Kayla coo

A Winters Day

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Hi,

I just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas, anyone who has ever had time to view my blog and of course for any comments, which are much appreciated.

We have managed to escape the worst of the snow here in the Midlands, just a light dusting, but it is still very cold and icy.

This morning we took our dog for a walk across the white frosted fields.

I found so much inspiration for my art work, this field with long grass frosted in wave shapes, the patterns in the headgrow and the pale colours in the sky.

Now I just need the time to sketch !

Embroidery Brooch

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:07:00 +0000

It's the count down to Christmas and I finished work on Friday.

I work part time at a secondary school as the art and design technician which is a very varied role to say the least.

The last few days I have been preparing patterns and organizing fabric for the textile students, they start making their designs after Christmas.

I am also advising art students who wish to incorporate a textile element to their work.

So in January it will be extremely busy, I'm even dreaming about how to make certain complicated designs!

I'm looking forward to spending a little time on my own work, exploring different ideas, and a few more blog posts.

Stitched Landscape

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:16:00 +0000

I have been working on my landscape and it's getting there.

I'm finding the layering of colours quite interesting now and I'm going to find it difficult to stop!

This has taken so much time and I wonder how you could ever be commercial working to this scale?

Last week I did my first demonstration and talk on my work for a lady I know through my art society.

She organises different workshops every few months in her wonderful art studio.

I found it very rewarding and everyone seemed to have a great time experimenting with fibers and stitch.

Perhaps this would be the right direction for me, still for now it's back to stitching.

Festive Threads

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:36:00 +0000

As to not bore you with my large piece again, which as you know is still in progress, here in contrast is a very small tree.

A dainty little Christmas tree brooch on a rich, red woolen ground.

I also thought you may like to see this wooden bobbin stand which my Mum found for me last week.

It says on the bottom of it "Worsted Bobbin Flange ex Calder Valley Mills Nr Manchester ( circa 1913)".

It was supposed to be a Christmas present but my Mum couldn't wait!

Embroidery And Threads

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:04:00 +0000

Oh dear!

The thread pile has grown again.

I have been very absorbed in my large textile and my thread pile has sort of spread into my stitching!

I have been adding more textural stitching to the foreground by hand.

I still have a lot more stitching to add, as I need to make the texture blend more into the background.

I have placed one of my brooches against the piece for you to see this is so much larger than my normal work.

I hope the scale of stitching is working in this piece, I'm constantly changing threads!

I needed to get back to some smaller stitched brooches and I have made this lace tree.

I thrive on the satisfaction of completing an art work and this is why I usually stitch on a smaller scale.

It's quite exhausting working on this larger landscape, but at the same time I feel I'm really pushing myself.

One of the positive aspects of blogging is, I have even more of an incentive to complete it!

Tree Of Hope

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:23:00 +0000

This week has flown and I meant to blog on Wednesday but I have been so busy.

Last Thursday I attended the opening evening at Rugby art gallery & museum for their annual open exhibition.

I submitted three small textile pictures and I was very lucky to have them all selected.

The exhibition has some very wonderful art work and I was pleased to find several different textile pieces.

You will find an excellent range of paintings and sculpture displayed in a white spacious gallery.

So if your near do take a visit, the exhibition is on until the beginning of January.

I also took part in a small event to help raise funds for cancer research, thank you to anyone who kindly purchased my art brooches.

Now it's back to the painting and making, I updated my etsy shop the other day and hope to add a few more pieces soon, including' Tree Of Hope' which I finished today.

I hope you have a good weekend.xx

If Craft Matters To You

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:54:00 +0000

I had an email today from the Craft Council.

It wants to know why craft is important to you.

So if you live in the UK click on this link http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/about-us/press-room/view/2009/craft-matters/

It sounds like a very interesting project that you could be apart of.

This is also a very good website to see beautiful crafts from leading designers in the UK.

Craft matters to me because quite simply its my life, sounds a bit dramatic but it's true.

It is my living and my social life.

It brings people together, gives me inspiration and Its a way I can express myself.

Its the best sort of therapy.

