Getting my art on

I have had an extremely difficult year with family issues and am finally starting to get my mojo back. It has taken me a long time to find my space again and I am still working on it, but recently, I have started to get some work accomplished! I have been doing some free motion work on my new little bernina, which I got from Bernina Australia at caroline sharkey's wonderful workshop in August at Uluru (Ayers Rock) It was a wonderful time and I did a workshop with Sue De Vanny, which was excellent

Above is the piece of work I completed at the workshop.

Since I came home and also since the problems have sorted themselves, I have been doing a lot of free machine practice and free machine doodling.

These are two of my current practice pieces.  One is just a grid of squares but the other is in a double wedding ring type layout.

As I said, I am also doing a lot of doodling.

These are two panels that will be part of a new sewing machine travelling case for my new Bernina, since one of my machines was damaged badly on a plane trip early this year!  I am in love with this multicolour wonderfil thread!

This one, finished now, was a mandala I doodle stitched then coloured with fabric markers.  I also have one other doodle panel on the go, but haven't photographed it yet.

So what else?

Above left is a needlefelted panel I whipped up one day (lol), which is waiting for some stitching, and the other is a very large crochet blanket I have been working on called sophie's universe.  I am only half way, perhaps I'll finish by next summer?

Of course if you know me, you know that textiles are only half my crafty self.  I will post soon with some of my art, journaling and mixed media play.

Happy Creating!

Free motion practice

One other thing I have been doing earlier this year is free motion sketching practice.  I was using creativebug's sketching challenges as inspiration.  The subjects were very basic, but it was good practice.  Here are some of my results.

Trees, cups and chairs

Leaves, my favourite

Watch, apples, vegetanles and bikinis

Fish and forks

Cacti, brushes and jars

And this was an owl on a card my mother sent me.

There are a few months of sketching challenges on the site, and I really enjoyed the practice.

Hope you are being creative!

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