I know I’m paraphrasing here, but I think you’ll kind of get what I mean.

Not long after we moved into our new studio space I rashly agreed to become part of the Warwickshire Open Studios. “What better way of showcasing The Tall Photographer’s beautiful pictures and helping him kick-start his new career as a photo and videographer.” I thought.

“But what will you be exhibiting?” asked said Tall Photographer.

“Errrm?!”

And now you can see where my mis-quoted statement comes in. With only a few weeks to go until we joined the creative throng in Warwickshire I had to come up with some stuff to show.

When push comes to shove and you really have to hit a deadline it’s amazing how the creative juices can flow.

Being pushed for time meant I had to look around me for inspiration and our new studio is surrounded by the most beautiful countryside. Right outside our door we have a green haven of meadow grasses, cow parsley and daisies. Perfect for translating into stitch. Anyone who has done our Free Machine Embroidery classes will understand how liberating this can be. Literally using the sewing machine to free draw stitches onto the fabric to create a picture.

 

Then I began playing with cut out shapes, in fabric of course, using our good old GoBaby die cutter. So much quicker than hand cutting shapes! And from a pile of leather, silk and linen scraps a hydrangea grew.

 

 

Looking through my images on my hard drive, all the photos I’d taken over the years, the ones that sprang out were some taken in Istanbul on our honeymoon. The almost iridescent colours of the cerulean and cobalt blues with viridian greens brought back some wonderful memories.

As an aside – why do we not print off images anymore? Or flip through photo albums? Or is it just me that has thousands of images laying forgotten on a hard drive somewhere?

But what resonated with me where the red and white ceilings of the walkways in the Topkapi Palace Hareem in Istanbul. I love the contrast of colour on white, the simple patterns and repeats. So playing with this idea led to experimenting with the auto stitches on our machines.

Now I don’t claim to be the most creative of individuals and I’m reasonably pleased with the work I have produced. But I so enjoyed the process of creating these pieces of work, having to think a little outside of the box of ‘dressmaking’ and to do some sketching again. Planning out ideas and experimenting.

Which is why I’m really excited about a new workshop we have coming up.

“Let’s Sketch” with Evegenia Golubeva.  Evgenia is an internationally renowned illustrator and has had won multiple awards for her work. You can find more about her here. 

If you would like to learn to draw, or just give yourself time to play and sketch, or even if you think you can‘t draw at all you will learn a huge amount from Evgenia. Her beautifully colourful illustrations are such a joy. And she will show you techniques you can use yourself to allow your creativity to flow.

Drawing and sketching doesn’t have to be scary. As adults we worry so much about ‘getting it right’. About accurately representing what you see in front of you. But that’s what photos are for! Ha ha! I have found it’s more about trying to convey a feeling or mood or an idea that’s more important. And like any new skill, you get better the more you practice.

So I fully intend on practicing much more now I have rediscovered my love of sketching and creating. Are you going to join me? 

Jules x