keepongoing Archives - Emma Giacalone Textiles

Have you ever had to swim against the tide, or even worse, found yourself caught in a slip stream? There’s something quite terrifying – especially for a rubbish swimmer like me – about swimming as hard as you can and not getting anywhere (to be fair I can manage that with no tide at all!) I love the sentiment of the expression ‘just keep swimming’, but as you know I don’t like the word just (in hindsight, it was perhaps an odd #threewordthursday phrase to have picked for that very reason!!) ‘Just’ makes things sound easy and effortless. Sometimes to keep going, to keep swimming, is the hardest thing of all – especially when you are putting in a lot of hard work with seemingly not very much output.

Which is why, when I sat down to make this weeks picture, I decided that I wasn’t going to make a fish to ‘just’keep swimming (sorry Dory), or a duck or even a swan. My swimmer had to be a glorious synchronised swimmer, seemingly working effortlessly all the while doing so with huge strength, control and poise. Remember that next time you feel like you’re staying still, because I’ll bet you’re not xx

#ThreeWordThursday is a weekly hashtag challenge. Each week a different three word phrase can be presented or discussed in any way that inspires you. Be sure to use the hashtag so that I can find you and please feel free to share it with anyone who might like to join in! The prompt for next week is; create your future.
#justkeepswimming #youcandoit #keepongoing #calledtobecreative #designalifeyoulove #freehandmachineembroidery #freemotionembroidery #everystitchcounts #threewordthursday
#ihavethisthingwithsewing ##communityovercompetition… Read More

When Oscar was in preschool, he brought this picture of me home. Because he was only interested in playing with Lego, he didn’t ever do any drawings or paintings. Not so much as a cereal box sculpture came our way. So delighted was I to have finally been presented with a piece of artwork, I could almost entirely overlook the the fact that he had drawn me with a bottom that seemed to be its own state floating independent of my body ? I had to find a way of saving it forever… big bottom and all and so a product was born. I hadn’t been sewing for all that long when I made this – time hop reminded me this week that it was six years ago in fact – I didn’t plan to make it as a product to sell, it was just a way to catch a moment. A stitch in time.

I’ve had quite a few messages lately asking for business advice; how to get started, what I would recommend doing, how I did it. It feels quite strange to be presented with questions like this, as I don’t really I have any answers myself, let alone in a position to answer of their people’s question, or hand out advice. But six years after this big-bummed masterpiece made its way home to me, all I can tell you, is if you find something you love to do, find a way to keep on doing it. Just keep on going

#ThreeWordThursday is a weekly hashtag challenge. Each week a different three word phrase can be presented or discussed in any way that inspires you. Be sure to use the hashtag so that I can find you and please feel free to share it with anyone who might like to join in! The prompt for next week is; just keep swimming
#keepongoing
#throwbackthursday #tbt #childrensartwork #childrensdrawing #calledtobecreative #designalifeyoulove #freehandmachineembroidery #freemotionembroidery #everystitchcounts #threewordthursday
#ihavethisthingwithsewing #britishstitchers #communityovercompetition… Read More