Even though I didn't get to Wonderwool for my usual "fix"....
...I still have lovely things to drool over today!
The Postie came with a delightful package from Lisa Jurist....
...containing just the perfect combination of colours for my little French theme.
Lisa sells these gorgeous bundles of sari silks in her shop here...
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jmozart/
Go on......
...have a browse....
...you know you want to! :-)
Monday 30 April 2012
Sunday 29 April 2012
...beautiful colours!...
..are what I've had out of the dyepot this weekend.
Some Ebay bargains....
...crochet table mats....
...and some gorgeous heavy woven raw silk fabrics...
...are now in a "French" mood.....
...along with some fine cottons...
...more silk ribbon...
...and glimmering, shimmering viscose rayon.
The latter caused me a bit of a problem ....
...as it all got tangled on the umbrella swift....
..... so I had no alternative but to take a scissors...
... and cut right through the skein!
No Wonderwool for me this weekend. :-(
Not really feeling up to going out...
...especially in this awful weather we're having...
...and I REALLY need to stay in and get on with some more stitching.
The dye-pot delights have made for a happy couple of days indoors though. :-)
Some Ebay bargains....
...crochet table mats....
...and some gorgeous heavy woven raw silk fabrics...
...are now in a "French" mood.....
...along with some fine cottons...
...more silk ribbon...
...and glimmering, shimmering viscose rayon.
The latter caused me a bit of a problem ....
...as it all got tangled on the umbrella swift....
..... so I had no alternative but to take a scissors...
... and cut right through the skein!
No Wonderwool for me this weekend. :-(
Not really feeling up to going out...
...especially in this awful weather we're having...
...and I REALLY need to stay in and get on with some more stitching.
The dye-pot delights have made for a happy couple of days indoors though. :-)
Labels:
crochet,
Dye-pot,
fine cotton,
French,
silk ribbon,
viscose rayon
Friday 27 April 2012
Pink, purple & French...
...been playing around with a new product for ink-jet printing onto fabric...
...and it works REALLY well!
These pieces are now ready for for a series of French-inspired collages that will be the theme of my workshops at Harrogate...
Some of my lovely laces have been dyed for the purpose...
...and a few metres of silk ribbon....
Ooooooooo! I'm gonna have fu-un! :-))
...and it works REALLY well!
These pieces are now ready for for a series of French-inspired collages that will be the theme of my workshops at Harrogate...
Some of my lovely laces have been dyed for the purpose...
...and a few metres of silk ribbon....
Ooooooooo! I'm gonna have fu-un! :-))
Wednesday 25 April 2012
....and the winner was.....
Tuesday 24 April 2012
...a date with Rudolf...
I know it's not the "normal" title for a blog-post on a Tuesday...
...but THIS Tuesday is a wee bitty different.
Yes....it's choir tonight....
...but not "normal" choir...
(if ANY choir evening can be deemed "normal" with us bunch of loons there!)
No, tonight is "Cupcake Choir Night"!!
This started back in February, on Pancake Tuesday. We took in pancakes, pikelets, leicecs....
...or any other such creations made in a pan...
...and had an extended break during which we smothered said pan-creations with honey, jam etc....
...and noshed our way through the lot! :-)))
It was a nice change to simply singing ...
...so it was decided to have another "noshing-event" a bit later on.
Later on is TONIGHT....."CUPCAKE CHOIR NIGHT".
...and, last week, I put a number of bits of paper with musical themes on them, into a paper bag....
... everyone took one....
...and tonight, they turn up with a decorated cupcake following the theme that they drew.
Themes like....
...Pipe Organ...
...wind instruments...
. ...Pavarotti...
....Frank Sinatra....
...piano....
..to name but a few.
..and what did I draw?
NUREYEV!!
Well! After various visits to various places over the last week...
..I've come to the conclusion that, for kiddies..
..ballet is NOT in vogue!
Nothing remotely ballerina-ish could be found in Hobbycraft or any other store!
So, I came home with a packet of coloured pipecleaners and pom-poms...
