Recycled collage

Forgive me if I have been remiss in getting back to everyone who has commented in the last week or so.  Needless to say, I will try to catch up on the computer stuff, but it is soooo hard to fit in when the creative juices are flowing.  And at the moment, they are!

OK, let's get the business out of the way.  There were five commenters (both here on blogger and at the hive) and I numbered you in time and date order.

The winner was number 4  which is Connie Haskell from creating the hive, whose address I have, so I will be sending six fat quarters out to you asap!


Now down to the creative stuff! 
Remember last Monday I was beginning a collage made from recycled bits and pieces.

This is my desk, whilst I was sorting out what I might use

And here, I am brightening up a few of my bits with nail polish.

Here are the raw materials I started with.  Beginning at the top right, are circles cut from clear plastic packaging and coloured with nail polish, going clockwise, next are some flowers from the same source as the circles, some more flowers cut from some free motion scraps, then some angelina scraps, then teabags, some rings cur from a spring, some black clasps from some machinery, some small washers, some crimpy flower like washers, some plastic rings, some led lights, some led holders, large plastic and metal rings, flowers cut from vinyl, flowers cut from gum wrappers, flowers cut from coloured tyvek scraps and lastly flowers cut from foil packaging.

I think you might all have an idea of my theme, now.  Lisa you were right with the money!

Here is a more complete layout idea - at least, this is how I have bagged them up for sewing.

Here is the first block sewn.  I have put some red whipstitches along the edge of the plasterer's tape and some tied blue thread in the corners.  I attached a circle of dyed batting from my felting scraps with a green blanket stitch.  Next came a flower cut from plastic painted with nail polish.  The red petals are made from tiny springs that I have painted, then sewed the ends together to form a loop,  and the flower centre is a small blue coloured crimpy washer.  I have put a few french knots in blue in the centre (perhaps they should be orange?).

Here is the second block.  On this one I have put some half cross stitches in blue across the diagonal on the plasterer's tape, then added a tea bag/tyvek flower on the other corners with a cross stitch.
Next, I added a plastic ring, secured by alternating red and blue stitches.
The flower in the centre is made from one large washer with six smaller washers arranged over the top of it.  In this picture, there is nothin in the centre.  I took the centre out to get a good scan.

Here it is with the centre in, an LED from some old electronic parts.

Since the blocks are generally in sets of four,  I have more of each of these two, in other colour combinations and then another two sets to finish.
The blocks are about 3 1/2 inches, so the whole piece will probably be about 16 inches square, depending on how much space I leave between the blocks on the backing.
Oh, and I forgot - the thread I am using is from one of my waste bags from embroidery, so even that is recycled!

Congrats Connie, I'll be heading to the PO tomorrow, which is craft group day at our community house and hopefully I'll have another giveaway before Christmas!

Leaf Wall art - Update

Sorry if you missed me yesterday, We had a bit of a storm and lost internet and power.  It happens when you live in the back of beyond.

I have been working on some small wall art collages using sheer applique.
They are all nearly finished, just a little bit of free machining on a few of them.

This one is a Ginko leaf and I have done a little bit of beading on the frayed fabric.  I intend to echo the flower shape and colour in the quilting.

For this geranium leaf, I used fly stitch in the background colours for the hand stitched accent.

For this dandelion leaf, I mirrored two fly stitches then wove two sets of purple thread through the centre, finally doing green french knots to make the woven lines into crosses.  I liked this.

This gum leaf is the least finished.  My intent is to embroider little circles with different coloured centres in two browns.

This one has been shown before.  It was the first one I made.
Now I don'tknow if you have been counting, but there appear to be five of these and I said earlier that they were to be a set of four.  Well, I thought I would do an extra one, just in case I don't like the way they hang together.

I was never a girl guide, but it is better to always be prepared.

small wall art pieces

I have been putting together some small (4 in square)  wall art pieces for our stall later in the year.   It is also a good opportunity to play with designs etc

The basic design is a leaf silhouette using sheers and free motion, a small piece of fabric with hand stitching and some "quilting" (and perhaps embellishment).

 This is the first step. 

1. The orange background fabric is laid over a 4in square of heavy interfacing (the fabric size is larger, more like 6in).
2. The purple accent piece is placed next (within the 4in of the interfacing) It has been frayed along the edges for a bit of texture.
3. I sketch a leaf shape with iron away pen (this one is a ginko)
4. The green sheer is placed over the top.

 The second step is to free motion embroider around the leaf shape.  (This is another one, a geranium)

The next two steps are to trim around the sheer leaf and do some handstitching on the accent piece. 

Next the quilting.  Here I have just echoed in a blending thread.

The final step is to mount it on a 4in stretched canvas.  These are quite cheap and easy to get hold of at bargain stores (at least they are here)
I bought four canvasses, so there will be four leaves.  Although the layout is the same for each, the elements of each design will be different, ie colours, leaf shapes, embroidery and quilting, so that they form a larger piece when hung together.
I will show you all four in a day or two when they are all finished.


I might add a few beads, but the principle here was KISS. 
Keep It Short and Simple

wallhanging

After an hiatus trying to get my bad back behaving, I have started back working, but of course, it played up pretty soon after.  However, I have done a little work on my sample for the wallhanging.

