Canvaswork Seascape

First project of the new year is completed!

The first piece of canvas work I have done for many, many years.  When I was doing City and Guilds Creative Embroidery in the 1980s I often worked on canvas and while I was sorting out before our move, I discovered just how much I had done which inspired me to do some more.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I coloured the canvas with painted bondaweb before I started and I found this gave me some direction while still maintaining the "free" look I wanted.

I started by couching down the curved lines which were cotton tubing with thick threads through the centre.  I then pretty much made it up as I went, using stitches at first that I liked the look of and then those that fitted in with the rest.   I mainly used the threads that came with the pack but several of them were not suitable for this size of canvas (10 ct.) so I supplemented with cotton perle and stranded cotton.  I also added beads to come areas.

Really pleased with the result which now sits on the window ledge in my bedroom.

  

  

Retrospective 3

My first experience of free machine embroidery came while I was taking City and Guilds Creative Embroidery during the 1980s.  It was also at this time I bought my first Bernina sewing machine so I could do the free embroidery.  It was second hand and worked like a dream for many years before I upgraded to a new Bernina.

Here are some of my early samples of free machine embroidery. 

Retrospective 1

One good thing about moving is having to look through old work that hasn't seen the light of day for some years.   The down side is some of it has to go!

I've surprised myself at how ruthless I've been but made sure anything that went was photographed first so I so have something to remember.

Back in the 1980s I did City and Guilds Creative Embroidery Parts 1 an 2.  It was my first experience of any formal training in anything connected to art and textiles and it blew my mind!   This was really the beginning of the journey I'm still on and I don't think it's an exaggeration that it changed my creative soul.

Looking back over the work I brought back some happy memories and several surprises too so I thought over the next few weeks/months I would share some of this retrospective work.

This first collection  consists of canvas work which I loved and, as you will see, I did quite a few pieces.   I also tended to work in primary colours at this time, which again is apparent.    The first few ones were based on tulips.

And of course, in true C&G tradition, the design board that went with it!

 

 

The next group are other various examples based on canvas work.

 



 

Threads woven over netting



A view from a window

 

Black and White with canvas detail



Detail

   

Dyed threads worked on canvas

   

Detail

  

Stitches on canvas using various fabrics and threads



Detail

    

The final piece was inspired by a day spent dyeing thread and fabrics which hung out in the garden to dry one sunny summer's day.

 





Book Making

Spent a great day last Saturday at Context where we made some books under the direction of Cath Stonnard.

The book I made really does not photo well but hopefully will give an idea of what I did.   After hand stitching the signatures (groups of 4-5 pages) these were then stitched together on the spine.  I used a variegated perle cotton which gave a good effect.   I left some longer ends while stitching so I could add some beads.

I used cartridge paper, brown paper and tracing paper for my book but have yet to decide what to use it for.

I plan to make more using some of the painted and printed paper that I have left from the Creative Sketchbooks C&G course I did a few years ago.

Thanks for a great day Cath.

Creative Sketchbooks

Last month I finished a City and Guilds Creative Sketchbooks course with Janet Twinn at Leatherhead. And what a great time I had!

I decided to do it as I would love to design my own art quilts but thought I lacked the artistic skills to do so. The course included many materials, media and techniques which were new to me and hopefully have given me the knowledge on which to build into my own designs.

Here are some photos of one of the Sketchbooks which had to be Freestanding with some 3D construction. The photos show the sketchbook closed up - a greenhouse full of cacti and succulents which were the sources for my designs. Another photo shows it opened out and then there are some of my favourite artwork. I also used up odd pieces of painted paper by making little seed packets based on the real thing.