'Persian Palaces' 2

Coming up to Christmas I was working hard on the Persian Palaces hanging and even liked it at times, but I must say that visitors ,eating, eating and more of the same has certainly slowed things down and I will now have to make a real effort to get going again. Not that I won’t be working on something but I could so easily get distracted; it will be easier I think to keep focused as I am making the hanging for a definite audience.

Isn't one of the best parts when you see all the possible colours and threads together?
I put the sari ribbon up against the background and decided that I liked the idea of an almost stripped affect and have stitched words onto some of the strips. These came from a random book page I used in my sketchbook. In some ways the figures are making their way through the Persian Palaces, and it is hard to say if they are threatening or coming to help, but certainly ‘She will need help in the Persian Palaces’. Perhaps there is a fire.

More in 2011.

This year I have particularly enjoyed the blogs of the people in my links, I am quite addicted to Melanie Testa’s blog and do tend to look in on her ‘Every Single Day’.
The work of Jude Hill on Spirit Cloth and her atmospheric videos are inspiring.
Many more have suitably distracted me and given great pleasure. I thank them all, as I do
those who follow my progress and keep me blogging.Also a big thank you to the buyers of my book.
To those who stay a matter of seconds, manage to download several images, and never even comment - well the less said the better, but of course they will have no time to read this anyway!

'Persian Palaces'.

I am working on a hanging for my greatest critic; it is also quite large for me, so all in all a bit intimidating. I have used some images from one of my life drawing classes, and transferred them to cotton poplin using monoprint and foam stamping. I used liquid acrylics with an Open Medium so that it was not too harsh on the cloth.

Figures added using foam stamps.

I dyed the background using Procion MX dyes and a low immersion dyeing method.

I mixed the colours, teal and jade, but I think the result is a little too much on the green side. I plan to dye some fabric orange for the border. I will probably use Dylon when my washing machine is repaired, as I was kindly given some by the company and it is waiting to be used. The sari ribbon is just there for colour inspiration at the moment.

Well that is as far as my thoughts about it have progressed, so we shall see what happens, probably in 2011.

A productive workshop.

I am really pleased with the work done by the people on this five week workshop
which finished today - despite some heavy snow in my local area. I came down
the slope along the track from my garage with great trepidation, but the main roads
 were clear. On the way back I got half way up the track when my poor car refused
to go any further and we had to back down. Still it was a good morning.

Here is some of their work. I was particularly pleased with how sketchbooks
 were started with samples to go back to for the future.

Melanie Testa has been inviting people to join in with her project sketching

 with a ruling pen on fabric. I haven't joined in but it has been interesting to see the

 results.This week she extolled the virtues of the Rapidograph pen and reminded me

 that I had one some twenty years ago. I spend many hours finding it, working out

 how to put it together and finaling cleaning the nib,which involved shower gel and a beading needle. Imagine my thrill when today, after a long soak it worked.

 So this is for Melanie(see my links).

I know this post is set out very strangely. Blogger is having a

strange afternoon, and I have given up trying to set it out more neatly.