Journal Quilts

I am once again taking part in Contemporary Quilts annual Journal Quilt challenge.  This year we each chose our own theme and I decided on "Inspired by Art" with the intention of using some of my favourite artists.  

I have been busy each month, finishing them on time but it's taken me until today to get the photos taken!  This is mainly because I like to take the photos in natural light and by the time I get home in the week the light is gone and at the weekends I have forgotten!

The January quilt was inspired by Gustav Klimt's The Kiss and was created using sweet wrappers, foils, silk, metallic fabric with a layer of organza machine quilted over the top and then zapped with a heat gun.  The side panels were then printed with a block and machine quilted.

For February, I was inspired by Claude Monet's Waterlilly paintings which have always been my favourites. 

The background was monoprinted on to a piece of my snow dyed fabric.  I then added circles of various fabrics plus coils of yarn.  I put a piece of netting over this and machine quilted the whole quilt in circles.  The 3D lillies were added and details on the leaves was added using markal crayon.

Inspiration for March's quilt came from Paul Klee's Red and White Domes.  I began by fusing squares and rectangles of my hand dyed  and printed fabric which were then secured to a base fabric using running and zig-zag stitches.   This was then machine quilted.

 
For April, I was inspired by Wassily Kandinsky's Circles.  I pieced the grid of squares using hand dyed fabric and then bonded circles of the same fabric on each square.  I finished by free machine quilting in a circular design.

 

 

More to come.......

A day well spent

I spent a whole day this week painting and creating along side my friend Jo.   We meet each week to compare, discuss and encourage each other in our textile explorations and from time to time we put aside a whole day so that we can try out any new ideas or techniques.

I had been re-reading Kim Thittichai's "Hot Textiles" recently so wanted to try out some of the ideas from the book.

I was particularly keen to try layering some tyvek with organza so painted up a couple of sheets before layering them with some organza and stitching together on the sewing machine.  I then zapped them with a heat gun giving the following results.



Detail

I applied the heat from both sides but found what I thought was organza wasn't!  The orange fabric did not react to either the heat gun or a soldering iron except to burn.   Lesson learnt:  Don't assume something is what it looks like and try it out before including it!

As the overall effect was what I wanted, I left it as it was.   I haven't taken it any further yet as I'm unsure what to do as it is quite hard to stitch into.


I also tried layering painted bondweb on to organza, resulting in two pieces.

 

 

This first piece had foil applied to once the painted bondaweb was put on the organza.  I then added scrim and net scraps and attached them to the bondaweb.   I then applied a heat gun which of course shrunk and distorted the bondaweb/organza but not the scrim.  This gave a different effect which can be seen in the photos below. 

 

The next piece again had added foil and scrim and intended ripping some metallic fabric to add.  When I tried ripping the fabric all I got was the metallic threads which I added anyway.  I love the way painting bondaweb wrinkles into ridges which is transferred when you iron it to the organza.

 

 

 

 

 



I've since chosen background fabrics for each of these and will be adding stitches and possibly beads.

 Just to finish the day off I tried out a print making block I had bought some time ago and never used. It's one of those you heat up and then press something in to give an image to print.   I used some knitting needles to make some lines and as it was very quick and easy and gave a good result, I shall definitely be trying it again.



 

 

Now come the bit where all there beginning works of art have to be nurtured and worked on to produce finished works of art.   What this space for the results.

Reflection Quilt for Context Challenge

Last year's challenge for Context Group - the Contemporary Quilt/Textile Group I belong to - was "Reflections".   Our show and tell day was last week at our AGM.

Until about a month ago I was still very undecided just what to do.  Lots of ideas flying around inside my head but nothing strong enough to commit to fabric and thread.   I finally, in desperation  decided to use a photo of my friend and fellow Thread and Shutter member which shows the reflection of Welsh hills in a lake.

 

 

I took a small section and created a panel using merino tops which were felted to a background of dyed wadding.  I originally started to needlefelt the fibres but then my machine packed up (again!!!) so I had to wet felt the rest.  

 

Felted fibres



After trimming, I machined lines to add some detail, and then placed some trees by first machine embroidering some tree trunks and then using snippets of fabric with loose French knots.  I added some herringbone stitches, straight stitches and couched ruched knitted tape to give further detail.

 

 

The finished panel was then sashed with some fabric dyed especially for the hanging and machine quilted.

Snow Dyeing

When snow comes, particularly at a weekend, it would seem rude not to take it as an opportunity to due some snow dyeing.  I managed to fit in two dye batches a few weekends ago so here are the before and after photos:

Soda soaked fabric ready for snow

Snow packed on top of fabric

 

First dye lot

 

 

Second dye lot

 

 

Silk scarf and silk tops with knitted yarn

 

Cotton fabric

 

Scrim and dishcloth

 

Damask tablecloth fabric

 

 

Now to start creating.....



Quilted Hanging

After several months of inactivity, I've finally finished the mixed media quilted hanging inspired by the art work created on my workshop with Cas Holmes.  A photo of that piece is in the previous post.

The background fabric, which I hand dyed, was overprinted twice using a Thermofax screen. To this I added other printed fabrics and papers which we machine quilted or hand stitched.  The nails were added to the fabric which was printed with similar nails.   Machine quilting finished the hanging.

 

 

 

Working with paper was certainly different and needed much more care, particularly when hand stitching!

Regulars will have noticed the "rust" obsession still continues .....

Saturday Workshop

Back in June when the sun was shining and the air was warm (yes it did happen once or twice!) I was very lucky to spend a day at a workshop run by Cas Holmes.   It was arranged by Context, the Contemporary Quilt group I belong to and what a great day it was too.

It was titled "PAPER, TEXT AND IMAGE – DEVELOPING IDEAS FOR TEXTILES" and we had to take with us a variety of papers, fabrics and paint.   I must admit I hate putting things together for workshops, particularly when I don't have much of an idea about what the end result is going to be.  I either end up with too much or too little!   Being a creature of habit I stuck to my rusty colours and also took some rusty nails just in case!

We started by printing on to some of the papers and fabric using what ever came to hand including leaves and other items found in and around the Hall.  My nails came in handing as I used them as a printing 'block'. Then came the task of building up layers of fabric and paper held together with paste.

Cas was a wonderful tutor and although we were left to get on with our own materials and ideas, she was constantly going round the room commenting and advising as she went.   

I ended up with three pieces which I have used in differing ways.

The first one I stitched in to (having waiting at least a week doing nothing, as advised by Cas).  Also added some rusty nails!

The finished work mounted on cream board ready to frame.

The second piece I intend using as the design for a quilted hanging.  I want to dye some fabric to use but I also want to incorporate paper and found items.

The final piece I cut up as it was a bit 'busy'.  The pieces are now in one of my sketchbooks and who knows they may to used one day.

At the end of the workshop we had a show and tell/discussion which was made all the more worthwhile by Cas's thoughtful and though provoking comments.

A truly great day!

Play Day with Jo

Back in February my craft-mate and fellow Thread and Shutter member Jo and I got together to have a creative day together.

We started off dye some fabric and threads using snow.   We had intended to 'ice dye' but as the good Lord sent snow, we just had to use that instead.  It really is a great way to dye fabric as the resulting colour are generally very deep and rich.

Fabrics prepared ready to start

Jo packing on the snow

Snow packed fabric, ready for dye powder

   

Dye powder added - left for ice to melt

Finished fabrics

We also made some felt using the wet method - not my favourite way as it takes too long!

My effort

Jo's work

Just to finish off the day, Jo did some rust dyeing too.

Fabric wrapped and layered with rusty items

The resulting fabric