A New Apartment

Well I hope you haven't given up on me. It's been a rough few weeks and I have put off coming here. First off, we didn't get the apartment we applied for, there was a previous applicant and they got it. We had to make another trip down to Mulhouse and do more apartment searching. This time though we were successful and we found a place that both of us love... Bright and open, the view is breathtaking...

Blackwork Fill and Eye Surgery

First off I just want to say that yesterday my eye surgery went without a hitch. I am already feeling much better and even the light sensitivity is almost gone. I am so glad to have that chapter finished and behind me! I get the jeebies just thinking about someone touching my eye so you can imagine how difficult it was for me. Last weekend we did manage to make it to Mulhouse and not only did we...

Blackwork Coif

Hello Everyone! I have been a bit under the weather but am feeling better now. I wanted to make a quick post to show you the beginning of my blackwork coif. I traced part of the design onto a piece of linen and started the outline of the design. I am using a fairly heavy silk thread and using the split stitch with this. The thread is so heavy it actually resembles a chain stitch which is fine by...

Project Updates

Thought I should do a catch up post since it's been awhile since I have updated the blog. I have managed to pack away most of the studio, after going through all of the material and tossing several garbage bags full of stuff. It was a good feeling knowing I will be moving with a lighter load. I still have the other five rooms to go through but they aren't quite the challenge my studio was....

Blackwork Cuffs and Collar

Hello Everyone! The embroidery on Jacobean Bunny is finished. I haven't taken a photo yet but will soon. I am thinking about doing a tutorial and drafting out the pattern for anyone interested IF it comes out ok. My first stuffed animal so not sure what the results will be. I am quite happy with the embroidery part though. In the meantime I have started on my blackwork. I just couldn't wait. Since...

WIP Update

Jacobean Bunny is coming along well, in fact I am on the edge of finishing it! It has been a crazy last few weeks and my mind has been elsewhere but each night I try to spend some time stitching on this piece. I love how it has come alive and I can't wait to put the piece together and make my bunny. After this is done I will turn my attention to the Blackwork stitching. I have everything...

I See Rainbows!

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Bunny Update

I have been lost in blackwork research. Reading pages and pages on period pieces and looking at examples till I feel like I am going blind. Put a few questions out there on forums but answers are slow in coming. I hope to start on a piece soon. Just getting my ducks in a row so to speak I am not allowing myself to do anything though, not until the Jacobean Bunny is done. Fortunately he is coming...

Success!

Yesterday I dyed the biggest piece of fabric I have ever dyed with this method. I couldn't do big work before because I didn't have adequate containers. Now I have some nice big dye vats so I managed to do this 4.5 yard piece. I still had room enough to fit another yard in if I wanted too! I am quite happy about this. I can see so many more possibilities n...

HandMadeNews Feature!

First off I want to say that I am so proud to be the featured artist on HandMadeNews and ask you all to check out the wonderful article that Jennifer Mercer wrote about me. What a sweetheart!Spotlight on CymberrainSecondly, I just wanted to show you a few progress photos on the Jacobean Bunny. I have been lost in learning copywriting and keywords and lots of not so fun stuff but still made a little...

More Jacobean

Hello Everyone, I hope you all had an enjoyable week. I have still been busy with ribbons. I finally have them all wrapped and under control, that was a chore! I have also been working some more on my Jacobean Bunny Project. I still haven't received my crewelwork book in the mail but I don't think it's going to have to many things in it that I don't already know. I have done as much research as I...

Photo Overload

I have been a busy bee finishing up these last 8 colorways. I ironed, wrapped and photographed tons of ribbons and fabric the last several days. I have uploaded all of the photos onto my flickr photostream except the last few I needed to reshoot. I will be slowly adding these to Etsy and Artfire as I can. I have a lot of specialty threads I will be including, among them slinky rayon chainette and...

A possible side trip

A friend recently commented, after viewing the drawing for my jacobean bunny piece that I should consider making pieces for RSA renaissance members. I absolutely adore blackwork and although I havent done any Jacobean work before I love every sort I have ever tried, and will probably pick up my needle tonight to try this one for the first time!It is a very enticing idea and I am strongly considering...

Color

And color has bloomed once again in my studio...

Jacobean Bunny

I have to admit, I've never done Jacobean Embroidery before but I like it a lot. I spent the last several days studying some of the stitches used in the technique and familiarizing myself with it.I was unable to find a hoop quite big enough to avoid pressing the velvet in it so I wrapped and prepared my hood to make it less damaging. I then traced my design onto the velvet. I dont usually trace things...

Preparing For The Next Dye Batch

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Bunny Belly

Mutant Fat Bunny has been hacked to pieces. Each stitch removed and the pieces laid out to make a pattern. After the pattern was drafted I moved onto the next step, designing the bunnies belly. I thought about it for awhile and settled on a Jacobean style embroidery. For some reason it just seems to fit. I only hope I feel the same way after it's done. So today I spent drawing the design and here...

Mutant Fat Bunny

I've been working real hard this week to get things back on course with my shops. This involved a lot of inventory and planning. The boring parts of my work. I am also planning a new dye batch which one of the exciting parts. I hope to have lots of pretties by this time next week!In the meantime I need something to stitch again. I could finish up an old project but instead for some reason I got it...

Back in the Studio

After almost three months of inactivity I am trying to unearth my studio and get it back into some semblance of order. I am amazed at how piled up things are. I have spent the last week sorting and organizing and it is slowly beginning to look like a place I can work in again. I found these beauties in two different boxes, half wrapped, all needing some attention. I spent a few evenings wrapping them...

Hello Everybody! I am finally back from my jaunt in the South of France and let me tell you did I have a time of it. SO much fun, good food, good wine, wonderful friends and beautiful breathtaking countryside.I got to play with this handsome young manand play in the water mirror in BordeauxDrank excellent wine in the wine bar "La Parcelle" all night one nightHad fantastic seafood in a restaurant right...