'Contemporary-Medieval'

I had a treat last Friday spending the day at City Lit on a one day bookbinding course. The course was called ‘Contemporary-Medieval’ and the tutor was Ina Baumeister, a professional book binder. I think most of us there were attracted by the idea of the book as sculpture and the idea of using old tyres as covers. Well, there were no old tyres, except in the tutor’s examples, but it was still a good day.

 We started with a basic format, sewing the sections onto cable ties, with instructions on raised band sewing styles.

 In the afternoon we saw the tutors work and were given a range of materials, shoe laces, rope, wire, strimmer tape, and old house signs from which to choose in order to make our own book design. I used a piece of black and silver plastic, not sure of its original use, wire, and plastic thread to work on. It was a packed course, which shows the current interest in book binding and the company was good.

The Squared Circle Group on Flickr is fun. Stitched circles don't really fit neatly, but no worry as someone has started a group for those photos which are 'dumped' from the original group as not being entirely to the rules.

Life Drawing and Monoprints

Over the next academic year I am going to attend two workshops a term at a local college, a ‘Creative Textile’ workshop. I think the idea is mainly to concentrate on design work and it will be good to work with other people. It is a local education college so, at the moment, relatively cheap compared to some of the London courses. I have also signed up for a short course on’ getting to know your DSLR’ camera, which hopefully will leave me less confused.

Back to the course, we are asked to produce a summer sketchbook with a hundred ‘sketches’ which has a wide definition including photos and stitch. So it’s likely that you will be seeing some of the pages here.

At my last life drawing class we did some contour drawing and some monoprinting, both of which were really enjoyable. These are some of the monprints I made at home using water based printing inks. Some on magazine pages.

I have just organized a morning workshop on Transfer Paints for a mother and two daughters. They were v. enthusiastic, which was nice, but I must say that I feel tired out now. I think it may be time for a cup of tea!

Avocado and Flowers

Some of you may remember that not long ago I won a virtual voucher from Gerdiary to use in her shop, I’ve used it now to purchase a pack of her pretty pink materials dyed with avocado skin. Take a look at her posts for more information about this process.

Before using the material I decided to experiment with ‘flower pounding’ which I have been reading about recently. There is plenty of information on the web about it. Basically you take a flower and place it carefully onto your material, put a piece of baking parchment or similar over it and gently pound with a hammer; I only had a piece of heavy metal. Then I turned the sandwich over carefully and worked on the material side, increasing the pressure slightly. The results are pretty, and quite detailed. I have no idea how long they will last and that isn’t too important to me.

I decided to use the material to make a mini long cloth and have very much enjoyed the process. I used every scrap of the material and also the stamp and pieces from the envelope sent from Berlin. I think it was particularly enjoyable as I don’t usually do ‘pretty’ and apart from the pinkness all the fabric was also light and delicate to work on.

As you see I harked back to some of the patching and darning of fabrics we had to do at school but never put into practise. I coated the paper with Acrylic Wax before machining it.

I just have to finish the edges and put on a backing now.

Look out for a blog giveaway in August.

I had a stall at a craft event this weekend, my first since Christmas. It was an enjoyable day, I sold enough at least to cover the cost of being there and had lots of lovely chats, including one with someone who reads my blog.

E-Motive

I am really pleased this year to have my book accepted for the’ We Love Your Books Exhibition’; this is especially so as my book on the closure of Woolworths theme last year was not selected. I felt quite daunted having another go this year, but it made it more special to be selected.

You can go to the website to find the books which will be in the exhibition and the full range of sketchbook spreads which will also be in the catalogue. Each year the organizers,Melaini Bush  and Dr Emma Powell lecturers from the University of Northampton and De Montfort University, ask for an additional element to the artists’ book and this year it was a photo of a landscape sketchbook spread.

The theme is E-motive and I worked on the idea of the colours linked with emotions. I used a series of collagraph prints printed onto cotton with the help of ink aid. I used an actual embossed ie colourless collagraph for the final spread.I made the prints on a Sunday printing course at City Lit. in London. As I now had the prints on fabric I could add some stitching.

It’s unlikely that I will get to the final exhibition but if you live in the area here are the details.

It’s worth having a look at the photos on Flickr as some of the books are really fascinating.

Great Linford Arts Workshop, Parklands, Great Linford, Milton Keynes MK14 5D2


from 28th Aug – 25th Sept, with a preview on Thursday 26th August from 6-9pm.


http://www.artworks-mk.co.uk/

Mini Tutorial

Some ideas for making interesting papers to stitch, for journaling or just for fun using recycled papers, and minimum resources.

