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Midland, Texas, United States
My name rhymes with "Lisa," I live in Midland, Texas, because it's warm and the mortgage is cheap, and of course this is my natural hair color. Of course! The EGE--The Ever-Gorgeous Earl--is my husband of 35 years. I have the best job in the world because I get to call up artists and ask them nosy questions and then write about them. I also stitch, podcast, blog, and then, in my spare time, do it all some more.

FAQ's

Saturday, March 19, 2011

A Little Handstitching Video

I thought I ought to do something useful this morning to, you know, justify my existence on the planet and stuff.

Yeah, yeah, I'm still working on that--on the idea that all I have to do is exist and breathe. Maybe in my next lifetime.

Anyway, this is a little video I made for y'all--for anyone who maybe thinks slow, intricate handstitching would be fun. It *is* fun, and I want to hook as many people as possible because it's a constant joy for me. No, not the hooking of people into new obsessions, although I guess that is kind of fun. No, I mean the stitching. I love it. It's how I relax, it's how I work out ideas, it's how I document things in my life (road trips, stuff we see, people we meet, and the more mundane things that I want to preserve because, as we all know, I have no functioning memory, not like other people).

Enough nattering. Here's the video. I hope you enjoy it and are inspired to grab a pen, some floss, and a favorite garment~~

XO

26 comments:

BenGal Creations said...

Hi Ricë, thank you for the videos that you post, I love learning new techniques. These often provide me with inspiration for new journaling, sewing or art projects.

Ricë said...

Thank you so much for taking time to watch--I'm glad they're useful for you!

Sharon Robb-Chism said...

I tried to watch it, I really did, but my old Mac just can't handle vids anymore. If I try, it sounds like you have a major studder, and the picture jumps. Dang it. I haven't done any hand stitching in a long time, and was going to enjoy seeing your technique. I love the Wave design. It's in several of my books on Art Nouveau as one of the sources of inspiration to those artists.

Ricë said...

I'm so sorry, Sharon. You might check on CreateMixedMedia in a while--I upload a much smaller (non-HD) version for them, and that might make a difference, do you think?

Anonymous said...

You do beautiful and intricate handwork. It inspired me to take out my crazy quilt patch and do a little embroidery too. --- Julie

Ricë said...

Thank you! I'm so glad it was inspiring--that's my job: to get people hooked on all the stuff I like~~

Sharon Robb-Chism said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gypsy said...

Thank you for sharing your tips, they are just super. The bit about tacking the fabric was very useful - great idea!!!

Sharon Robb-Chism said...

Thanks, Rice. I'll give it a try. But my computer is 9-10 yrs old. Ancient in the computer world.


Oh, and dyslexia set in again. That word in my first post should have been stutter, not studder. Sheesh.

(BTW, I deleted the one post 'cause it didn't make sense after a reread your reply — never drink wine and make comments. LOL )

Ricë said...

No trouble at all--it's part of my job. Give it a while--they upload things as they have time, so it won't be right away, I don't think.

Ricë said...

Well, you can see, Sharon, that I responded to the comment you deleted (because they arrive by email, and of course I don't think to actually *check* things, now do I?)

Jeannie said...

Great tutorial, Rice! I love the wave design. The backstitch is a wonderful tool. When I learned to hand quilt, that was the stitch I was taught. As to the slow computer and videos, I have found if I start the video, then stop it, go get a cup of coffee, the computer has had time to load the video. Watch the faint bar in front of the bold bar. The further the two are apart, the better the video will run. (I know that previous sentence ran on and on.):)
Thanks for the inspiration.

Zom said...

I enjoyed that. Even though I have done a lot of handstitching it is cool to see how you approach it.

In your earlier post, when you painted the wave I thought that was it. Now I see that you paint it, heatset it, draw it and embroider it! I was wondering how you dealt with the painting fading.

It is going to look wonderful.

Ricë said...

Thank you, Zom. I think that since we're on different times, we could do tag-team stitching, and you could come stitch for me while I'm sleeping. Except, of course, then we would be in the same time zone, which would defeat the whole plan. If only The Jetsons were real, I could just send it to you at night (for me). I'm sure that you desire nothing more than to stitch wave foam day after day and would love me for doing this. In exchange, of course, I could, um, well--gee, I can't think of anything useful to you that I could offer. Never mind. Sigh.

