Lumps and Bumps . . .

. . . workshop for West Country Embroiderers.  Not a very elegant title!  I can't remember now if it was my creation or our programme secretary's when we were discussing what I was going to do!  Also known as 'calico gardens' or just textured stitches.  Traditionally it is done all in creams, on calico . . .

(no prizes for composition for the above, but it does include a lot of different ways of doing this work)

. . .but I thought - why not colour? and stitched a red tree . . .

. . .closely followed by an undersea sort of scene in blues . . .

. . . and a doodle in greens and pinks.

Another element I like to include in this is doing 'normal' stitches, like cross stitch, herringbone, and then wrapping them, buttonholing along them or weaving across them.

Oversewing objects that don't generally get included in embroidery is another option.  Guess the objects.  No prizes!

Varying thick /thin threads is rather fun too.  (Knotted cretan stitch)

Unfortunately I didn't get to take photos of people's work this time.  Sorry everyone!

Sunshine . . .

. . . in the sky again, thank goodness, and in a cyberfriend's generosity.  Mandy of Crazy Daisy blog has given me, along with 11 others, a Sunshine Award!  Read all about it on her blog, February 6th and the previous post.  Mandy is a great knitter and also does some unusual bits of embroidery.  And she has a nice cat!  Thank you very much, Mandy!

And at long last I am getting together a patchwork quilt for a granddaughter, and you could say there is something sunshiney about the middle section.  She likes yellow apparently.  Ok, I'm stretching things a bit!

It is pegged up on curtains over the shelves in my workroom.  It is quite a while since I did some straightforward patchwork, or made something bed-sized.

Today I got a border round it, made the backing, layered it all up on the table (useful 5 foot square, made by DH from 2 old doors) and tacked it.  So just the quilting to do now (by machine), and some edging which will probably be some facing strips.

Book making addiction strikes again . . .

. . . after seeing one of the Design Matters TV workshops showing how to stitch up a book using

 

tapes across the spine.  I have made books before but not for a long time, and didn't get to try this method then.  So I looked in my books drawer and found signatures and cover boards left unused from previously, hunted out some ribbons and got cracking. I used to think it would be rather difficult using tapes, but actually, once you get a couple of signatures stitched together and no longer feel you need 2 more hands, it all goes very smoothly.  Two of these 3 books are not done with tapes, but one has the signatures stitched together with a chain line top and bottom and long stitches in the middle.  These were then woven together using up the long end of thread.

The next has one chain and 3 groups of long stitches which were linked together to produce something that looks like herringbone.  Both these books have a place marker made by twisting the leftover ends of thread together and adding beads.

These three have ribbons stitched across and the stitches linked to each other.  And in two the ribbons have also been used to tie the book

As I only had these rather glitzy ribbons I've bought some plain white tape now and painted some of it, so that should be interesting.  It gives a bit more scope.  I also want to try using strips of fabric, and thick cord.  I'd also like to start using fabric on the book boards but am not sure how to fix it.  Is there anyone out there who can advise on a good sort of glue to use with fabric?  A brand available in the UK preferably.

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 . . .

Mostly not my work. . .

. . . like a Bethlehem scene, drawn out for people to paint, who came to the Christmas Fun Day our church had this month, which included also crafts and a performance of Sheila Wilson's Hosanna Rock. And on my table, stencilling and nice choice of colours produced some tasteful bits of wrapping paper.

A similar exercise at a similar Day focussing on Africa had a village landscape to paint and . . .

. . . . some Mali mudcloth patterns to play with, not using fermented mud, but freezer paper masking and black and blue acrylic paint!

And going back a bit further still to the . . .

. . . Quilters' Guild 3 Corners Day in October, 3 workshops to circulate round, of which i did one (in the exalted company of Kate Dowty and Carol Dowsett!) In my workshop we made small purses, from 5 x 5" fabric squares. It is one of these random things that comes out with unexpected charm.

But this is all my own work, and not in a breadmaker either! Not sure why it comes out all craggy, but DH says it gives it a nice rustic look.

Wild weather inspirations

I wanted to put these first two pix at the end but blogger is being contrary about arranging photos, sorry about that. Sunset, seen from the back of our house. Sun heading down, Poole harbour, Brownsea island across the water.

Another winter day at Sandbanks, with wild waves and kite surfers, and sun. Great for November.

And at Upton Country park, some autumn colour, quite spectacular.

More wild waves, at Bournemouth beach this time, on the windiest day of the year. We went with family to the Oceanarium down by the beach, and the grandchildren were leaning on the wind. But then the peaceful moments come, to our road anyway!

Hello, I'm still here . . .

. . . and will try to stay this time, a reformed character, keeping my blog more up to date with pix of visual interest and inspiration . . . I very much hope so anyhow. So here are some things I have been making lately - beads, from coloured magazine pages. There is nothing complicated about them, you simply cut long strips of paper, roll them up round a knitting needle or similar rounded stick thing, and apply glue to the last bit of the strip so that it sticks itself to the roll. If you want cylindrical beads you cut a straight strip. If you want a more rounded effect you cut a wedge shaped strip. You start rolling at the wide end, keep the narrowing strip in the centre as you roll, and it builds up a more rounded shape.

I made a book cover from nappy liners. There was a workshop online using dryer sheets and not knowing quite what they were I decided to try nappy liners, which I thought might be similar. They aren't really, but they gave a nice result.

I put 3 liners together, having printed and painted some colour on them. They don't take colour so very well, but enough for the purpose. I then stitched them together onto a piece of felt, with free machine stitching all over. Then a little zap with a heat gun and a bit more stitching.
Then I neatened the edges, wrapped some cord by zigzagging over threads, and couched that down, leaving ends to wrap round a button to fasten and threaded on some of my paper beads to look decorative.The piece was just the size of the book opened out, so I had to attach separate panels to each side to make pockets into which the book covers could be pushed. The book happened to be one I had made, A5 size, but any could be used.
It feels nice to handle, and was easy to stitch, so is on the list of 'Try that again sometime' ideas.

Next batch of journal quilts

4 quilts on 2 themes, bottles and boats. The 'bottles' are made with clingfilm with threads etc trapped between layers and ironed (don't forget to iron over baking parchment).

'Boats' involved colouring the base fabric with oilbars/paintsticks, some layered strips, and free machine stitching. One has felt boats and the other various sayings about boats ('Don't rock the boat', 'all in the same boat' etc, that kind of thing) stitched over.