Boxes

Just posting a few little boxes I've made. The white one is similar to my Christmas challenge box made a couple of years ago with wired organza ivy leaves and the others have organza butterflies and dragonflies. The fabric of the box is layers of organza and threads on felt backed with pelmet Vilene and lined.

Now to decide what to make next.

Book covers

I enjoy making book covers as there isn't too much measuring involved as I don't do numbers. The first 2 shown are taken from a copyright free Islamic pattern book and the technique is cut through applique.

The method used was to transfer dye some white felt then trace the pattern onto Vilene. This was then pinned to the back of a cotton fabric and the felt placed on top to give a three layer sandwich. The piece was then machined at the back using the pattern on the Vilene as a guide. Once complete the felt was cut out using a soldering iron to expose the fabric below and then beaded.

Although the cover below is a sketchbook it is A5 so could be used on any book of this size. I love using the technique of strips of different fabrics, couched threads, hand embroidery and beading with added favourites of dragonflies. 

Just in the process of finishing some small boxes now and setting up a textile group so hopefully some exciting news soon. 

Nuno felting and bling

Can't believe I haven't posted anything on my blog this year although haven't really turned out an awful lot of work apart from cards and a couple of small boxes and the work shown below. First bit of news is that we are moving to Holmfirth on the 2nd September so hopefully being in Yorkshire will inspire me to do some new work as I have been wanting to move for a while now. The next post may be full of lovely scenery and dry stone walls.

I have made a few things this year with the first pieces being inspired by a workshop with Jane Clark on Indian inspired textiles. I made a wall hanging for my new house which is 1 m across so should look great on a pole behind the sofa. It is a patchwork of 'Bollywood' fabrics and photo transfer pieces with various braids and stitching.

I also made a couple of little bags using the same technique.

I went to a workshop with Alysn Midglow Marsden at the Embroiderer's Guild and we made a 3 sided gambler's purse which took quite a while to make but appealed to my love of bling. It is made from Angelina fibre worked on water soluble film with added sequins.

At Hardingham Textile Group we had a workshop with Pauline Wrighton earlier in the year and I made a couple of framed pieces of encrusted stitch which I enjoyed doing as it was very textural. 

I have always enjoyed felting but up to now never really tried Nuno which is felting wool through silk which makes it crinkle nicely. This works best with chiffon which I will be trying next but so far I have experimented with a piece of dyed silk and am now working on a silk scarf which still needs to be cut through, stitched and beaded.

This piece is finished and although only an experiment could easily be framed. The piece below needs cutting through and beading and when finished I will post the result.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hardingham Group next project.

I am going to try and post more often now that the exhibition is over and thought I would share the design ideas for my next project. We are doing interpretation of an artist and my first thoughts were a framed piece on Monet but that really has been done to death so had a rethink.

Next I considered making a bag as I haven't made one for a while and was initially drawn to Klimt as I do like a bit of bling and this is still a consideration but have been drawn to a painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti who was a member of the Pre-Raphelites.

There was a drama about the Pre-Raphelites on TV a while ago with Aidan Turner playing Rossetti and he is so gorgeous this may have influenced me slightly. He is probably better known for his role in Being Human in which he plays a vampire and recently as a dwarf in the Hobbit.

However we digress. The painting I intend to base my bag on is The Day Dream 1880 which shows William Morris's wife who he was in love with.

 

Not sure how I am going to to do it yet but thought I would use green silk dupion with some trailing rouleaux and leaves. I highly recommend Embroidered Originals by Sue Rangeley which features some beautiful bags with flowers. More to follow on this project.

Hardingham Textile Exhibition 2013 part 2

Above photos of our endless seascape

Dyed and free machined scarves

Pieces donated by members and sold for group funds

Christmas challenge

Metal work

Manipulated fabric and other work

Hardingham Textile Exhibition 2013

It is the last day of the Hardingham Textile Group's exhibition today and has been rather an exhausting week with setting up and stewarding and I'll be glad to get back to normal next week. Some of the exhibits are shown below.

A selection of my work apart from the poppy box which is Steph's

Lynn's lovely metal piece which wasn't for sale which is a pity.

The preview evening

Setting up the goldwork

Etui boxes

Stitching on felt

More stitching on felt