StitchDance

Urchfont Manor

2012-01-26T21:34:00.001Z

Regular readers will know that for the last few years I have been going to the Distant Stitch summer school at Urchfont Manor near Devizes in Wiltshire and how wonderful it is there, a I am sure many have also been there themselves. The manor is an adult education centre run by Wiltshire County Council offering day and residential courses, but its future is now under threat. My tutor, Sian has explained the position on her blog post here – please take a minute to read it and then contact Wiltshire County Council to support the rescue plan.

Silhouette Quilt

2011-11-21T15:10:00.001Z

Every now and again, I decide I need to practice free machining to get more control. This time, rather than just stitch random samples, I took one of the designs from my City and Guild diploma work on faces which was based on a silhouette of my daughter (see this post on Gallimaufry for details) and made a little quilt, about 18” by 12”. I wanted to try working some of the interesting fillers designs from the free motion quilting project but made the fundamental error of choosing very busy fabric, which meant that most of the time I couldn’t see what I was stitching. Still, you learn by your mistakes - the next one will be better.

Front

Back

Finally - an Irish Dance Dress

2011-11-21T14:37:00.001Z

Well, I have been a bit quiet on the blogging front recently but not entirely idle. I have spent rather a lot of time making a dance dress for my younger daughter and we didn’t want to show it until it was finished. As tends to happen, it turned out nothing like the original plan so that is probably just as well. She is very into “dark romance” (but gets very offended if you call her a goth) wears an awful lot of black, and reads novels with vampires in, so there was no point in making a frothy, girly dress.

Here she is ready for her competition (apart from the shoes). The dress is black silk with machine embroidery and the skirt is lined with the same red satin as the shawl – I themed it on a raven which is her favourite bird and crops up in celtic mythology. We added a fluorescent red tutu underneath to make the skirt fuller and it gives a flash of bright colour as she dances. It doesn’t come out in the photos, but the dress is actually quite sparkly – I stuck on over 220 Swarovski rhinestones. Many on the bodice are black so they reflect under lights but look more like studs (again a bit less girly). The machine embroidery designs came from the embroidery library, I just changed the colours to fit her style.

I rather like the small bird on the shawl which was stitched onto felt and cut out to make a brooch. The finishing touch is the headband – more machine embroidery but this time it is my own design. And more bling of course.

You may already know that I am going to design and make an Irish dance dress for my elder daughter as part of my City and Guilds coursework (functional 3d item) – so keep an eye on my blog Gallimaufry as I will shortly be posting my background notes on styles and fashions.

Embroidered X-Rays

2011-10-23T23:27:00.002+01:00

Go and check out the work of Matthew Cox - fascinating use of embroidery on x-rays, sometimes a bit creepy, sometimes touching. Tip passed on from Urban Threads blog StitchPunk

Street Art in Bristol

2011-09-04T21:35:00.000+01:00

I used to work in these office blocks and they were pretty grey and grim 20 years ago - the heating was rubbish so we had smelly gas heaters next to our desks (yuk). I was pleased to hear that they were being given a makeover by invited street artists.

And I like these examples of yarnbombing

Love the sign on the old police station.

Finding the colour of...

2011-08-19T21:57:00.000+01:00

I came across this intriguing website the color of from reading Trekky's blog. If you choose a word, it combines images from pulled from Flickr and averages out the colours give you the colour of your word. I like the image for gallimaufry - suitably random.

Exhibition - Gordano Textile Artists

2011-07-26T22:06:00.003+01:00

A quick plug for our exhibition coming soon - it is my first time with this well-established group so please come along if you are in the area.

Gordano Textile Artists at the Toll House Gallery, Clevedon Pier, North Somerset.
2nd to 30th August, 10am to 5pm Mon-Fri, 10am to 6pm Sat and Sun.
Meet the artists each weekend 11am to 3pm - I will be there on Sat 6th August and Sat 27th August.

Chelsea Flower Show

2011-06-06T23:10:00.001+01:00

My DH had a big birthday this year, and one of his presents was a trip to Chelsea Flower Show and since it's no fun on your own, I got to go too.

Some of the inspiring gardens..

These boxes provide habitats for insects etc

I took this photo to get the name of the flowers but I love the display too

I've never had much interest in floristry but these displays were stunning.

This tree was built from sections of driftwood and filled with cut flowers and recyled items.

Can you see the teabags in this picture?

And the bottles in this one?

Drawing v Photography

2011-05-20T11:54:00.000+01:00

I love the internet! I accidentally hit the Stumble! button on my browser when I was trying to go back one page, and it took me to this wonderful blog post about an artist called Ben Heine who combines drawings with photographs in a creative and amusing way.

Origami

2011-05-17T21:58:00.000+01:00

A little diversion - relax and enjoy this delightful video of origami unfolding in water.

Flottille (detail) from Etienne Cliquet on Vimeo.

Did you miss me?

2011-05-03T22:33:00.000+01:00

Isn't it always the way - when you have something to blog about, you are too busy to sit at the computer. Sorry to be silent for so long but it's been a bit hectic making costumes for the dance school my daughters go to (never turn down paid work I always say, especially if it involves sewing). Since I last posted, I have made three of these...

And five of these (ignore the bits of paper)...

Designed and made this ...

Then piled into a car to compete in the All Irelands and International in Ennis (the girls, not me) and take a holiday while we were there. Saw lots of these...

And walked on this...

And just had to take a photo of this house (and if you recognise it, you are as ~~sad~~ bad as me!)

