Denim Jacket completed!

The final panel on the back of my denim jacket is finished!

As I mentioned earlier this month, I let my four grandchildren design their own heart using images and words of the things they love and are important to them.  They also got to choose their own colour scheme and I have to say they all made a great job of it.  I only had to get creative fitting in all their designs in to the space.

And this what all the designs look like when put together - modelled by Hope.

I'm going to feel a bit bereft now it's finished so busy planning my next project!

Denim Jacket - The home run

I've added a small panel of stitching to my denim jacket which now leaves just one more to do.

I recently bought Joyful Stitching by Laura Wasilowski, a textile artist I have long admired, mainly through seeing her work in Quilting Arts Magazine.   This book has really inspired me and is definitely freeing up my embroidery.   I know I am a bit obsessed with everything being balanced and neat looking - it's a problem I have in all aspects of my creative work but I am (I think!) getting better.

Inspired by the stitching Laura has done in this book, I used some of her ideas to complete this little panel in my jacket.

The final panel is underway and is again inspired by one of the other loves of my life - my grandchildren.

I have decided to give the four of them design rights and will get each of them to decorate a heart with the things they like which I will embroider on to the jacket.

Mad or what?

Further work on the denim jacket.....

I have been cracking on with the embroidery work on my denim jacket and I can see the end in sight.

The next panel to be completed is the bottom of the central panel and I decided to include beach huts as I just love them and always photograph any we see on our travels.

For the middle beach hut I used some of my own dyed fabric as it covers a seam and I thought would be easier than stitching over the seam.   The other two are embroidered, the left hand one with stripes of satin stitch and a door of split stitch; and the right hand one has lines of running stitch using a variegated thread and a heart on the door which was again satin stitch.   The beach around the huts was a combination of straight stitch, French knots and cross stitch and the sea was wavy lines of back stitch.   The two fish were done using a variety of stitches including fly stitch, French knots and straight stitches, all outlined with chain stitch.

The bunting was worked in satin stitch on a line of back stitch.

The next panel I worked on again reflects more important things in my life - stitching, crochet and patchwork.

As you can see some hexagons were using English Paper Piecing method, some were crocheted and the rest were embroidered.

Stitches used on the embroidered ones above include cross stitch, fly stitch, woven wheel, outlined with stem stitch; and running stitch, fern stitch, and pistol stitch, outlined with chain stitch.

In this next one I used straight stitches, French knots and satin stitch, outlined with chain stitch.

And for the final two, lazy daisy, fly stitch and ermine stitch, outlined with blanket stitch; and blanket stitch, French knots and straight stitch, outlined with back stitch.

I have an idea what I'm going to do for the final panel but it involves input from my grandchildren so it won't be done until the end of August.

Denim Jacket now has shells

Two shells have now been added to my denim jacket, adding to the seaside theme with the seahorse.

I've again used a range of stitches including French knots, herringbone, blanket, split stitch, chain stitch and cross stitches, all worked in stranded cotton.

I've also added some foliage and flowers around the mandalas I worked earlier so they are more joined together.   These were just simple back stitch and lazy daisy with a few French knots.

Seahorse Embroidered on Denim

Another embroidery has appeared on my denim jacket - this time a seahorse.

I decided to add some sea-theme motifs as I love the seaside so much and last year I did some embroideries of shells and a seahorse so they became my next project on the jacket. The seahorse is finished and hopefully the shells will be finished in the next few days.

The stitches I used include French knots, couching, satin, herringbone, fly, chain, split and stem with feather stitches for the seaweed.

Embroidered Denim Jacket

Despite the lack of posts, I have been busy - I am someone who cannot sit and do nothing!

I started a new project a few weeks ago and this is one I will be working on for some time, so watch out for updates.

I have had a denim jacket hanging in my wardrobe for some time but in the last few years I have not worn it.  It had a lining (must have been a posh one!) which had ripped around one of the armholes which no doubt contributed to its lack of use.

Rewinding a few years, Quilting Arts featured a denim jacket that Susan Brubaker Knapp had covered with stitches and although several years have passed since I first saw it, the inspiration stayed with me so I decided it was time for me to start.

To prepare the jacket, I ripped/cut out the lining and was surprised to find the finish wasn't too bad although some parts did need tidying up.  I was just going to overstitch the edges but my daughter Clare suggested I get some pretty bias binding to use instead.  Great advice which I duly followed!

I started with a mandala as I had just finished my first embroidered mandala which I had enjoyed.  This was followed by two more mandalas on either side.   I now need to add some stitching to connect these as I feel they look a bit odd 'floating' at the sides.

Centre Mandala

Mandala which sit either side of the centre one

The next panel I worked on was really inspired by that first one I saw in Quilting Arts.  I used images of items I use when sewing - tape measure, cotton reel, scissors and needle and thread.  These were all done in outline and the background was then filled with seed stitches.   I plan to do another layer of seed stitches over the top of the first layer.

Detail of centre panel

Put them altogether and you have ......

I planned to wear it to a family party last week but the weather was so hot, jackets were not required!

This is very much a WIP and I have planned the next few designs to go on it but I will take my time to make sure it is just what I want.  I added an extra bit of stitching in the corner just so people know.