Royal Progress....

I am so pleased with the progress on Royal #1 Pomegranate. It has been such a pleasure to stitch and I am enjoying the colour combinations..... especially the leaves on the right hand side! I have to get a wiggle on though as the exhibition I want to put this in is only a few weeks away...! 

I 

 ROYAL POMEGRANATE #1

MOSTLY COMMERCIAL PRINTED FABRIC WITH SOME HAND DYED FABRIC (VINTAGE LINEN AND COTTON) AND UPCYCLED CLOTHING....

DETAIL  

RAW AND TURNED EDGE APPLIQUED LEAVES

SPOTTY DAISIES

COMMERCIAL PRINTED POLKA DOT FABRIC WITH STITCHED DAISY CENTRES AND LEAVES. SEED STITCH LEAVES.

Another New Beginning....

So, the house is half packed up ready for my next move and yet somehow I find the time to stitch. It's such a necessity for me.

Stitching = Destressing + Creativity = Sanity

Hand dyed linen and silk; definitely landscape inspired. More to come once the move is complete: a little closer to Christmas.

Upcycled Brooches!

I’ve been working away madly making clothes for an upcycled fashion parade to be held locally this weekend! A friend and I have got together and are just having so much fun altering clothes; cutting bits off and joining things back together again. We’ve made some amazing creations and some wonderfully wearable looks too…!

I’ve just finished some upcycled brooches to add to our stall on the night. These have been great fun to make. Until I learn how to collage all 5 images into one; I’ll have to load all 5 separately!

I made these with leftover portions of doileys, stacked circles of fabric (dyed vintage linens & fabric scraps) from the upcycled sewing frenzy here in the studio. I then free motion stitched over the whole lot; added some tails and a little hand embroidery. I stitched a simple brooch pin on the back to finish....

They look quite quirky - and I like quirky!

Click on photos for more detail!

Any guesses...?

Still not a pumpkin.... busy working away at my challenge piece. Can you believe I've already run out of beads and have had to order some from the States! I hope they arrive in time for me to finish this piece as I really want to enter something! i have spent many hours beading already - mostly keeping hubby company as he watches TV!

Bottom view! Not a pumpkin!

Detail; Not a pumpkin.

I've finally finished My Flaming Heart piece! I added text, some recycled sari silk ribbon and vintage doilies to the clouds and edges. I'm happy with how it turned out and am itching to frame it! That's the only problem with working as a framer.... I want to frame EVERYTHING!!!!

Finally finished! My Flaming Heart

Detail: My Flaming Heart - Vintage doiley pieces as clouds, backstitch text, recycled sari silk ribbon

Detail: My Flaming Heart - Beading

Working on some other things too... which I'll show progress on gradually!

COLOUR as a form of JOY!!!!!!!!!

Oh, JOY! Look at these colours!

Fibre active dyes on vintage cotton

Low immersion dyeing

I finally stopped procrastinating and ordered some Procion MX fibre reactive dyes online. Out of the 8 colours I wanted; the first place I tried could only fill 4. Gladly they posted them the same day and they turned up here Friday! (We only get post delivered 3 times a week so this was even more of a wonderful surprise!)

Soooo, after dinner; whilst everyone else was busy I decided to have a little play! I'm so excited by the results! It's something I've wanted to do for a long time. I am amazed at the brightness of the colours and after I've been through the bright pure colour phase I'm sure I will love coming up with my own blends!

A little bit of shibori.... First on a silk scarf...

Shibori Silk Scarf

.....then on a piece of vintage cotton which I scrunched onto a plastic tube (again something I've always wanted to try!)

Shibori Cotton

I adore how the colours have blended together in places and the scale shapes from the scrunching!

I've also made some progress on my Flaming Heart piece this week; adding beads... I'm also experimenting with ways to depict clouds...