And what with Easter, the Royal Wedding (lovely - I must be going soft in my old age, I never watched any of the other ones) and DH turning 60, it has been non-stop celebrating since we came home. Normal service will be resumed shortly!

Odds and Ends

2011-01-27T15:21:00.001Z

Well, can't believe I haven't posted here since October. I seem to have been busy doing odds and ends and most of my stitching has been for christmas presents. Always a problem for a blogger as you can't say too much about it. I saw a picture of some candles decorated with machine embroidered motifs so I made loads using commercial patterns on the computerised machine - here is just one.

I also made this little cushion as a last-minute gift for someone who has a westie - again a commercial embroidery design and some very simple patchwork as a border.

And here are my ATCs for the January swop on Facebook on the theme of musical.
As usual, I have been getting distracted - this time by my brother's present to me...

...an electronics kit (and my sister gave me the book to go with it). It is a great kit, designed for people with no experience to learn to programme a microcontroller. It connects to a computer via USB to download your program and then runs from the mains or a battery. You can use inputs such as buttons, tilt switches or pressure pads and control output to eg LEDs or motors, making interactive objects. I have spent a few happy evenings working through the sample programs and then writing my own to understand how it works. So, where is all this leading? Answer - to incorporating electronics into textiles using a LilyPad - a microcontroller designed to be sewn into wearables. No particular project in mind at the moment, but I am sure something will happen. For more info see the Arduino website and Leah Buechley's LilyPad pages and to see what people have made with a LilyPad, have a look at this video on YouTube.

And finally while I'm in a high-tech mood, check out this site and meet the RepRap - a self-replicating desktop sized 3d printer you can build at home and then use to produce the parts to make another one (you may have seen an article in the Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago). I feel sure there will be ways of using this with textiles...

Ceili Headbands Done and A Tiny Animation

2010-10-05T23:12:00.000+01:00

It took a while but they are finally done - 17 headbands for the dance school - and the girls wore them for the All Englands competition last weekend. Here are a few - the photo doesn't do justice to the effect of the crystals which really sparkled on stage.

For the September ATC swap, we had to include something beginning with our initial. I used some of the scraps from the monoprinting I did last month to make J is for Jugs.

Finally, thanks to Sharon over on Pintangle for highlighting this animation by Aardman featuring Dot, the world's smallest stop motion animation character, as she tries to escape from an unravelling textile. The 'making of' film is also fascinating.

Finishing off Week

2010-08-30T22:00:00.000+01:00

Its a good week for finishing off. Do you remember this cushion from earlier posts? Just about done before it reached its first anniversary.

Animated Weaving

2010-08-29T13:10:00.000+01:00

The potatoes are boiling over, the roast is overdone but before I go offline I had to share this with you. Follow the link to see a marvellous animated weaving.

http://amovablefeast.blogspot.com/2010/08/mother-of-all-projects.html

Summer Playing

2010-08-26T00:43:00.002+01:00

Well, August seems to have shot by in a blur of busy-ness. I can't believe it is almost two weeks since the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester - I was showing work in an exhibition (which you can read about over on Gallimaufry) and singing in the choir for Jazz Psalm Sunday in the cathedral. Quick plug here- the BBC recorded the concert and it is apparently going to be broadcast on Radio Gloucestershire on Bank Holiday Monday and after that will be available on BBC i-player Update - 2pm on Monday 30th 107.40FM or online at BBC.co.uk. It is a wonderful mix of gospel and jazz with a large choir and fantastic musicians - highly recommended. End of plug.

So, you know how it is after you have worked really hard for an event and when it is over you feel a bit flat. I thought I would liven myself up by showing you some things I have been playing with in between acting as chauffeur for the kids.

First up, lots of printing on fabric to practice the layering techniques learnt with Ruth Issett at the Distant Stitch summer school. No particular plans for these at the moment, just lots of samples.

Using stitch as a resist. The one on the left was an impression of the one on the right (put the fabric on top and rolled over).

Layers of textile paint and a thermofax screen.

This sample was folded, stitched and painted several times - you can see the stages although they seem not to be in the right order.

Added monoprints.

Tried a fish stencil - not sure I like it!

A little piece made into a card.

I keep thinking I need to improve my control on my free machining, so I have tried working some patterns from Leah Day's blog http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/ - she posts videos to show how they are done. I have been practicing on 4" squares round the edge of a quilt sandwich that was a sample for my fish quilt. Not brilliant but getting better.

There is Beauty in the City

2010-08-12T14:22:00.000+01:00

This is an ongoing project by artist Anna Francis which you can read about here. The idea is very simple and everyone is invited to join in - just request one of the magnets, place it in somewhere in a city that you think is beautiful or has special resonance for you, take a photograph and send it in. The photographs are gathered together and exhibited as a group as well as being posted on the blog. I have sent in my picture of a park in Bristol which used to be a quiet lunchtime retreat when I worked in the city centre.

Work in Progress - Headbands

2010-08-11T22:30:00.000+01:00

Spent the day working on the first batch of headbands for the ceili team - here they are just waiting to have the crystals added. The white and green match the trims on their costumes, the black and orange one is to match my elder daughter's solo dress.

Keep forgetting to take photos...

2010-07-15T22:51:00.000+01:00

..of the ATCs I have been making for the monthly swops. Finally remembered for the June ones so here they are - the theme was black and white plus one colour.

I have also been keeping busy fiddling with my daughter's Irish dance dress. I got it secondhand and knew it needed a bit of TLC, but when I looked inside, I realised that under the layer of organza is a glorious fluorescent orange. So I decided to cut away the top layer...