...and as I drink my "builder's tea" today...
Rudolf's chocolate puddle is drying on the top of a (cheat's) Tesco Double Chocolate Muffin! (We are such a pair of pigs here that I daren't make a batch of chocolate cakes, because we just stuff the lot!)
Not my finest-ever creation I must say!! The poor man looks more like some kind of pirouetting intergalactic space commando!! :-o
I'll have my camera at the ready tonight so that you can see the other efforts tomorrow :-)))
...but THIS Tuesday is a wee bitty different.
Yes....it's choir tonight....
...but not "normal" choir...
(if ANY choir evening can be deemed "normal" with us bunch of loons there!)
No, tonight is "Cupcake Choir Night"!!
This started back in February, on Pancake Tuesday. We took in pancakes, pikelets, leicecs....
...or any other such creations made in a pan...
...and had an extended break during which we smothered said pan-creations with honey, jam etc....
...and noshed our way through the lot! :-)))
It was a nice change to simply singing ...
...so it was decided to have another "noshing-event" a bit later on.
Later on is TONIGHT....."CUPCAKE CHOIR NIGHT".
...and, last week, I put a number of bits of paper with musical themes on them, into a paper bag....
... everyone took one....
...and tonight, they turn up with a decorated cupcake following the theme that they drew.
Themes like....
...Pipe Organ...
...wind instruments...
. ...Pavarotti...
....Frank Sinatra....
...piano....
..to name but a few.
..and what did I draw?
NUREYEV!!
Well! After various visits to various places over the last week...
..I've come to the conclusion that, for kiddies..
..ballet is NOT in vogue!
Nothing remotely ballerina-ish could be found in Hobbycraft or any other store!
So, I came home with a packet of coloured pipecleaners and pom-poms...
...and as I drink my "builder's tea" today...
Rudolf's chocolate puddle is drying on the top of a (cheat's) Tesco Double Chocolate Muffin! (We are such a pair of pigs here that I daren't make a batch of chocolate cakes, because we just stuff the lot!)
Not my finest-ever creation I must say!! The poor man looks more like some kind of pirouetting intergalactic space commando!! :-o
I'll have my camera at the ready tonight so that you can see the other efforts tomorrow :-)))
Monday 23 April 2012
.beads, beads, beads!
Sunday 22 April 2012
Indian textile collages
In amongst other things, I've been doing some small textile collages.
I've used hand-dyed felt and other bits...
...including some sequins and "banjara" dangles.
These three are now all finished and mounted on cream board for sale.
The next few days will be spent stitching a tribal panel for a workshop at Busy Bees in October....
...and, afterwards, I'll be doing a "vessel" along similar lines, for another workshop down there next February.
The Mayan panel is coming along....
...it's almost spraytime... :-o
I've used hand-dyed felt and other bits...
...including some sequins and "banjara" dangles.
These three are now all finished and mounted on cream board for sale.
The next few days will be spent stitching a tribal panel for a workshop at Busy Bees in October....
...and, afterwards, I'll be doing a "vessel" along similar lines, for another workshop down there next February.
The Mayan panel is coming along....
...it's almost spraytime... :-o
Friday 20 April 2012
..and smaller again......
...this time with a bit of brighter-coloured painting.
This sample was done differently to the others. I covered the calico fabric with a coat of watery lightweight plaster before adding the design and spraying with dyes.
When all the machine stitching was done, I then used some acrylics mixed with a matt medium on a few sections of the panel.
I thought it was a tad "bright and new" looking, so after a rummage around I came across a Tim Holtz distress ink stamp pad (walnut), and, using a bit of natural sponge, went over the surface to knock it back a bit.
Pleased with that!
...now for the hand-stitching around the edges.
(The larger one is still progressing....in short bursts at a time to avoid a pain in the neck!)
This sample was done differently to the others. I covered the calico fabric with a coat of watery lightweight plaster before adding the design and spraying with dyes.
When all the machine stitching was done, I then used some acrylics mixed with a matt medium on a few sections of the panel.
