E17 Art Trail

Well the Art Trail is over for another year but it has been an exciting, as well as a tiring couple of weekends - but I must admit to looking forward to doing it all again next year!

I took part in a group show with a number of other designers, the main other ones being Harriet Hammel, soft scupltures, and Elizabeth Pell, paintings. Although I didn't sell anything I got a lot of positive feedback about my work and in particular was invited to submit some work to another up-coming exhibition at "The Mill" , a local community base that hosts exhibitions as part of his work and also to take part in their Christmas Craft fair.

Back home, and back to the day job, my current projects are a small pieced quilt based on a design from Barbara Chainey's book Fast Quilts from Fat Quarters and some of the fabrics I dyed at the Festival of Quilts, and then a Gold Altar Frontal for my local church. - Oh and some items to sell at the Christmas Craft Fair. Should keep me busy!
And here are some pics.

Painting by Elizabeth Pell and the Right Reverend Mother by Harriet Hammell

My Autumn Glow quilt and another of Elizabeth's wonderful paintings

Two of my pieces in the foreground looking to the back of the church.

More of Harriet's amazing soft sculptures - the detail she puts into these is incredible.
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Kindle and Festival of Quilts

I've been wanting to make a kindle cover for some time and now I have finally managed to do it. I've used a whole range of appliqué techniques and what seems to be one of  my "trademark"  fabrics, organza. There are four layers of appliqué in the finished piece - layered and cut into organza, Lutrador which I coloured with inktense pencils, stitched on to black cotton and cut away using a fabric soldering iron and then some of the pieces which were cut away were stitched back on, polyester dupion, lame and sparkly tulle which was over-stitched and then distressed using a heat gun, and finally icicles which were made from organza laid over lame.

Lots of layers, lots of stitching, and lots of texture! To line it I used a piece of self dyed shibori fabric which I dyed using woad which gives a lovely pastel blue.

I had a great time at the Festival of Quilts last week and especially enjoyed the three day masterclass taught by Jo Lovelock in which she taught a whole range of ways of dyeing fabric. It was quite hard work at times with lots of fabric which needed to be rinsed by hand and also some methods which involved having to agitate buckets of fabric for up to 10 minutes at a time. Amongst the most useful techniques taught were ones which enabled us to produce pieces of fabrics which shared gradations of colour within a family or with gradations of shades and colours. We were encouraged to mix colours and over dye fabrics and shown how to get texture into our fabric and to think about how to place colours to get different effects. Now all i have to do is sew it! Watch this space - I don't think I'll be buying any fabric for quite a while.

Fuschias

In some of my previous posts I have included pictures of pots/candle holders I have made using organza, dissolvable film and stitch. For some time I had thought about using this technique to make some hanging flowers - specifically fuschias as I love their colours. I had a suitable stand but not the correct shape glass to use as a mould. However when shopping in Sainsbury's a few weeks ago I came across some tumblers which were the shape and size I had been looking for and so I was able to start work - though still unsure about exactly how I was going to make the flowers - especially the outer petals.

I used the normal technique for the inner petals but cut the film to a circular shape to get a more regular edge.  Once these were completed I cut a paper template for the outer petals and then again used  the same mould - but allowed for an overlap so I could fit them over the inner petals. This worked and I carefully moulded the petals so they had the curve I wanted. After beading them I secured the two layers together with beads and stitching and then made beaded loops to hang each flower.

I'm really pleased with how these have come out - think I will have to try some snowdrops next.

Catching up

Well one of the joys of being on holiday is that I can catch up both with friends and also with sewing!
In terms of catching up with friends I had a lovely day last week with my friend Shirley and finally delivered her birthday present - "Shirley's birthday bouquet"
Here are a couple of pictures - the background is made from part of a jelly roll - cream patterns with gold highlights which I quilted with a feather filler design and then appliquéd lilies made from raw silk.

I'm taking part in the E17 Art trail this year so as well as asking Shirley if I can borrow this piece back I thought I ought to make a couple of new pieces. I had a very bright jelly roll which I bought last year which I had been wanting to use for some time and was inspired by the hot week we had at the start of the summer holidays to make this piece "Feeling hot, hot, hot"

I think it is clear what I meant by it being bright! To make the centre section stand out more I used two layers of wadding for this section and quilted it with a "flame" design and then quilted the remainder with a closer stitched filler pattern.

My final piece of catching up has been with my City and Guilds - I made myself get on with making up samples (my least favourite part it has to be said) and completed module 8 so that's been sent off and I'm waiting for feedback on my accessory design - it has to be said that the opportunity to go shopping for materials at the FOQ next week was an incentive to get on with the design of that.

Baptism stole number two

Well I have finished the second of the stoles my sister asked me to make - and while it is again a Baptism stole the finished design is very different! Here is the finished stole

As before a step by step run through how I made it as I have had positive feedback from people who like these.

This was the starting design - the Priest who the stole is for has this on her visiting card and has wanted a stole made with this design for sometime. The PDF she sent me was very small and I couldn't enlarge it so I printed it off and photographed it.

