Twining

Twining, a photo by stitchworks-jackie on Flickr.

Trying out twining at City Lit last Sunday using rush.

City Lit Basketry Taster

City Lit Basketry Taster February 2014 by stitchworks-jackie on Photosynth

Last Sunday I went to a taster course at the City Lit. College in London. We learned how to make a diagonal weave basket out of newspaper. I must tell any of you who have never tried this process that it is much harder than it looks. I felt a sort of panic that I would be the only one to fail to make a basket until the tutor, Annemarie O'Sullivan, assured me that there was nothing wrong with my weave, it only needed tightening; this involves tugging quite hard on the strips of paper, and something one would certainly not do without the tutor showing you how. The baskets are surprising strong. So a process that is nice when its finished!
Next Sunday we try twineing.
City Lit Basketry Taster by stitchworks-jackie on Photosynth

If you click on the circles in the left hand corner you will get a larger image.
In the ipad use two fingers to zoom in and out.

'Paper Play'

Next Saturday I will be leading a workshop with a group of local calligraphers and we will be making decorative papers.

 I have needed to practise some of the processes which can get a little boring; the workshop is called ‘Paper Play’ and repeating things is no longer play, so I decided just to play and made a brown paper piece which I then machined to newspaper.

 I wetted the newspaper and rubbed it away in places before adding some paint. I then ironed the whole onto a piece of grey interfacing. I thought I would try ironing on some foil which I presumed would stick where the interfacing was peeping through.

 You can see that the foil attached where the little dots of glue are on the interfacing, so I was pleased. Did you think I had painted all those dots individually?  So play was resumed.

Rust and Flowers

Recently I went through my favourites list of blogs, and looked at some that I had neglected for a time; I found Leah Day's ‘Earth Flower’ motif and as usual impressed by her skill I had to have a go. The idea sort of hung around for a while and then I saw a piece of rusted fabric hanging on the ‘line’ in my room and thought nothing would be lost by quilting the motif onto it.

Before adding hand stitching and more details.

 I got quite hooked and actually have found more pleasure in working on this little piece than I have done for a while.

 I am going to seed stitch all around the motifs and then make it into a front for a cushion using an off cream silk dupion.

'Patched and Pieced ' Stitching

Starting to stitch and taking it slowly, bit by bit.

I placed it on a muslin backing and tacked it into place, using Jude Hill's method and it has made it nicer to work, feeling more like a whole cloth.

I am using some Kantha type border stitches in places.

Black and White.

These pieces of fabric were discharged with bleach, in some parts using freezer paper masks, and then the action of the bleach was stopped using sodium metabisulphate, having discussed how to stop the bleach with one of the artists in the working studio at the Festival of Quilts last summer. It was something I used to use when it was the fashion to brew one’s own beer and used it to sterilize the bottles. I wore a mask and gloves when using it.

Patching and piecing.

Choosing threads.

Over on the Sketchbook Challenge blog the theme is collage in the sketchbook.

 There are some changes this year, a set of new themes and a Flickr slideshow of participants work at the end of each month.

2014

  A Happy and Healthy New Year to all.

Stitch

This is my last post of 2013 and I thought I would end with a ‘riot’ of stitch; I have been working on this for some months, working alongside someone who hasn't done much stitch before, and she has her own piece well on its way.

 Lazy daisy inspired by Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

Gelli plate and stitch.

The idea here is finished I think, but not yet the stitching.

Lino print with gelli plate print background using acrylic paint; a piece of an old book ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ pasted on top.

Photographed, taken into an ipad app and a selection made of the text, which I have then pasted and scaled.

 Next printed out onto fabric using a prepared cotton fabric.

Quilted onto wadding.

Starting to stitch using Bullion Knot and wool thread.

Lyric Kinard is a contributor to The Sketchbook Challenge and has shared this link:

Click through for info on how to watch Lyric Kinard's episode on The Quilt Show.com with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims for FREE!
http://lyrickinard.com/2013/12/the-quilt-show-its-your-turn/

A few more knots.

This week we practised Bullion Knots and I found a few of my samples, including  a whitework one which reminded me of the time that I planned to try to learn Mountmellick Work, a traditional Irish Embroidery, but did not get very far. 

If you have not tried this stitch it is quite addictive, but  takes some practise the first time, and then needs a warm up before you get back into some kind of rhythm each time.

 Many tutorials online now, but I found the method in Tracy Franklin's book on whitework to be the easiest to follow. It may be available in your local library as I know it is in mine.