You will need:

Old magazines, advertising papers etc.
Brown paper.
Black acrylic or water based printing ink.

Printing ink gives a better impression with detailed stamps and dries less quickly.
Tip if you spread the papers out to dry after using printing ink, be careful where you walk with bare feet!



Old brushes.
Spare scrap paper not too thin.
A brayer/roller if you have one.
Cotton buds or use the pointed end of the brush.
Incense stick.
Crayons.

Spread the ink or paint onto the scrap paper with the brush.

Make marks with a cotton bud or other implement. Here is the advantage of printing ink which gives you more time to work. Put the piece of paper you want to transfer the marks onto face down on the scrap paper and roll with the brayer (or rub gently with your hand).

Once the marks are dry you may wish to stamp over them with a favourite stamp; I used a handwriting one. If you have used ink at this stage you will need patience for it to dry.

If you work on brown paper and want to ‘antique’ it you can rub with some tea or coffee. I also added a couple of tiny drops of Walnut Ink. Use this sparingly as it can be very dark.

Scrunch up the paper regularly but gently.
Tear the edges to look aged. Rub with a gold crayon, markal or similar.
I used a smoking incense stick to burn the edges and some holes in places. Do this over a sink just incase you get too carried away.

Then rub the edges with a black wax crayon or similar.

E-Motive Exhibition.

Jackie Bowcott
Originally uploaded by rejectamenta

My sketchbook spread selected for the 'We Love Your Books Exhibition'. See some of the others on Flickr.

I must admit that I have never really been inspired by the idea of journaling, I think because of recent times the shops have been full of ready made images and bits to stick on etc, and it all seems a bit too ready made and commercial. I came across Teesha Moore’s videos in which she generously shares her much more creative approach to journaling. I went through my books on Altered Art and found many examples of her work. I would recommend this as a fun occupation, particularly when it is too hot to do much, and , of course, there is the pleasure of buying lots of different pens to try out; also a good use for all the glossy Sunday Times supplements, with their wonderful colour spreads.

I found these three ladies in the Tapestry Room at the Vyne (National Trust).

 

Once you have your images, the fun can continue. I made some digital stamps using parts of the art work. I have printed some out to add to the journal.

Another idea is to print them out onto fabric using Ink Aid and add some stitching.

This was one of those strange experiences that you can’t quite explain; I bought an English/Chinese dictionary inscribed Hong Kong 1936 with the idea of using scraps in my work. I wanted the word ‘fruit’ translated into Chinese, and when looking for this a piece of hand written paper fell out of the book, with a biblical reference. I don’t know my bible well so it took some time to look it us and when I did it was exactly what I needed; ‘you are the Vine’ etc. Strange but true.

Birthday and Summer Event.

As a Gemini I have just had a birthday, and a new camera. I had become so used to the ‘old’ one that it is taking some getting used to; there is a lot to learn. Here are some pictures of a few of the textiles in my home.

I have two pieces of Kuba cloth which is made of cut pile  raffia. The marks above represent paw prints.The one piece was such a bargain from a Sunday market in New York. I wished I could have bought many more. The Indian bead work is part of a small cushion which one of my sons bought me for Christmas a few years ago.

If you live anywhere near do come and say hello at this Summer Event where I shall have a stall. It is bound to be a beautiful sunny day as I have opted for a stall inside. I have given up on summer fetes etc. having experienced dust storms, rain and worse! Thinking about it what could be worse when you are trying to sell textiles.

Where do you keep your Sharpies?

Melanie Testa is offering free tutorials this month and the first is this little pen/pencil case. As I had my recently dyed, stencilled material I was tempted to have a go. I don’t think I precisely followed her instructions but they are very clear.

I went to The British Museum last week to see the exhibition of Italian Renaissance Drawings, which I enjoyed very much, the only problem being that there is almost too much to take in during one visit. I bought the catalogue so I can study the work in my own time. A short walk from the museum is The Mary Ward Centre where I once did a felt making course, and have been back to many times since for the excellent vegetarian meals which are also really cheap by London prices.

Then onwards to the Gagosian Gallery to see the free exhibition ‘Picasso: The Mediterranean Years’; this is on until the end of August and is simply fabulous. I am slowly coming to understand his work and the pieces are stunningly presented. I have a catalogue from a charity shop of his work on clay, and here I was able to see some of the actual piece. The first exhibition ,which explains how drawing and the use of paper as a medium developed as a working tool for painters , was a good introduction to the Picasso exhibition. I particularly liked a set of drawings of a bull, which starts with a free outline of the animal and gradually works through the stages until a more classic drawing emerges.

