After finishing my City and Guilds course, I was feeling a bit lost, so what is the next step?
After four years of having direction with my embroidery, I started to feel a bit lost and lacking in direction. I was thinking "What next?" I needed to find my own path and make some plans.
Lists
I do love a list, so I grabbed my phone, set up a new list on my 'To Do' and started listing out some of my ideas. After setting up the list, I already had quite a lot of different things to keep me going! But since I've set it up I just keep adding to it. The thing about embroidery is, it takes time, it's quite a slow process from start to finish, so each project I embark on often takes at least a few weeks. Some can be quicker, and others considerably longer.
Variety
After starting my list, as well as the quantity on the list, I noticed a lot of variety. One of the things the C&G course definitely taught me, was variety. I've definitely got used to trying so many new techniques and ideas. I definitely want to continue with my favourite techniques of stumpwork and reticello embroidery ( I will always love these).
I have loved dyeing my own fabric so I also want to experiment more with fabric dyeing, in particular using natural dyes. There are more Artists and Designers that I'd love to research. More stitches to learn and experiment with. And definitely a lot more design work. I loved having the excuse to get the paints out and play around, but also playing around with the designs digitally - learning more about digital design is definitely near the top of my list, I have found it so much more fun than I expected.
First project?
So what is my first project? Well, I love to collect different fabrics, including some from old clothes that once worn out, I just can't bear to get rid of because I love the fabric. I have one particular skirt in mind that I think would make a lovely cushion - after adding some embroidery of course!
To read about my upcycled cushion, click here: Cushion (claireharveyembroidery.com)