I thought it was a tad "bright and new" looking, so after a rummage around I came across a Tim Holtz distress ink stamp pad (walnut), and, using a bit of natural sponge, went over the surface to knock it back a bit.
Pleased with that!
...now for the hand-stitching around the edges.
(The larger one is still progressing....in short bursts at a time to avoid a pain in the neck!)
Wednesday 18 April 2012
..getting a bit bigger....
I'm still doing small samples as well...
..but have made a good start on this piece that is about 70 cms square.
I've had some problems with moving it around on the machine. Each line has to be stitched over a number of times, and that means turning the work around regularly.
I took the precaution of bonding the wadding between the calico layers, so I don't get rucks anywhere. This has worked really well....especially after I did the outer lines first to anchor the cloth. I'm sure "proper" machine quilters would be horrified at some of my methods....but...what the hell....I need to get it done somehow!
Today should see a lot of the stitching done....
...then comes the scary bit :-o
On the samples, I drew my lines and then sprayed the fabric with very dilute layers of dye. result?.....difficult to see some of the lines whilst machining.
So...
...this time I've worked on undyed cloth and, after all the stitching has been done (hours and hours of work)....
...I will then have to spray the whole piece before painting sections.
GULP!
A stitching friend said "I just couldn't do that!"
My reply was....
"Sh*t or bust!"
So, I'll leave you with those words that may be included in the title of the next posting. :-)
Monday 16 April 2012
...another sample...
Saturday 14 April 2012
French goodies and new work...
Of course I tried to get some vintage lace bits...
...especially at the flea market in Chartres on the Sunday Morning...
...but failed miserably!
What I did find there was this little book...
...stuffed full of "les mots sages"...
...that will find their way into some small pieces of mixed-media collage.
Just look at the marbling too....
So, with no vintage lace on the horizon, I plumped for new instead!
Luckily there was the delightful "Mercerie du St Pierre" in Montmartre, where I was able to pick up these beauties (for collage too).
(This last one will make gorgeous window nets in a not-so-little French house!)
Now a happy bunny!
Since I've been home, I've been getting stuck into a few new things...
..like brightly coloured Indian-flavoured stitching..
...and small sample pieces for my new exhibition theme, "Stitched in Stone", inspired by ancient Mayan stone carving.
This one is a complete departure ....
..and it's going to be both fun ....
...and a major challenge, because some of the pieces will be 1m x 1.5m.
Machine quilting is a new method for major work....
...I hope it all goes ok....
...as I have rather large walls to fill in August and November! :-o
...especially at the flea market in Chartres on the Sunday Morning...
...but failed miserably!
What I did find there was this little book...
...stuffed full of "les mots sages"...
...that will find their way into some small pieces of mixed-media collage.
Just look at the marbling too....
So, with no vintage lace on the horizon, I plumped for new instead!
Luckily there was the delightful "Mercerie du St Pierre" in Montmartre, where I was able to pick up these beauties (for collage too).
(This last one will make gorgeous window nets in a not-so-little French house!)
Now a happy bunny!
Since I've been home, I've been getting stuck into a few new things...
..like brightly coloured Indian-flavoured stitching..
...and small sample pieces for my new exhibition theme, "Stitched in Stone", inspired by ancient Mayan stone carving.
This one is a complete departure ....
..and it's going to be both fun ....
...and a major challenge, because some of the pieces will be 1m x 1.5m.
Machine quilting is a new method for major work....
...I hope it all goes ok....
...as I have rather large walls to fill in August and November! :-o
Tuesday 10 April 2012
Tea & Leaf Tuesday ....Casablanca & Bruges!!
Luckily, Chartres is not JUST a very beautiful place....
...but it has some delightful tea shops too....
...and the goodies I came back with will keep my Tuesday Tea postings going for quite some time!
Today, my tea ...
...or rather "infusion" is called "Casablanca"...
...and contains raisins, golden sultanas, almond flakes, tightly-curled rose buds...
...and lumps of marzipan.
It is heaven in a tea cup!
