Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

embroidery

Embroidered key fob

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So I declared on my Facebook page last week that I’d finally decided what I wanted to be when I grew up – an embroidery artist! Sounds good anyway šŸ™‚
This got me to thinking. If I’m going to go around calling myself an embroidery artist then I’m probably obligated to produce some embroidery art.

So here we are with sweet little key fob that hopefully someone will buy sometime, thus further validating my desire to call myself an embroidery artist šŸ™‚

I love this shabby chic fabric I used at the back. For further info head on over to my Etsy shop, and if this one is not to your liking I’ll be making a few different ones as well as some other embroidered accessories.

Bye for now!

A little crewel

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I’ve had my crewel wools out again, it just feels right when the cooler weather comes on to work with wool. I drew up a design for a needle book and this is how it looks thus far.

Stitched on linen/cotton blend with Appleton crewel wools. Stitches include satin, long and short, chain, french knots, stem, split backstitch and probably some others that fail to spring to memory.

It’s sitting unfinished as I can’t decide whether the inside should have more embroidery or just a pretty fabric or both.
I’ll be doing a lot more crewel over the coming months, it is really so lovely and versatile.
Hope you’re having a great weekend, God bless.

Custom embroidery

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I’ve just completed this custom order and it’s turned out beautifully. The customer wants to give it to a friend as a going away present and she wanted me to come up with a design that reflected their friendship in a cute and whimsical way.

I embroidered all the design outlines and then filled in the white with corresponding colours in colour pencil. I then made it up into a cushion.

Isn’t she sweet to want to give such a meaningful gift?

New embroidery pattern

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 It’s with great excitement that I announce my second embroidery pattern is now available in my Etsy shop. Why the excitement? Well, it’s a lot of work to create a pattern, beginning with the first sketch, then the embroidery itself and finally the writing of instructions and having the file ready to send. So for me, it’s an achievement to start and finish a project like this. But I do so love it šŸ™‚

The stitchery, like my drawings is a bit whimsical, a bit quirky and a lot cute!

Hope you love it too. Happy Stitching!

Flower pressing

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What a great time of year for flower pressing, when our garden spoils us for choice!

I picked up this flower press from the oppy fairly cheaply, but if you don’t have one you can always make your own.

The leftovers can be floated in a glass bowl or jug – very pretty! Or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous you could try a frozen flower bowl – beautiful!
I’m in my element today, working on a custom embroidery design – actually I’m just really chuffed that someone likes my work enough to ask me to design for them!
The rest of the weekend involves Mass, children’s piano concert, another Christmas gathering and plenty of errands to run and catching up to do.
I hope your weekend is a very fruitful one.
God bless.

Little bitty wall art

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 I like small things. I like small projects that I can finish fairly quickly but look effective. This little hoop is 3 inches (8cm ) across. Here’s the process:

I mounted my cream silk in the hoop and painted the background with acrylic Jo Sonja paints mixed with textile medium. I sketched the design with colour pencils on paper first to give a clear idea of what I wanted to do. When it dried, I heat set with the iron.

I started out by embroidering stems and grass with embroidery cotton. I used a bit of stranded silk for the agapanthus flowers. I used silk ribbon for the other flowers and some leaves, but didn’t have the colours I wanted so painted them by hand with Liquid Radiance first, then heat set. The Liquid Radiance seems to make silk stiff, so I’ll use silk paint or dye next time.
When finished embroidering I cut off the excess silk, then laced the back with cotton thread. I glued on the wool felt circle backing with hot glue.

 This is how the piece looks out of the hoop, but I chose to mount in the hoop to hang on the wall. I can see a whole bunch of these grouped together, how cute would that look?

Silk ribbon completed piece and a WIP

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I completed this kit from Helen Dafter some time ago but didn’t know what to do with it. After recently being gifted with this gorgeous box frame by a lovely elderly acquaintance I knew it was perfect (and it just happens to fit perfectly!)

Now, if I was a wealthy woman I wouldn’t hold back – silk ribbon would be my embroidery of choice. I just find it so captivating. Unfortunately, it is not the most affordable hobby so I don’t indulge very often.

See the little spider making it’s way to the web?

This is my WIP – a redwork on linen designed by my husband and me and will be made into a cushion. I may release a pattern of this one too, I’ll keep you posted on that šŸ™‚

Hope you’re having a great day, see you soon!

Flower fairies and butterflies in stumpwork

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I just received my final piece for my stumpwork assessment back from the framer. Having never had anything framed before it was quite a thrill! I’m glad I chose the more expensive frame as it’s so beautiful and the floral theme ties in with my piece beautifully. 

I’ve used a variety of techniques in the piece including my favourite – silk ribbon embroidery.

I can’t tell you how much thought, planning, then work went into this but I absolutely love it.

And another homework assessment finished and mounted. This is a blue morpho butterfly.

The wings are all detached and the body embroidered directly onto the fabric.

So now I just need to finish and assemble my samplers and I’m ready for my assessment in a few weeks, how exciting to have come so far! I’m already planning what to learn next and I feel it must involve silk ribbons!

Embroidery progress

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Slowly but surely I’m working on what will be my final piece for my stumpwork course assessment.
Although it’s a lot of work I am getting so much out of this project.

 I never really imagined using so many varied techniques and materials in one piece before and am feeling like I have just received my embroidery licence and can do what I want for the first time!

Although it’s primarily a stumpwork project I’m incorporating silk ribbon embroidery, beading and surface embroidery. Although I drew a detailed design I find myself deviating from that by experimenting and just “winging it”. I can’t wait to see the end product, it’s really exciting.