Creating a winter landscape

 30th December 2020

My last post of the year!! 

Think we are all very glad to see the end of 2020 and look forward to a better 2021.

I am sure I have mentioned the textile artist Emma Wigginton who has been making videos on You Tube, this work was inspired by her....

I collected as many white and silvery fabrics as I could from my stash including silk velvet, silk organza, linen, cotton, scarf oddments and netting. These were then cut into landscape shaped strips and pinned on  cotton wadding after trying different arrangements! I made a long strip as I thought I might make a picture and some cards.....

...selected threads including metallic...

...free machined in place...

...as yet I have only produced 2 cards, thought they would be good for winter birthdays.

I still have a lot of base landscape to play with in the new year!

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful 2021x

Christmas cards and tree hangers

26th November 2020

Hello everyone, do hope you are all keeping well. My magazine project 'kick started' me into a few creative days  which I will now share with you....

....I used a red felt base and stitched on a variety of ribbons from my stash and discovered how easy it was to use the automatic stitches on my fairly new machine, had such fun playing and would highly recommend! 

This was using red and silver...

...enjoyed the procedure so much I made a gold and red!

Made card templates and made a selection of cards.

Again using felt and ribbons from my stash made these.

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I think I have mentioned Emma Wigginton before and this is another of her free projects on u-tube....

...layer fabric strips onto a calico base to form a landscape, first attempt, but was not happy!!

2nd attempt, ready for my embellisher...

...after embellisher and ready for machine/hand embroidery, I love the way the embellisher brings out the texture of the fabrics.

Will continue this project this week so watch this space!

Christmas Bunting and a visit to Kew

 6th November 2020

Just started another lockdown but feel much better about it this time!!

The community where I live have asked if I would write an article for the magazine on a Christmas Craft which spurred me to make something! Looked on Pinterest and found a tutorial for Christmas Tree bunting and this is my version...

...made a card template...

...traced around to make a paper template...

...sandwich of fabric, backing, wadding and front....

....pin to sandwich and machine around....

...cut out with pinking shears....

....attach to ribbon/tape with a button ....

...think I will put it up in our entrance hall, other shapes could be star, bell, robin or heart or even a mixture!!

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Last week I took my daughter and granddaughter to Kew for the Gruffalo Trail, the colours were magnificent and my photos don't do them justice as it was a grey day but here is a flavour.....

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Also made 2 Christmas cakes ...

.....these will be 'fed' weekly with brandy!!

Stay safe x

Finished my seascape wallhanging!!!

 27th October 2020

Hope this finds you well and coping in these very strange times....

...yesterday I managed to finish my wall hanging that I actually started in March!!! Kept doing a little then putting on one side, mainly because I lost my creative mojo so am really pleased it is now ready to go on the wall. Most of the fabrics have been hand dyed and it has been great to use up some of my stash. A mixture of hand, machine embroidery with bead embellishment.

Some close ups...

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My lovely friend from our Cornwall course sent me these limpet shells which she had drilled...

...enjoyed embroidering them...

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Spent an enjoyable day at Kew with the grandchildren, just love these grasses...

...fantastic colours on these eucalyptus trees in the children's garden...

...so many seed heads.

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I have been mask making as I think we will be wearing them for quite a while. This pattern was recommended to me as good for use with glasses, I was able to walk around the supermarket without my glasses on top of my head for the first time!!!

After testing the sample I made a few more.

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This morning I was looking for a piece of indigo dyed fabric which of course made me have a sort out and found 2 projects to complete...

...this is hand made felt made on my embellisher with silk threads , rods and cocoons added, think I will do lots of hand stitch to complete...

.....think I will add lots of kanthan and maybe coloured circles, maybe even a shell or two.....

...as I look through my craft room window the rain and leaves are falling steadily, such a shame it is wet for half term, hope it is fine on Friday for another trip to Kew to follow the Gruffalo Trail.

Until the next time, keep safe x