Making progress - but slowly

Found this beautifully marked feather in the garden this week. I just had to rescue it. It looks to have come from the partial albino Blackbird which visits the garden from time to time.

Free machine embroidery under way.

Front view

 The free machine quilting has continued this week with the third of my four pieces now under way. This one is bigger than the previous two being 16" wide by 19" long (40.5cm by 48cm). A useful size, I haven't quite decided what to use it for.

At the moment it looks rather distorted since I haven't added all the stitching yet, as you can see in this photo of the reverse side.

Current back view

The knitting is continuing. I have almost finished the body and am now on the ribbing at the bottom edge.



 The colours make more sense when you see Ella's colouring. I chose her as the inspiration for the colours I used.

Crazy patchwork challenge

My crazy patchwork piece now just needs the edges tidying up and a border added. The cat buttons have been in my collection for rather a long time so it was nice to be able them here.

Sketchbook challenge - MEG

 I have also been adding bits and pieces to my Ideas Book. This was started as a challenge for the MEG group. I really need to get back into feltmaking again, so I added a series of sheep cartoons. I have samples of wool from each of these breeds ready to felt. Since I hadn't got much idea what these breeds looked like, I decided to find out and develop cartoons to help me recognise them. There are many more breeds of sheep than are shown here. This is a project where I still have rather a lot to do, even before I get started with the felting.

Whoops! Been busy......

Old print cover for my small print board

I finally got round to replacing the cover on my small print board last week. This is the rather nice accidental patterning the old cover had. Rest assured I shall not be discarding this. I'm not entirely sure what I will do with it since I really don't want to cut it. Well, not yet.

All three print boards ready to go

You can see the small board with it's new cover sitting in front of my two larger boards. All ready to go. I just need a bit of time to settle down and enjoy a few hours printing.

My garden this morning

It really is autumnal outside now. The leaves were down on the grass this morning, making quite a colourful show.

Yarnbombing?

I spent last weekend in Harrogate with my sister. We went to the Knitting and Stitching Show. It was great fun. Walking around the town on Saturday we saw that the statues on top of the shopping centre were sporting knitted scarves and hats. Delightful.

Reprinted vintage patterns

I bought quite a lot of things at the show, taking a shopping list with me to make sure I didn't forget anything. My list was quite a long one this time since I haven't visited this show in a couple of years, but I still managed to buy some things which I really didn't need. These three patterns, for example. I really couldn't resist. The skirt pattern reminds me of a skirt I loved to wear years ago. It was such a comfy design. I lost that skirt long before I knew anything about making patterns to copy existing favourites. I'd been planning to buy the top pattern, but never got round to it. The 1930s evening dress I really fancy making, but cannot think where I would ever be able to wear it................ It is such an interesting design.

Indie patterns

Then I saw these patterns on this stand. The reversible pinny is such a popular design amongst so many people I meet. I just had to try it for myself. The coat will be really useful, but I think I shall make it with full length sleeves.

Samples for felting experiments

More samples for felting

I really couldn't leave these wool samples. The top collection was found on the International Feltmakers stand at the show. The lower set were collected from this stand. We had a really interesting chat to the man selling the yarn and the different fibres. I intend working on the International Feltmakers CiFT foundation course, and these will give me the impetus to get started. As a course, it is intended to give feltmakers the experience of trying a variety of different wools and other fibres amidst different techniques.

More purchases

These few purchases were to add to my collection of clips, knitting books and also the printing/dyeing stuffs I have at home. One thing I plan to do is work with thickened procian dyes, so the powders will help with that.

Vintage patterns

I really can't resist vintage patterns, so added more to my collection from the stand of Judith Mansfield books. Sadly they don't do mail order and don't have a website. The Vogue pattern dates from 1953, while the two Simplicity patterns date from 1972 and 1975. The last pattern is undated, but is such a lovely simple design and is possibly from the 1940s.

After leaving the show we were ready to just collapse in a heap, so retreated to the B&B we were staying in. Luckily it was a quick walk up the hill away from the show. 

The following day we went round my favourite charity shops in Harrogate. More vintage patterns:

Trouser patterns - clockwise - patterns dated 1986, 1996, 2001

 Some lovely bits and pieces I really couldn't leave behind:

Linen tray cloths, silk hankies and buttons

A rather interesting book which might just get me started in using my knitting machine:

My bags were extremely heavy by the end of our stay.

What else have I been doing? Well, I gave a couple of talks, put up an exhibition, completed some dressmaking projects too. The last of these is a pair of culottes which should be finished later today. I made the classic error of cutting them out without adding any seam allowance........... It would have been disastrous had it not been for the deep dart on the back and the large pleat at the front of the legs. A bit of tinkering about and I think they should fit well. An interesting problem, and one mistake I really shouldn't have made. 

