Final piece

I have finally finished the online course I have been working on. It was with Sue Stone and explored pattern and texture. This piece has appliqué and stitch. Sitting on the fabric book I made to put all my  samples into and be able to go back and use ideas for future work.

The vintage buckle and braid I used for the clasp were waiting to be used in something .The yellow linen was a de stash from Ali George at Aliquilts.I did not purchase any fabric or notions to work on the book or the samples. This is what I am trying to do this year , to use the beautiful fabrics, linens and laces I have been collecting and not using because something better might need that piece or once it’s used I won’t have it anymore. But if I don’t use it then it will sit in a cupboard for another lifetime.

Watcher

Sampson needed something to look at. It is too hot for him to try and catch birds, besides they are leaving now that they see him in the garden. It’s always cooler by the frog pond. Had to do a rough organic binding on the edges of the page as it frayed a lot. So before I start each page I will do this....hope to get the fabric right in colour and texture as I don’t want it to be too preplanned out... Just stitching and going depending on what he’s doing on the day I start.

Silk and cotton tree with fly stitches to hold down. Will keep adding to the sky before starting my next page for February. I want to stitch the story on the lecto page and lightly attach with buttons so it can be lifted to see the reverse side stitching which is really lovely and raw. Will find time somewhere as I am back at school now but really pleased with all the stitching and finishing that I got done over the holidays even though it was too hot at times. Wish I had taken to my studio/ sewing room with as much gusto as it still looks like a bomb has hit or burglers have ransacked it or a herd of cows has trampled through . And I am not exaggerating.

Year of stitches 2018

 Starting the year off with my 1yearof stitches 2018. I have made a cloth book from a heavy canvas. Each month will have a page of part of the year long story of my cat Sampson. He is the good boy I also have a bad boy cat Pablo who may feature at times . But he is dark grey with a lot more white so will blend into the background. So for January poor hot Sampson is trying to find a cool place to nestle for the snoozes throughout the long summer days. I cut him freehand from a piece of cotton organza. This is the back view , harder to achieve will be the front where he has white patches on his face and chest. He is a real tuxedo cat. I only discovered black and white cats are called this through seeing it on Instagram.

So far all the stitching done has been straight stitches. I wonder what he is looking at...a few more weeks of January to add more into the story.

Coreopsis dye

I harvested a small bucket of Coreopsis flowers and boiled them up in my big aluminium pot on the stove. Added som alum. Then in went a long strip of silk habotai some soft light cotton and some crisp white cotton doileys. Rinsed well in salt water. I was so pleased with the colour I added a few other pieces , cotton handkerchief and a piece of cotton crochet to the liquid dye when it had cooled. Still got colour even though I didn’t leave these in for long.

Here is a picture of these after washing and drying, no ironing of course. The image of the fabric in the pot really is very close to the real colour I achieved. They are much paler in the dry photo , certainly don’t get the beautiful depth of orange yellow on the silk and soft buttery yellow on the cottons. Much less harsh an orange than you get with onion or rusting. 

Oh dear they look so pale . My photography skills are very lacking as I don’t know what to do to give more realistic colour.