I'm on  roll with inchies!   I find they are handy little things to have to stitch in front of the tv or when my mind needs a rest.   I also find them handy to take away so this lovely pile of felt, fibres, silk, organza and threads will be needlefelted ready for me to cut up and take away.

Watch out for seaside theme inchies.

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.

 





Glacier River

For each Thread and Shutter exhibition I always like to create some pieces of work that are directly inspired by Brian's photographs.  Luckily he travels to some exotic places and as one of his more recent holidays was to Iceland, I used two photos on Jokulsarlon, a glacial river he visited.

 

The first piece was a felted panel for which I used wool and silk fibres, Angelina fibres, silk and cotton scrim.   I needlefelted the various materials together into a sheet of felt and hand stitches were then added, along with beads an sequins.

The panel was then stitched to a hand dyed cotton background which had been machine quilted with icicle shards.

 

 

    

 

The second creation is a quilted wall hanging  which uses the actual photos.   These were printed on to cotton fabric to form two larger panels within the quilt as well as smaller patches throughout alongside my own dyed and printed cotton fabric.  

Icicle crystals were then machine quilted and further ice shards were also quilted before finishing with foil, beads and sequins.

 

     

 

Seen From Above - One Inch to a Mile

I just love "Inchies" and sooner or later I make some to fit with my current theme.  And Seen From Above is no exception.

I started needlefelting various fibres, fabrics and yarns to create a fabric which I then cut up into inch squares.   These were first edged with blanket stitch and then embellished with hand stitches and beads and for some I added scraps of old maps.   The Inchies were then assembled and mounted on old OS maps which in turn were mounted on board and framed.

As some of the maps I used were old enough to have a scale of one inch to a mile, I didn't have to think too hard about the title.

 

 

The left overs were then mounted on maps and used to map greetings cards.

Play Day with Thread and Shutter

Once again, Thread and Shutter members have had a day playing with fibres etc - the thing they like most of all.

This time we decided to make some silk paper.  Last year I had purchased some silk fibres to make silk paper at a Context workshop but at the last minute couldn't go, so I was really keen to have a go myself.  Fortunately, everyone else wanted to too!

Several years ago I bought a silk paper kit from a show and had come home and made two pieces of paper straightaway.   This was then put to one side so when we decided to have our own workshop, I found them and shaped them over a bowl and cup to make two vessels.   I did try to machine embroider one of the pieces before I shaped it but it was too thin so I just made the bowl.   What I should have done was use some water-soluble fabric - maybe next time!

I'm pleased with both the results but feel they need some stitching and beads so I will do this at some time in the future.

 

 

 

 

 



 This time round, I made two pieces of silk paper.

This first one was made from layers of silk hankies with other silk fibres, silk rods and gold flower petals added for detail.   Unfortunately I wrapped it in cling film to bring home and when I unwrapped it, the cling film had stuck to the paper and wouldn't come off!  To try and save it, I put another silk hankie on the top which on the whole has worked okay.  I love the edges that the silk hankies give.

Not too sure what will happen with this so watch this space!

The second piece was created with silk tops in red and purple (definitely not my normal colour range!) with sequins added to finish.   I am going to make this in to some form of vessel, lining it with some dyed fabric and sewing it together with beads - again, watch this space.

 

 

Using the silk hankies again, I made another vessel.  I love the edges around the top of the vessel and again, I'm going to stitch in to this one and add some beads.

 



 

The final piece was made by weaving some stripped silk carrier rods with pieces of cocoon added.

 

Again this needs some stitching on it - add it to the list!

 

 

 

A very productive day all round leaving me with lots of stitching to do!





South Downs Challenge

Just in case you think I'm taking part in anything energetic, don't!

The 2013 challenge from Context was entitled "South Downs National Park" with the challenge to create a quilt with measurements between 2 and 5 metres or a 3D item inspired by this fairly local Park  I know it's 2014 but it doesn't need to be finished until the AGM in March so there's still plenty of time!

My idea straight away was to create a 3D boot using a combination of felt and quilted fabric so with time ticking away, this morning I made the felt that will hopefully be the basis of the toe of the boot.  I've never been terrible keen on the actual making of handmade felt as it seems like too much hard work but decided it would be the best way of constructing it so gave it a go.   It is a lot of hard work and I have to confess that I didn't roll for as long as I should and I didn't turn as often as I should but it's turned out okay in the end.

The first photo shows the fibres layered ready for wetting.  I had already put the net over and had started to spray with the water when I took the photo.

I'm very please with the result and can't wait to get started on the next stage.



You may have noticed the lack of red, white and blue blobs on the finished piece compared with the first one.   These were put on to represent flowers which I plan to have around the edge of the toe but they just would not stay attached to the felt so I discarded them.   I had been worried about the scale of them as I find to difficult to allow for the amount of shrinkage.   The plan now is to needle felt the flowers on and possible add some machine stitching too.

My plan for this afternoon is to dye the fabric ready for the quilted part so more news of that later.

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.

 

 

 



 

 

 

Inspiration Pack

When I was at the Festival of Quilts last month I bought an "Inspiration Pack" from OliverTwists just in case I found myself with nothing to do!

It contained some Abaca Tissue, silk waste, silk carrier rods together with a selection of threads and some wire.

So far I have created two little pieces of art which I have since framed ready for exhibiting.  They were both done on to felt and I added some buttons and beads from my vast collection.

 

 

 

 

There are still plenty of bits left so I can create some more!