stitchery for a 1950's Diamond Jubilee Carnival Queen

I've set up a little 1950s corner in the studio here in Norway to make a start on the costume for a kitsch 1950s Jubilee Carnival Queen. The backpack pieces are part made and in England waiting to be assembled.

The embroidered bodice panels are full of things relating to 1952, the year the Queen came to the throne.   Amongst other things; the bar code was invented, atom bombs were tested, Singing in the Rain was at the flicks and Muffin the Mule was on the box...
(I suppose this should read 'made in Norway')

 I've also been brushing up on my fifties beatnik speak daddy-o!

More new embroidered work - Little Red

A Scaled up interpretation of part of an ink drawing I did a while ago.

New embroidery work - Crows

Monkey Sees

Deep in the Woods a Crow is Singing


Crow's Eye Q

New work that will get it's first outing to the Beetroot Tree Gallery in a couple of weeks for their show 'Four Legs Good..." more details to follow nearer the time. I'm wondering if these need embroidered text but I'm kind of enjoying the space without the usual words.

Sofa Monkey + co in progress

I've been attempting to reupholster my old 1960's sofa - I've had it for years and it cost the grand sum of 20 quid form a second hand shop. I used to keep it in the studio and many artists over the years have taken their rejuvenating afternoon naps on it! Anyway I took it home when I moved house a few years back and finally got fed up of its muddy green velour, black paint and pancake flat cushion. I stripped the arms and base back to bare wood and bought it a new foam cushion.

My upholstery skills leave a lot to be desired so I'm aiming for quirky, psychedelic flower power over beautifully crafted. I've finished hand-sewing the bottom cushion together and put on some newly covered buttons - it's gone slightly baggy already so I can see myself having to redo it. I've used a mix of new and vintage fabrics patch-worked together with vintage edgings and military braid.

For the back rest I've decided to make a series of faces that will be patched together, again with braid and vintage edging - I've completed a monkey and a bird - I guess I need another 2 or 3 to finish it.

Burnett + Catt - Carnival in progress

We've started stitching the large costumes for Bradford Lord Mayors Parade, the Sun and Moon are well on their way with ridiculous amounts of embroidery being applied late at night to massive swathes of cloak - wearing silly furry heads relieves the cold and the monotony.....



The sun head dress just needs attaching to its back pack - easier said than done as its about 5ft tall. The little dog behind the pink hammock is Tilly.
Tonight I made a start on the 'Smash' Robot who will sit in the basket of the Moon Balloon float. His eyes are way too small at the moment, probably mirroring our late night 'pisshole in the snow' squints. I think I'll give him a potato masher and some old forks to hold in his claws.

Ship of Fools - new work for exhibition

This is my piece for the 'ship of fools, ship of hope' exhibition at Yarra Sculpture galley in Australia. Artists were sent a simple plastic boat in kit form and asked to respond to the theme (see previous post for details of the exhibition). Mine is a military camoflage textile boat, the sail is stitched from sections of military safety slide film found on a skip.

Phrenology - (Wolf) Big Enough to Eat You

This is the first in a new series of Phrenology pieces. This one is based on a wolf, the other two in this new set are rabbits. I'm adding final details to the others but will post them soon. I'm working against the clock - but hopefully these will be showing at the Scope Art Fair in New York with Gallery 'Jack the Pelican Presents'. The first Phrenology series will also be transferring to 'Jack the Pelican' when the 'Pricked: Extreme Embroidery' exhibition closes on the 28th of April