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!

Watch Me FLY!

Just a quick post... have been absent from blogland for a bit. Work… Visitors…. Family…. Real life

I completed the pieced top for the Hubble’s quilt. It looks amazing and is HUGE! Well, larger than anything I’ve made before... 2.5m x 2.3m! It’s off to the quilting lady tomorrow!

I’ve also been working on ‘Heart with Wings’ … It’s actual title is “WATCH ME FLY’ . This comes from my journal of 8 or so years ago when I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life…. I used the journal to vent and then gradually through the course of an entry I would get more and more positive until I came out of the other end happier; if not, more understanding and accepting of the place I was and of the feelings I was having…… It served me well... This piece represents me rising above and overcoming the situation I was in.

...of Flying Hearts and Heartfelt Quilts

Busy, Busy Busy!

I’ve been racing around like a mad chook! I have house guests arriving today (my brother, his wife and 3 kiddies). They are staying for Easter and I’m so looking forward to catching up as it’s been at least 18 months since we’ve all seen each other….

So, housework has been on the agenda. (Not my favourite past-time)… and as much as I say to myself ‘They’ll just have to take us as we are’…. Part of me wants to have the place looking at least respectable! So……….Blah! Nearly done now; hopefully I'll even get a bit of stitching done before they arrive!

Besides that; I’ve got my new car! Oh joy, it’s divine and I love it!

Heart with Wings (Working Title)

Detail

I’ve been working on the Flying Heart piece… It’s grown somewhat and I made a new Heart with Wings as the other one is too small now! (I’ll use it somewhere else I’m sure!) It’s mostly an evening stitching project and is coming along quite quickly.

Heart with Wings - Whole piece

Now reorientated so there is more sky at the top!

Heart with Wings WIP

Also, it’s hubble’s 50 birthday in July and I want to finish a quilt for him. I started it nearly 2 years ago and haven’t even looked at it for probably more than a year! He keeps hinting though… and I’d love to have it done for him. In the six years we've been together the only thing I've ever made him is a pair of boxers! 

Jon's Quilt

WIP 36 blocks done-only 74 to go!

Kaffe Fasset Venetian Tile Quilt Design

The quilt is TRADITIONAL! …a gorgeous Kaffe Fassett design. The only traditional quilts I have ever made were a Log Cabin baby quilt for dear friends about 15 years ago and another Kaffe Fassett top that hangs unfinished on an old ladder in my dining room! It’s a lattice design and I love it but just haven’t got around to putting on the border and finishing it!

Unfinished Quilt Top

Kaffe Fassett Lattice Quilt Design

I have found a fairly local lady who quilts professionally and I will be taking Jon’s quilt to her once I’ve finished piecing. I’ve struggled with a square metre sized quilt under my sewing machine; I can only imagine how much fun I would have trying to machine quilt this huge piece! I would love to hand quilt it for him but I imagine he wouldn’t actually receive it until he was closer to 90! Maybe I could start another for him that I can hand stitch……. Now that I have a deadline to work toward to get it to the quilting lady…; I’m a little possessed! I need to make up 2.6 blocks per day! So far I’m averaging that! … I hope I can duck away to the studio for some sanity and stitching whilst my visitors are here….!   ; )