I printed the design onto fabric,  roughly cut out the figures and then used temporary spray glue to apply to a backing. I then used a fine tight zig-zag around the edge and used straight stitch for the details in matching rayon threads. Once this was done I carefully trimmed around the edges.

To give further stability I backed the whole thing with calico - I could have put it straight onto the white backing but was afraid of it getting dirty/grubby. Another option would have been to use a tearaway stabiliser but for what I was making calico was fine as it gave extra body. I used a variegated cotton thread and an appliqué stitch which varies in width to follow clouds/tree shapes in the upper background. I then trimmed away the excess fabric. I then stitched "waves" across the bottom section again using a variegated thread, roughly following the print. To make the fish I used Angelina fibres, fused them, cut small fish shapes, and stitched around them with a straight stitch and then carefully pressed them again - remembering to use baking parchment to protect the iron. I again found spraying them with the temporary adhesive helpful as I could arrange them first and they were then help in place while I stitched them.

The final picture here shows the "fishing net" I stitched this using a lighter tone of blue thread - a rayon again this time and used triple stitch to give more substance to the net so it would show up.

I then assembled the stole - finished! Here are a couple of detailed images of the finished design.

I'm pleased with it - I just hope that the recipient is when she receives it.

Finished piece and next steps

 I have finished the first of my two Baptism stoles. In my last post I included the design so now for some step-by-step photos.

This shows the organza layered up between two pieces of Romeo dis-solvable film. I used three wide strips as the base then layered up with strips and pieces of organza before a final piece to cover the whole thing. I shaded it from dark to light. The film holds the organza sandwich together and gives it more body thus making sewing easier and meaning there is no need to use an embroidery frame.

I then stitched across in "waves" again shading the threads from dark to light as I went up. I then washed away the film and let the piece dry flat. I had originally planned to cut into the top layer of the organza to reveal the layers beneath but I liked the way the colours blended into each other and that it had a real feel of water to it.  The next step was to cut the piece in half and use the stole pattern I had made to ensure I allowed both for the shape and for a seam allowance. 

The pins in this are there to hold the organza layer in place on the main fabric - a polyester dupion. I stitched across the top with a tight zig-zag to neaten it and to hold it in place. Once this was done I embellished it with beading - again shading these from dark to light.

One side of the completed stole - it is interlined with firm vilene and then lined with white cotton.
Here are a couple of other pictures.

I am pleased with how this has come out. It has also given me some new ideas for how I could organza to make a background for quilting!


Well I'm just keeping my fingers crossed at present - and not only because I've got to take my sewing machine in for repair. I have registered with the E17 Art Trail in my own right and I think I'm happy with what I've written as my "artist's statement" - very hard as I didn't want it too sound too over the top and become pretentious! Still I have got some time to edit it so I will probably send it to a friend or two who I can trust for constructive - but kind feedback! I have also entered three pieces into a local show "Soft" so it's fingers crossed to see if any/all get selected. Very scary as it's the first time my pieces will be "judged" by someone I don't know. Still with the month I've had so far I need something positive. 


My machine? Well I cleaned it, put in a new needle and started quilting Shirley's birthday quilt - feathers all going well when suddenly - the needle breaks. Not a disaster in itself but part of the needle seems to have lost inside the machine - so I really don't want to use it and risk doing damage! Next job - find a repair shop! - And then some hand projects! 

Feathers and Ferret

Great day on a free machine quilting workshop taught by Ferret who is one of my quilting heroes! I'd been looking forward to this workshop for ages as I did her Machine quilting part one workshop about 18 months ago and learnt a lot on that. Once again we were shown a whole range of patterns and while encouraged to try them all were also reminded that we all have our preferred designs that suit us and that we feel comfortable with.
To start off with we stitched flowers, hearts, pebbles, and then leaves and mussel shells.

We then moved on to the notorious feathers! We were shown a number of ways of sewing these and warned not to expect results first time. This was when I began to feel rather embarrassed as mine went well from the start!

Apart from not managing to fill a square I found feathers in general fun to do and enjoyed trying out all the different versions we were given.

I love the peacock feathers at the bottom and I'm now thinking about how I can get feathers into my next quilt.

At this stage Ferret announced to everyone else about me that "It's official, I hate her!" I feel so proud!!!

Baptism, birds and bank holiday

Well I have finished the first of the bank holiday tasks I set myself which was to work on the design for the Baptism stole my sister has commissioned. I had spent a long time trying out different ideas, googling images for Baptism symbols before realising that I was in danger of over complicating it and that my sister had given me my starting point when she talked about watery shades of blue.
My first idea was to use a technique I used a few years ago when I made a purple stole for a relative's ordination present. Shades of blue fabric, cut into random and variable width strips and layered up using a rough edge technique before stitching in vertical lines with a metallic thread.

I still wasn't happy and then remembered the technique I learnt a month or two ago using layer organza and which I used to make this picture.