..and I am still doing it. It would probably have been quicker to have made a new dress! I am also making some headbands for the ceili team, I will show you when they are done - expect bling!

February ATCs

2010-03-01T14:26:00.004Z

Well, I've been so busy posting to my other blog last week that I forgot I hadn't updated this one. I have decided to make a hanging for the Gloucester exhibition in August and count it as one of the pieces for my course, so if you wander over to Gallimaufry you can see how I am getting on.

Meanwhile - here are the ATCs I made for the February swop on Facebook on the theme of love. They are made from torn bits of magazine pages that have been scrunched up momigami style, paper bags and offcuts of painted paper that I made decorated for another project. Plus a little bit of free machining.

The other thing I have done recently is visit the RWA in Bristol which was showing two exhibitions - Celebrating Paper, and Urban Evolution - Anne Desmet. Of the two, it was Anne Desmet's incredibly detailed prints which caught my imagination on the day, especially the ones which were cut up or broken. I really liked her collaged fragments - small pieces of prints of buildings applied to fragments of glass, mirror or tiles, suggesting decay, destruction and dereliction. In her British Museum series, the prints were made on semi-transparent Japanese paper so that they came through lightly on the back. She had then cut the print into strips, turning over alternate ones and transposing them from left to right creating a new, more complex image that is still recognisable.

On a similar theme, in my local butcher's, the mirror behind the counter combines a normal mirror with one-way glass in narrow vertical stripes. When look into it, you get a fascinating combination of a broken reflection of the people in the shop mixed in with the movements of the butcher cutting and packing in the next room. I have often stood there and thought I should use it as a starting point for a design. It's on the Big List of Things To Do.

A Good Day Out

2010-01-28T21:39:00.003Z

All very exciting - a couple of weeks a go, I had a letter inviting me to show some work in Gloucester in August as part of the Three Choirs Festival, alongside an exhibition of quilts. We were a bit snowed in at the time so it wasn't until today that I visited the venue and met the curator to find out more. It is going to be in a lovely old church in the centre of the city and visiting it has really sparked off some ideas of how to use the space. I did take some photos for reference but there are much better ones and some information about the church here. So watch this space for progress.

On the way out, I found a bookshop having a closing down sale and picked up this lush book of undersea photos for inspiration.

Ice

2010-01-10T15:53:00.002Z

We seem to be heading for a thaw - most of the snow has been blown off the roofs and trees anyway. But some lovely ice bubbles formed on the pond pump overnight.

A small bit of Big Knitting

2010-01-06T15:29:00.004Z

Remember those big knitting needles I bought back in October? Finally had a go with them one afternoon last week when the Christmas visitors had thinned out enough for me to claim some sofa space. I braved the ice to go up into the store room and grabbed a selection of blues/lavenders from the box of half used balls of wool - there is nothing like the cold to stimulate fast decision making, perhaps we should adopt it as a design exercise - and dived in. After a while, I decided it would make a bag so I used a giant lucet to make a strap, and that is as far as I have got at the moment. In the picture, it is sitting on the fish quilt which is finally finished and labelled. I meant to show this before but it has been in constant use since the last stitch went in, keeping us snug in the evenings while we wait for spring!

November ATC swop

2009-12-10T13:51:00.003Z

Another varied group of ATCs arrived this week from the November "Tis the Season" swop on Facebook. I was especially pleased with the reference to the Archers in one as I am a hopeless addict. The organiser Sue has posted pictures of all of them on her blog Crafters Corner so you can still see the ones I made.

Making Christmas Shopping Fun...

2009-12-03T21:41:00.003Z

...by buying lovely handmade things. The insect lavender bags came from Fig in Bristol and the brooches and books are from Jackie Cardy's Etsy shop. If you haven't already found it, take a look at Jackie's blog DogDaisyChains to see more of her work and better photos - lush. Now to figure out who gets what. Hmm, one for you and one for me, one for you and one for me...

October ATC swap and some fun stuff.

2009-11-19T13:05:00.003Z

Here are the ATCs I got in return for the October swop on Facebook - I really enjoy seeing all the different styles and interpretations of a theme. I was planning to post a picture of the ones I made for November, I could have sworn I took one, but my camera says otherwise and it is too late now they have gone in the post. Bother. I will have to wait for the pictures to be posted in the group.

One of the other places I like to browse at random is Instructables - here you will find out how to do/make anything you can imagine. It is mostly electronics, DIY etc but there are all sorts of craft projects too. I like the ones by Lynne Bruning using electronics in fabric and clothing - see below for her latest one and her website is here.

flexible LED eTextile ribbon array - More DIY How To Projects

Happy Hallowe'en.

2009-10-31T17:57:00.004Z

This is my set of ATCs for the October swop on Facebook; I have been practising with the digitising software to design and stitch the pumpkins. You can't really see it in the pictures but the light colour is glow in the dark thread. Have fun if you are out tonight!

Weekend in London

2009-10-12T21:33:00.010+01:00

Had a great weekend in London and completely overdosed on visual treats. This is a bit of a long post, so if you are sitting comfortably, we will begin (showing my age there). On Saturday, to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. Greeted by Rachel John's display (above) as part of her Monumental Textiles. Into the foyer - so much to see that it was a good half hour before I even went inside the exhibition proper. Here is Casting Off...A coat for a Boat, a community project that included about 350 knitters. Yes it is a real boat and has been sailed...

..by the gentleman modelling the nifty waterproofs knitted from carrier bags and bin bags.

