From shirt to cushion

Cushions covers finally finished and padded and ready for their appearance in Sew magazine to tempt new Patchwork and Quilting students.

Waving the flag

While I wait for my order of Abaca tissue to make a start on my large figure piece, I cleared my table to find large table space for working on. As I watched the ‘white stuff’ descend for the sky and cover the garden, I thought I would make a flag or two for a magazine editorial I’m planning in June. These are small 20 x 20 squares which could be cushion or bag. It was fascinating to work out how a simple Seminole patchwork method can be used to make what I had always considered such a complex flag design. I’ve had fun with colours too – but only digitally as I don’t want to spend time in the tower! The left hand ones are the original colours but wouldn't it be nice if……..

‘White stuff’ at the end of April!!!!

All together now…

For once in her life, the cat decided she didn’t want to be in the photo.

As you can probably see, decisions have been made, figures have been stitched into and the enlarged design printed off.

I’ve sampled different materials (centre above cat basket) and decided that printing onto abaca (tissutex) and then bonding onto strips of silk organza make good strong strips.

The small scale samples below are made from strips of printed vellum, shown flat in the previous posting but shown here forming a draped hanging which is closer to how I would like it to be, but life size!

So today I am ‘shopping’ for enough sheets of abaca/tissutex to print onto to make the full size figures seen above. I need to print the design four times so I can make enough strips to create the effect of movement as below.

Stretching things a bit

Figures printed onto strips of velum were linked together. Getting there!

It might be exercise, but

…definitely not sport…

Next stages of ‘thinking’ - I printed my figure drawings onto a cotton fabric and added hand and machine stitching. I then re-scanned these stitched drawings to use in future designing ideas.

 

Continuing with some ideas to suggest movement, greatly inspired by Muybridge, I’ve made these multiple images of my figure drawings, greatly helped by a discovery of the ‘transparency’ option. Thank you to Anne for sending me a lovely postcard of a walking man by Muybridge – it’s propped up by my computer to help me think.  Thank you Anne.

‘Daily Exercise’

Happy Easter Eggs

The chocolate ones are tastier I know but I just love the beautifully smooth 'completeness' of real eggs that buttons just don't have! Jacqui gave me a lovely pressie recently - a drawing kit  which contained several new markers to try out. Happy Easter!

I've also been thinking about my 'large and impressive' (requirements for 62 Group piece!!!) textile that I should now be working on. Instead of using work by other artists for my figures, I thought it would be more 'honest' if I use some of my own figure drawings.I've made a collection of some of these and am thinking along the lines of 'My daily Exercise' as running and discus throwing seems a bit too energetic for an embroiderer. Hope you agree. 

Bubbles and stripes!

Another drawing of my discus thrower combined with the circles to suggest movement but ended up looking as if he was having a bubble bath! Back to simplicity and I was pleased to remember that our very own 21st century disc is a CD. So a rubbing in the brown paper sketchbook which decided me that the stripey effect of the paper was not good in this situation so made another rubbing on plain paper.