I felt this would work very well as I love the way you can layer up and then stitch back the organza to reveal different shades and that I could achieve the shades and movement of water using this technique. I think what also prompted me to pursue this idea was that this time I was designing for a Woman Priest and so I felt that organza would also produce something more delicate.

As I was going to use organza I decided that instead of using paints or coloured pencils to work out my ideas I would use a tissue paper collage to explore they way the layers of colour work with and change each other.

I then added small seed and bugle beads in blues, greens and silver to add texture and also to suggest light sparkling on the water. - Though this has not photographed quite as well.

In the actual design the beads at the bottom are darker and well scattered and they gradually get lighter through to silvery seed beads at the top which are also closer together.

I now just need to see if my sister is happy and then work out my shopping list/costs.

As for birds well I made 4 sets of small fabric birds in jubilee themed fabrics and sold them all at school on Friday for £5.00 and I have requests for more as well as for a cushion in the same fabrics so I need to get busy on some more to take in next week.

Well at least I have plenty to keep me busy indoors as with the weather as it is I don't think I'll be out gardening tomorrow!

What a week.

Well it's been an emotional week all in all - starting with the excitement of my first Etsy sale, small but it's a start and finishing, sadly with having to have my lovely cat, Grace put to sleep due to kidney failure. What with the return to work and some emotional things to have to deal with there as well as feeling off colour myself I didn't feel up to any sewing that was too intense or heavy so instead had fun using up some of my scraps to make a couple of cushion covers for my shop.
One uses jelly roll strips and some of the fabrics left over from my sister's quilt.

And a detail to show the decorative stitching over the seams

I had to put in a seam running diagonally due to the amount of fabric and the length of the strips.

The other cushion is smaller and uses some of the left over fabrics from the cushions I made for Alice and Charlie. This is an appliqué cushion - I applied bondaweb to the back of the pieces and  drew around a template to get the circles and then ironed them in place before stitching around them.

I've decided that it will also be topical to make some small pieces - birds and possibly some cushions using some London/Jubilee themed fabrics so I've started making some birds before thinking about cushion designs.

My other project to get started on is designing the first of my commissions from my sister for a Baptism Stole - designing that will be a good excuse to get the coloured pencils and watercolours out and should be therapeutic - just what I need.

Jenny's Quilt

Delivered this last week and I'm now feeling very relieved as she was thrilled with it and described it as a future "heirloom".
So time for some pics.

When designing it I tried to make it  personal as possible so I used Jenny's favourite colours, some African fabrics as she has links with Uganda, a block design with a Celtic feel to it, and the picture in the middle is of a small statuette she gave me several years ago to reflect our relationship as sisters.

I took a photo of the statuette and then printed it on to fabric which I then appliquéd on to the background fabric. 

I quilted fish at each corner to represent her faith and her ministry as a Lay Reader

A wavy line quilted around the border is for her (and my) birthplace of Portsmouth.

Well a busy few days - not only completing a piece for my sister's birthday but finally going to the Hockney Exhibition and also taking the plunge and "opening" my Etsy shop - no buyers yet but quite a lot of interest - and for anyone reading this who is interested it's called Gilli's Creative Stitchery. I've got a few things listed at present and plan to put on a couple of cushion covers soon as well as some more decorative birds in some London themed prints. I must give my daughter a mention here for not only encouraging me to do this but also in posting the link on her Facebook page.

I also have two commissions which I'm very excited about, one is from my sister and the other is from a friend of my daughter and son-in-law who has requested a quilt similar to the one I made Charlie for his 21st
"Sweet Dreams are Made of This"

So the next stage is to work out some costings! And for the commission from my sister get together with her next week to start discussing design ideas/fabrics etc.

I don't expect to give up the day job but it will be good if I can can at least finance my hobby - and it's just exciting to be taking this next step - and of course it will feed in to the E17 Art Trail - and after all until you try something you don't know what might happen. 

Finally here are a couple of photos of a candle holder I recently made for friends who were celebrating their golden Wedding Anniversary.

Obvious colour scheme - and I also used some Angelina Fibres in which gave an additional iridescence to the piece. 

I'm just finishing off the piece I'm making for my sisters birthday - just got to put on the hanging sleeve and label now - I'm pleased with it and hope she is - it was quite a challenge as I don't want to disappoint her and in designing it I tried to make it personal to her.

April thoughts

I have decided to re-start my blog and so once I have done this initial (short) post I need to work out how to link to my previous posts - or how to copy them to this blog. I am then going to take my daughter's advice and set up an Etsy shop in the hope of selling some of my quilts/hangings as she is quite right and I am running out of wall-space on which to display them. I also have to start thinking about my statement for my entry in the E17 Art Trail. All very exciting and all very scary! I've come to a standstill with my current project (a piece for my sister's birthday) as I'm awaiting the delivery of some thread so decided that I would make getting my "on-line" presence sorted out and generally getting up-to-date in terms of what I've been working on recently.