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Wednesday 30 October 2013

Free Machining my Silk Paper

30th October 2013

The day began with a trip to the Post Office with a large parcel for my daughter as it is her birthday this weekend. Hope she likes the contents!!

Then on to the local park to do some gardening and tidying with other volunteers. Very satisfying!

Home to make the Christmas Cake, which is now cooling in the tin.

I thought I would try free machining on my silk paper and was pleasantly surprised how easy it was, just like stitching on fabric!


I cut this into squares and added the last of my pressed flowers...


..think I will make note cards with these..


...I  used this silk paper to stitch on...




..the result ready for card making...



Great when an experiment works!!

I still have two sheets of vibrant pink/purple silk paper to use.....







Tuesday 29 October 2013

Another Busy Day

29th October 2013

I was up early and my mind was buzzing with tasks I needed to do so I sat down with my coffee and made a list, a very long list! There is a great deal of satisfaction crossing tasks off a list and this helps me not to 'freak out'.

I finished my Unit 4 sketchbook so it now just needs packaging and posting....


..next I stitched up some baby hats (my least favourite task!) and posted them in my Facebook Shop.

I love this hat..


This is the pattern ....


..for this hat.


I made up this design!

Next on my list was Christmas cake so I measured the fruit, added the brandy and this will soak overnight. 


This is the well used recipe, I was given this cookery book 30 years ago, hence the state of it!


I then made a Tiffin tray bake, my youngest son's favourite so it won't last long!

Perhaps tomorrow I will be creative again, not sure what to select off my list.....






Sunday 27 October 2013

More Silk Paper

27th October 2013

I woke at the usual time!!

I have been busy all day on my secret project and also making more silk paper as my order for silk tops arrived when I was away.

I made some slightly thicker sheets as I would like to stitch on them, not sure what yet, but probably flowers!


Tussah silk tops, space dyed silk tops and Mulberry tops...


..Tussah and Mulberry tops form the first layer on J cloth..


..then coloured tops ..

...cover with another cloth, pour near boiling water over and rub with a spoon then dip and squeeze in a medium of 1 part PVA to 5 parts water, twice..

...carefully remove cloth and allow to dry...


...this procedure took about 15 minutes.

The result when dry..



I made 3 more using this method...




..and one sheet using the iron method..


I am looking forward to stitching these sheets and making note-cards, I think!!!





Saturday 26 October 2013

An Amazing Cushion!!

26th October 2013

I am at last up to date with washing, ironing and shopping after my week away!

While I was in London I started another baby blanket in lovely Debbie Bliss Yarn, so soft and great to knit. The design is a simple basket weave which looks the same on both sides and I knit  a moss stitch border so that I don't have lots of border sewing at the end!!!


Now for the amazing cushion. 

In a previous post I told you about going to Cloth House in Soho for some fabric for my very talented sister to make a cushion for a colleague who was retiring. She based her design on this Louis Vuitton case....


..fabric, cushion pad, satin tape, marker, rivets and letter template.


The plan was to mark the design on the fabric with the special marker but it just disappeared into the fabric!! Eventually the design and monogram were cut out of the gold fabric and stuck on...


..tapes for 'case' edges were hand stitched in place...


..the corners and handle were riveted and stitched..


..and after about 14 hours and very sore fingers!!!!

THE AMAZING CUSHION



I was SO impressed and hope the recipient loved it!

I have another project to do over the next couple of days but cannot share yet as it is a surprise!!

I will share at a later date....

Have a good weekend.










Friday 25 October 2013

Edgings Using Soluble Fabric

25th October 2013

I think I have finished Unit 4!!

I have used organza for my edging with soluble fabric and it has been a learning curve!
I didn't allow enough soluble fabric around the edge of the organza on my first two samples and it was very difficult to hold the fabric while I was free machining.


Threads, fabric and soluble fleece..




...the soluble fleece has been dissolved in warm running water..



..not very good...


I used one of my soldering iron pieces....


..slightly better!!





I remembered to do a straight stitch then over stitch with a close zigzag..


..this might be an edging for a scarf.

I only need to put these into my sketchbook then can parcel up for Anne!
















Wednesday 23 October 2013

A Walk Along the South Bank to see the Klee Exhibition at Tate Modern

23rd October 2013

Another enjoyable day yesterday.

We took the tube from Richmond to Monument and walked along the Hungerford Bridge to the South Bank....




..what a sky line...


I love this area, always busy ...


...lots of artisan shops and eateries...


..at low tide there is a small patch of sand where you can watch sand sculptors....
(Can you see the sofa?)

..this guy was so precise he had a string to help him write in a perfectly straight line and he's bending down to blow the sand away from the letters!!




After he had written the message-IF YOU TAKE A PHOTO PLEASE DONATE $  £  -
he then returned to his sand sculpture to create a person on the sofa, unfortunately  we didn't have time to stay and watch. 

We passed the new Blackfriars Station which was under construction last time I came here..


..'the biggest solar bridge in the world' according to the poster at the station entrance!


We arrive at the Tate Modern with it's huge chimney and a wonderful walkway of Silver Birch!



I so enjoyed the Exhibition and the variety of Klee's work.
 I hired a head set which gave really good information once I figured out how to work it!! As you know I am NOT a techy!! But I do try.

The exhibition traces his career chronologically beginning in 1912-13 and ending with his premature death in 1940.

His work was so varied, he worked with water colour, oils, charcoal, gouache and pen and experimented using various surfaces including burlap, cardboard and paper. The burlap was often coated with tempera for a different texture. His use of colour was wonderful and I was thinking how I could use some of his ideas with a variety of filmy fabrics!

A coffee break was needed so we went up to the 6th floor which had amazing views of the river.


The Millennium Bridge







Solar Bridge


After a browse around the shop a walk back over the Millennium Bridge..


...the Globe Theatre and the Shard...



Tower Bridge in the distance and the water bus..


..a last look at Tate Modern..


and home for a tasty meal and 'The Great British Bake Off' -so glad Frances won!!

I am off home tomorrow so my next post will be about Unit 4 which I hope to complete fairly soon.