Flaming Heart - beading detail

and....... I just wanted to share this gorgeous op shop find. It is the most beautifully embroidered Chinese jacket. I originally bought it to cut up... but on closer inspection I don't think I will be able to bring myself to! The embroidery is to die for..... I'm not sure whether to get it dry cleaned or wash it myself... One pocket is badly ripped; so will need a lot of attention. Also, a number of the original toggles at the front are unravelled... so I'll have to learn how to stitch them back down. It would make an exquisite evening jacket..... the label looks as if it is about a 1950's vintage.

It is just so beautiful....

Vintage Chinese Embroidered Jacket - back view

The green and blue dyes should arrive from a little further afield on Monday! I can't wait to try them out! Happy days!

of Threads of Life......

I’ve finished ‘Adorn’! I moved a few elements around and am even happier with it now…!

Adorn

Threads of the Past

detail

Adorn

Threads of the Past

I’m entering a couple of pastel paintings and ‘My Tree of Life’ textile piece (that I started in Jude Hill’s SpiritCloth online workshop) into a local exhibition. I managed to get the textile piece framed just in time! I absolutely looove how it turned out… that timber frame is just perfect... I used spacers so the glass wasn’t sitting directly on the fabric. I need to take it in tomorrow... but I like where I have it hanging at home....

I will frame 'Adorn' similarly...

Adorn

This is what I've been working on most of today... Quite unlike anything I've ever done but I have to say it's been very enjoyable to play with!

Adorn

Textile Collage

It won't be mounted on black; that's a piece of black foam core board I use as a mobile design wall!!! I have several of them and they are often full on both sides with Works In Progress!

This piece includes all sorts of vintage and found textiles and bits and pieces! There is a piece of upholstery fabric and trim; some of the onion dyed linen and cotton from the other day; some crotched edges from the tiger lily doiley of Flaming Heart fame..., vintage buttons, organza, pink damask (gifted from Lynda), vintage bead set, beaded sari organza, a little onion dyed stuffed flannel heart and the stamped word 'Adorn'- still to be attached. I will mount this either onto a stretched canvas or mat board to frame under glass.

Such fun to make! (Back to work tomorrow-but how lucky am I to have had a full day playing) Dinner guest tonight; so had better get to the kitchen!

What was I thinking...?

Truly, what was I thinking? I’m part way through this Flaming Heart piece and only now do I question WHY AM I WORKING ON WHITE CLOTH?

Lynda and I got together for another art day yesterday and had a couple of dyebaths on the stove whilst we worked away at other things. I am so pleased with the outcome [ always am :) ] Here are the results of the Onion Skin bath; mostly cotton and linen… and mostly vintage or found textiles! Love that old linen teatowel and the spots and rings that became visible after dyeing!

Onion Skin Dyed Fabrics

This is the simple Dylon Jeans Blue bath results. We tied the pieces with rubberbands as we wanted variegated colour not solid colour. Great results; great future sky pieces…. So again, remind me why I’m working on white? I think I’ll have to either paint or appliqué a background onto my Flaming Heart piece!!!!

Dylon Dyebath results

We played around with the gouache and indian ink wash off technique that I’ve tried before. The results weren’t totally successful and I’m blaming it on poor quality materials! I used an inferior brand of gouache which didn’t wash off the paper as should have happened. Consequently my whites are bright white not the soft sepia they should have been. Also, I rubbed a little hard trying to remove the gouache and have torn the paper….. Mmmmm should have known better!!!

Gouache and Indian Ink wash off technique

Tree of Life

Detail

Oh, and a last minute piece of discharged linen! Yuuuummmmm, look at those gorgeous organic shapes! Can't wait to stitch back into this!!

Studio Day.........March Progress

I spent a day in the studio with an artist friend yesterday; we did some monoprinting and discharge dyeing – We probably didn’t’ achieve half as much as we’d hoped but had a fun day! Thanks Lynda! She’s very talented! You can find her new blog here….

Simple Monoprinting on book pages and over the top of an old lino print.

Some discharge dyeing on black cotton.

We used foam and wood blocks to stamp on the bleach.

