A "Novel" Defense Group art show of Face Mask art

I am so excited to share this NEW art show that I am a part of. Kate the curator of the Slow Down Gallery at Random Framing created this show titled A "Novel" Defense that is a group show of artistic and practical mask art.

There is quite the variety of art and I am so please to be a part of this group show.

Here are close-ups of two that I made that are created like my embroidered moving blocks art installation.

Here is a video that shows the face masks closer.

Stefanie Girard solo art show at Karizma Hair Studio

Art is not just for galleries anymore! I was invited to display my art in Karizma Hair Studio in Thousand Oaks, CA. The invitation came after I was telling the owner that we were invited by a building owner to use her lobby as a gallery. Here is another walk through video of the show that features mixed-media collage, embroidery and paintings.

Here are a few more still shots:

Movable Blocks -Embroidered Quotes Art Installation - By Stefanie Girard

 Today I want to share with you an art installation piece that I recently exhibited. It's made up of over 150 fabric covered (recycled) wood blocks.

About half of them have embroidered quotes and words on them. They are mounted on coated galvanized metal and I move them around to create different arrangements. Here are 5 arrangements and some close-ups of a few of the blocks. If you want to see all the embroidery you can pop over to the hashtag #stefanieembroiders on my Instagram @stefanielgirard. I am constantly making more and creating new arrangements so feel free to follow them!

In each photo I held my fingers indicating what number the arrangement was.

Let me know which one is your favorite!

Or if you have a good quote or word you think deserves to be embroidered.

Close-ups:

More embroidered quote block close-ups:

Lots of colors:

Groups of colors:

Greys:

Medium shot:

I even made the Glendale News Press and Burbank Leader!

3 crewel embroidery motifs used on a check table cloth

I started this project a long, long time ago and finally put the finishing touches on it and now I can share my crewel embroidery done on this check fabric using the patterns form the book The New Crewel Embroidery.

Prim and Proper at Craftcation

 

Did you miss me?

I know it's been awhile since I've posted here. But hey, what can I say. Here is a little goodie I spotted at #craftcation14. It is a little decoration made of felt that says "Prim &Proper" and the girl who was wearing it said she was anything but...!

How to decorate a sombrero for Cinco de Mayo

 As I have shared in previous posts my neighbors are now expecting gate decorations and not wanting to disappoint I bring you my Cinco De Mayo Sombrero decoration! I was hoping to score one at a thrift store that was all fancy and such but no luck. I did find one though that was plain and figured as the crafty gal I purport to be I could work some festive magic on it. Would you say I did?

 First I went to the pom pom trim box and decided on red. I didn't like how the pom poms were attached with two strings so I cut one of each string for each pom pom and pulled the pom pom down to the end so it would dangle as long as possible. I also got out the raffia and sequins and embroidered a "5" and some zig zags and a fan shape like on the mini sombreros I had.

Happy Cinco De Mayo my crafty peeps!

Recycled Sweater Shrug with "Bite Me" Embroidery inspired by the luscious book Vampire Knits by Genevieve Miller

Yup, you read the title right! We here at Sweater Surgery have another fun sweater recycling design, this time inspired by the book Vampire Knits: Projects to Keep You Knitting from Twilight to Dawn. It is filled with wonderfully designed knitting projects full of great details that had me running to my sweater stash to see what I could make first, because I just had to have something right away!
I love shrugs and with it almost cool enough to wear one here in SoCal making one seemed like a great place to start. You can't go wrong with black so this giant black sweater with fabulously long sleeves (my favorite for being able to pull down over my always cold hands) and great big turtleneck was perfect for a little sweater surgery.
I was in luck in that the sleeves came apart with just a few snips of the thread that held it together and I cut the body of the sweater off the turtleneck without cutting into the knit stitches of the turtleneck thus preventing it from unraveling.
Then I cut the turtleneck open along its seam. I then sewed a button over a snap to make my new closure.
In Vampire Knits they give you patterns for fonts that you can duplicate stitch but I was in the mood for a bit more of a rough look and I was working with a ribbed sweater so I thought I'd go with just a quick down and dirty embroidery with a silver metallic Kreinik thread #8. And I do have a fondness for this phrase that seemed rather vampire appropriate (I did the cross stitch of it from the Subversive Cross Stitch book :)

Side note, I just made the "happy face" and used the closed parenthesis simultaneously...how often does that happen??

Well there are tons more details in Vampire Knits that I can't wait to incorporate in my recycling and knitting projects! If you're more the type that likes to work straight from a pattern I bet you will love making the designs in this book too!
Vampire Knits: Projects to Keep You Knitting from Twilight to Dawn
By
Genevieve Miller

"Product Description from Potter Craft

Surrender to the allure of knits inspired by the immortals we all love to fear. If you adore Twilight, True Blood, or The Vampire Diaries, this collection of 28 imaginative and beautiful projects is sure to captivate.

• Black capes are so 1897, instead get stylish with the dead sexy Sidhe Shrug.
• Unleash your inner shapeshifter with the Werewolf Hat.
• Keep warm while holding hands with your vampire by wearing these Bellisima Mittens.
• Around humans? Use the Blood Bottle Cozies to disguise your beverage.

