Do you want to share?

Lynda of Purple Missus sent me this great piece of work.


(http://www.purplemissus.blogspot.com/) who got it from http://www.artmixer.blogspot.com/ who got it from http://www.highfibercontent.blogspot.com/ who got it from … you get the idea, so I followed the instructions ‘The first five people to respond to this in the comments section will receive a piece of artwork from me. BUT, in addition to the comments you have to post this same blurb to your blog too and continue sharing the art with people who respond to you’. Well I was the 4th to leave a comment so now I have to play as well.

The first 5 people who leave a comment will get a piece of my art. It may not be anything large or spectacular but it will be all my own work, probably one of my 'Silk Paper postcards' but don’t forget you have to play as well.

Shopping

I got a couple of great bargains on Monday in ‘The Works’. 2 sets of DVD’s for £10 a set.

These are a set of Arts & Crafts DVD’s and include:

Silk Ribbon Embroidery with Ann Cox
How to paint on Silk with Lynda Howarth and Moira Neal
How to paint on fabric with Pebeo Setacolour
Creative Marbling There are a few I’m not really fussy on but I wanted the first 3 on the list.

And these are Art DVD’s – They are made by Teaching Art but licencsed to another maker so I looked up the price of them in the SAA catalogue. They would have cost £115 as a member and £230 if you wheren’t. I know a couple are for beginners but sometimes you learn something new and at that price I couldn’t really leave them on the shelf now could I!!!

T.A.S.T – Detached Chain Stitch

I’m a bit late posting this sample. I’m inclined to be a slow stitcher so it took me longer than I thought.

I wanted to explore ‘Texture’ this week so I used 2 different thicknesses of thread on Jute – one is Axminster wool and the other is some crochet cotton I got cheap in Abakhan. I’m quite pleased with the result.

I tried to be more experimental with this sample. Axminster wool on Jute.

Then I gave it a coat of thinned down Acrylic Primer.

and then lightly painted a layer of Brown Umber acrylic. I’m new to Textile art so I’m not sure where to go with this one. I though maybe some gold or copper coloured acrylic lightly over parts or even some gold leaf. Any help gratefully received.

Can anyone recommend any books that I should get that would help me be more experimental with my work.

Bad weather

The bad winds seem to have died down a bit here. I've don't ever remember experiencing winds like we had yesterday, they seem to affected the whole country. I wouldn't have gone out yesterday but Mum had a hospital appointment in the afternoon. Usually we have a long wait but we where home again within the hour. We got a taxi to get to the hospital, and I went round to get in the other side when I looked back Mum was on the floor, the wind had swing the door open and knocked her of her feet. She's bruised her bottom and it shook her up but it could have been so much worse. Her thick coat must have cushioned her as she fell. Her bones must be pretty tough still at nearly 81.

Take a Stitch Tuesday

I've decided to take part in Sharon B's
Challenge. I'm a bit late taking part but here's my Herringbone samples. I used 3 strands of thread on jute.

and this one is also 3 strands of thread but sewn on calico.

and these are my buttonhole samples, once again 3 strands of thread on calico.

I think I need to be more experimental and not do the stitches in such a regimented style like we where taught at school all those years ago.

Temari

I entered a competion last November in 'Stitch' magazine. You had to send for a free Variety bag from Texere and use it to make a piece. I made a Temari - Japanese embroidered ball. Anyway I got it back on Saturday, didn't win a prize never mind.

New Sewing machine

This is my new sewing machine I was telling you about. I bought it last May. My other machine is in a cabinet in the living room and I got so fed up having to get it out each time I wanted to use it and I know it was annoying my Mum when I did so we decided to go halves on it.

These are the rest of the photos of my studio that blogger wouldn't let me upload last month.My computer

and this is the landing that my stuff is slowly encroaching on to.

Tyvek

At last I think I've found out how Tyvek works. I used an iron on it but I don't think I had it hot enough before but this time it worked. Just another thing to experiment with

Blog Banner

I've been experimenting in Photoshop with some of my textiles photos from OCA to design a banner for my blog. I've done 3 so far and I'm leaning towards the blue one, what do you think?



I've just got to work out how to put it in to HTML and add it to my blog now, so if anyone out their in blogland can help do let me know.

Silk paper postcards and ATC's

I used some silk paper to have a go at postcards and ATC's just to practice my free style machine embroidery. I took a class about 12 years ago in machine embroidery but I've forgotten most of it so need to get in some practice because I want to use it in my last OCA project.

These are postcards

and these are ATC's

Silk Paper

I forgot to post the photos of the silk I got to make silk paper so here they are a bit late,

These are Bomby Silk

and these are Tussah silk.

Aren't they just gorgeous colours.

Here's some of the paper I made with them

I was going to use this for my OCA final project but it's not turned out quite how I wanted, it looks light in this photo but is much darker so I'm considering using some silk paints on silk for it. I'll have an experiment over the weekend.

These 4 pieces are big enough to make embellished postcards from and the larger piece is about A2 in size.

First try at sewing

My nephew Joseph who is 11 was getting bored when he came to visit just before Christmas, so when he saw my sewing machine he wanted a go on it. Luckily I had a few pieces of silk paper ready so he tried sewing on them. I didn't want him trying free machining so he just used some of the built in stitches and for a first go they're not bad.

City & Guilds

I’m coming to the end of my OCA Textiles 1 course just finishing my last project. I’ve read quite a few blogs of people who have done C & G and they’ve wetted my appetite so I’m considering going on to do C & G embroidery but there are no classes available locally so I’ve been looking in to correspondence courses. I’ve found a few on the web so far, Distant Stich with Sian Martin, Opus, School of Stitched Textiles and W S Touchbase but I’m not sure who to go with.