Progress on my Flaming Heart piece. I've used variegated DMC stranded cotton to outline the tiger lily flames! (From an upcycled vintage doiley)

28 Days has February...

Yay, another day off of work – hopefully this will continue to be a weekly occurrence! I am so enjoying being able to do stuff apart from work and household chores!

Last Monday I bought some bits and pieces of patchwork fabric and also some op shop finds- vintage doileys and linen mostly! I started 2 new pieces over the weekend using some of my new treasures – another Tree of Life - similar to the one I completed during Jude Hill’s workshop and another featuring a Sacred Heart or Flaming Heart which is a symbol that I have had in my head for a few weeks now....

February Tree of Life

WIP

Hand Pieced background (commercial cotton and vintage linen)

and appliqued tree (hand dyed vintage cotton)

I'm just loving the red of my tacking stitches against these colours so once the tree is appliqued down I think I'll be adding red leaves or other detailing to this piece..........

Flaming Heart

WIP

Vintage Embroidery on Linen and Silk Heart Applique

Don't these embroidered tiger lillies (from a vintage doiley I’ve cut up) make the most perfect flames? I'll be adding a lot more embellishment yet (maybe even beads!); and will keep posting updates!

I'll be making 2 round trips into town tonight to drop and pick up kids for their high school 'disco'!! The theme is HORROR - so some fun face painting coming up!!!!!

....of Strawberries and Cream...and Amore!

Another wonderful weekend…. Except for the heat! We had a storm come through and some welcome drops of rain early this evening but it is still warm… sleeping will be a little easier tonight though.

My Hanging Hearts have been selling well at the gallery and I’m so pleased I made the time to make another this afternoon. I’m still really enjoying these!

Strawberries and Cream

Hanging Heart

This one is made from a beautiful vintage embroidered linen cloth. I think it is crewel embroidery and the strawberries are absolutely beautifully done. The cream lace was gifted to me from a new artist friend (Hi Lynda and Thank You!) I added a few vintage buttons; some hand dyed silk organza held down with Running Stitch and just a few French Knots and Cross Stitches.

Strawberries and Cream - Detail

I really enjoy upcycling these vintage finds!

I'll leave you tonight with a couple of images of corners of our house! These are from our bedroom. The top photo is a closer representation of the colour of the walls we painted a few months ago. It is such a fabulous colour! It glows golden in the morning sunlight and is deep in the corners and shadows. I love waking up in this room! It is blissful!

Peony Roses would have to be my favourite flower- although I think I love them all. I also love oriental ceramics and I collect Fu Dogs (Temple dogs) There's a couple hiding in the greenery on this little pine table.....

Goodnight all.... and wishing you all a happy and creative week!

Her Heart - and another!

I made a couple more heart hangers over the weekend! I'm definitely addicted -for the moment anyway!

'' Hers'

This one is made of a rusted piece of embroidered linen. I added a little more embroidery, a chiffon rose and some beads I found in my stash that look a little like seed pods or shells of some sort.

Jacobean Heart

The Jacobean Heart is made from an old printed serviette that my SIL gifted me earlier in the year (they had been left in a cupboard in a house she bought!) I added running stitch embroidery, a piece of whitework with some french knots, a Tim Holtz bird stamp and some lovely mother of pearl buttons. The back is plain white; cut from the same serviette.

If I get time today, I hope to add them to my etsy store which has been sitting unused for a while!

of Flying High over a River of Tears....

I have been working away on a few things....

My Watch Me Fly cloth is complete- I think!  I’ve decided not to add a backing as I like the way the old damask linen falls. Here it is hanging in a window in my studio; I like the way the light is coming through the clouds and how the weave of the fabric is visible. I've enjoyed making this!

Watch Me Fly

This next piece is a piece of brown paper with an iron on vilene backing. The paper was crumpled and reironed giving it a wonderful texture to work with. I loved the way the light caught each crumple! This piece is inspired by my River of Tears journal pages. The photo shows some of the double page spreads from my journal photographed and printed out together.

