Saturday 28 March 2015

A worthy creation

I love expressing myself ( or trying to) by slapping paint, fabric & stitches about but I sometimes feel a little guilty that it might be considered occasionally to be a frivolous pursuit.




So I was delighted to be asked by one of my customers to make her a functional, useful & well, worthy, padded gauntlet to protect her Ulna bone when playing the guitar .



You'd have been proud of my measurements & trying to think in 3D - the main padding is in the middle panel, above; 2 layers of soft batting & thin foam in the middle. One side has just 2 layers of batting & the other I thought of thinning the whole thing a little & cut one layer of batting out before I sewed up that side. I'll just have one layer each side next time.

Of course, it never occurred to me, this being my first heavily padded item, that the padding would add over an inch to the measurements so I added a panel, above on the right to which I stitched the 3 strips of Velcro (easier to manage than buttons & loops & not noticeable if worn under the sleeve). Amazingly I thought of the solution to this problem  (I know, obvious to some) while laying in bed the morning my customer was to arrive for a fitting - I don't usually think in the morning - & true to form (I did have B&B prep) I was putting the last few stitches in as she arrived. She was delighted & I really felt I had made something very useful.

A warm welcome to new followers, it's been a while so I'm delighted! Do leave me a comment so I can visit you at yours.

I've been making cards, too.


 Above turned into these, below, ready to mount (the colorful background papers needs stitching)


 I thought I'd photographed the flower stamp I made but I did take a pic of the dried seaweed, below that inspired the stamp I cut out of foam. Fiddly tho. 



 I've been watching the wildlife on the shore in front of the house, geese & deer, while getting the place ready for the start of the season.





 I even managed a trip up the Island to Skyeworks Gallery last week with a top up order

 Isle Ornsay lighthouse

& had to get my camera out to take these pics on a bright clear day with fresh snow on the hill. 

Cuillin Hills

then a delicious lunch in the Isle of Skye Baking Co below the Gallery  (& cake ;)

14 comments:

Mystic Quilter said...

Beautiful cards and snapshots of Skye.

suziqu's thread works said...

Your padded gauntlet turned out so well. I have found that there is always a solution to a problem when creating and therefore there is no right or wrong.
Love your nature photos too - it looks so cold still though!
Hugs,
Suzy

chocolatefrog said...

Ooh, that's brave - sewing's a whole different thing to arty stitching, I can't do it at all myself! Well done. Love those ammonites too, and your gorgeous Skye pics.

Living to work - working to live said...

Emma - you live in Paradise ( in case, when it's cold and dark and wet you forget!)

And I love the seaweed inspiration for the stamp.

In my youth I knew the Latin name for lots of varieties of seaweed. Now I only know the blanket forSea Lettuce - but can't spell it!

ju-north said...

Love where you live! Dream location! And I think you might get more orders for the guitar accessory once word gets out!

Suztats said...

Isn't it wonderful when a plan works out? Yay on the gauntlet! Love the photos at the water's edge and the bridge. Creating is it's own reward, I think, whether it's something functional or just for one's pleasure.

Anonymous said...

Nice new stamped i ages. Colorful and soft. xox

Maggi said...

Nothing wrong with just creating beautiful things but you are very clever to have worked out the gauntlet.

Julie said...

Well done on the gauntlet, it looks fantastic and useful too. How lovely to have such beautiful animals in your front garden.

Anonymous said...

Lovely blue skies - it's good to see some at last! Love that seaweed - it looks so unseaweedey if that's possible!

Sue M said...

Haven't visited for a while - but glad to do so today - lovely cards and those pictures of your beach!

Unknown said...

Loving your pictures and the authentic and original way you have put your story across - you're an inspiration and I am following your journey - awesome work!

layers said...

I do not think any sort of creative effort.. even a funcitonal one-- is frivolous... we need a creative outlet to express ourselves... keep it up.

Linda Vincent said...

I absolutely love looking at your gorgeous photos.
Oh Emma, one day......