Zom said...

That sounds good, I wouldn't mind a bit of handstitching at the moment.

Are you ever inbetween projects? Sometimes I long for a bit of handstitching or beading and just haven't got anything set up. I guess that wouldn't be a problem for you. It doesn't happen for me with painting.

Ricë said...

I am completely lost without a stitching/beading project. I have to have something to pick up and work on when my brain will no longer do work--i.e., at the end of the day or when we go for coffee or first thing in the morning. If I'm ever without a project, I just sort of wander around the house, from room to room, trying to find something I can pick up and work on. So I try to always have a couple waiting, or a big project like this skirt, where I can always stitch a little or bead this section over here or draw on one of the panels.

Barbara L. said...

This reminds me of handstitching with my Grandmother. I loved it but find I can no longer do much needlework due to arthritis. Rats! I have pieces I have saved which I will use in my bookmaking.

Anonymous said...

I loved your video. Lately I've taken up hand-stitching and this motivated me even more! Thanks -
Annie (in MN)

Johoanna Boykin said...

Thanks for sharing the video. I love handwork: embroidery, knitting, spinning, crochet, sewing beads on, and even sewing tons of hexagons together by hand. It is the most relaxing thing I can do. I'd much prefer to do handwork than drag my sewing machine out.

Lynn said...

Hi Rice, Thank you for sharing your stitching technique. I enjoy hand sewing and your tips on working small curves will be of great help with future projects. Are those wind chimes I hear in the background? It makes your video almost magical; so soothing too! I love hearing the background noises when people record, I feel as though I'm right there with them. May you have a day full of creativity ahead - Lynn

KathyB said...

I really enjoyed your "Stitching 101" video. Even though I add a lot of hand stitching to my collages; I just found out (thanks to your video) that I have been doing some things the hard way. So thank you for the lesson. I do believe that hand sewing is about the most pleasurable activity in the world for me.
Thanks, JEANNIE, for the reminder to let the computer have time to download. I had forgotten that. I basically use fabric scraps for my art. If any of you want an idea of what to do with your very smallest scraps, come to my site and see what I'm making. http://kbartdesigns.com

Holly W in TN said...

What a wonderful idea!! I love the depth that the stitching gives. Should I admit that your photos and videos are infiltrating my thought processes? Bought a new jacket this weekend. After I brought it home, I (who don't sew except for buttons) thought "I wonder how some beading would look on that lapel..." Ruh-roh.

Ricë said...

Yay! I've hooked Holly! Well, almost--more work needs to be done here, I think.

Anonymous said...

You may have mentioned this artist before, Ruth E. Funk. Her book is titled Cloth and Culture. I'm reading the book now and I am impressed by her stunning art-to-wear garments. For anybody who hasn't seen her work before, it is well worth a trip to the library to find a copy and indulge in this treasure for the eyes.

Your Japanese-style picture of waves with embroidered edges is art-to-wear creativity. I don't blame you for not wanting to sell your work. I wouldn't be able to part with them either. - Julie

Rachel said...

Either I am missing something or you have edited it out of your video. When I handstitch, and since I have no machine that is the only stitching that gets done around here, the process is: needle goes into fabric, thread knots, I untangle thread and feed it into the hole, pull nicely tight, insert needle into next hole, thread knots, I untangle the tread and coax it along to finish the stitch, repeat as needed.

I have handsewn a jacket, hemmed a japanese painted fabric, and done other *mending* type sewing, trying to use cotton and not poly thread, but the tangling and knotting seems to be a constant, which makes it so tedious to sew.

Any suggestions. I do try to spin the needle around in between my fingers between stitches, but there is no consistancy in that working and I did not see you doing it in your sewing.

Ricë said...

Rachel, have you ever seen "The Alabama Stitch Book"? Natalie Chanin (interviewed her for Belle Armoire) does what she calls "loving the thread," where, after you cut it to length, you run it between your thumb and forefinger a couple times. Not really tightly, not like your trying to curl a ribbon or something. Just with a little pressure. It eases it, straightens it--who knows? makes it feel loved!--and seems to help. I *do* get knots, but not a lot: I hate them, and if I got them constantly, I would give it up, surely.

How About a Little Music?