Friday 31 July 2015

Fabric Friday

#FabricFriday is back!


My first/last Fabric Friday post was back in January, so I thought it's about time I did another.

As is often the case, one afternoon I was looking for some stitchy inspiration (it may even have been initially for my still-ongoing possible-quilt/quilting project) and had a gander at what Pinterest had to offer. As usual, it did not disappoint.

I love the idea of using something entirely non-traditional as a "canvas" or "fabric" to stich on or embellish a project with and found this really gorgeous mixed media piece (below) by Claudia Orengo, aka Stitch the World. It's such a beautiful way of using a lovely vintage postcard whilst simultaneously breathing new life into it.


During the same search for fabric and textile-related ideas, I also came across the work of Hella van 't Hof. She operates at a fascinating intersection between traditional sampler-style embroidery and old photographs imbued with wistful memories.


Her works have an added tactile element as the images have been printed onto canvas, providing the ideal surface to stitch onto.


I like the way these embellishments add a three dimensional aspect and often take an organic form, complementing the original photograph and giving the evoked memories a feeling of tangibility.

Tuesday 7 July 2015

Colour Lovers

Do you love colour? Then you just might like this blog post!

Keukenhof view

I promised a while ago (back in May!) that I would blog about the rest of my visit to the floral heaven that is Keukenhof, because I just couldn't quite cram all that gorgeous colour into one post... well here you go - enjoy!



Possibly the cutest dog ever - it was almost as if it was posing for the picture!


We saw a stunning variety of different types of tulip (as well as other flowers) and a staggering spectrum of colours. It truly was a feast for the eyes!




Of course, you can't expect to visit Holland without seeing a few clogs...


...and we also saw the beautiful flower fields too!


I was really blown away by the sheer intensity 
of the red tulips as they were incredibly striking.


From the edges of the Keukenhof boundary you could even see groups of tourists on little boat trips along the canals running around the borders of the flower fields.