A List

Yes, one of those dread lists.  I've pulled out things that I really should make an effort to finish.  Some are quite recent and some are a few years old now and need to be moved on.

In no particular order: -

1) I've just finished this cardie for Olivia and it needs buttons.  It's a little bit on the large size for her at the moment but it's nice that she will grow into it some day!

2) A cute little panel I picked up from America and I've layered it up and just started hand quilting as it's small and portable. Great for travelling.

3) Mystery Item No 1.  There are one or two things I'm working on that need doing but I can't show you yet!

4) Mystery No 2. Yes another one.

5) Mystery No 3. I do have these ones listed so I know what I'm on about!

6) Mystery No 4. Not so secret but I'm not showing this one either!

7) The Travellers Blanket I started with a group with Dijanne Cevaal quite some time ago.

8) Another cardie for Olivia. They knit up quick and I don't become bored with them!!  She is never likely to be cold anyway.

9) The hand pieced Hexi which is dragged out every now and then.  It doesn't help that I don't like the fabrics! I am quite near the finish of this one and it's daft not to just plod on.

10) My Tweets.  Yes it's still lurking. Sashing done but I have to figure out what i want to do with the borders.

And these are without all the usual things that cram my head that want to be made.  Mind you they are all on holiday at the moment after the Art Weeks still but I know they will surface gradually.  I don't want to neglect the beading, the books or the dolls.

I am also trying to do a little drawing each day.  Nothing spectacular, just enough to keep the pencils moving. At the same time I have a felting course starting very soon, an arty couple of weeks in France and I'm doing another course with the Embroiderers Guild.  Good job my energy levels are almost back to normal!! 

Have a great week.

Collagraph

I know one day I am going to do some of this with fabric in mind.  I did this once before with Sarah Ross-Thompson but she has now moved up to Scotland, a glorious location on Lochgoilhead but terribly impractical to just pop up to for the odd class.  We are lucky in Dorset to have some wonderful collagraphists in the area though and one, Genevieve Lavers, is just spreading her wings in wanting to give classes and Jan and I were lucky enough to be her guinea pigs.    

Last week we spent the morning making the plates. The first using all sorts of items to see which of the textures would do what with the inks and the other two trying to come up with a coherent picture in mind.

Today we went back as they had now dried and been varnished.

First to be inked was the experimental plate.

I printed the one on the right first and the one on the left was the ghost print with a roll over of a contrast colour.  Quite pleased.  It is a good record of which materials do what.

I then did the tree root which I was over the moon with.

And then the cactus still life.

there was time to do acouple more of each but the first tree root is still my favorite.

It was an enjoyable couple of days.  I think Genevieve has some fun times ahead teaching this class.  I hope Jan and I were good, and useful, guinea pigs too.

On the home front Olivia was 6 months on Sunday and John was a few years more than 6 months old on Monday.  I think they enjoyed sharing their day.

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Well Hello There!

Long time no read!  I know a lot of you have been busy enjoying the summer so I'm sure blogging is the last thing you've been doing.  I have enjoyed seeing quite a few pictures of the Festival of Quilts that have been posted!  Yet another year I haven't made it.

My health took a bit of a dive again at the end of July just when John had gone away to South America and it's taken an age to find my feet again.  That and the absolute nothingness that has been my inclination to create since the Open Studios, a horrid feeling, I really have nothing much to show at all.

Today I finally had the guts to slash into some of my beautiful hand dyed fabrics which I bought at least 18 months ago for a particular thought that has, hopefully, coalesced into a project.  I took a huge breath I can tell you!  Fingers crossed what I have in my head I can put into practise.

I have just layered them all up and used the Micro Stitch to tack them.  I never did manage to buy the honeycomb plate that came with the gun and I believe they stopped making it.  Anyway I saw the big, stiff brush that is used with felting needles and shoved that underneath to push into.  Worked a treat! 

I have managed a few bits for Olivia. 

Do you know I have made four or five of these dresses and rompers and quite a few cardies and I just keep forgetting to take photos!  At least my dressmaking skills are coming along. 

One thing I did manage to do while I could actually still stand up for a bit was sand down a beautiful slab of ash given to me by Darren Wheeler, one of my fellow Dorset Visual Artists.  I cut some butterflies from ebony for the splits, (yes I chose the piece specifically for the splits!), and set them in.

Then a few coats of Danish oil and its absolutely perfect for the top of the sewing machine base John bought me for my birthday last year.

Yes, I've had another one of those too.  John came home on my birthday which was the best present I could have asked for.

Now if I can pace myself we have quite a laid back weekend ahead and I hope you all have a good one too! 

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