Autumn leaves and transfer paints . . .

 . . but a nice wintry sunrise to get the colour appreciation going, taken from our front door steps, about 8.30 - ? -ish.  This beech tree supplied the leaves that appear in some of the postcards that follow.

  This idea of printing with real leaves is always around in my head.  It was revived recently because one of my Christmas presents was a subscription to Design Matters TV, run by Linda and Laura Kemshall.  I'm really enjoying looking at all the video workshops provided.  One of them is on using transfer paints / disperse dyes.  These are the ones you paint on to paper, then when it is dry you can iron the colour off onto fabric.  These dyes are picked up primarily by polyester, so a polycotton mix, or any true polyester fabric are the sorts to use.  The colour comes out the strongest on the latter. 

I laid the leaves down as a mask, and ironed colour over.  Some colour comes off on the leaf, so that can also be transferred.  I had painted my papers with a mix of colours, using a sponge often to get a textural look.  Then it was a question of thinking of different ways to free machine stitch the backgrounds after outlining the leaves and veins, then make them up into postcards.

Finished something . . .

. . . that has been on the go for a long while, a Doodlesquare this time (the others of this kind were doodlestrips). I've put the pix in backwards as usual, so first, some details -

At first I was mostly trying out stitch variations in various publications of Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn, especially the book Stitch Magic, and then just worked on filling in the gaps between those areas with whatever I fancied.

Here's the whole piece, quite random, no plan, just doodling, like you do with a biro on the telephone pad.

A Stitch in time (just) for Christmas . . .

What can Gap do that Grandma can't? Well, probably stop the edges rolling up! This is my version of a stripy scarf sold in the aforementioned establishment. I think the mistake was just doing it in one layer of stocking stitch, which always rolls itself up, doesn't it? But a tube, in DK wool would be too thick . . . so, dilemma. Well granddaughter has a small neck so it works ok for her. A puffy heart stocking filler each for the daughters and grandaughters who were here at Christmas. I have 4 more to do for those who weren't. If they are reading this, hey, you are not forgotten, I will make some more, for you! One side . . . .

. . . the other side . . .