Journal Making Workshop

Suzanne ran a fabulous workshop for Innovative Stitches today. She showed us how to make a journal from card, cartridge or drawing paper, stitch and a selection of other bits and pieces. It was full-on and lasted for five hours with a half hour for lunch. I kept up pretty well till the afternoon when my energy levels dropped considerably. However, I stayed till the end and took copious notes so I hope I will have no difficulty in actually finishing it.

Here are my covers with a button and machine made cord tie to hold the whole thing together when it is assembled . The covers are made from very textured handmade paper that I bought from an Asian import shop some years ago. Yesterday I painted it with a soft purple acrylic paint, then stamped it with a deeper metallic purple and a striped handmade stamp. The paper was so bumpy that it didn't print well, but you can see some of the stamping in the middle near the button. I then brushed the paper first with lilac metallic oil pastels, then with silver.


These are some of the bits I am yet to use. The fabric is for the spine of the journal and the stripey holographic paper is for the endpapers.

A busy day

I have done lots today. I went shopping this morning and bought some things for the house at Kitchen Warehouse and Spotlight, as well as doing the usual grocery shopping. Because I went to a supermarket that I don't usually patronise I found myself retracing my steps often so I got a bit of a workout that way, which has probably contributed to my tiredness.

When I got home I completed my entry for Stitched and Bound. I had to copy the professional photos onto another CD because the images were labelled as Untitled, rather than the proper name of the quilt. Then I had to print one image and found that the colour wasn't true, which is a requirement for the entry. A bit of Photoshopping and prints from 3 different printers resulted in an adequate image. Checklist complete, we took the entry down to the Post Office and sent it off. Hooray! another TO DO crossed off.

Then I made some twisted yarn cords with my machine for the journal making workshop I plan to do with the Embroidery Guild tomorrow. Finishing the collection of the materials required took quite a bit of time and fossicking in various storage places. I also had to decorate some paper to use as the cover. I finished this after dinner, so no photo - the flash wipes out the detail. I promise a pic of the finished journal.

Over the weekend I have to finish the framing of one of my entries for ShowOff 6. The others are done. Delivery is Tuesday.

A Day of Textiles

Elizabeth Morley ran her Sea Urchins workshop for the Innovative Stitches group today. It was intensive work, but most enjoyable. We needed to prepare six base segments ahead of time, so that today we bound and embellished them. We were then to stitch them together. For once I wasn't left behind in a workshop - in fact I was the only one to manage to assemble it. Here are some of the pieces.


This evening I went to the Art to Wear fashion parade which was part of the Melville Textile Art Expo. It was an impressive show, though I didn't manage many good photos. The models were school girls, seen here wearing pieces by Jennie Abbott.

While there I was chuffed to be told that I had won a prize in the Mad as a Hatter competition for the Tea Party hat and that one of the bowls I had in the Designing Women display had sold. Happy dance here!

Playing with Wire

I am not good with pliers and wire, probably due to lack of practice. However I did enjoy Margaret Perkins' workshop today at Innovative Stitches.

First we made a shape from a heavy aluminium wire which she supplied. Then we wrapped it with our own wire - I used copper. I originally made a boat shape, but now I am filling in the third side with gold wire. I intend to add a few beads as I go.


The next task was to make an enclosure for a small treasure. I decided to use one of my own handmade beads - made from red plastic shopping bag, UTEE (ultra thick embossing powder) and gold flakes). I struggled with the basic enclosure shape. The kindest thing you can say about it is that it looks organic.


Margaret demonstrated other techniques for wire which I plan to try out soon - definitely before next month's meeting. We now have a challenge each month to make a piece based on the previous month's workshop.

As for works in progress . . . . My paper bits are finally dry and ready to paint. From left to right: Kozo paper (3 pieces), Lokta paper. At the bottom, water soluble paper and washaway paper stabiliser for machine embroidery.



And here is some acrylic felt painted with gesso, ready to be heat gunned when it is dry.

Alchemy

Here is a scan of the piece of fabric I stitched at the meeting of Innovative Stitches today. Jenny Abbott ran a workshop on fabric embellishment using stitching followed by paint, embossing powders and other bits, to be followed by heat gunning.

This piece is all stitching - I couldn't bear to add anything else. It will eventually become ATCs or postcards.

Reverse Applique

It has been some time since I last attempted this technique. Today we were given a demonstration of it at the Innovative Stitches meeting and encouraged to do a piece ourselves. This is what I have done so far. I used some knit fabric on top of a hand dyed piece of cotton.


I am not sure whether I should trim right back to the stitches (which is what you are supposed to do) or leave a border of the top layer to surround them. I rather like the latter effect.

Seven Deadly Sins

Today was the monthly meeting of the Innovative Stitches group of the Embroiderers' Guild. The group is applying to hold an exhibition next year at Heathcote Gallery and has started work on the group piece. The theme of the exhibition is the Seven Deadly Sins, and this piece will attempt to demonstrate these in textiles.

And no . . . I don't think it is going to be at all serious and sombre.