Whether you are wandering the Carpathian Mountains or the bayous of Louisiana, these smoldering projects—for knitters of all levels—will keep you well protected, no matter what you attract.

About the Author

GENEVIEVE MILLER was inspired to design her own patterns after reading Twilight. She is the mother of three and luckily married to a guy who doesn't mind the house being taken over by a giant yarn stash. She lives in Pasadena, California. "

Stitch doodling embroidery from the book The Big-Ass book of Home Decor

How the crafty planets collided in my world today.
I had a bunch of these plain black skirts that were just screaming for some embellishment and I had the new book The Big-Ass book of Home Decor full of great ideas that were on my "to try" list. Within seconds the plan was formed. I would try the "stitch doodle" technique pictured here as a butterfly motif. I'm not too much of a butterfly girl, I'm more of a jackalope type.

So I put the skirt on to figure out where I wanted my jackalope to be. (You can see the dressmaker's chalk square still there a bit in the lower photo)

Then I printed out my jackalope image to size and cut it out.

I traced the image onto the skirt again using the dressmaker's chalk.

Then all that was left to do was two laps around the outline with some white thread in the machine. Once the dressmaker's chalk is brushed off it will be a bit more crisp but I like the imperfect look. Really doable by every type of sewer I think. Oh, and fast!

More about
The Big-Ass book of Home Decor:
More than 100 Inventive Projects for Cool Homes Like Yours
By
Mark Montano
from the publisher Stewart, Tabori & Chang

"You have a problem. Your current home “décor” is ugly, shabby, and boring, but you can’t afford lots of new stuff. Or maybe your house is filled with tired old junk that you just can’t bear to throw away. Or maybe you bought all your furniture at a big box store, but it irritates you that it all looks like you bought it there.

You have a solution—or, rather, a whole houseful of solutions. In this newest Big-Ass Book, do-it-yourself guru Mark Montano presents 105 practical, simple, and decidedly unboring projects for every space in your home. Montano’s wizardry—accomplished with masking tape, spray paint, and glue—transforms everything from accessories, to walls and windows, to lighting, to major pieces like headboards, tables, dressers, and chairs. (And there’s even a chapter on turning the anonymous items you got at IKEA into one-of-a-kind treasures.)

About the Author
Mark Montano is a designer and well-known host on TLC’s While You Were Out and 10 Years Younger, We’s She’s Moving In, and Style Network’s My Celebrity Home. He is the author of CosmoGIRL Cool Room, The Big-Ass Book of Crafts, Super Suite, and Dollar Store Décor. Montano is based in Los Angeles and New York."

Silver French knot sunburst embellished tote using the pattern in Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

This was the super cool tote bag Provo craft was giving out at Maker Faire and I thought it would look cool with some added sparkle. I had seen this cool modern sunburst pattern made with french knots in Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts and thought I would try that. The pattern calls for raffia but I wanted sparkle so I used Kreinik Metallic thread #19 Braid.
I followed the great directions by drawing my circle with dissapearing ink using a glass as my template and then marking the center. It took me a few tries looking very closely at the french knot illustration because since I don't make them regularly... I forget. But the illustration is great and I quickly got the hang of it and in a very short time I had myself a sparkly sunburst on my tote.
I dipped it under running water to remove the ink and here you have a super close-up of my stitchin'.

This book is a great wealth of inspiration and tutorials. I will surely to be referencing it regularly.
More info from the publisher Potter Craft about:

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts: Basic Techniques for Sewing, Applique, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing, plus 150 Inspired Projects from A to Z

"Whether you just bought your first sewing machine or have been sewing for years, Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts will open your eyes to an irresistible range of ideas. A comprehensive visual reference, the book covers everything a home sewer craves: the basics of sewing by hand or machine, along with five other time-honored crafts techniques, and step-by-step instructions for more than 150 projects that reflect not only Martha Stewart’s depth of experience and crafting expertise, but also her singular sense of style.

Encyclopedic in scope, the book features two main parts to help you brush up on the basics and take your skills to a new level. First, the Techniques section guides readers through Sewing, Appliqué, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing. Following that, the Projects A to Z section features more than 150 clever ideas (including many no-sew projects), all illustrated and explained with the clear, detailed instructions that have become a signature of Martha Stewart’s magazines, books, and television shows.

An enclosed CD includes full-size clothing patterns as well as templates that can be easily produced on a home printer. Fabric, thread, and tool glossaries identify the properties, workability, and best uses of common sewing materials. And, perhaps best of all, when you need it most, Martha and her talented team of crafts editors offer you the reassurance that you really can make it yourself.

The projects are as delightful as they are imaginative, and include classic Roman shades, hand-drawn stuffed animals, an easy upholstered blanket chest, a quilted crib bumper, French knot-embellished pillowcases and sheets, and Japanese-embroidered table linens, among many others.With gorgeous color photographs as well as expert instruction, this handy guide will surely encourage beginners and keep sewers and crafters of all experience levels wonderfully busy for many years to come."