What I liked about this project were the details, like these rodents (surely too cute to be rats)

and this seagull

There was so much to see that my poor brain couldn't cope, so I had to be quite ruthless and choose just the exhibits I really wanted to see. No photos allowed, so I am including links where possible for you to follow up. The highlight for me was Tom Lundberg's Microcosms - exquisite embroideries that seem to be full of stories. A selection of entries for the Pfaff Art Embroidery competition that I liked included a piece called Travel Bug by Louise Saxton made from reclaimed embroideries, scrap etc; a set of houses by Christine Atkins expressing how we take ourselves when we travel; Sian Martin's pathway Tread Softly.

In the graduates gallery, I was particularly taken by Solid Air by Roanna Wells -inspired by skyscapes and made from shaded stitching on organdy stretched over a backing, so that the shadows add to the effect. I assumed at first it was free-machining until she produced her sample and demonstrated that it was all by hand. Finally the exhibition by Fusion on the theme of Direction was fascinating - so many ways to interpret the word. My favourites were Melita Butterell's series Motorway Birds which combine goldwork with motorway junctions; Ros Murphy's Cosmic Towers - tall vessels decorated with images of nebulae and galaxies and Victoria Macleod's pieces based on aerial maps.

But it wasn't all admiring the work - couldn't resist a bit of shopping...

Now that's what I call a pair of knitting needles. I thought it would be light relief after struggling with my first ever sock. Inspired by Rachel John (see above for link) to have a go at a larger scale. The spray cans are a fabric paint I haven't tried before - non-toxic and water based it is child safe, permanent without ironing and, from the samples I handled on the stand, does not affect the feel of the fabric. I have promised my youngest that we will experiment over half term but I mainly thought they would be useful for adding extra layers on dyed bits. I will let you know what happens! The tool is for rugmaking and prompted a jolly discussion about the wisdom of carrying it on the Tube.

On Sunday, I went with my sister to the V&A to see Telling Tales - Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design - one of their free exhibitions which I can highly recommend. It runs until 18th October. As we had an hour or so to spare before my train, we picked a room in the museum at random and walked around. I have been visiting the V&A at least once a year since I was tiny, but I am sure I have never seen this room before. Part of the European rooms it is called cast courts and contains (life-size) plaster casts of architectural pieces from around the world - standing crosses from Cumbria, cathedral doorways and arches from Spain and Norway amongst many others. A bit mad, but you have to hand it to the Victorians - they didn't do things by halves and believed in education. There were once collections of casts like this in museums across Europe but they have all been destroyed, which makes these ones of historical interest in themselves. I liked this small cast from a church in Herefordshire - look at the pleats on the robes.

We finished with a visit to the V&A bookshop (until my sister threatened to drag me out) where I compiled my Christmas list. I had to have the book in the photo above straight away - it is about yarnbombing, which is a kind of graffiti but using knitting rather than aerosols. If I only had the nerve...

Radio and Television

2009-10-09T15:17:00.005+01:00

A quick post to pass on a couple of snippets. Did you hear Woman's Hour this morning? Jenni Murray was interviewing Louise Gardiner and Lynne Setterington about contemporary embroidery. During the interview, Louise did a machined sketch of Jenni (doesn't work too well on radio!) - they promised to put a photo on their webpage but no sign of it yet. Click here for more details and here to listen to the programme - it will be available for 7 days. You may already have heard about the tv series Talking Threads starting next Wednesday evening, profiling various textile artists. If not, click here for details. It is available on Sky channel 171 and also online. One of the featured artists will be Fay Maxwell - see my last post about her workshop.

And finally, a bit more progress on the cushion cover.

Oh no - I started another project...

2009-09-23T14:40:00.003+01:00

...but it's so much fun. Last Saturday my branch of the Embroiderers' Guild held a workshop with Fay Maxwell on "Crewel and Unusual". This is Fay's take on traditional crewel work, using dyed blanket felt and tapestry wool on silk to make cushions. This is as far as I got, always a slow worker. When all the decorative stitching on the felt has been done, the background is going to be quilted using kantha stitching. The design wasn't preplanned - Fay got us all cutting simple shapes straight from the fabric. As it is all by hand, I am hoping to work on it while I am hanging around at my daughters' gym/dance lessons. Except that I am partway through some knitting...

August Stitch Explorer - Pattern Darning

2009-09-12T22:38:00.002+01:00

This month's challenge was to explore pattern darning. I had a go using net backed with cotton to give a hexagonal grid to work on and changed the scale and direction. Have look at the flickr group here to see what other people have done.

What is it with cats and quilts?

2009-09-02T21:17:00.004+01:00

I guess it serves me right for using a fish design.

I decided it was high time I picked up this quilt again as my summer project having started it in May of last year (see here for previous posts explaining how one quilt turned into two). I find patchwork and quilting work well in school holidays. As long as I have done all the planning beforehand, I can work in little bits without losing the thread. I finished the piecing last week and I am quilting with digitised patterns of fish scales, waves and little fishes.

Quilts 4 London

2009-09-01T22:57:00.003+01:00

I just came across this so I thought I would share it with you. It is a project to make small quilted pennants (based on A3 size) to give as gifts to the participants in the 2012 Olympics in London. Go to http://www.quilts4london.org.uk/ for more info.

August ATC - Sea and Sand

2009-09-01T17:06:00.002+01:00

A quick post to show my ATC for the August Facebook swop on the theme of summertime. Wool tops felted on the embellisher with a little bit of stitching added. The organiser, Sue, has started a blog called Crafters Corner where you can see all the ATCs in this swop group.

