Hardingham Christmas Challenge and other stuff

I still haven't finished my bag from the last post but its all cut out. I seem to have a mental block when it comes to bags but will get it done over the Christmas holidays. Next June our textile group has been asked to display our work in an exhibition at Wymondham Arts Centre called Textiles with Attitude and other textile artists will be there. I'm really looking forward to this and may base my work around a theme yet to be decided. I may go along the nature route as I love plants and really enjoyed making my plant pot shown below. Another idea is Tudor costume as one of our projects next year is inspired by Tudor so I'm getting some books from the library and will do some experiments over Christmas so should have decided by the new year.

I have been busy though with various other projects including our yearly Christmas challenge which this year is called 'The Year Turns' and had to include circles. I decided to base mine on the 4 seasons and include lots of Dorset Buttons with a large button done on a hoop for a base.

 

Our last project was inspired by gardens and I wanted to do something 3D rather than a wall hanging so decided to make a plant in a pot. I had more or less decided what to do before going to the Knitting and Stitching Show but then after seeing Lyndsay Taylor's work it make up my mind and I made a pansy in a pot. Her work is pure fantasy which I love. I think it came out well even though it took ages as all the flowers were made on silk and water dissolvable fabric then wired. The leaves were silk dupion and also wired.

 

 

I finially finished my original coral reef practice piece and will get it framed at some point.

 

 

Other small pieces are a winter box, bookmarks and mobile phone cases. In October we had a workshop with Jane Clark on Indian inspiration and as I love a bit of 'bling' I got inspired. I have also started on a large wallhanging based on this which will be a long term project.