Happy stitching.x

Textile Landscape

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:12:00 +0000

I'm making slow progress on the stitching, my sewing machine is being serviced this week, not before time, its been in constant use and needs a bit of love and care.

So I am adding hand embroidery to my picture which I really enjoy, very relaxing and I can multi task, watching a good film.

On Sunday I was watching Pride And Prejudice for about the sixth time, I love the rain scene!

I always seem to connect more to the piece when I start the hand stitching, it gives a rhythm to my composition.

The picture above shows it displayed, balanced on my bookcase, I'm not sure yet how I will display this larger piece, any suggestions welcome and also any more good films to stitch to!

Time To Stitch

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:15:00 +0000

It's half term week so I have been busy trying to finish jobs in the house and also fitting in more time to sew.

I have been making my flower brooches in the evening for a Christmas sale in aid of cancer research.

I also decided I wanted to try working a landscape on a larger scale, inspired by the textiles I saw at The Knitting & Stitching Show.

This size is enormous for me, especially if you compare it to my landscape brooches.

It is quite liberating to work to this scale and I kept standing on a chair to look down at it !

This is at the stage before I have added any embroidery, I have embellished the wool and silk fibers down with my embellisher machine.

My inspiration is from the sketch I made in France and I want to portray the atmosphere of the colourful Mediterranean landscape.

The colours are so vivid and intense in the strong sunlight.

I hope to bring it more alive once I start adding my stitches although I think this may take some time!

If You See A Tree In The Post

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:37:00 +0000

Now I think you may find many trees in my blog posts but have you seen one in the post?

I found out my embroidery work which was featured in the Sew Somerset magazine has gone missing in the post.

It turns out it was mailed out from the States at the beginning of July and has not been seen since.

It's this work here http://kaylacoo.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html scroll down to June 8th.

So if by any chance you may see it, slim I know.........

We put so much faith in our postal service and there is always a risk that it reaches the wrong destination.

I think it's unlikely I will see it again, I wonder if it ever made it across the Atlantic or not?

I posted my Nieces Birthday card early because of the postal strike, due at the end of this week here in the UK.

I do hope they can resolve this dispute soon, as so many small business sellers will find it crippling.

I'm busy sewing lots of flowers at the moment, for a friends Christmas sale in aid of Cancer research, so I best get back to my petals.

Silver Tree & More Threads

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:10:00 +0000

I must be slightly mad, I spend entire days just threading up sewing machines and then I come home and do the same!

As the art & design technician I spend a lot of time helping students, by showing them how to set up the machines and how best they can use them.

So I'm surrounded by threads at work and at home, obsessed I am!

These are a few of the smaller stitched pieces I have been working on, including a commission of a silver tree for Carolyn over at http://love-stitching-red.blogspot.com/.

Luckily she likes it!

I must say thank you to Linda who cheered me up, she sent me some fun handmade book marks from her give away.She makes very pretty jewellery too, you can find out more from her blog

http://aefondkis.blogspot.com/

Recently I found out that a friend of mine has a relative who stitches and she has a blog too, a small world!

You can see Ruth's embroidery work on her blog here http://rutholearytextileart.blogspot.com/

Ruth uses some very beautiful traditional embroidery techniques including goldwork and applique.

Thanks again for your lovely comments and now it's time for me to sort out school lunch boxes!

The Knitting & Stitching Show 2009

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:04:00 +0000

I spent Thursday at the Knitting & Stitching show and I loved it !

The textile art was incredible, such a diverse range of different stitching styles and materials.

I find it inspiring talking to the textile artists who must have spent so much time getting ready for this show.

I enjoyed looking at the work of Tom Lundberg who's detailed fine stitching created rhythmical patterns.

His work is small, many just pocket size which are inspired by the symbolic intensity of badges and stitched emblems.

Then I found Alice Kettles stand with embroidery and clay pieces.

Alice's stitched pieces flowed from cloth to ceramics, her work combined with the ceramicists Helen Felcey in Place Settings and Alex Mc Erlain in Conversation Pieces.

Her stitched hangings in pure white, a departure from her usual colourful embroidered paintings ,but still undeniably showing her distinctive style.

