'Just turn up'

I always enjoy Jane Davies'blog and in particular her video demonstrations,recently she posted about an artist's black and white work which she enjoyed and was inspired by; her theme  was also about 'just turning up' and doing the work, making marks, playing. I did the same thing in my own way using Indian Ink, graphite and pen marks. I then cut up the result into smaller pieces and added more pen marks and doodles.

I decided to add some free machining lines in red thread.

There is some suminagashi marbled tissue paper just visible in the one below.

I took photos and made collaged images on the ipad.

I also made cards of these images as I have two family birthdays coming up. So I turned up and had some fun with the idea.

Project continued.

10x12 inches.

I honestly don't know where the idea for this project came from, I suppose it brought together my current interest in drawing, doodling and trying out more block printing. I found it satisfying because I could  do a little at a time ,with the machine set up with black thread I could  draw onto the fabric when I felt in the mood. 
Use zentagel patterns as inspiration for free machining:

Here are a few more photos and the outcome as I decided to make the piece into an album which will probably be used to hold stitch samples. I made it up like a book cover and added some pieces of recycled card to stiffen the 'covers'. 

If I had thought it out a bit more I could have added some pockets to hold the samples; I could I suppose still  add these by hand stitching.
I hope you have a go and send me any links to your work.

New Year Project.

This is a small project for the New Year. You could have a go at this if you are stuck for inspiration. Take a selection of small pieces of fabric in a colour way or theme of your choice; I used whites and creams, bits of felt, lace, silk etc.. I wove them together without stitching and then put them onto a background of wadding, I used some 505 fabric spray to hold them in place.

I printed shapes cut into a soft cut block and coloured with Speedball water based block printing ink for fabric.

Each day I added some stitching, in places I used patterns on the machine and even some needle felting,but in the end I stuck to drawing with the machine using a large headed darning foot. I was surprised at how easily it coped with the layers of lace and varied thicknesses of fabric. I doodled into the background adding line drawing as I fancied. Stuck for shapes, have a look at some zentangles on YouTube, and adapt them.

To be continued .......