more sewing - work in progress

After hemming the calico backing, I drew my idea on it roughly with Inktense blocks. Derwent make them and they are fantastic; you can use them wet or dry, and when painted into fabric with water, the stain is permanent. Using Inktense on fabric is quite a long but informative video from Derwent - worth a look for water soluble crayon and pencil addicts.

The next stage was to sew landscapey stripes and slivvers of velvet onto the painted calico. This took almost a whole week because I had no idea that cotton velvet could fray and crumble so much! Every time I tried to neaten the turned down edges, more matter fell away. Shaking or vacuuming the cotton crumbs accelerated the deterioration. I used lightly applied hand-wrapped-in-sellotape in the end and tried not to worry too much!

Next, my favourite: organza. Doing this piece, I discovered that there are several different kinds of velvet and organza respectively. I've only used polyester organza so far.

Once the sheers were being stitched and scissored, I forgot all about the messy velvet.

Very pleased with this grassy limey green.

After several layers it can be confusing where to cut and what to expose.

Here is the sewing so far. 18"x14". Bit more to do yet.

pencil case

I made the fabric for this pencil case using a brilliant idea that I found with the Colouricious Club videos on You Tube New Fabric from Old. Also, a lady called Jo Mcintosh has a pair of videos on 

You Tube about Recycling Fabric Scraps.

Basically, you start with a backing fabric (canvas in this case, for strength). Then you randomly place scraps of fabric, leftovers swept or kept after projects are finished, onto the backing. Lay a piece of sheer fabric on top of this and machine sew everything down through the sheer. Bondaweb is useful for sticking the scraps down but it's possible to carefully move all to the sewing machine for the securing.

I added more scraps, glitter, some Angelina fibres (unfixed) and then another layer of organza. And then went spiral-mad with the embroidery foot.

I did not look for the right sized zip before I began and was too excited to wait until the shops opened the next day, so used this 20" one that I found in the button box. It was extremely awkward making it fit but now I am pleased that the pen I need at the very bottom cannot hide forever - because there isn't a bottom, just one long top with corners.

It's nice and big, 9"x6". Could encourage more pencil shopping, though.

stitched Valentine - Febuary 2015

I used recycled sari-silk waste for the first time. Still unhappy about the plight of moths, but as these strips and bits would have been swept into dustbins, it seems almost as guiltless as buying leather goods second hand. There's some cotton velvet and foiling and plenty of F1 Singer-driving here.

renewed attempt at machine embroidery - January and February 2015

cushion for Peter's Mum - August 2014

For this picture cushion, I decided to try to replicate in yarn the home the recipients live in. I'd been to Peter's parents house a few times in 1988 and could remember the house quite well - I was surprised how well when I checked on Google Streetview.

They still have a beautiful garden. This is Mr Marshall having a lie-down.

It was Bobbie's first trip to London. She loved the great glass elevator at St Pancras.

And the overlnd train to Hatfield.

Mrs Marshall escaped being photographed but hugged the cushion before returning to her kitchen.

red and yellow painting - May 2014

I made this painting last April and May - it was my first using solely acrylic paint. There's some charcoal and oil pastel too.

always atleast one tricky moment

Did me a lot of good. It's called 'Hello Menopause' 30"x24"