This is for a laugh, in my drawing class last week the model was knitting throughout and it seemed a funny situation. So here is ' Woman with the Blue Knitting’.

I have had to try and tighten up on the security for comments, as I keep getting spam. I know other people are having problems, I hope it doesn't make it too much of a pain if you make a comment.

Not finished yet.

As you see, I have continued working on the Noughts and Crosses piece. I found a 'double fly stitch' which I have never heard of before to make the crosses in Mary Thomas' Dictionary.  'Stitch down loops' to make the circles on this site which has some very clear stitch tutorials.

The threads I am using are rayon threads from The Hand Weavers Studio, of which I have a large basket, which often provides just the right colour. This piece feels very nice to stitch as I am working on a piece of brushed calico which I dyed previously. It is nice and big, in case this becomes a cushion cover.

I have joined in celebrating Emma’s birthday this month and this is the postcard which she kindly sent me from Skye.

Coptic Bind

I went to a very special book shop in Alresford just before the visit to my friends and decided that a different present would be to make them each a Coptic Bound notebook. I was also keen not to lose the skill I acquired in making the previous ones; you may remember the basic bind learned form Keith Smiths’ book took some perseverance and lots of trying again. I now have two of his books and there are many versions of the bind, some involving more than one needle and sewing across the spine. I am content to try and master the basic version.

First chose an old book with an interesting cover. The red book was falling apart and I got it for a £1, a bargain. I had hoped to use the lovely end papers to cover some of the sections, but they were too brittle, however, the inside of the cover had the same marbled paper.

First take the book apart and clean the cover, I use a putty rubber and talc. I don’t know why I use the talc, it just came to hand one day and gives a nice clean smell.. I turned in the spine on the blue book and stuck it down. I sand papered some of the rough edges and touched up the edges with gold acrylic paint.

I then gave the covers a coat of Acrylic Wax. That is all very satisfying, but I find cutting the paper more taxing, as you need to have the grain of the paper parallel to the spine. Falkiners do a pack of special short grained book paper, but I still had to make it smaller to fit the covers. I have a deckle ruler which means I can tear the paper. My book cradle was v. useful once more for making the holes for sewing.

I used some ready waxed book binding thread for the red book, which made life much easier and waxed some pearle thread for the blue book. The blue book had some finger prints that I could not remove, so I added some thumb prints; perhaps they just look like smears.

Above is the stage at which you need courage and good luck, sewing on the cover.Taking Jane Dunnewolds's advice I took a deep breath and  the cover went on firmly.
I was pleased with the outcome, particularly the red book which is a nice size and felt good in the hand.
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Thank you to those people who have recently linked to my blog to keep me blogging. I hope you will  continue to find something to keep your interest

Textile Festival

At the weekend I had a visit to Cirencester which is in  the Cotswolds where every house is built with a golden colour stone and is generally v. posh and quite unlike the area where I live. The first trip was to Brewery Arts where there was a ‘pop up gallery’. I bought a lovely devore scarf made by Barbara Fidoe. I particularly like the colours and the long thin shape. I have had in mind to make a scarf of a similar shape in felt, but really don’t have quite the space, or is it the energy which is lacking. Any way it is extravagant and beautiful. Also showing were the felt pods of Deborah Roberts.

Barbara told us about the Stroud Textile Festival, there were many small galleries throughout the town and a larger display in the museum. I saw some stimulating work including the Brunel Broderers Curious Drawers, pieces based on the idea of cabinets of curiosity of which there are examples in the National Trust House where I work .It could not have been a better time for my visit .
In the museum the work was linked to the idea of Stroud Scarlet. Stroud has a number of old mills and in these the cloth for the red coats of the British Army used to be woven. The lawn mower was invented in the area originally to cut the nap on cloth. I particularly liked the light box installations of Henny Burnett, ( follow the link to see her work and more about the Festival) photographs of lots of tiny pieces on red cloth, old letters, thistles etc. Love Stitching Red would have found it all v. familiar.

I have started to work into one of my dyed pieces and so far have used a combination of curved seams and Spirit Cloths’ weaving technique which she shared with us on video. I am machining it at the moment and then intend to start hand stitching into it.
I don't usually like gadgets but I have fallen for the interactive fish which move with your mouse; the perfect pets.