thursday = embroidery

so, a big part of my 2010 was getting my accordion & starting to learn how to play! it's been an enjoyable challenge for me, which is a big deal since being a generally lazy person I usually avoid anything particularly challenging :)

but by some miracle I've actually managed to stick with it {thanks in part to all the wonderful encouragement I've gotten here & on flickr - you're all so kind to leave comments & put up with those silly videos!} so I decided to make an embroidered ode to the accordion as my last project of 2010:



it's not an exact replica of my handsome fella but it is was very much inspired by him - for instance I used a silver metallic material & a similar cutout pattern like he has:


for the red & white material I used a vinyl "pleater" from joanns. I like the smoothness & shine plus it cuts so nice - I was even able to use an exacto to do the cutout pattern. and for the buttons...I used buttons of course, haha!


the whole piece is 14"x14" & I used the same background fabric as in my 2009 ode to wood paneled cars. I've got a ton of that material, so I think I might just have to keep doing an ode to something every year...

speaking of years - 2011 is the chinese year of the rabbit so I thought it only fitting that the first vintage embroidery pattern of the year be this series of stamped linen designs I picked up at an estate sale awhile back:



happy stitching!