In the sample I tried both free motion and  general, feed dogs up couching.  Remember the white is water soluble, and will be a lace and fringed bottom.  I have put the skeleton in for this but I will do more work when the couching is finished.

in the enlargement above:

• the first thread is a black and metallic mix and is obscured by the fluffy red stuff, I will remember not to put it in such a place in the real thing.  This is what samples are for, sorting out the problems.  This first thread is chain stitch, but as i said you can't see it.  
• next is an orange boucle, also obscured, 
• then the red eyelash, 
• followed by a brown cord.  
• On the other side of the curve are four more textured threads.  
• All of these were attached free motion using a narrow zigzag.  
• the next threads were done using the feed dogs up.  
• The gold one used a narrow, long zig zag. 
• the next two ribbon like yarns were done using a straight stitch down the centre.  
• They are followed by a decorative cross stitch. 
• The gold and the red threads next up used a narrow long zig zag in black thread 
• and the orange ribbon used zig zag with monofilament.

I am pleased with the way these threads look on the back background, but as I said, I will have to do more work on the lace at the bottom, so it is not just swallowed up.
Another reason I worked on this sample was to create some couching samples for a Quilt uni course on embellishing with Susan Brittingham as I am very far behind due to my back.

Let's see what creativity tomorrow brings!

Lace edging

I have been away for a bit and started back at working today.  I did some work on my sampler for my wallhanging

The black part is the main part of the wallhanging which has several layers of sheers beneath to become visible when I slash the top fabric.  The black will have a variety of stitches and couched threads.  These will continue (as straight stitch) down into the white area which will become machine lace and a fringe.  At present I am sewing this on two layers of water soluble stabilizer.  As you can see, I did not get far. 

A week or so ago, I hurt my back and it has come back to haunt me.  I will probably have to spend a few days flat on my back, which is not conducive to sewing on a machine.  The cats, however, think it's a great idea!  Oh well, i do need to catch up on my reading.  At present I am making my way through The Encyclopedia of Machine Embroidery by Val Holmes and Freestyle Machine Embroidery by Carol Shinn As they are quite large books, both full of really great information, I am sure they will keep me occupied.

vicki

Some thread painting

I have been away, doing the airport shuffle with my mum and haven't posted for a bit, but I have been working.
I have gotten my study schedule worked out,  and have been doing some thread painting.
I recently got two books by Alison Holt and have been studying them, even started one of her projects
I have bought a few small frames and one gave me the idea to do a stumpwork dragonfly.
This is the background for the piece.  It is only 2x3"

here is a sample of some variegated threads I thought might be good for the body, but I decided that they looked too even and artificial.

 and here are my wings set up to embroider, with tulle sandwiched between two layers of soluble stabiliser.
I will embroider the lines with gold and wire the edges with same.

Also, I have started back on a couple of pieces I was working on a while ago.
The first is a design by Richard Box from a really old copy of Needlecraft magazine (out of print) aug 1994. You can also see him working here.

and a needle point picture of a train which I am thread painting for the DH.

I have done a little bit of work on my large anemone quilt

As you can see, I have added the darks to the flower.
And, I have set up a sample for the first two layers and lace of my large walhanging

Not much to see, yet, and the chalk lines on the main fabric are a little hard to see.
Hopefully I will get some work done tomorrow when the DH is at work

a wallhanging and a bag

No embroidery to show you.  Only some designs.
I have been doing a lot of research and mulling over some design ideas in my head.  I have also been looking a student work.

Here are two designs in my sketchbook

 

The left one is my outline of a design for a large wall hanging and the other is for a bag

I will go through each bit by bit

 This is the layer that is underneath everything.  At this stage It will only be visible at the bottom of slashed circles, so I am not really sure about it yet.

This is the plan for the second layer which will form the insides of the slashes.  It will be composed of several layers of blue and silver sheers topped by black velvet.

This is the embroidery for the second layer and it is quite dense in red, orange, yellow and brown threads, with a variety of decorative stitches forming the lines.  The ovals inside the curves will be slashed to show the fabrics underneath.

the bottom border is actually a lace extension of the layer 2 embroidery.  The threads from the embroidery will be arranged in a water soluble stabilizer sandwich and free motion embroidered into a lace extension with black thread.  Also, the final oval on the main piece will be cut out and included in the lace, with a spider web.

the final layer is a free motion lace overlay which will be embroidered over an invisible grid, previously sewn into water soluble stabiliser.  This will not be sewn down, but will be tacked and allowed to move freely.  I have also considered making it longer in certain sections so that it will project out of the piece.

Wow, that was a lot, wasn't it?  Of course at this stage these are still preliminary plans.  I need to get rid of the urge to put every single technique in every single piece and ask myself "Does it add to the piece?"

Now, the bag, perhaps a little simpler to explain.

I saw a program on Talking Threads Christmas Show Pt 3 with Mary Gamester (here, you will have to type  talking threads into the search box to find the program) The bag is made with strips in sets of three, two of which  which are pleated in one direction on the top and the other on the bottom.

The pictures above show  the strip repeat and the number of strips and a sketch of the finished bag.  Below is my design for the strips, however as you can see above, only part of each strip's pattern will be visible so i will probably only do the top or bottom third on each strip.

The design is inspired by moorcroft pottery.  I saw an article many years ago about moorcroft's centenary in Country craft and Decorating v7 no 2 and it has stuck with me.  The relief or dimensional nature of the designs is so beautiful.  This is based on a design by Kerry Goodwin called wisteria flutter  You can find the design at Moorcroft.com and as you will see, my design is not much like it.

The wisteria will be appliqued in a paler silk or satin and FME will be used to shade to dark at the edges. There will be some dimensional blossoms at the top using fabric folding.  The dimensional nature of moorcroft pottery will be imitated by couching around each piece of applique in a gold thread (?) At this stage the background is to be black, although the real thing is cream, with window frames and butterflies.  I have thought to put a butterfly on one of the drawstrings, but.... we'll see

Go give your brain a rest after all that!