Lovely to look at too :-)
...and on my leaf?
...more French indulgences.
The last of my "Jeff de Bruges" mini Easter eggs.
Well.
One simply must...
...mustn't one?!
:-)
...but it has some delightful tea shops too....
...and the goodies I came back with will keep my Tuesday Tea postings going for quite some time!
Today, my tea ...
...or rather "infusion" is called "Casablanca"...
...and contains raisins, golden sultanas, almond flakes, tightly-curled rose buds...
...and lumps of marzipan.
It is heaven in a tea cup!
Lovely to look at too :-)
...and on my leaf?
...more French indulgences.
The last of my "Jeff de Bruges" mini Easter eggs.
Well.
One simply must...
...mustn't one?!
:-)
Monday 9 April 2012
..catching up...
Where did Sunday go?!
I WAS going to post yesterday, but, suddenly it was 22.00, and the only thing I wanted to do was go to bed...
...and I didn't rise until 10.30 this morning either!!!
Must be catching up after the show in Birmingham (which went brilliantly again!!)...
...and our action-packed little holiday in France.
We based ourselves at Chartres, simply because we love it there so much. It almost feels like "home" now. The train service is marvelous, and it took just under an hour to get into Montparnasse to meet up with our friends Zina and Michel.
We had a great day tramping the streets of Montmartre and elsewhere....visiting a few places I had chosen before going. It was a long and tiring day, but very enjoyable :-)
Monday we bid Chartres "adieu" and headed off to friends in Normandie. ....
...who took us to Honfleur for the day on Tuesday. Inspiration or WHAT!!!
There'll be a row of little stuffed houses "a la France/Normandie" on my stand at the Festival of Quilts in August...
...along with some major pieces in a new theme....
Yup!...I'm doing it to myself again.....setting up those huge tasks to be done in short spaces of time!
In between now and then I also have to write and deliver another 4 magazine articles with their finished articles....and dye more thread stock....and make lots of small pieces for sale.....
ABSOLUTELY NO PRESSURE THEN!!!!!
See you tomorrow for tea..... x
I WAS going to post yesterday, but, suddenly it was 22.00, and the only thing I wanted to do was go to bed...
...and I didn't rise until 10.30 this morning either!!!
Must be catching up after the show in Birmingham (which went brilliantly again!!)...
...and our action-packed little holiday in France.
We based ourselves at Chartres, simply because we love it there so much. It almost feels like "home" now. The train service is marvelous, and it took just under an hour to get into Montparnasse to meet up with our friends Zina and Michel.
We had a great day tramping the streets of Montmartre and elsewhere....visiting a few places I had chosen before going. It was a long and tiring day, but very enjoyable :-)
Monday we bid Chartres "adieu" and headed off to friends in Normandie. ....
...who took us to Honfleur for the day on Tuesday. Inspiration or WHAT!!!
There'll be a row of little stuffed houses "a la France/Normandie" on my stand at the Festival of Quilts in August...
...along with some major pieces in a new theme....
Yup!...I'm doing it to myself again.....setting up those huge tasks to be done in short spaces of time!
In between now and then I also have to write and deliver another 4 magazine articles with their finished articles....and dye more thread stock....and make lots of small pieces for sale.....
ABSOLUTELY NO PRESSURE THEN!!!!!
See you tomorrow for tea..... x
Friday 6 April 2012
Back home in Blighty...
Just a quickie....
..because it's late and I'm tired!
Got back from our little sojourn in France with a bag full of goodies ...
...and a camera full of piccies :-))
Stayed here....Chartres
Visited here......Monmartre, Paris
Finished off here....Honfleur, Normandie
Not bad for a seven day break eh?!
More on Sunday.....
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
..because it's late and I'm tired!
Got back from our little sojourn in France with a bag full of goodies ...
...and a camera full of piccies :-))
Stayed here....Chartres
Visited here......Monmartre, Paris
Finished off here....Honfleur, Normandie
Not bad for a seven day break eh?!
More on Sunday.....
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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