D.I.Y: embroidery hoop wall art.

Pretty simple right?

Just take a group of various sized embroidery hoops and stretch a colourful collection of fabrics over them all.

(As you can see.. I still have to glue the raw edges around the backs of the hoops.. oops!)

Then lay the hoops on the floor first to get a pleasing arrangement... or just keep filling the wall with nail holes, whatever your style is!

A fun punch of colour and pattern to any space.

Here's a couple other inspirations too... this and this! 

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For those of you wondering, we just created this play nook for the kids in the corner of our Living Room.  Yes, where the massive T.V stand used to be... what a great purge.

No more T.V, stereo, clutter, junk, stuff, etc!

Upon seeing this blank wall space I said to the hubs:

"I should fill that with fabric hoops"

To which he replied:

"Of course you should, heaven forbid there's an empty space for more than five minutes around here"!

 Oh, the dry wit... but really, he's a very patient 'minimalist' in light of my decor style.

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Hoop you have fun creating your own colourful corner!

Mel ;o)

stitching love on our walls...

 Hello lovelies,

Here's a simple embroidery project I completed this week... and I'm pretty delighted!

(Considering the piles of projects that are half-started... it's always a nice treat to begin - and finish - an idea).

 My guy Ben and I considered a few options of what words/text/verses I could go with.

I wanted something that inspired/defined our home.

Having just spent time reading 1 Corinthians 13... it struck me that the verse "love never fails" would be a beautiful choice.

(This also happens to be the same chapter that inspired my wrist tattoo).

 I cross-stitched the verse on to a stamped piece of muslin/canvas I had inherited.

Isn't the stamped design so pretty?  I loved working around that pattern.

 This stitched hoop now hangs in the ever-growing hall/wall of family-sentimental memories.

(You can learn more about this collection here).

(I also hung that painting on the left that  I did for my home.brewing home.slice baker ben!)

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I really enjoy seeing this reminder every time I come down the stairs.

Every start to a new day.

"Love never fails".

We fail.

We falter.

We suffer heartbreak and hurt.

But 'love' isn't the cause... just the absence or abuse of it.

So I want to hold tight to the source of Love.

And I want to shine it out in a home - in a world - hungry for real love.

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What word/message would you stitch on your walls?

Creatively yours,

Mel ;o)

recent stitchery: [I'm fawned of]...

 Here's a quilted hoop I made for a special lady's special day.

She's a local businesswoman. doula. mama. blogger buddy o' mine...
and one her past blog posts inspired this project for her.

Miss Desiree Fawn - a lover of quilts.tea.doilies...and of course, fawns.

Hop on over to her blog and give her some birthday love!

Fawndly,

Mel ;o)

recent craftings: [midwifery stitchery].

So here's another project from the nest, friends. 

I wanted to create some special 'thank you' gifts for my wonderful midwives.  This time I set to work before the baby came (since I got a sweet 'scolding' from my midwife for creating her previous gift after our first baby Azriel was born!  Something along the lines of 'you should be resting, Mel!).  I can't help it.. I love to create - especially for lovely people in my life!

Having two 'primary midwives' meant making double the fun.  This was the feather hoop I stitched/sketched up for one of them.  I also made a fabric gift bag for this and one of my pottered mugs, (etc) to tuck in to.

This nest hoop is for my other lovely midwife, to represent the members of their home.  I attempted sewing a version of this felt 'rose' bowl from Pinterest... but it was a flop (literally).. and required me to tie the bowl up around her pottered mug.

So, these were some of the crafty perks to having a slow-coming baby...

more time to create while I waited.  

I guess this boy knows his mama well.

I'm very grateful for these wonderful women who guided me all along the way of being pregnant, labouring and caring for these babies in our nest.

I heart midwives.

Crafty mama,

Mel ;o)

Recent hoop-la...

"small kite.big sky" & "small boat.big sea"

Here's some recent stitchery.painted goodness coming from this nest.  I love creating wee scenes of fabric scraps and embroidery - all stretched over a quilter's hoop.

 The above hoops are some popular designs of late, they were ordered from a few sweet people.

These two hoops were a custom order.  It was a fun project to spring board from what the customer described and stitch it all together.

I know, I know, I really need to get an Etsy account already.  I'm just trying to keep this stage of creating at a 'tranquil' pace for the priority of raising our wee ones at the nest currently.  Running local art.craft shows is a good pace for me, with the occasional mailed out order for those lovely clients who can work with me.

For the locals:

I'll be showing you more recent craftiness in these upcoming weeks to the Christmas craft show.

(Focus Fair - Dec.10th & 11th - the Spill Cafe).

My current art show at Black Honey Cafe is going to be up for one more week, (and the quilted hoops have been selling like hot cakes there!).

Hope you all have a beauty weekend, 

we're caught up in the magical sparkle of our first snowfall here!

Creatively yours,

Mel :o)