Catching Up (2) - July ATCs

2009-08-23T12:49:00.002+01:00

For the July swap at ATC Swap UK on Facebook the theme was It's a Man Thing. After some dithering, I came up with the idea of a circuit board which I stitched on baize.

Catching Up (1)

2009-08-23T10:54:00.008+01:00

It has been two weeks now since we got back from our holiday and I still feel as if I am just catching up. I keep writing blog entries in my head but not getting to the computer for one reason or another, and they have rather mounted up, so I am having a bit of a catch up session and will try and do a series of short posts today.

Firstly an apology - I read quite a few blogs and normally comment fairly often, but I have just had a mega-catch up reading session and haven't left any comments, and now I feel a bit guilty. So if my friends are reading this (and particularly fellow students), I'm still interested in seeing what you are up to and keep up the good work.

Holiday was two weeks in Spain staying with friends who have retired and moved over there. Lots of sun, sand and swimming with the kids. We did sneak in a bit of culture by taking the train for a day in Valencia but discovered it takes a longer than you think to walk everywhere when the temperature is over 30 degrees. We also got caught out by the siesta - we hadn't realised that absolutely everything closes for the afternoon, not just shops but museums, cafes and bars. Even the traffic and pedestrians disappeared. We have got so used to the 24 hour culture that I couldn't imagine a city in the UK being that quiet. Anyway - some pics (in the wrong order because I forgot to reverse them - bother).

Above - parts of the City of Arts and Science in Valencia. I love the stark white architecture in bright sunlight. The arts centre was closed and deserted for the summer, but we had a good time at the aquarium. The children especially enjoyed the tunnel with sharks swimming overhead.

Below - the station at Valencia and vaulted ceiling in the merchant's hall.

And finally - some rather nice metalwork on a shop front.

ATCs From June Swop

2009-07-12T12:41:00.005+01:00

I love getting things throught the post - on Friday this delightful pair arrived from the June ATC swop on Facebook. I am scratching my head for July on the theme of "It's a Man Thing" at the moment.

ATC swap for June

2009-06-22T22:26:00.002+01:00

Here are two ATCs made for a Facebook swop on the theme of 'things with wings'. I digitised a drawing of a dragonfly and stitched it out in different ways. The one on the left is scrumpled tissue on pelmet vilene painted with layers of Moonshadow mist. On the right is hand-dyed fabric topped with silk paper and then stitched.

Stitch explorer - A Bit More Needleweaving

2009-06-14T18:09:00.002+01:00

A little sample for the May challenge, trying out weaving without withdrawing any threads.

Stitch Explorer - May

2009-06-03T23:03:00.003+01:00

I have slipped behind with the stitch explorer challenge on Pintangle, but as June is going to be a catch up month, it should sort itself out. May's challenge is needleweaving so while I think about it, here is one I made earlier for the City and Guilds Part 1. It is made in three layers and is a picture of snakes in a tree.

A Busy Week

2009-05-14T22:29:00.002+01:00

You know how it is - you wait all winter for an exhibition to visit and as soon as May arrives they all come together. I took some time out on Sunday to go around part of the Severn Vale Art Trail in Thornbury and met up with Heather whose blog I have been reading for a while. Yesterday I braved the rain to go over to Ashton Court to see the work by Gordano Textile Artists and catch up with some friends. Heather is also a member of this group and has posted pictures on Ragged Old Blogger which are well worth seeing. All being well, I am heading into Bristol on Saturday to see another group exhibition at Bristol Guild and I must get my act together to go to Stroud before the textile festival finishes. Whew.

Pink!

2009-04-20T21:54:00.003+01:00

I mentioned a while ago that I had joined an ATC swop group on Facebook - well the Feb/March swop fell apart but a new volunteer has come forward so we are trying again, the theme this time is My Favourite Colour. Now, my favourite colour is pink - not the nice pastel shades but the glorious and outrageous bright pinks. It doesn't often appear in my pieces because it is too...well...pink but I have been hoarding a fragment of rather lurid spandex that called to me one day from a remnants basket so this seemed the time to use it. I backed it with pelmet vilene and free machined with about 10 shades of pink following the pattern on the fabric, leaving some of the sparkly bits showing through. The photo shows the ATC on top of the original fabric - people with a nervous disposition look away now (although I am not sure the camera does it justice).

Stitch Explorer - March

2009-04-05T12:44:00.003+01:00

The challenge for March was to explore the style of Assisi work. This is usually seen in cross stitch, where the background is filled in around a shape outlined in back stitch. The actual motif is left unstitched. You can find details of the challenge and links for more information here. I decided to try long stitches around a cog shape using variegated quilting threads and a piece of hand dyed cotton for the background.

Bits and Pieces

2009-03-30T22:10:00.004+01:00

Had a bit of a shopping spree this weekend but it is all good stuff. At the Embroiderers' Guild meeting on Friday, I picked up these lovely metal braids.

They are flat braids but scrunch up nicely - I think they would be great for bracelets with wooden beads stuffed inside. Another one on the "things to try" list.

Saturday was the South West Regional Day at Cannington, near Bridgwater. A chance to hear talks by Audrey Walker and Lucy Goffin on the theme of journeys (and make pages of illegible notes) and to browse in the Guild bookshop. Okay, more than just browsing - I came away with these two new books.

Art Van Go also had a stall, so I stocked up on some small samples of copper shim in different thicknesses and Wirecloth - woven metallic fabric - that I can use in my cogs piece (see here).
A good day all round.

