Our Public Library has a community program going on right now where they give you a free sketchbook to fill with
art,
sketches, writing, poetry, etc., Once returned, it will be placed in their Art Bound Books permanent collection. I knew right away that I would fill mine with stitching :)
I spritzed, sponged, painted or stenciled the pages and then stitched one kind of stitch per page. Most of the time I stitched through 2 pages to give support and to help prevent the paper from tearing.
I did not have a well thought out plan of what stitches or designs I would create but just let it happen.
I glued a number of the pages together and took out pages as well.
It was tricky to stitch close to the middle.
It was good to revisit stitches I had done through Sharon Boggon's
Take A Stitch Tuesday challenge.
In total I stitched 16 different kinds of stitches.
I also drew on some of the pages. The outline of the owl is couched but the feathers, beak and tree were drawn.
Other stitches that I did besides these ones were: detached chain stitch, seed stitch, cretan, wheatear, chevron, buttonhole wheel, woven spider web and the pistil stitch.
My favourite page was combining all of the stitches for my bird design.
There was a pocket at the back that I put some threads and small pieces of Aida cloth for anyone to take if they wanted to. I printed a Maya Angelou quote on the pocket after I took the picture: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." It was a great project for me and I will return it to the library next week.
Wishing everyone a very creative day :)
Your book of stitches is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful book, Jenny! Wish I could see it IRL. It reminds me of The Sketchbook Project. www.sketchbookproject.com I have two booklets in their library. On one of them I took every two pages and stitches embroidery borders by machine. Then I glued stitched pieces of fabric to some of the pages. Looks like you did all the hand stitching through the paper. That must have been difficult!
ReplyDeleteOriginal, unique and beautiful !!!
ReplyDeleteHug
Anna
What a fantastic book!! Love the aida of leaving a few bits and pieces at the back :)
ReplyDeleteThe little umbrellas are really cute and oh.. go on... the little owls too :)
Oh Jenny, how perfectly wonderful this is. What a good idea for your library to take on such a project. LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! This must be just what the library wanted participants to do. Every page holds a discovery and for anyone into embroidery it is a quizz, too, 'Name The Stitch'. I like how you have kept the thread ends stick out of the pages.
ReplyDeleteFantastic - so much ingenuity, persistence and creativity. It's also a really imaginative thing for the library to do. Maybe they will move to cloth books in response to your contribution! It will certainly be well used.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful program! You obviously have a very innovative library. Your creation is wonderful (especially that cool bird!).
ReplyDeletewhat a great project to be involved with, I have not stitched on paper but i would think it would be quite hard to do
ReplyDeletebeautiful!!! I love bird :) great idea!
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant project, I wish we had a library as good as yours!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful sketch book, the libary will be thrilled.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Jeannette. And what a wonderful project by your library. I love how you have used your book, an inspiratonal project. xx
ReplyDeleteLove the book idea!
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