Drought, What drought?

Really wish it would stop raining although I know we need the water. The grass needs cutting badly and its so cold.

Had a day representing the Hardingham Textile Group at the Flower Festival yesterday. It was a long, cold day in a marquee with very few visitors but got some very positive comments and it would have been a lovely spot if the weather had been better. The church was beautiful and just the sort of place to go sketching.  Should have taken some pictures of the church.

Never mind a good excuse to stay in the warm and make things.

Been making more books using muslin paper and embellished felt.

These were filled with matching paper made from lining paper and could be used for sticking pictures etc in.

Covered with felt made on the embellisher.

Also made a few more mobile phone cases, two in the same technique as I use on my purses and two with Suffolk puffs which I think are very pretty. Might put some of these onto lavender bags and purses.

Little boxes

As promised a picture of some boxes I've just finished. They are 3 inches square ( sorry for those that work in metric ) and made from pelmet vilene, with transfoil and tissue bonded onto it before a coat of pva and acrylic wax. The embossed metal has been aged by using embossing powder and of course couldn't make one without my usual dragonfly.

First post 2012

Can't believe I haven't posted at all this year but hate the winter and don't feel inspired to do anything much. However today is a glorious day and it even makes me feel like cleaning...or maybe I'm just sickening for something.

The winter wasn't entirely wasted as I've been making a few brooches and had a day with the WI on Saturday showing them how to make the large flower ones. It was a very enjoyable day and they nearly all finished one. I had to prepare all the fabric backgrounds as it takes ages to do and consists of a layer of velvet, batik and merino wool all embellished together on my embellisher.

The brooches below have some of my glitzy fabrics and hand stitching on.

At my Monday textile group we have been making muslin paper which consists of a layer of muslin and crumpled tissue with lots of PVA. There are other versions which use transfoil and I have used this to make some boxes which I'll show in the next blog as I am finishing them off. I have however covered an address book with the original method and added a metal leaf for effect.

Christmas Challenge Results

Further to the pictures of my box which was to be entered for the Christmas Challenge here are the entries for it. We are a small group with not everyone entering.

I'm really delighted to say that my box won first prize and I received some lovely threads and beads as the result. 

Hardly a test of my skill amongst such a small number of entries but still not bad for someone who hated sewing all their life, gave it up in the second year of high school back in the dark ages to take up cookery  and who in April 2009 was looking on Youtube to find out how to thread a sewing machine.

Latest ramblings

Finally finished my craft fairs for this year, bit of a relief really as the house is a bit of a tip after spending so much time sewing but there are more exciting things to do than housework. Need to think of some new lines for next year but my first craft fair isn't until Easter so there is plenty of time but feel free to send me any ideas you have as its great to get feedback.

Getting on with my last project for the City and Guilds on walls. Had a bit of a writers block on the subject at first but the ideas are starting to flow in and think I've decided what to make for it. Need to do some background work and experiments first though and probably won't get round to making it until after Christmas but the last day of the course is 11th January so need to get on with it.

The Christmas Challenge is going to be judged by the chairman of the Embroiderers Guild on Monday so fingers crossed.

Just made a box as part of my daughter in law to be's present. I was lucky enough to find a beautiful triple dyed Batik with butterflies on and used it as my inspiration.

That's it for now, happy crafting.

Christmas Challenge 'The Essence of Winter Part 2'

In a previous post I showed my challenge for the textile group I go to but decided it didn't really meet the criteria of 'a substantial amount of couching' so decided to make something else and as I haven't made many boxes went for that.

It is made from felt and pelmet vilene with couched threads, organza leaves and has been lined with a wintery type fabric. The work is being judged by the chairman of the Embroiderers Guild in Norwich so I am a bit nervous as she is going to leave constructive criticism.

"All That Glistens"

I'm a bit of a closet Bollywood fan, not the singing but the fabrics and saris they wear. I love sparkly things and think over the winter I'll start experimenting with new designs to incorporate some of the fabrics I got this week from Ivy House Studio. Now I'm going to bore you with them and will show you what I create at a later date.