embroidery skills

i signed myself up for an intro to embroidery class at Lill Street Art Center.

i had no idea that i cared about doing this until these hair drawings started up. they are just crying to be sewn with vibrant colors and textures.

and also i saw Chloe Giordano's work and my eyes were opened to the possibilities.

these are so so small and done with single sewing threads. the planning! the color blending! the detail! the adorableness! i want to cuddle it so hard and then eat it. they are so luscious! she's got a great tumblr, she even answers questions to aspiring artists about her process and seems overall wonderful.

i dabbled a bit (as i do with most things) in college with a few embroidered pieces. i made a set of 30 merit badges for the modern (and not so modern) woman.

and embroidered a sheet of wrapping paper and wrapped up an empty box with it (no pictures?!).
i never referenced a book and i never looked at work by other artists. i just colored in the spaces with string. it was successful but sloppy.

this time i wanted to learn techniques from someone directly. the instructor, Camille, is great and really talented. for beginner students, she creates and silkscreens a fabric "worksheet." it's all labeled and ready to stitch on and voila! i have a solid base with which to start my own projects. also, she is a painter and transforms her drawings and paintings into various textiles, so she is definitely a good resource for me.

once i can sew a straight line, soon i'll be making perfect little woodland creatures, too. ;-)