It has fabric from old clothes and curtains, some from the 1970s.
The white lacy daisy is from a dress I had when I was 17, the stars are from holey old jeans that Miss E (14) has grown out of. I love them sitting close to each other in this piece.
I have started another, which I have made in a different way.
This time, instead of cutting slits in the base fabric, I have laid strips on top of a piece of fabric to act as the ‘warp’. I tacked then down along the top edge and started weaving.
The black and white ticking is from some old kitchen curtains circa 1989.
I am using some bits of rust dyed fabric that weren’t beautifully rust-marked, and other bits and pieces. I have yet to weave in a lot more scrappiness.
I discovered this site via Instagram, during lockdown, and have followed a couple of courses. Every so often there are special offers and that is how I came to sign up for The Magpies Nest, which is my favourite so far.
Who knew when we got our first box of goodies in September 2019 how important this project was going to be for keeping us busy, creative and connected.
Each month for 12 months we recieved a kit through our letter box, and even though we had paid for it, many of us felt like it was a present arriving through the ether to cheer us up – happy post!
We chatted via our Facebook group, encouraging and inspiring one another
We were initially working towards exhibiting the books at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show. This was cancelled, but we kept on stitching – the cancellation gave some of us the much needed time to finish the project.
I get very excited at the beginning of a project. I loved the feeling as inspiration flooded in with each new box – but then I go off at a tangent and make a multitude of my own experiments and lose focus.
I am so good at NOT finishing things – anyone else out there like me?
I wonder if I ever would have pushed myself to complete it if it hadn’t been for Helen’s flexibility and gentle encouragement to get me over the finish line.
The covers done and the book bound together with bead spacers – it sat there – it did not feel finished – bizarrely, it did not feel mine.
It was a huge effort for me to focus on the covers, make them to Helen’s specific instructions and get the book exhibition-ready. The front cover has tabs on it so that it can be displayed for exhibition. The effort to get the covers made took away some of the joy, so it had to sit in a corner for a while.
Seeing other finished books online and a few text messages with Cathy (thank you Cathy!) gave me the kick of enthusiasm I needed – out came the beads, the stamps and the paint brush
and here it is – Exhibition-ready!
AND £3,344.00 has been raised by Helen and the purchasers of her kits for the mental health charity, MIND.
Feel good project all round.
You can see other posts about this book by typing Stitchbook into the SEARCH box and here is a video of the finished book.
A HUGE thank you to Helen Birmingham for this project and to the other members of THE STITCHBOOK COLLECTIVE community.
My eldest Granddaughter, Miss E has just had a birthday, and I was thrilled to be able to give her this book – I have been making it for ages.
The fabric I have used for the cover is from 1946. My mother-in-law used that fabric to make a cot mattress cover for her baby son (my husband). When my first son was born she gave me the fabric. It felt so precious I never found the courage to cut into it to make anything with it … until now.
Where the desire to make books comes from, I don’t know, I have been on several courses and started quite a few books, but this is the only one I have finished to date.
then a day’s one-to-one workshop with Kim Edith. in Southampton in 2018. I can highly recommend both workshops. I learnt many things I have yet to put into practice;
I am not quite sure what it’s all about, but if I discover why, I’ll let you know.
Miss E has been watching this book take shape and she beamed with delight when I gave it to her – I asked her if it was ok for me to share the video and she gave her permission.
Each month we get a pack of goodies to experiment with
It is always a wonderfully exciting moment to open the parcel to see what is inside
Colours I would not usually choose to work with, all carefully chosen and lovingly put together. The kits are still available if you go to the Untangled Threads website, and a pound from the sale of each kit goes to the mental health charity, Mind. So far Helen has raised and donated £2,489.50.
Tyvek is a synthetic fabric that reacts to heat
Creating great bobbly textures
This one was painted with a tester pot of Dulux emulsion before hitting it with the heat gun
Here is the piece of fabric collage I will put on a page in my stitchbook
Now onto the next parcel to open, which is all about felt.
Have you been working with textiles or found any interesting textiles or textile art recently? If so it would be fun to see what has caught your eye in the world of textiles. Just leave a link in the Comments.
The next one will be for Big Sister (5). I started by experimenting with dyeing some threads
I wrapped Anchor Stranded Thread around some paper and ran it under the tap to wet it. Then I had fun dabbing on different coloured dyes.
It seemed to work pretty well so I wound a lot more on the next piece of paper.
Next was white DMC embroidery cotton
and then they all went on the fire guard to dry.
Don’t you just love how the colours all merge and blend
A few hours playing with fabric and colour makes for one happy me!
And look at the great marks made on the paper
all good collage material.
Big Sister is about to be a bridesmaid so this piece of fabric is perfect for her book. The thread made a good outline of running stitches.
I wondered about putting the picture on the front cover…..
but that broderie anglaise is so beautiful, something more subtle needs to go with it I think, so the fairy bride will go on the first page of the book.
A few hours of glorious play ……. now the sun is shining so I must get out into the garden.
Ravelry
Wild Daffodil 
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