Making Banners

2009-03-22T21:37:00.004Z

I have been keeping busy this week making banners for my daughters to display their Irish dancing medals. I don't normally post about domestic sewing - the embroidery designs are bought in ones for the computerised machine - but I am hoping that some of the other dancers would like to have one made, so I wanted to put up some photos. The dance school is fundraising to send a team to the All Ireland competition next year - we need to raise enough for a set of matching dresses - so for each one sold, I will be making a donation. If anyone reading this is interested, please email me for details. More pictures below.

Stitch Explorer February, Trellis Stitch

2009-02-23T22:45:00.002Z

The challenge for February's Stitch Explorer is trellis stitch, which can be made 3d. I haven't tried this one before, so here are a few first attempts. It stands up nicely but at the moment the tension is going funny when I decrease so it doesn't look very neat. Must keep trying!

Mini Book and Cover

2009-02-19T18:27:00.004Z

Here's a picture of my latest project from Maggie Grey's online lesson, just finished today. The little book can hang as a handbag charm or on a pair of jeans and slips inside the sleeve for storage. The sleeve is made from a matchbox. The colours haven't come out very well, the sleeve is dark gold and iridescent green.

Below is the latest page in my altered book made from a leaf stamp and puff paint. Only two more to go and it is complete.

Taking a Day Off

2009-02-05T20:13:00.004Z

At last we get to join in the fun - schools closed after 2 inches of snow overnight, but it was already melting by 11am. Just time to build this...

And these...

Stitch Explorer January - Chicken scratch

2009-01-28T21:25:00.004Z

Chicken scratch is traditionally worked on gingham, using combinations of cross stitch and winding. I made this needlecase and sample a couple of years ago after seeing an article in Stitch magazine.

For the stitch explorer challenge, I decided to try a different background and play with the scale. I chose a scrap piece of Black Watch tartan thinking I could use the different size checks. It was more difficult than I thought, especially the dark colours in poor January light, but gives a quite different effect.

New Look

2009-01-27T15:02:00.002Z

For the new year, a new look for my blogs and website with one of my designs for the banner. This has been on my 'to do' list for ages and one of the things I have done is to update the links page of my website, which now has lots of links to suppliers, artists, museums and other info relating to textiles, art, embroidery etc. Click here to take a look.

I recently joined an ATC group on Facebook which organises a swap every two months and have just sent off my first one. The theme this time was "I believe..." so I used the dove design shown in my previous post for "I believe in peace". Can't wait to receive one back but I have to be patient until the end of February.

Meanwhile, I am working on Sharon B's Stitch Explorer challenge for January which is to play with chicken scratch embroidery and also practicing with digitising software for machine embroidery. Pictures to follow when I have done a bit more.

Altered Book

2009-01-18T16:55:00.003Z

This is the latest project working through Maggie Grey's online workshops - lesson two covers altered books. See my earlier post here for more information. I have completed 4 pages and I think it needs about 4 or 5 more to be complete. It is quite a small book - a little larger than a postcard but very fat. I have been using various paints to decorate the pages and adding bits and pieces such as unfinished samples. Some of the pages are machine stitched but this proved a bit fiddly on a small book.

Not so sure about the page above so this may change.

A little sample of free peyote stitch that has similar colours to the feather. Next step is to tackle the book cover.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T18:19:00.003Z

Happy new year to everyone out there in blogland.

Christmas is still going strong in the O'Leary household - we have done all the traditional things that is

- eaten huge amounts of turkey
- ditto chocolates
- fixed the pipe that burst on Christmas morning. This was like a scene from a 1970s sit-com with yours truly opening the cupboard under the sink while wearing my best frock and getting a faceful of water. Still at least it was the hot tap that went so the water was nice and warm. This will teach me not to spend too long straightening my hair in future.

I usually do my creative stuff in the kitchen so it has all been boxed up for a fortnight while we have various people and dogs staying - Monday will be the big day when we are back to normal and I am getting itchy fingers. I was going to post pictures of some things I made for presents but I seem to have forgotten to take any so this will have to wait, but that gives me an excuse to play with the light tent my brother gave me.

Finished Fish Quilt

2008-12-12T15:08:00.003Z

Coursework has been taking second place this last fortnight because I decided to finish one of the fishy quilts (see earlier entry here) and give it as a christmas present (the recipient doesn't know yet but it's OK, she isn't a blog reader). As always, it took longer than I had allowed but here is the finished article using just the blocks on turquoise backgrounds and just simple quilting. Eventually, I will make up the purple version and that one is MINE - sorry to shout but I keep making lap quilts and giving them away, so I am the only one left with cold knees. And I also have the left over blocks that will turn into cushion covers at some point so the disaster has been recovered. Just a couple more things to finish before Christmas then it is back to what I am supposed to be doing.

Finished Book Tower

2008-12-03T23:06:00.003Z

Just remembered I meant to add these pictures as well - the completed vessel/book from Maggie Grey's online class (see earlier post here ).

First attempts at ATCs

2008-12-03T22:59:00.003Z

I keep seeming to run out of time when I get on the computer in the evenings, so just a very quick post today. I wanted to send a thank you note to a stitchy friend so I decided to try making some ATCs - something I have wanted to do for a while as I love the concept. Here are my first efforts.

