Mixed Media Experiment

 21st March 2021

Hello, it's been quite a while!! Unfortunately haven't felt very creative and have found this lockdown quite difficult but the end is in sight.....

I have had this book for quite a while and decided to do some experimenting.....

....strips of a variety of fabrics were layered on calico and backed with 'stitch and tear' for stability....

...these were machined down and more details added, threads and lace...

...the background was painted, I used acrylic but wished I had used my Ko in Or dyes as the acrylic made the hand stitching quite difficult....

.....layered some yellow silk and free machined to represent buttercups then addd daisies, mostly using free machining....

.....I think the hand stitching improved the texture. 

Fairly pleased with the result and liked the background.

I have also made a variety of birthday cards but forgot to photograph!!!

See you again before too long I hope.

Tags and experimenting with my embellisher.

 30th January 2021

More tags, one per week, theme was heart.

I wove through hessian for the background and used some of my ice dyed fabric for the heart.

Tag 3 was scraps...

...Tag 4 was fly stitch...

...Tag 5 cross, used cross stitch to attach.

I have kept the tags fairly simple as my tags are quite small, I have a box bought a few years ago that I need to use!!!

  

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I used felt as my base and embellished man made fabric from my stash, the lower part of the photo shows the fabric before embellishing....

....next embellished organza over the top...

...then more man made embellished...

....the result, think I will enhance details using free machine embroidery.

I had some handmade felt which again I embellished with a polyester scarf and added hand dyed scrim for the flowers, only embellishing the centre for added texture, wool for the stem and leaves ready for machine embroidery.

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Another small project using hand dyed fabrics, a work in progress, I am fast running out of embroidery threads!!! 

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Last but not least my fantastic amaryllis bought a week before Christmas, amazing because it has 3 stems, these beautiful flowers and another bud not yet opened! I cannot believe all this has come from I bulb, it really has cheered me up this week.

Hope you are all keeping well, I am still finding this lockdown difficult and missing my little people and family. One day soon fingers crossed x

Hand embroidery on Khadi paper

 12th January 2021

A short update, my yarnbombing was up for only four days, one person complained and I had to take it down!! On the second day a little girl ran to the tree and hugged it, made my day!!

I have been following Karin Lunds on Instagram and love her work, stitching on paper. This was my inspiration this week....

...using Khadi paper from my stash...

...very simply stitched...

...and another....

....on a roll now...

...final piece, not quite sure what to do with them but I loved the process, this has been woven in the centre!

I listen to story tapes while I am stitching, so enjoyable.

Also joining in with Anne Brookes Textiles making 52 tags this year..

...the theme for the 1st was white, buttons, embroidery and lace....

...also made another winter scene for a card....

....also a few people in my block of flats, 75+ have either had their vaccines or have been given an appointment for this week, great morale booster!

New Years Day Yarn bombing!

 HAPPY  2021  TO  YOU  ALL

I think I have told you during lockdowns I have been using all spare and donated yarn to prepare for a yarn bomb in the new year. I decided to do it on the 1st and as I was finishing the final tree......

...a lady came striding across the road to ask what I was doing! I replied that I was yarn bombing, the lady wanted to know why and I said to make people smile. Her reply was that it didn't make her smile and she furiously told me to remove it!! I explained pleasantly that I had permission. Apparently she hadn't given me permission but she was just another resident in the close. Her departing words were,''I am organising a petition!"

Not quite the response I had in mind, I did wonder if said lady might remove the tree coverings overnight but they are still in place.

I will inform you of any updates but haven't received the petition as yet, watch this space.....

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!