My favourite was the one depicting many drawn urns and pots, stitched freely as quick sketches.

I will save more artist's for another blog post.

I was not sure if I could take pictures and I don't really feel I should have them on my blog without the artists permission.

So just the entrance to share with you and my pictures on the Stitch Magazine stand.

Hope you have a great time if your going and I'm sure you will be itching to stitch!

Trees For The Gallery

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:19:00 +0000

I had a phone call at the beginning of the week requesting more of my brooches for the gallery in Leamington so I have been busy making these.

They wanted them as extra stock for Christmas.

This has given me an incentive to get some more work completed.

Next week I'm planning a visit to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, first time I have been to the London show in years!

I'm so looking forward to seeing all the amazing art textiles in one place and I'm hoping to take photo's to share with you.

Then of course there is all the different varieties of fibers and threads, I can be overwhelmed by the choice and the book stalls full of textile books, which I know will tempt me.

I have been working with year 8 students this week in textiles and we were experimenting with batik.

This is a sample I made to illustrate the technique, we had great fun creating patterns and they will then use their samples to decorate masks.

Another busy week, so I'm looking forward to a rest at the weekend, but it will include some sewing!

I must say before I go, thank you very much for all your kind comments.x

Embroiderers Guild Magazine Stitch

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:24:00 +0000

This week has been full of lows and highs in that order.

My husband had to go through redundancy again, second time this year!

Using threads is always my therapy, I can immerse myself in my own little thread world and it's a good way to de-stress.

So I made my little red tree brooch out of an old black wool jumper,which I felted and then the bright orange tree on some scraps of hand dyed wool blanket.

On Wednesday I had a very kind email from a flickr friend saying they had seen my work in Stitch Magazine.

I had such a shock when I saw my work on the front cover!

You will find four of my embroideries, which I made especially for Stitch, based on the seasons, in the middle of the magazine.

So a much better end to the week after such a rubbish start and lets hope there will be an end to this recession soon.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.x

Threads & Sketches

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Well it's taken me quite a while to get on the computer as we have been so busy since we got back from our holidays.

Look at my messy desk again!

The vintage embroidery I found in a small shop in Bude.

I could not resist it, it's so beautifully stitched, I had to give it a home amongst my threads.

As promised a couple of quick sketches I made on holiday which I may paint and then progress to thread and fiber.

So lots to keep me busy again and I still have new items to add to etsy!

Hope you have a good week.x

Summer Sketch

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:26:00 +0000

A page from my sketch book, a hot day in France.

My oil pastels were almost melting into the page!

Cornwall was quite a contrast, the weather cool and showery, but we had a lovely time.

The rugged coastline was inspiring the shapes, colours and dramatic skies.

I will post Cornwall sketches in the next few days and more French ones too.

This week it will be back to the school routine and I wonder how I ever manage to get anything done!

Trees And Lace

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Hello,

Just back from a few days in France and then we will be off again to Cornwall.

The weather was glorious and I have many sketches to share with you soon.

I found this fine vintage lace in a market, which I have now added to my tree embroidery.

I will not have access to a computer while we are away so do forgive me for not keeping up with my blog list.

I hope to catch up soon!

Bye for now.M x

Tree Of Many Stitches

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Tree Of Many Stitches

More stitching

Warwickshire countryside

Warwick Castle

A view over Warwick

A room recreated from the Edwardian era.

A wall of pictures in Warwick Castle

Hello,

This week we visited Warwick Castle as we had some vouchers to use up.

Although it's very near to us it's a while since we last visited.

It has become more commercialized, in my opinion and lost a little of the charm it once had.

Despite that, it is a spectacular English Castle, full of the most beautiful paintings and furniture.

If you have the stamina to climb the towers four hundred plus stairs, you will be rewarded by the amazing views of Warwick and the surrounding countryside.

You will find more information here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwick_Castle

I have a few more brooches to share with you, one added recently to etsy.

My store will be closed soon as we will be away on our holiday, hopefully I will have some time to sketch then!

Many thanks for your recent comments, they are very much appreciated.