Bird Book

2008-11-24T12:34:00.003Z

This weekend I went on a two day workshop with the Embroiderers' Guild, Bristol, run by Frances Pickering. Frances makes wonderful decorated books using craft vilene, gesso, stitch and paper - see her website here for examples. This is the one I made, not quite finished. I still need to add a fastening and tidy up the edges of the cover, and then think about the contents. At the moment, the pages are just washed with Brusho but the idea is to fill them with drawings, words, colour, stitch on the chosen theme. I decided on birds because I had a lovely woodblock, bought on holiday a few years ago, which I used to impress in the gesso and then stitched in places. The book cover wraps over itself, this next picture shows the back.

And here it is open to show the pages.

Joining In

2008-11-09T14:59:00.005Z

I have been having fun this week joining in with the online tutorials by Maggie Grey. To take part, you need to have her latest book Textile Translations and visit the publishers website. Lesson 1 is making a vessel/book - here are some pics of my work in progress. I have also been keeping my sewing machine busy making quick and fun christmas presents, but I can't show these just in case the recipients are reading.

Art Competition and a Soggy Catalogue

2008-09-24T10:20:00.006+01:00

Saw this in the Sunday papers so I thought I would share it - a competition sponsored by Ford to advertise their new Fiesta cars. They are looking for an artwork to represent the essence of "now". According to the blurb, they will welcome different media - wouldn't it be great if a textile piece won? Click here for details.

I wandered outside yesterday to see how the catalogue I planted under the grapevines is doing as there hasn't been much rain since it went out. It hasn't grown me a new laptop tree yet but is getting nicely damp underneath as you can see (If you are reading this thinking I have lost it completely, take a look at this post in Maggie Grey's blog. and all will be explained).

Knitting and Stitching Show, NEC Birmingham

2008-09-21T12:48:00.005+01:00

Last Saturday was my annual treat - a trip to the Knitting and Stitching Show. My favourite because it combines excellent exhibitions with shopping. I have been going to Alexandra Palace for years but this was my first try of the NEC show. At first I thought I had come on the wrong day - getting off the train at Birmingham International, it was a 10 minute walk through endless corridors and escalators to reach the room, and in that time I only saw one other person (also looking for the K&S). To be honest, seeing that huge place deserted in the middle of the day was a bit spooky; presumably there were no other halls in use. If I had found that out beforehand, I would have taken the car and saved myself a couple of hours travelling time (and about half the train fare). Still, it was well worth it once I found the hall. No photos to share, I'm afraid, as there were 'no photography' signs all over the place but I have added to my postcard collection.

I always enjoy going around the graduates showcases - my absolute favourite this year was "The System's Erupting" by Felicity Clarke. She has used cables and wires and plugs inside knitted tubes or wrapped with vivid yarns to create an installation in which all the electrical 'gubbins' are literally bursting out of the wall and rising up in a giant tangle.

Another personal choice was "Memories Are Made of This" by Carol Quarini, part of the Divergence Exhibition by the Westhope Group. This is 3 long narrow panels suspended from perspex rods which represent the degeneration of memory. The first is a complete length of large scale lace, the shapes representing nerve cells in the brain. The second is begining to break with clouds of silk paper replacing the shapes. Finally, there is just the cloudy background with a few last threads of memory. I found this a very poignant visualisaton of gradual memory loss.

Now, I always like a bit of audience participation, so I had to join in with Alfreda Mc Hale's interactive installation "Seeking Pearls". She has collected thousands of old and unloved buttons, spools of thread and skeins from old collections, and preserved them by bottling them into jam jars, preserving jars and even the tiny glass jars that herbs are sold in. There are dozens of these stacked on shelves like an old-fashioned sweetshop, and visitors are invited to take one, empty the contents into a large bowl of buttons and refill it with their selection from the bowl. You could then mark it with a sticky star, so no-one else will touch it, and replace it on the shelf. So the collection is gradually rearranged and the buttons have been appreciated and chosen once more. It brought back old memories of spending wet Sundays tipping out my mother's big bag of beads and sorting through them, loving the colours and the feel of them and the different shapes and sizes.

Finally, it was good to see one of my favourite charities at the show. The Sailors Society exists to combat the isolation of seafarers and give practical support through a network of centres and chaplains. They regularly distribute woolly hats knitted by volunteers (about 20,000 each year) and were holding a wonderful display of entries to their recent competition to make an outrageous hat that no self-respecting sailor would want to wear. I like to occasionally knit hats for them to keep my hands busy while my daughter is in gym class (or swimming, or dancing or whatever) so I handed one in while I was there.

Meggiecat's Purse

2008-09-14T12:27:00.001+01:00

A little while ago, there was a post on Meggiecat about making a little fabric purse from a template she had designed for a paper purse. Click here to see the original purse and download the template. I thought I would have a go to see how it would turn out in fabric, and while I was at it I wrote down the instructions - so here we go.

You will need two fabrics - a main one for the outside and a lining. I used some scraps of patchwork cotton for this trial. You will also need a piece of pelmet/craft vilene and some Bondaweb.

Print two copies of the purse template and one of the handle/tab. I increased the size to 140% to make it easier to handle - it still fits onto an A4 sheet.

Cut out one copy of the purse omitting the gusset. Draw around this onto the paper backing of some Bondaweb. Iron onto pelmet/craft vilene and cut out, leaving the paper in place.

Cut out the second copy of the purse template - the whole thing this time. Draw around it onto Bondaweb as before and iron onto the wrong side of your main fabric. Cut out leaving the paper in place.

Pin the second (complete) copy of the purse template to your lining fabric and cut out.

Pieces cut out. Left to right - vilene, main fabric, lining

Remove the paper backing from the vilene and lay it, Bondaweb side down, onto the wrong side of the lining. Iron to fix.

Vilene on top of lining fabric, ready for ironing.

