Resolutions

This year there will be no New Year Resolutions!   Instead I'm going to set myself some targets instead!   Probably no difference but somehow targets don't seem as pressurised!

So the targets:

1.   Add regularly to my Folksy Shop
2.   Set up an Etsy Shop
3.   Submit my work to a local gallery for possible selling
4.   Work in my sketchbooks at least 2 or 3 times each week
5.    Post regularly on my blog

I may well add to this as I go along.

Just have to see how it goes.

Christmas Cards

Christmas cards all made and ready for writing on!

I used the painting bondaweb/lutradur/foil/sequin method done at the Kim Thittichai workshop in October.

  

 

 

Better get them written on and posted now!

Thread and Shutter exhibition

The Thread and Shutter exhibition at The Hawth in Crawley comes to a close tomorrow after two very successful weeks.   We have had loads of visitors, many having signed our visitors book.   We all spent the day there last Saturday and had the chance to chat to many old friends and newcomers and the feedback we had was very positive.

It makes all the hard work very worthwhile.

Just a few general shots of the exhibition.

   

   

   

   

 

Words Challenge 4

The fourth and final part of the Words challenge is now complete - Trapped.

As we spend so much time on the coast, I often come across lobster/crab pots, particularly at Selsey so I used this idea as my inspiration.

I started with a piece of fabric I had dyed for the background but as it wasn't really as dark as I wanted, I over printed the fabric first with a foam roller in a wave-like pattern and then with bubble wrap to give the impression of bubbles.

Following the workshop with Kim Thittichai I added some wave shapes created by the painted bondaweb applied to lutradur method.   The completed background was then machine quilted in wavy lines.

For the crab I used dyed towelling and two real crab claws.   The cage was made from plastic garden netting that I overstitched using a zig zag stitch on the sewing machine  The sides were joined together with twisted threads.

Detail

 

 

Detail

Finished work from Kim Thittichai workshop

As I mentioned last month, I attended a workshop with Kim Thittichai.   Some of the work I started at the workshop is now finished and are currently being exhibited at the Thread and Shutter exhibition at The Hawth in Crawley.

This first piece, Nightime, was created using painted bondaweb applied to coloured lutradur which was in turn cut with a soldering iron and reapplied to more painted lutradur.  Foil, sequins and gilding flakes were also applied at the first stage.

I added simple embroidery stitches using cotton threads.

 

 

 

Detail



The second piece, Skeletal Fragments, also started with painted bondaweb applied to lutradur together with sequins, gilding flakes and some skeletal leaves.   The lutradur was then "cut" using a heat gun.  I also cut strips of organza in the same way.  The strips were then layered and secured to felt using simple stitches.

Detail

December Journal Quilt

For once I am ahead of myself!   I was determined to finish all twelve Journal Quilts so they could be exhibited at the Thread and Shutter exhibition this month so I am very pleased that I achieved it.

The December quilt is once again inspired by one of Wassily Kandinsky's paintings, Pressure from above.

 

Detail

 

I appliqued some of the shapes from the painting and then quilted further lines and shapes.  The fabric used was from the stash of my own dyed fabric.

 

 

I was also pleased with the way all twelve looked when they were hung at the exhibition.

 

 



Final Rust Inspired Work

My obsession with rust is now coming to an end after nearly four years!

Corrosion - Inchies

 

 

 

This is 12 Inchies mounted in a frame.   The Inches were made by needlefelting various threads, fibres and fabrics to a background of felt.  After cutting, the edge of  each Inchie was finished with buttonhole stitch and beads, sequins and embroidery stitches were added to some, the others we left plain.

 



Corrosion - Something Hidden Underneath

 

 

This was started during the Play Day Jo and I had in February.  I painted both sides of two layers of Tyvek and machined them together with a layer of organza sandwiched in between.   I then applied a heat gun to melt some areas to expose the different layers.

 

I then machined the "fabric" to a background of dyed fabric.

 



Corrosion - Fragile State

This was another piece begun during the February Play Day.  This time a background of organza was decorated with painted bondaweb, foil, sequins and scrim.  I also included some thin, fragile foil threads.  It was then finished with hand embroidered stitches.