The sequined piece that I used for the River has been in my stash forever and is originally from my Mum who was a dressmaker. The rocks at the bottom are reverse appliqued using sari fabric from yarnahoy ;the smaller rocks are made with fabric marker stitched over with straight stitch in a variegated thread. I forgot to take a photo of the finished piece... oops but I have continued the smaller round rocks along the top edge of the river and stitched orange trumpet bugle beads and a few Swarovski crystals in the river.... It all has meaning for me. I have taken the piece into work to get framed.... as I think it will work best as a framed piece. I want to experiment a little with framing some of these smaller pieces; and maybe put them in my etsy store or hang them at home!  I envisage doing a series of these....

Full Moon over the River of Tears

Finally, this is a piece of PaperCloth that I experimented with some time back. I wasn't really impressed as I think I use too much  PVA in the process of gluing tissue paper to muslin and the piece was left shiny and stiff. I had done some free motion stitching in white but then left it.

I came across it in the studio the other day and started to hand stitch into it. It really is quite brittle in places but I am loving the effect of the variegated thread stitches. I'm using a single strand of black as shadows between the flowers; sketch-like... I may end up cross hatching to make the shadows even darker. I wonder what will happen if I go over the finished piece with clear gel medium? Mmmmm...

Ranunculuses or Ranunculi

I'm so happy and excited that I'm going to be doing Jude Hill's SpiritCloth online course!

It starts in a few weeks... I've never done a course of any type online

 and look forward to learning lots and being guided by Jude!

Once upon a time there was a Dragon....

.......and now he is complete and up for sale in my Etsy store!

Green Eyed Dragon

Complete! with pashima shawl fringe

Hand dyed vintage embroidered linen backing

Hanging sleeve top left and pashima shawl fringe bottom right

Corner Detail - Double Cross and French Knot

I love the variegated thread cross stitches that fitted perfectly along the drawn thread type edging on the vintage linen.

Vintage Tie Label and Shadow work

I'm so pleased with how he turned out! The End.

of a whole studio day!

I found this small embroidery on linen at an op shop some time ago and just had to save it!

Today I threw it in the dye bath and after it was washed and dried I discharge dyed the original stitching... I love the effect!

Yay! My work hours are going to be consolidated a bit and it seems I am going to have at least a couple of days a week with no work… which means of course I can get more done at home and in the studio! Also, the total hours will be approximately the same as I have been doing but I won’t need to spend as much on petrol to get there (an 80km – 50 mile round trip) which is a bonus! Instead of 5 days part time it is going to be more like 2-3 full days.

It will definitely make me appreciate the time I do have here. So, it was down to busy-ness in here this morning and I dyed a batch of fabric with a particularly prevalent weed we have here. Again, the silk took the colour the best and adding salt at the end changed the end product from a fairly non-descript green to a mushroom pink on most fabrics. An interesting result on the linen….

I love the softness of natural dyes… I also found a piece of printed cotton that I had left in the bottom of my last onion skin dye bath. Beautiful colour! Nice effect! All rinsed and dried now.

Natural 'weed' dyeing!

 The darker pieces are silks and the others, cottons and cotton blends.

I had the dyeing bug after that and I can always find plenty of scraps to throw in around here! So, I used a commercial jeans blue dye and did some low immersion dyeing. I love the effects that I have. Again a mix of cotton, linen, silk, & cotton blends. This was my favourite piece of the day! A gorgeous piece of linen which was scrunched and retained some whites!

Low immmersion -commercial denim blue dye on linen

Various pieces of cotton, linen and blends with denim blue commercial dye- low immersion

Fire Breathing Green Eyed Dragon!

WIP - Nearing completion!

Last night saw me stitching more on my Fire Breathing Green Eyed Dragon! He is nearing completion and I was just starting to think about a backing fabric and work out how or if I’m going to bind it; when inspiration hit from a piece of blue linen I’d just dyed!

I have an old thrift store pashima shawl I dyed a few months ago that has some nice tassels so I think I’ll use that on the bottom edge…. mmmm... might need something blue along that bottom edge too...