Remove the paper backing from your main fabric and lay it on top of the vilene/lining, wrong sides together. Iron to fix. You now have a single piece consisting of the main fabric and lining, right sides out, with the vilene sandwiched inbetween. The Bondaweb will help prevent fraying but the raw edges need to be neatened, this could be done by hand or machine. I used a machine satin stitch, width 4.0 and length 0.4, with a satin stitch foot.

Above - stitching the edges; below the edges finished.

Cut out the template for the tab. Draw two copies of the tab onto Bondaweb as before. Iron onto the wrong side of main fabric and cut out. Remove the paper backing and place the pieces wrong sides together. Iron to fix. Neaten the edges - I reduced the stitch width to 2.5.

Now the handles - I found the curved shapes very fiddly in fabric, so I cut a template 20cms long by 1cm wide with pointed ends. Make two handles using the same method as for the tab. Attach the handles to the purse using a bead to cover the stitches.

I like the folded gusset in the original so I kept them in this version. To make the folds, lay the purse on a table, lining side up, and place the template on top. Mark the ends of the fold lines around the edge of the gusset with dots - you do not need to draw the whole line.

Fold the purse sides up, creasing the vilene to make a flat base. Now pleat the sides using the dots to show you where to place the folds. The Bondaweb gives body to the fabric allowing it to stay upright. Press each fold with the edge of an iron as you go. Refer to the photo below to see the result, it is slightly different from the paper model.

Use paper clips to hold the pleats in place and let them settle. To finish, add the tab using beads again over the stitches. Finger crease the edges of the base to make the purse stand upright.

Finished purse with a cotton reel for scale.

I think the handles look a little thin and floppy - you could make them wider and stiffen with interfacing. As this was a trial piece, I did not decorate the fabric. To make another one I would add lots of stitching or applique on the main fabric piece before bonding it to the vilene and lining, or perhaps print/dye/paint the fabric before cutting out.

Young Embroiderers

2008-09-07T19:29:00.001+01:00

My two girls are members of Young Embroiderers - part of the Embroiderers' Guild - and over the holidays the youngest (9) made this piece as her entry to the annual national competition, which was on the theme of "carnival - colour and movement". She designed and made it by herself (with me acting as chief needle-threader and fabric supplier). It doesn't show very well on the photo, but she used the lettering on my sewing machine to write on the banner - it represents a dance school float. It was the first time she had used my machine so we are both very proud of her. I sent it off this week and promised I would show a picture of it to all my friends, so here it is.

Fish Patchwork Part 2

2008-08-30T18:48:00.000+01:00

This week I have been spending odd bits of time musing over what to do with this piece. The original idea was 48 6 inch blocks, starting with a pink "fish" on a purple background which gradually changed through 4 fabrics. Then the background would change to turquoise and the cycle continue. Halfway down the quilt (ie after 24 blocks) the order would reverse and the final "fish" would eventually be the same as the first one. As there were to be two of each of the blocks, I started making them in pairs so I now have all the purple backgrounds done and a few of the turquoise ones plus 4 transition blocks. The picture below shows them laid out in order - there should be a bigger gap in the middle but the table isn't big enough.

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Seeing them like this, I really wasn't happy - it all looked much better on paper! Two problems - firstly the change of background is too abrupt and secondly I don't like the way the fishes look when they are touching on all sides. I spent AGES rearranging, turning the blocks in different directions, trying a chequered effect, but still no good. Finally, I decided to have a rethink and add borders to make attic window blocks. I bought 30cm of two dark fabrics and as everyone was out today, spent some time adding them. The picture shows 2 rows completed.

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There was a slight hiccup when I realised I have never done a block with mitred corners (memo to self - reading about something is not the same as doing it). My patchwork to date has been just squares and half square triangles but going nice and slow it seems to be working. Of course, adding the borders almost doubles the size so it will be two separate quilts and the transition blocks will be a cushion cover.

Felted Friends

2008-08-22T23:01:00.000+01:00

When I was meant to buying birthday presents last week, I picked up a book called Felted Friends by Sue Pearl (Search Press) and was captivated immediately by the cute animals (I am a big softy on the quiet). Over a couple of days, I sat down with my girls and we made these little fellows using wool tops felted over pipe cleaner skeletons. Details were added by needlefelting - I did this bit for them and have the puncture marks to prove it.

Here they are frolicking in the tomato plants.

From left to right blue bird by Ellie (9), snake by Katy (11) and pink/purple bird by me (over 21). The children are entering theirs in the village flower show tomorrow so fingers crossed for them. No craft section for grown-ups so I am consoling myself by entering some holiday photos.

I have also been busy booking my tickets to visit the Knitting and Stitching Show in Birmingham - I am going up by train on the Saturday. Making the booking involved lots of swearing; I could only get the cheaper tickets if I was prepared to leave Bristol at 7.15 am and take a little diversion to change trains in South Wales - not the most obvious route to the midlands - and come back very late, so I bit the bullet and got the standard price so I can leave at a more reasonable time. At least I can be sure the visit will be worth it and I would really rather not drive to the NEC.

Fishy Thoughts

2008-08-16T21:23:00.000+01:00

School holidays is the time to fiddle with bits and pieces in the odd quiet moment, and I have been playing with some patchwork. I have made lap quilts for the rest of the family over the last couple of years so this is meant to be one for me. The idea was to use the same block which looks a bit like a fish and cycle through the colours. Now I have completed enough for 1/2 a quilt, I am not so sure it is a good idea. I think I shall perservere and if all else fails I will end up with a dozen cushions.