Fall 2012 Blog Tour Stop 2

Time for stop number 2 on The Floss Box Fall 2012 embroidery blog tour! Special thanks for all my interviewees, it's been lots of fun meeting each one of you.
Fall Blog Tour 2012 stops:
Stop 1: Sew in Love

Stop 2: Isabell on Flickr, aka ColourinStitch
Stop 3: coming soon
Stop 4: coming soon


This weeks visit will be not to a blog as this embroiderer keeps no blog, but to a Flickr stream. We are visiting the lovely Isabell on Flickr, aka ColourinStitch. I first "met" Isabell a few years ago when I signed up for an ATC exchange hosted by one of the groups. Ever since then I have been a major fan of her work, and I can't really praise her work enough! So please be sure to check out her work, it is truly beautiful, and stunning too! The pictures that follow below are but a small taste.

Read on to for the interview with Isabell:

1. How long have you been embroidering?
The year was 2004, it was the year I retired from full time work and had more time to devote to embroidery. 

2. How did you learn to embroider?
At first it was mainly through reading magazines and books. I began by Cross stitching samplers.
I have always been interested in Tudor history and after seeing an exhibition of Tudor fashion, my eyes were drawn to the exquisite Blackwork designs on the dresses, ruffs and cuffs of that era. I wanted to learn more about it and bought a little book from the gift shop with patterns in it. So began the next stage of embroidery learning. This seems to be the way my embroidery life has continued, learning as I go along. . At the moment it is very much a free style of embroidery. No patterns, just wherever the needle and thread takes me when I begin to stitch.

3. Where does your inspiration come from?
Each day is a new beginning in my embroidery world, inspirations comes from everything around me.  Colour, textures, the time of day or night, the kind of mood I am in also plays a part in how I create my embroideries. Some of my most creative work has come when stress has played a part in my life.
Without fabric a needle and thread in my hand, I would be lost, embroidery brings me peace and tranquility, it is when I am at my most creative.

4. How do you come up with such beautiful colour combinations?
Colour has always played a huge part in my life, I love the seasons with the ever changing colours that they bring. Winter is my favourite season, it reflects the colour palette that I love most. The beautiful combination of stark white mingling with the dark rich colours of green, red, yellow and purple and blue all inspire me.
I have recently embroidered eleven pieces of hand dyed felt that I think reflects the way colour inspires me.  A colour explosion happens on each piece. Depth has been added by using different shades and textures of threads. These pieces of work are my own designs, the embroidery I call 'Doodling' because nothing is planned beforehand, just a spontaneous outburst of creative embroidery.

5. Do you have any favourite materials that you like to work with?
Silk is my very favourite fabric, so natural and beautiful to work with. My next choice would be linen again a natural fabric.

6. What are your favourite types of embroidery?
Crewel Work springs to mind immediately. The 'Tree of Life' embroidery is from a pattern by UK designer, Philippa Turnbull. It is the biggest piece of crewel work that I have ever made make and took many months to complete.

7. What do you do with your embroidery creations?
Apart from the pieces that I give as gifts for family and friends, the rest, of which there are many, are packed away in boxes, each wrapped in acid free paper.

8. What other interests do you have?
My interests include being with my family. Listening to classical music and gardening. Visiting Art Galleries, exhibitions and historic houses and gardens all inspire in different ways to be creative wiht my embroidery.
I like to watch Cricket and Rugby and going for walk along the beach especially on stormy days, that is when colour really stirs the imagination...dark, dangerous and yet beautiful in its own way. 

Be sure to go meet Isabell and view her lovely creations!!!