So, I've decided to enter the world of blogging!   Being a complete technophobe it will, no doubt, take me a little time to get the hang of this blogging business....the intention is to update from time to time with photos of my work and what inspires me....thanks for stopping by!    Starting with.....

Creative Embroidery, CEAD Ncad

                                                                    Bective Abbey, Trim, Co. Meath

I'm currently doing the accredited Creative Embroidery night class in Ncad.  My chosen theme to work on is Historic Abbeys and ruins....I'm constantly being drawn to these beautiful old buildings and have hundreds of images on my Picasa albums....I thought it was a good opportunity to visit this theme and explore it through stitch. I'm particularly interested in focusing on free machine embroidery and am currently battling with three sewing machines in an effort to achieve 'hassle free' free machining!  

I've put aside my original and trusty Singer - I can't drop the feed dogs and have long since broken the cover for them.  I bought a lovely new Pfaff Select 4 over a Bernina a couple of years ago with free machining in mind (I was wowed by the IDT feature)....however, the needle keeps catching in the bobbin holder, bending and breaking...threads keep getting caught in the bobbin...I don't particularly like the darning foot....it's plastic and rather than seeing through it, it seems to obstruct my view....I know it needs a service badly to hopefully sort it out.  After reading LOTS of online reviews, I bought a second hand Bernina 1008...this is kind of working out for me, but just when I think I have tensions sorted out....I end up with broken threads again....I know it all takes patience....and I'm thinking lots of new needles, I will persevere!   And so, to the last machine....a beautiful Novum from the late 50's...bought on a whim of nostalgia.... it's similar to the machine my mother had taught me to sew on....I bought it online for €25 and had no idea if it would sew or not, but I was just happy to have it as a decorative object.  However, it sews like a dream, I can drop the feed dogs and so far it's accepted readily any thread I've put through it....only drawback is that it doesn't zig zag....so single line stitch only.

The image above includes inspirational photos from Bective Abbey and samples for backgrounds using painted Bondaweb/Wonder under. I'm loving the effects of the Bondaweb...I think it works really well in achieving a weathered, distressed look....