Embroidered scissors from the book Redwork from the Workbasket

I used to only do machine embroidery but I have become quite the fan now of hand embroidery. And what is my favorite tool? Why yes it is the scissors so I didn't have to go any further than the cover of Redwork from The WORKBASKET to find my latest embroidery design.

Redwork from The WORKBASKET comes with a disk of all the images so this makes sizing sew easy!

I printed the scissors out and then cut the outline of the scissors out. I then trace the shape onto the fabric with a wash away marker.
I aligned the scissors so that the part that was supposed to be the strap fell on the seam.
I will definitely be using more of the 100 designs included in

Redwork from The WORKBASKET: 100 Designs for Machine and Hand Embroidery to embellish more of my projects!

More about the book from Krause:

"Get the highly sought-after vintage embroidery look in the 21st century with Redwork from The WORKBASKET , 100 authentic WORKBASKET designs presented in multiple digitized formats for machine embroidery. These vintage designs are available in JPEG format as well so even hand-embroiderers can create their own transfers. Discover how to make these designs with 12 projects that include dishtowels, an apron, a foldable tote bag, framed sentiments, a bed quilt and more. Instructions, templates, tips on thread and fabric selection and a visual index of patterns complete this great package!

Rebecca Kemp Brent is a freelance writer, educator and designer who specializes in creative uses of computerized sewing and embroidery machines and software. A regular contributor to Creative Machine Embroidery, Quilting & Embroidery, Paper & Embroidery and Holiday Embroidery, her titles for Krause Publications (an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.) include Fill in the Blanks with Machine Embroidery (2007) and Machine Embroidery Wild and Wacky (2006), which she co-authored with Linda Turner Griepentrog. "

How to embroider plaid with ribbons from the book Ribbon Embroidery by Natalie Bellanger-Clement

This is one of the prettiest books and it is packed full of charming techniques including something I never would have thought of, making plaid with ribbon.
Ribbon Embroidery: Simple Stitches for Easy Embellishments
By
Natalie Bellanger-Clement

"As any stitcher knows, embroidery is one of the best ways to personalize any garment or home accessory. Using ribbon in your project provides a two-fold benefit: it’s not only beautiful, it makes a stronger impact. Designs can be finished in half the time, since ribbon is generally much wider than standard embroidery thread. Any fabric can be dressed up with a few well-placed stitches.

But you don’t have to be confined to a pattern—with some basic knowledge and imagination, you can create your own designs in no time. You’ll learn a wide variety of stitches, from vines and flower petals to latticework and lines that evoke flames. Each stitch is described and illustrated in detail—and all of the projects can be completed in fewer than six steps! A handful of larger templates highlight suggested stitch combinations to get your creativity flowing, but the most beautiful designs are sure to be the ones you create on your own.

NATALIE BELLANGER-CLEMENT is a textile professor who also teaches embroidery. She is a frequent contributor to Marie Claire Idées, and lives in Paris, France."

(Marie Claire Idées is a great magazine, it is so elegant, it's all in french but the pictures and patterns are great)

Well, they call it the woven stitch but when I saw one of the variations of ribbon weaving-I saw PLAID! My fave! So I just had to give it a try.

I decided my canvas was going to be a recycled sweater, not a felted one because I thought it would be too hard to stitch the ribbon onto so I went with a medium weight sweater.

I gathered up a bunch of different colors and widths of ribbon.
I cut my sweater to a rough size for the toilet paper cozy and hooped it. I didn't back it, I was just careful not to stretch it.
I started with a focal ribbon that had the word "relax" printed on it. (my homage to Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
Here it is from the back with all the ribbons woven in. The directions in Ribbon Embroidery: Simple Stitches for Easy Embellishments were really easy to follow and very clear. It went like a dream.

I then did press a small rectangle of interfacing on the back to secure all the ends.
Well here you have it a Plaid ribbon embroidered toilet paper cozy. In case you're counting that's 4 T.P. cozies I have made. I am already working on another one but it is crocheted so it is taking be a bit of time. I will share it with you as soon as it's done.

For the Love of Flaming Hot Coffee Cozy- Inspired by the Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing

Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing:
Fabu-Low-Sew Projects for the Everyday Crafter

Is so yummy!
The Crafty Chica has done it again!
I loved her book, The Crafty Chica Collection and all her sparkly products!

And now there is a new book packed with more fabulous inspiration. I love the heart with the flame buckle but I don't wear belts much right now, so I looked around to see what I could pop one on? It didn't take me long to see a plane sweater cuff coffee cozy that was oh "sew" plain.
Perfect!

I cut the heart out of some pretty plaid fabric that matched the pink of the sweater cuff (felted) perfectly and I cut the flame out of a scrap of yellow-ish jersey fabric I had cut off a shirt I altered.Talk about mixed media.

I must add at this point I used some super sassy new Simplicity Scissors. If you have never scored yourself a nice new good pair of scissors-you should! Nothing makes a fabric project go smoother than having the first step of cutting out go easy. And always keep your fabric scissors only for fabric, this will keep them in tip top shape and sharpness.
After I cut out my shapes, I pinned them in place and did a large running stitch with 3 strands of embroidery floss.
Ta-da! Hmmm makes me want cofffeeeee, off to make some!