy, healthy, peaceful and ofcourse CREATIVE New Year!

Leaf printing and a little hand stitching.

I enjoyed a morning printing with white gesso and geranium leaves onto black fabric. This piece had a small tear in the middle, so I decided to cover it with a small fragment of discharged cotton. I stitched it down with white thread, and felt that as it reminded me of a tree trunk, I would continue to hand stitch some branches and twigs, and as far as I'm concerned, the leaf print isn't out of place with a tree either! I've been enjoying this simple hand stitch to embroider onto black cloth ever since the Kantha style embroidery I made for my book wrap at the beginning of November. It's lovely to do while watching TV, and small enough to carry around and do whenever I have a spare few minutes.

Tomorrow is Christmas eve, it has come round so quickly yet again, so I would like to take the opportunity to wish all of you who maybe reading this, a very Happy, and Peaceful Christmas and New Year for 2013.

Natures stitchery!

I think these photos that I took last week after a heavy frost speak for themselves! Mother nature can produce some wonderful results without resorting to needle and thread. However, these stunning plants and leaves look as though they have been stitched with the finest silk thread, just wonderful eh?

Mother and Child

Journal quilt for December. Self dyed cotton, couched black knitting wool, free machine quilted in black, blue and silver, some darker blue paint in the hair, and some blender Markal stick rubbed over the baby's face.