Aboriginal Circles

I'm so excited to have finished the first of my pennants for Quilts 4 London.... that I've just started another!

I have some small pieces of contemporary aboriginal design cotton fabric which I am making into individual circle quilts about 2 " diameter. They have a plain coloured back and wool batting inside and I will quilt them individually! Then I'll slip stitch them together and join the many circles together by hand also -into a pennant shape!

Quilts 4 London Pennant #2

left:front, back and wool batting inner

right: completed circle minus quilting

That's the theory anyway! I've made 2 circles to date. I'm not sure at this stage if I will join them randomly or more likely into rows....I blogged quite recently about a circle quilt that I was going to do for the Bunbury Quilt Challenge. (I haven't actually started that yet but I'm stealing my design idea for this more managable sized project!)

I had fun making felt again today. It was supposed to be nuno felt but the beautiful peacock blue silk I used as the base fabric was too finely woven so I didn't get the lovely bubbly effect I did on my previous piece. (It's good to experiment, right?) Still, I 'm happy with the design (It's for an online challenge at Hand Embroidery Network . The challenge theme is Winter Wonderland) It's turned out pretty well exactly as I designed it in my sketchbook. Now I'll be embellishing it with embroidery.....

Sketchbook design

Wool fibres laid out ready to felt

Fibres wetted and felting process started

Felted and embroidery embellishment started

I just love the uneven edges. I added glitter to the fibre before felting and was going to embroider a huge snowflake over the entire scene but I'm not so sure about that now.

I've been playing with a few other things too (as usual!)

Here is a piece of rusted watercolour paper which I am very pleased with. I want to stitch or draw into the image.....

Rusted Paper

I dyed these scraps of fabric and I think they work perfectly with these pieces of hand dyed lace I was gifted from my ex MIL many years ago!

Hand dyed fabric and lace

I want to apologise for the links not working on my blog. Even the one's that were working don't seem to be working now! I've tried to edit posts and fix the problem but I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong! It seems to be a basic and simple thing to add a link but they just aren't linking through to the websites. Any hints will be gratefully accepted!

3 Bags Full!

Yay! I’ve finally completed my first pennant for Quilts 4 London! (As Australian Coordinator I thought it was high time I got this completed and added onto the Quilts 4 London website) I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out!

'Chains of Ponds'

Pennant

I have added a hanging sleeve to the back but not the label yet as I will print out a few at a time onto Inkjet Fabric. There are many hours of linen french knots embellishing a discharge dyed background. I also used fabric paint. I have blogged about the process previously, so if you're interested please go back to the last few months of my blog!

Detail of embroidery and binding

Detail of backing fabric and binding

The objective of Quilts 4 London is to make a pennant (a mini journal/art quilt in any textile medium) to present to each participant at the 2012 London Olympic Games. I thought this was such a wonderful idea when I came across it that I knew I wanted to be involved!

There are instructions for making a pennant on the website if you’d like to participate as well as a gallery of completed pennants, and lots of useful links. Email me if you live in Australia and have any questions or admin if you live elsewhere.

Edited to add website (as these links may not be working.....)  www.quilts4london.org.uk  Just cut and paste into your browser.

On a completely different note; I got my sheep shorn today- all 6 of them! The weather has been around the 40deg C (about 100deg F) mark for about a week now with little relief and I’ve felt so sorry for the larger ewes who were carrying a lot of wool. I managed to track down a portable shearer and now have 3 bags full of wool! (Well, 2 ½ anyway; so I have more than enough to play around with!)

I want to teach myself to spin first and I also want to make felt using the natural colours (I have black, silver and a couple of fleeces that are tri coloured!).

Now, I need to find some carding combs!

Cycles of Life.............

Sadly, one of my alpacas died today. Her name was Prima Donna (Donna for short), she had been brain damaged at birth. -She was 5 1/2 years old. (We were gifted her when we picked up the other girls from the breeder- it wasn’t a hard decision to make to accept her!) She walked with a bit of a stiff legged gait and wasn't as agile as the other girls but she was so sweet. She was a bit doddery and wobbled her head around a bit at times; I don't think her eyesight was particularly good either. I called her Ditzy Donna and she was always a bit of a special girl...

The vet and I moved her into the shade but the heat today- at least 38degC (100degF)- took her quickly even after the vet did what vets do.
I don’t have a photo of her to post here. We lost some photos earlier in the year with a computer crash but look what I found in a native frangipani tree close to their paddock…. 3 bubby Willy Wag-Tails in the cutest nest - with Mum and Dad dive bombing me as I got too close! (Hence the photo quality!)

Cycles of life……….

It's definitely finished this time....!

So, here is the Pear collage again! This time it is definitely finished! I fixed the centre top section that was annoying me and am so much happier with it now!

Pear on Saucer

Collage

Pear on Saucer

Collage, Detail

I'm so completely enamoured with this technique that I've started the background for the next one already! Again, this is on stretched canvas which I'm finding to be a perfect substrate; I've had this circular canvas sitting around for a while now............

New Collage, WIP

Here is this gorgeous piece of Nuno Felt! I'm enjoying stitching into it and because of it's thickness and texture and double sided-ness I can stitch different embroidery on front and back! I'm not planning at all - just going with the flow...............the best sort of art!