Meet Frankie the felted fish

Frankie

I finally got round to finishing Frankie my felt fish. You can read all about the making of the fish here.

Showing how much the felting process has shrunk Frankie

I looked out the original paper shape which was used as a pattern for the resist inside Frankie - you can see it underneath the fish. The resist was made from a plastic tablecloth. The pattern here doesn't include the fins or tail since they were added later in the process. Frankie is hollow with aluminium disks for eyes.

Free machine stitching on my August journal quilt

I finally started work on stitching my next four journal quilts this week. The flower patterns were drawn onto water soluble fabric which was then stitched over. I'd started work on these some weeks back. You can see the work starting here.

Seven journal quilts showing the sequence

You get an idea of how the journal quilts will look when they are all completed in the photograph. I now have to start work on the last four of the sequence. The ones seen above still have to be cut to size, labels added and an edging stitched in place. I'm really enjoying working on these.

Making a fish, dyeing and the next stage

Side view, showing the washers acting as a resist, held in place by bulldog clips.

It has been a rather fascinating week since last posting here. Today, as you can see, I have been dyeing. This was a rather interesting workshop lead by Meryl for the Pinfold group. This invited us to paint dye rather than inserting the fabric into a dye bath. This allows the dye to find it's own path through the fabric and around any resists left in the way. I now have to wait for a few days until I can remove the clips and wash out the excess dye. 

Using bulldog clips and plastic washers as a resist.

 This is why the fabric is currently residing in a series of plastic bags. The kitchen roll used to clean the plastic surface protecting the table beneath also waits in a plastic bag. I will now have to be rather patient........

Dyed cloth samples waiting in plastic bags.

I've also been to a felt making workshop organised by the International Feltmaking Association as part of their AGM and Conference. This was one with the talented felter, Mandy Nash. My fish, still without a name, sits waiting for the final stages. A final shaping too. Nearly there, but not quite. I can recommend a workshop with Mandy Nash. A generous teacher, she is encouraging as well as knowledgeable. The day disappeared far too fast.

fish waiting to be finished

There has also been progress with the journal quilts. They are sitting ready for me to start the free machine stitching. The shiny surface is water soluble fabric. Hence two unfinished projects. I really have to choose which one to complete first.

the next stage of the journal quilts

Felt making and dyeing.

The past two weekends have seen me taking part in very different workshops.

The first of these was a workshop with Edwina MacKinnon. Here we dyed with indigo and also Potassium Permanganate. This gives a delightful brown shade which goes well with indigo.

Dyeing samples drying on the grass.

We had to leave the samples to dry for a week before rinsing out. As you can see, my samples were wrapped around sticks, clamped with bulldog clips and rubber bands. I tried some Shibori too (the 

fabric is stitched and the fabric gathered firmly before dyeing.) All this was great fun.

Dyeing samples after being unwrapped and rinsed.

The fabric was eventually washed out yesterday and hung out to dry on my washing line. I have still to iron it and put it all away. I think my favourite has to be the blue and white piece to the left of this photo. This was the cotton piece which  I have bound up with bulldog clips. You may see some brown marks on the cloth. These occurred because a couple of the bulldog clips decided to start rusting. Really interesting results.

Turkish felt.

I had some fun during the week playing around trying to make another piece of Turkish felt. This was the result. The fibres used for the back are all orangey brown and yellow. The fabric was first rust dyed before being used for the felt. It really wasn't a very good piece of rust dyeing, so I was quite happy to use it here. It hasn't felted quite as well as my first attempt, but I am quite pleased with it.

broken crockery and tiles

Taking Ella for a walk, I found some really lovely pieces of broken crockery. I couldn't resist picking these up since I could see some possibilities for their use.

the reverse of the same tiles and crockery pieces.

I found the reverse sides just as interesting as the coloured tops, especially those printed marks. These may well reappear at some time in the future. I haven't quite decided how to use them yet.

Felt made using bits and pieces of discarded samples.

Last Friday, I went along to Friday Felters where we made felt to make into twiddlemuffs for alzheimers patients. I am not sure that my piece is going to be good enough since it would need rather more elements to fiddle with. I will need to play with this piece rather more.

Following Friday's felt making session, I returned to Frodsham, once again for another feltmaking workshop. This time it was with the International Feltmakers Association. We were making felt using prefelts, pieces of partially felted fabric. The pattern was based on a skyscraper scene which we were given to use. Pieces of prefelt were cut to shape before the whole piece was felted onto a background of wool tops. 

My skyscraper scene

As you can see, I had a lot of fun playing around with colours. It still needs a little bit of finishing off, but I am really quite pleased with this.