Bye for now. M x

Textile Art

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:12:00 +0000

I finished my stitching at the weekend and then had fun trying out my images on Dumper.net.

You can upload your art work in gallery frames.

It would be fantastic to work on this grand scale, but I think it would take a few years!

This piece has taken me a couple of weeks and measures approx 23cm x 30cm.

I have included my original sketch for you to see.

I hope to bring you more sketching soon.

Stitching Sketches

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:45:00 +0000

It's been a week of rain here which has meant that my plans for taking the children to the park and me sketching didn't happen.

I have had that nagging feeling that I should have been doing jobs around the house, but I didn't seem to get anything done.

My stitching mess is over flowing and the house is a tip, well the children have been stuck in a lot due to the poor weather!

Here is a sketch I did last week when the sun came out for a few minutes!

I decided I wanted to work on a few larger stitched pieces.

The first, my stitching echoing as much as possible the sketches I made of the over grown path.

The other, working from a painting in my sketch book of my holiday last year in France.

I have used many different types of thread, building layers over layers of machine embroidery.

Once I have completed the machine stitching I will then start adding hand stitches.

I think I have still quite a lot of hand stitching to do on this one.

Bye for now.x

Stitch News

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:07:00 +0000

Today we have had the most awful weather, heavy rain and it's been so dark.

I took our dog out for a walk with my son and we got soaked to the skin!

Just in case you are interested, my work will be featured in The Embroiderers Guild Stitch Magazine.

You can see it herehttp://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/currentissue.html

I was asked to make four embroideries which represented the four seasons, you will also see other work and an article on how I create my pieces.

My work will feature in the October/November issue 61.

I'm also excited because they will have my work on display at The Knitting & Stitching Show on the Stitch Magazine stand. I have never had work displayed at a sewing exhibition before.

I do hope I will be able to visit the show at Alexandra Palace in October.

Hope your having better weather than Warwickshire!

The World Is Full Of Stitches

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:13:00 +0000

With the weather so, well rubbish actually, I have been stitching away.

Another landscape to add to my collection.

I must say thank you to a few other stitchers,

cathy cullis for including me in some of her wonderful mosaics.

Kirsty from Me plus Molly who very kindly donated feathers,beads and other lovely things to the school I work at.

Carolyn from Love Stitching Red who tagged me, for six summer sillies, Carolyn, I can't think of anything except embarrassing my children by dancing!!

I hope the sun is shining soon, it would be nice to do a bit of outside painting.

Have a good week.x

Yellow Field Of Stitches

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:39:00 +0000

The last couple of days I have been a taxi service for my daughter.

We celebrated her fourteenth birthday yesterday and I'm still wondering where those years have gone?

I have managed to do some stitch work on my landscape, so here it is.

These were the fields I walked through in April , you may have seen my sketches.

Has something happened to blogger?

It's not showing my flickr link and other links, I know some other blogs are the same.

I'm always worried I have done something wrong!

Threads & Trees

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:41:00 +0000

You may have seen these pictures on flickr but I thought they should be part of my blog.

It has rained here on and off all day and I have been sorting out all my wool and threads.

I always need some time between projects to think and draw and today has been a good time to do that.

I popped over to the Art Gallery in the Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa yesterday and they now have my brooches on display.

It is a lovely gallery, opposite a beautiful park, so if you ever come to visit Leamington do take a look.

If you click here you will find a lot of information about the town and pictures.

I will post more art exhibition pictures in the week.

Bye for now.x

Art Exhibition

michala.gyetvai@ntlworld.com (Kayla coo) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Hello, I just wanted to share these photographs from our annual school and community art exhibition.

I'm sure you will agree that the quality of drawing and sculpture would not be out of place in a private gallery or museum, well I am biased!

I enjoy so much working with the students and community artists.

I am also very privileged to work with the artist and sculptor George Wagstaffe who teaches our A'level students and life drawing class.You will find his sculptures in the City of Coventry.

This is just a small selection of the work by his students.

I will post more pictures over the next few days.

I forgot to say, I sold the tree embroidery I did from my last post.