6 years blogging and creating !!

27th May 2019

Pageviews all time history

96,288

I started on my creative textile journey 6 years ago and have loved it all, the courses, learning new skills and making new friends and of course just playing and thinking 'what if'?

I was so nervous about blogging when I started but really enjoy it now and use it as a pictorial diary, often referring back to see how I did something on a course.

>>>>>>>>

I have had a great week.....

...a visit to the newly opened children's garden/play area at Kew.....

....the most amazing aliums ....

....super imaginative play areas....

....a sandy beach area....

....lots of interactive water play...

....and a 'tunnel' made from coloured glass which gave this fabulous coloured image on the walkway...

....we will definitely be using this area a lot!

>>>>>>>

I made a mixed media sample for my sketchbook using a template from Deborah O'Hare's book....

...cut out a stencil from Freezer Paper and ironed onto hand painted fabric...

....used acrylic paint...

....was a bit careless as I marked the backing fabric so backed this with Bondaweb and appliquéd it to another piece of fabric, lesson learnt!!

I then free machined in a variety of ways, must admit I really like the circles effect.

Then added some hand embroidered detail to the leaves, quite pleased with the result!

>>>>>

I actually finished a necklace, inspired by the Annie Albers Exhibition a while ago,  made using washers and ribbon!

Another 'play day' today, watch this space!

Samples in Stitch....

16th May 2019

I have spent a couple of great days with my granddaughter, there is always fun and lots of laughter!

We visited a park and the beds were looking glorious....

...I picked and pressed some Cow Parsley ready for cards.

>>>>>>>

I bought this book last year at the Festival of Quilts and have used it more than any of my other craft books, it is packed full of ideas for small quilts and mixed media pictures.

....I chose some green hand dyed muslin on wadding for my backing, made a stencil using freezer paper and ironed it onto the fabric....

...using a stencil brush I applied orange fabric paint...

...peeled off the paper and ta-da...

....free machined...

...used masking tape to make a guide for stitching...

....chose 3 shades of embroidery floss...

....already to put in my sketchbook!

This technique was so easy and I was pleased with the result.

Next I decided to make a couple of quilted background ready for free machining and hand embroidery....

...hand dyed silks and fabrics...

....some straight stitching using variegated threads....

....all ready for further embellishment...

....landscape again using my own dyed fabrics....

...ready for the next stage...

....a very enjoyable afternoon with thanks to Deborah O'Hare's book.

Finished samples from Amanda Hislop's course....

13th May 2019

I have had a good week, a quiz night, dinner with friends and making progress with projects......

....made this paper mâché bowl a few weeks ago and it has been sitting in my craft room because I wasn't sure what to do with it!!! A friend used this colour on one of her pots, metallic acrylic so thought I would use it inside the bowl with a turquoise on the outside but wanted some texture. These skeleton leaves have been in my stash for a long time so stuck them on and decided not to paint over it as I rather like this look! It is now in my bedroom and picks out the colour in one of my mixed media pieces.

This is a page out of my sketchbook from Amanda Hislop's course at Oxford Summer School last year so decided to complete these samples....

....threads, papers have been glued on Khadi rag paper and painted then torn....

...this is brilliant for free machining, firm to stitch, no hoop required and heat-ironing between baking parchment- to remove...

...small strips to attach pieces, very economical to use...

...I used 2 shades of variegated thread in the needle....

....less dense stitching than previously...

....and pleased with the result...

.....another product that is useful...

....spare threads placed randomly on the sticky side of the fabric....

....covered with soluble film...

...stitched using metallic threads, back...

....front....

....after rinsing in water....

...a delicate lace-like fabric that can be used in mixed media work!

More experimenting this week, watch this space!!

Simple recycling and a finished project

9th May 2019

I have up-cycled my empty coffee tins to make useful containers for my work space....

....all the fabrics have been in my stash for a long time....

.....this was a Shibori Indigo sample from my first work shop using velvet and have finished with a strip of hand dyed silk bow...

.....one of my collection of old linen tablecloths, all the lace is hand crocheted but it had a couple of stains I just couldn't remove so used up the last of my indigo dye and made a pattern in the centre, also dyed 4 napkins, pleased with the result!

I made a picture on my last course in Cornwall but wasn't really happy with the result so pinned it up in my workroom for inspiration and decided to make some leaves using water soluble film and variegated threads....

...result, the smaller pieces are for moss on another unfinished piece!!

I do prefer this 3D picture with the machine embroidered leaves added, it gives more depth and texture, all the fabrics are hand dyed and the petals are painted silk velvet.....

....stamens are tubular beads on wire with the ends wrapped in embroidery thread, the background is seed stitched.

>>>>>>>>

Also had my gorgeous granddaughter over and we spent a pleasant hour feeding the ducks in Richmond, we especially loved the beautiful Mandarins.

Finally a creation made by my gorgeous girl who loves painting, glueing and sticking....

....just love sitting beside her while she talks, sings and creates!!