City and Guilds final piece mounted

Finally finished my City and Guilds Level 2 and was fortunate enough to get a distinction with my final project being my large coral reef picture. It turned out to be more purple than I imagined with more of the mount showing than I wanted but I like purple so no harm done. There are many techniques used including heating lots of chiffon, Tyvek, Lutradur and 3D medium with a heat gun as well as hand stitching and beading.

I have extended this work into different colours mounted on a canvas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Textile Exhibition

Come along and see our textile exhibition which is held every year alongside the local art group. Lots to see and buy at great prices.

I'll be posting photos from the exhibition just in case you miss it.

Inspired by the sea

Since starting my coral project I have really got inspired by the sea, well more under the sea than the sea itself. I have always loved coral reefs because of their colour and diversity of life and they lend themselves to textiles because of their amazing colours and textures.

I have also been finishing off a seascape as following on from our endless landscape at last years Hardingham Textile Exhibition this year we are doing an endless seascape and I've just finished mine which will be displayed alongside all the others at this years exhibition. We were given the measurements and colours where they have to meet at the edge but can do anything in the middle.

 

I also went a little Dali-esque and did a sea vessel and I'm sure it shows what a warped mind I have.

 

 

I enjoy manipulating fabric to add texture and decided to make a shell shaped manipulated fabric picture using fabrics, leather, beads and stitch.

 

 

I enjoyed making my purple coral reef so much I wanted to see if it would be workable in other colours and shapes. As my original piece is costing over £100 to frame using museum glass I wanted to try putting one on a canvas to make it more affordable and the result is below. Think I might make a box with a reef on the top next.

 

 

 

 

City and Guilds work

The course is going well and keeping me really busy but such good fun. I love a bit of bling so got quite hooked on making a book with metal experiments in which I intend to fill when I get time but just a small selection shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

For my second project I decided to make a coral reef as they are so beautiful because of the colours and textures. I did some experiments in a sketchbook on trying to make different sorts of corals and instead of making the work a multitude of colours decided to use my favourtites of purple, turquoise and jade. I made a trial piece which I quite liked which is below.

 

 

As our finished piece has to be A3 I made a wet felted background as before and started working on it by putting on layers of organza, machine sewing and adding coral pieces I had made.

 

 

 

However I wasn't really happy with it but wasn't sure why so I asked my Jane to take a look and she thought it looked out of proportion and rather flat and suggested I cut off a corner and build up layers of texture. After waking up at 2.30 am that night thinking about ways to improve it I spent the next 5 days on and off working on it. The result is below.

 

 

 

 

 

First post of the year

Wow, doesn't time fly and hadn't realised how neglected my blog has been but I have a good excuse.

Last year I put my name down for a level 2 City and Guilds in Creative Textiles taking place in Dereham at the Gallery but as I was a little late all the places were taken. However after it had been going a month someone dropped out and I was offered the place but being a month behind I had loads of work to catch up on.

The course is run by Jane Clark who is enthusiastic and an inspiration but a hard taskmaster and consequently I have already turned out 2 ring binders of samples, an A3 design file, and a 3D piece with sketchbook and backing work so you can see I have been busy.

I'm also heavily involved in a textile group as well as Trypstitch which is a group of 3 of us as an offshoot from this so haven't actually produced much finished work.

The only completed work done this year is shown below.

 

This is my 3D object inspired by a tree with the small practice model next to it. It is a little weird but that's Ok with me and I am pleased with the overall result.

 

 

This is a piece of manipulated fabric that I completed with my textile group

 

 

We had a workshop where I showed some of the ladies how to wet felt and make the backgroud for this piece which I have since stitched on.

 

 

Just one of my samples of stuffed quilting made from silk appliqued leaves and hand dyes silk velvet grapes.

 

My next piece is a wallhanging which I am going to base on a coral reef so am busy experimenting with techniques so watch this space.

 

 

 

Textile Exhibition Photos

Just thought I would post a few photos of our highly successful exhibition a month ago now, where does the time go?

Getting ready for my trip to Alexander Palace on Thursday for the Knitting and Stitching Show.

Above: one of my wall hangings.

Below: Pictures of the endless landscapes.

Below: A selection of machine embroidered bowls.

The centrepiece of the archway decorated to look like an underwater scene. Most of us made seaweed, fish and other items to decorate it.

Hardingham Textile Exhibition

Just a quick post to advertise our annual exhibition which is from the 5th-8th September at St Andrew's Church Hingham.

The Hardingham Art Goup will also be showing there work.

If you want to see some great textiles and maybe pick up a bargain pay us a visit and I'll be posting pictures of the work soon.