Work completed

The 'book wrap' photo holder is now finished. I tried out the wax pot to make the inner lining, using a method which I saw on a blog.
Using metal kitchen utensils dipped in wax to make the pattern.I wouldn't do it that way again; it seemed wasteful of wax.
The cotton lawn was dyed in cold tea and the wax ironed away.

It took me four years or so to use the newspaper, which shows its well worth holding on to such potentially useful items ; even if you begin to run out of space.

For those of you who haven't come across 'Workshop on the Web' I have put a link on my blog. There is a free workshop on the site . It is a good source of information about new books and materials. The March workshop is out tomorrow and I am looking forward to getting tempted by some new technique.

Work in progress

This is to be a book wrap influenced by a picture in 'Edges and Finishes' Val Campbell-Harding.It is worked in strips of silk rods and of a newspaper from China Town in New York.The plan is to use it to hold photos from a holiday in May 2001; some of which were taken from the viewing gallery in The World Trade Centre.

It is mainly worked with a twin needle. It also incorporates pieces of hand made siesal paper and chiffon melted with a hot air gun. I have used acrylic wax to stabilise it. I will make some cords to tie it.

I have no idea what the lettering means - it looks nice and ornate - but probably says something mundane.

'Lavender Blue'

This piece was also worked on silk carrier rods on a linen background.

In my profile I mentioned Great Missenden Abbey,which is one of a series of further education colleges in Britain; I think they were set up in the 1950s. They now offer a range of part time courses, often leading to qualifications such as City and Guilds. Other venues I would recommed for the quality of the course, the setting and often excellent food include Urchfont College in Wiltshire and West Dean College
near Chichester.
















'Underwater
Blue'

This is a picture of some dyed silk carrier rods.

Basically a waste product of the raw silk making process,they dye beautifully with silk paints and a touch of acrylic with iridescent tinting medium.

After dyeing they are separated with care into many fine layers which are very tactile. They provide a lovely background for embroidery.

I worked on them quite a lot last year and made a series of embroideries, which I called 'Lavender Blue for You', 'Sea Blue' and 'Red Hot Blues'.Now I only have one of them left, but with my digital camera I can keep a lasting record.

'SEA BLUE'