Back again

I have not blogged for nearly a year, and  I have found that I was not as productive, partly because I was not blogging, but also because the Tangled Textiles Group finished.  I tried lots of challenges and workshops, but found that it was impossible for me to stick to anything, especially if it was an every day commitment because there are periods where I am not at home. for the next few weeks, I will try and go through some of the things I am doing.

My last posts here were about journal quilts and I have attempted to keep doing these with the help of Kate Bridger, who is hosting a Made on Monday five inch square challenge on her site.  I have been absent for a month or so, but am hoping to join in again.  Participants also post their work on the textile arts facebook  page.

Here are my first seventeen contributions

They are all on my favourite theme of leaves and use a variety of techniques including free motion embroidery, hand embroidery and thread painting and a wide variety of fabrics including hand printed fabric.

Hope you enjoy these and I will be back with more as I do them

Playing Around

Well it was last year last time I posted and it's now this year!
I am still keeping busy, even though the weather has heated up quite a bit.  It is now true january weather!
First, Stitching
I have been working on a Sue Spargo sampler for the craftsy class I bought ages ago!

Here is my base for the sampler.  The one on the left is just pinned and the one on the right has been stitched down.  My hubby couldn't tell the difference and remarked on how little I has got done.  Men!
Of course, as I always do, I got distracted by something.

This is the beginning of a pincushion by Sue spargo I saw on Quilting arts TV  episode 1501 (don't go looking for the pattern as it is not there yet - I made it up myself)

And here is where I am with it.  At least this is a related project!

This is an old piece of work, that I am currently beading the edge of.  See on the right.  Madness, I know, but it is easy, mind numbing work.
I have done a bit of journaling, as well

This was my first page for the year.  Just playing with  inkblots.

This is my second page for the year, based on Jane davenport's Art Lesson 1 from last year on inktense blocks and pencils.  I finished the dragonfly with a silver gel pen

And here is today's page, which is based on Yesterday's lesson from creative jumpstart by Jimmy Leslie.

And it all came from a bit of napkin I had collaged down!

I have a word for this year, although I will leave it to you as the year goes by to decide what it means!

EMERGE

Happy creating!

A little bag

Last week, i was inspired to create this little bag, by Mary Gamester in this video (which is free, but you have to log in for free to see it)

If you can't work it out, it is a fuchsia.  I was quite happy with it and might even male more!  I do love making pretty things, but of course I never know what to do with them when i have.  This is hanging up where i can see it and since I do love fuchsias it has pride of place.

Happy creating!

A bit of nature and some stars

Today's ATC is a bit different, but I just thought, "what if..." and made it.  The background is some eucalyptus bark, which is always lying around outside.  The pebbles are ones I found in the garden (not the ones I bought, which are much more regular) and the twine was just out of the drawer.  It was quite easy to sew through the bark to attach the pebbles and I punched the holes for the twine with a simple hole punch!
I like this one, and it is telling me that the simple things are often the best.

Today is tangled textiles challenge reaveal day, so one of my deadlines is finally gone.
Here is my piece in response to the theme of "look up"

It is my view of the Southern cross and the milky way, which I see from the back steps most nights, only of course infinitely more lovely than this.

I started with a closely scribble quilted piece of fabric

Then painted it with acrylic paint.
Next, I stencilled in the milky way with a silver shiva stick and I disliked it so much, I didn't even take a photo.
I tried using some organza to cover it up

but that didn't work!  In the end, I thread painted all over the shiva cloud with a variegated white to blue thread.

I Added iron on sparklies for the stars, but I still didn't like it but I bound it anyway because the 15th was hours away, then as I sat, thinking, I started adding some hand stitching with perle thread, and I started to like it a bit.  Obviously, time was an issue, or I think I would have added more hand stitch.  Next time I will start hand stitching much earlier, as I think I am starting to want that texture in my work.

Anyhow, have fun creating every day.

for the market

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little birdies having a little chat on my work table prior to going to market on sunday.

These little birdies were made using a modified form of  a bird design by Terry Grant on Quilting Arts TV 710.  (See more of Terr's work on the 12 x 12 site by clicking their icon in my side bar)

You know I can never stick to a pattern or a technique without thinking what if? 
One major difference is that they were done entirely by hand!
This is the second batch I have made for our local quilting group's fundraising stall.  They were so popular I had to make more!