Embroidery - stitching portraits

I’ve been using photos for inspiration for embroidery portraits. This one is of my daughter when she was at playgroup. I enlarged the image, used tracing paper to draw the key elements that I want to stitch, transfered the image onto fabric and then played/stitched.

Using a variety of thicknesses of thread leads to shading, re-creating pencil lines and hanging the threads symbolizes the idea that the picture, the subject, lives on.

I am super proud of these trainers!

There are lots of artists doing this kind of work and spent my birthday money on a book by Rosie James  Stitch Draw: Design and Technique for Figurative Stitching

Lauren Child - fabric, collage and Chandeliers for the People

All images copywright Lauren Child

I have a little daughter Hettie.
       She's not so small but very funny.
She has always loved the books of Lauren Child.
       We have most of her books now.

Ms Child's books range from picture books to
        detective novels for pre-teens now.
When Ms Child's is in town we love to go and listen to her
        because we are inspired by her illustrations
            and          QUirkY 
                                         wriTiNg.

This Saturday we found out a bit more about her way of 
           working.
      
Lauren grew up in the 60s and 70s, like me, and her mother
        made clothes for Lauren and her 2 sisters.

We were also dressed in clothes my mum made for us.
      I feel a connection to Ms Childs and her homemade 70s
childhood. 

When Lauren creates her illustrations, she draws, 
        photocopies fabric, collages and such like.
She likes to use the computer to play around with the fabrics.

One source of fabric for her pics is the scrap stash at her 
        family home.
She also had a business called Chandeliers for the People -
        and has many remnants from that time that
               make their
                          way into her
                                marvellous illustrations.

Lola's pjs are made from fabric that was used to make a
       nightdress for young Lauren.

One small remnant was copied several times and overlaid to 
           make one larger image.
A patchwork background a bit like this one.

All images copywright Lauren Child

We are now into the 3rd Ruby Redfort book and think Lauren

       writes fab books for pre-teens.

In the Q & A I didn't get to ask my question. Boo hoo.

Me: On your slide you were using you whizzed forward to an image of Starsky and Hutch and Hart to Hart - how did they inspire your writing?

Lauren:   .........

Halloween plans....

I'm a meany - but while I can get away with it, I will. Here's what I found in my daughter's room.

A warning to me to 'Stay away!', from what? It appears that her design ideas for her Halloween outfit are to be kept from me, despite the fact that 'mum's got a hat, might be useful'!

Oh to be 10 again....