Just a bit more creativity . . .

. . .from DGD 5, a cupcake cushion cover, all done by her except the free machining on the icing.  I'm not letting her loose on my machine to that extent yet I'm afraid.

 . . . from me - one of 6 paintings 7' x 3'6" of places on Jerusalem, for use in our church over the Easter period.  I'll put pix of the others in somewhen.  Done on calico using remnants of household paint.  This one is part of the view over the city from the Dominus flevit church, commemorating the place where Jesus Christ is thought to have wept over Jerusalem a few days before the crucifixion.

 . . .  and from God - lichen or fungus of some other sort forms on offcuts and remnants of wood DH collects around the neighbourhood, saving people dumping it in landfill.  These shapes and textures are so extraordinary!

Books again - exploring covers

Looking for something a bit different from the painted and printed papers I've mostly been using for covers, folded over padded card and stuck down.  I'm interested in stitching on fabric, here filling the space with lines of running, back, chain stitches and whipping or lacing them, then patching in couched cords or extra stem or herringbone lines to fill any gaps.  The stitching is done here on a sort of muslin plus wadding, and i've laced the pieces over the card.  Now why didn't I take a photo of the back!

 The text block is stitched over tapes - ribbons here, plus endpapers of folded card, which will be stuck to the boards.

This is paper again, but it is torn bits overlapped and machine stitched down to a piece of brown paper - recycling envelopes.  The painted bits are brown paper too.  The signatures lined up all have a painted folio on the outside.  No tapes for this one, so the painted folds will be visible under and between the stitched lines joining the signatures. 

Talking of grandchildren . . .

. . . here's what the 3 eldest ones in Scotland made with mum's birthday sewing machine, on a recent visit of grandparents carrying supplies of fabric bits.  Amazing!

 And what DD had wanted the machine for - making some cushions.  I showed her how to do appliqué with bondaweb and zigzag stitching round, and free machining for the flower centres.  Also how to put a zip in.  She and her eldest DD have since made annother, with one big flower, all by themselves!  Clever girls.

Giving up apologising . . .

. . . for not putting any new posts up for ages.  I just don't want to spend as much time at the computer these days, and something has to go.  But maybe I just need some new ideas for the blog, a different approach.  Well, not today anyway, but I'll think about it.

The latest craze is making these felt brooches.  Very simple, just felt, some buttonhole stitch and beads, and a bit of organza and / or net, and a safety pin stitched on behind.  I've been doing some with the grandchildren and at the birthday party of one of them (11 year olds), where they all made one, and some even two, with hair grips instead of safety pins.