While I was at the Festival of Quilts I bought some of Fingerprint Fabric's panels.  One was of rusted ironwork so I bought two.

Corrosion - Fragmented Ironwork

For the first piece I cut the square into five pieces and reassembled them together with my own dyed fabric.    I then machine quilted in straight lines about half an inch apart.  My take on modern quilting!

For the second one I used the circular lines of the design to add lines of embroidery stitches, beads and buttons.  Again I used my own dyed fabric for the background.

Two Journal Quilts

I have pushed on with my Journal Quilts hoping that I will have them ready for the Thread and Shutter exhibition in November.

Continuing the "Inspired by Art" theme, the October quilt was inspired by the Henri Rousseau painting "Tiger in a Tropical Storm".   I used bonded applique and free machine embroidery to create the foliage for which I used a variety of dyed fabrics including velvet.  This was then machine quilted in diagonal lines to give the impression of the rain.

 

 

The November quilt was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night".  I monoprinted the 'swirls' in blue ink on to yellow background. The lines were then picked out with machine couched dyed threads and machine quilted lines in gold and yellow.   Some star sequins were added to finish.

 

 

 



 

 

 

Workshop with Kim Thittichai

Spent a wonderful day yesterday with Kim Thittichai  at a workshop organised by  Context.  We were creating "Hot New Jewelled Surfaces for Stitch" by painting bondaweb and Vilene Spunbond, combing the two, adding foils, glitter, sequins (basically anything that sparkled!) and then cutting it with a soldering iron and reassembling in to another surface.  On top of this we also zapped with a heat gun for create even more surfaces!

As I said "wonderful".  Any of you who have met Kim will know how creative she is but she is also very entertaining and it was delightful to spend a day with her.

Now for the end results:

 

 

This is coloured Spunbond with painted Bondaweb applied to it and then gilding flakes, square sequins and foil added to it.

 

 

 

 

This is some Hot Spots applied to some Spunbond and then foil applied.

 

This is painted bondaweb applied to some organza and then gilding flakes, threads and tiny sequins added.

The second part was to take two of the pieces, back them with Bondaweb and then cut shapes from them using a soldering iron.  I took the first two pieces and cut some strips with wiggly outlines and then applied them to some heavier Spunbond that we had painted earlier in the day.  I had also applied some painted Bondaweb to a piece of black cotton so added some of the cut Spunbond to this too.

 

I'll definitely be adding some stitching to this last piece! 

 

 

Another piece of organza was prepared in the same way as before but with some skelton leaves this time:

 

 

 

These pieces were them "cut" with a heat gun and reassembled together with some plain organza.

 

 

 

It's difficult to see the crunchiness of these pieces from the photos, but once again I will be stitching in to at least one of these.

 

 

Not only did I come away with pieces I can work on but also loads of inspiration and ideas for future pieces.  

 

Check out Kim's website for more details of her workshops and the lovely supplies she sells.  http://www.kimthittichai.com/index.html





September Journal Quilt

Finally got the chance to sort out my Art Nouveau inspired Journal Quilt!

It was inspired by the various art nouveau designs used on the signs and railings of the Paris Metro that I've always loved, particularly when I saw them in real life.   Rather than play around with the images, I printed them on to fabric and used them as they were.

Words challenge 3

The third of the Word challenge is now complete!    This one is "I Wish ....." and started from my wish for a slimmer body (a wish that seems to have been a life long wish!).

It incorporates sizes, including size zero, matchstick mannequins complete with chocolate wrapper dresses, a tape measure, a variety of womanly silhouettes and some of the words from The Beautiful Souths' "Perfect 10".

  

 

    

 

 



Words Challenge 2

My second part of the Words Challenge is now complete - Temptation.

When I was brainstorming ideas for these challenges, my first thought for Temptation revolved around food - mainly chocolate! - but as I had already used this idea for 'I Wish ....' (nearly finished!) I went for my second thought that was the biblical temptation in the garden of Eden.

The background of hand dyed fabric was first printed using half an apple.  I then struggled to get the snake as perfect as I wanted it and I have to say this look many hours and not very biblical language!  The "Leads is no into temptation leaves were done using free machining on soluble fabric incorporating a piece of fabric with the text on it.  The tree was made with scraps of brown fabric with hand stitching.