Nuno Felt

Back

Nuno Felt

Front

And here is the progress on the Olympic Pennant! Those French Knots are coming along......

Olympic Pennant

Chain of Ponds

Detail

I really like how this is turning out! For more information on the Pennants for the 2012 Olympic Athletes go to Quilts4London. Click here to add the banner and link to your blog or website! For information for Australian participation contact me at: Sandi

Nuno Felt Experiment!

OMG! I had a great deal of fun this afternoon making nuno felt! This is my first time ever making felt and I think I'll be hooked on this too! There is a great tutorial here.

Nuno felting is a form of wet felting whereby an inner or base layer is used. When the wool shrinks with the application of hot soapy water and friction, the base fabric puckers up forming wonderful texture!

I used a synthetic organza (not recommended as the wool doesn't adhere to it as well as to cotton or silk) but as I made my wee piece double sided (I added wool to both sides of the base fabric and the fibres knitted together through the organza) it seems to be holding together ok....

You can also leave some of the base fabric visible to add colour to your design. Being my first time I didn't want to risk making the felt too thin!

Nuno Felting

Experimental Piece (Back)

Nuno Felting

(Front)

I almost like the 'back' better as it has more colour variation. The ginger colour is coming through from the front around the edges and a ghost of the black dots too. The purple/blue organza is visible near the edge also.

I can't wait to start stitching into this and seeing where it takes me!

Pear on Saucer Collage Update

Here is an update of the collage I started yesterday. I think it's finished except the dark patch in the upper centre is annoying me. The tones aren't perfect but it is already at least 2 layers thick in most places and I don't want to play around with it too much more! For the most part I like it and can see myself doing more!

Pear on Saucer

Collage on Stretched Canvas

30cm x 30cm (12" x 12")

Next time I will do an under painting (either of the design or a graded or flat colour to help tie everthing together) I used a tiny bit of blue tissue in the shadows on this but found it really hard to cover it up entirely. I need to think about backgrounds before I start glueing too! Lots learnt and a very enjoyable exercise overall... nothing like ripping and sticking!

November WIP, Collage Inspiration

I'm working on so many different things at the moment and not feeling disjointed about it! I'm actually enjoying the contrasts and similarities between the different genres as I work between them!

2012 Olympic Pennant :Quilts 4 London

I'm working away at my Australian Pennant; Chain of Ponds

WIP- 'Chain of Ponds' Pennant.

Sampler at top, Binding Fabric top right and Backing Fabric bottom right

WIP- 'Chain of Ponds' Pennant

Detail showing French Knots

Journal Pages

I'm still enjoying working on my 'River of Tears' (divorce) journal. I'm impatient to start a new artist's journal but want to get these existing journals finished first! [I know myself just a little too well! Once I start the new one these won't get a look in!]

'River of Tears' Journal

All that remains... Blue tissue paper, white tissue, and threads from the small container I use as a mini bin on my sewing trestle (Of course I don't throw the threads away - I knew I'd find a use for them!), tiny lettering stickers

Starting a new life from the threads of my old life... Red tissue paper, white tissue, stickers and threads...

Original Entry reads:

Thursday 6.25am 28th Feb 2002  A sunrise is the promise of a new beginning - maybe that's why I enjoy them so much!

Collage on Stretched Canvas

WIP Pear

This has got to be the most monotoned piece of work I have ever done!!!! I have a little more tweaking of tones on top of the pear but think I'll get the basics in first. Since I took this photo this morning I have put in some lower background. I have been playing around with collage for a little while now and remember doing some with just coloured tissue paper at an art class I went to in NZ (about 15 years ago!)

I am trying to exclusively use the rusted papers I made with an art friend last week.; hoping that the colours will help to unify the whole. I am loving the process. I'm using Impasto Gel Medium instead of the PVA I've used previously and am loving it!

I want to share the most amazing collage work with you:! The artist is Elizabeth St Hilaire Nelson (click to link to her blog) Here is a link to her Gallery. Her work is amazing and so inspirational!

Dry Felting (Needle Felting)

I've seen this mentioned in articles and tried looking up the technique on the net a few times - even tried to find the felting needles at the local craft shop (to no avail). A couple of days ago I had to get some more linen thread for my pennant and was adament I wasn't going to look at anything else! Well I ducked down an aisle to get to the checkout and what did I find? Dry felting needles (one size only) and merino tops etc... Well, I did what any other hot blooded artist would do... I succumbed!

Now, you're not to laugh.. here's my first attempt. The base is a piece of tannin dyed recycled felt, the pot is a piece of the same, undyed, the tree is made up of two colours of merino roving -the cream was very cleverly felted into a spiral (TIC)- which can no longer be seen! I sewed on buttons and embroidered a trunk and leaves... I know. It's a bit twicky twee but was just a trial to see how the needle thingy worked! I think I'm going to like this! Must hurry up and find a shearer for my sheep (6) and alpacas (3)!

I need more colours and more techniques... OOOooohhhh I'm going to love this!

First Attempt at Needle Felting!

Back to 'work'! ; )