Shisha

A bit of shisha work that I did on the rainbow piece a couple of weeks ago ............

There is a little bit of shisha on the cushion I did last year and which went off to a new home at Christmas ...............

India was the chosen research subject for one particular term when I was studying for City & Guilds part 1 ............... the first term we had to actually produce an item.  Here is my cushion (all fabrics & threads hand dyed, reverse applique, quilting, shisha and buttonhold bars).  I don't have a picture of the back (before we possessed a digital camera) but the closure was dorset buttons ............. the rings of which were recycled along with the (remaining) mirrors when the cushion eventually went off to another land in the sky!

Look what the postman brought this morning .............. a cat "bag" to cut out & sew ...............

Do I need it?  No
Do I even know what I want it for?  No, not really except perhaps for inspiration
The point is it seems that nobody else wanted him so for 99p he has a new home!
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WIPs

Over 80 blocks now complete so just over half done for a finished size of 40" x 40".  However, I need a finished size of 50" x 52" so an extra 80 or 90 blocks by my reckoning.  I could use a border (or two) to speed things up but not sure if it would look quite right.  I really could do with a large pin board to put these up and see how the ratio of shades and tones is working out .  Never mind!  Thankyou for the comments and thoughts everyone.  On the iron .......... think I will stick with what I've got for now and just remember to switch it off regularly.

This weeks contribution to the "Rainbow" .............. some detatched chain stitch.  The hand stitching is such a struggle.  I'm not entirely happy with it and the rhythm of the needle dancing in and out of the fabric is lost now that I'm having to use a magnifying glass.  This is so disappointing and I'm really not sure how to progress from here ..........

The beginnings of a bag being stitched at 1am this morning - something to satisfy my rainbow thing of the moment?  I don't think I even like it now 

What to do?  Join a postcard challenge!  I am really looking forward to thinking these out and hope to work on one tomorrow.
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Shells

Shellness (on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, UK for those unfamiliar with this area) is one of those magical places.  Much like Dungeness ............ remote, desolate and sometimes eerie but oh the shells.  Fragments embedded into the sandy bank separating the road from the beach .....................

In places the beach is entirely covered with shells (this one's from flicker as it's clearer than any of mine)

If you decide to visit, you might want to be mindful that it is a nature reserve ........... not only a nature reserve but THAT kind of nature reserve as well so, like us, visit out of season or during non-sunbathing weather!  The beginnings of some shells on my "Rainbow" piece .........

I am really struggling with my eyes and this stitching so progress is going to be very slow but I hope to be able to show at least a little bit more each week.  I have lots of ideas for other stuff I could do in the meantime but there are more pressing things too ............ some blinds for home.  I want to do something like this ..................

There is only one copy in the county library system and it's out on loan until sometime next month.  Then it could take up to a week to get to our branch library but I want to start NOW .............. if only I could tell them I only need a quick 5 minute look to get an idea of the block sizes and see how they are paper pieced!

On a more positive note, I knew what the postman would be holding when he knocked the door this morning ........... my prize from Fibrefrolics - aren't they just "my" colours!  Some merino tops, silk fibres, ribbons, fabrics, Angelina ................ lots to play with!

Penny had also previously awarded me a "Sunshine Blogger" award which was exciting too.

Pink on Pink

Paper template to mark position of foundation stitches

Foundation stitches = chain stitch in coton a broder

Starting at centre, whipped needleweaving in coton a broder over ground stitches incorporating one more stitch at the end of each row taking care not to pierce fabric

Each chain stitch has now been used

Continuing to fill shape

Pulling the threads of the chain stitches together to make a "frilly" edge

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Strips all pieced

I was aiming for a random look (organised would have been easier for me) so not quite sure why it took me 9 hours to piece the other seven strips today.  There are a few wallflower patches but I hope to tie them together with stitch, applique etc. (I did lay a second fabric beneath some of them) and, if all else fails, there are always colouring mediums! .  Apart from the Broderie Anglaise, what trims I had were either too fussy or coloured up too garishly.  Similary the plan to embellish patches of a particular fabric before piecing together didn't materialise due to their final positioning (they were too close together for my liking).  I can't wait to start stitching!

This week hasn't been without incident.  Amongst other things, I accidentally knocked the water pot over but didn't realise until the following morning that my soluble crayon tin was full of water!  Cleaning them up will be fun!

I'm really honoured to be listed in Sharonb's list of interesting blogs and thankyou for all your lovely and encouraging comments ladies ............

Laying the Foundation

I don't have a designated workspace, in fact we don't have much space at all.  Sometimes you just have to stand back and and view whatever it is you are working on so this is my solution ............... a radiator airer hung over a door with the background fabric pegged on .........

Soon the door is covered ................ I quite like it

Piecing together ................

I'm not sure .................... think I will do the red again ............

Update ............. I am happier with this

Fabric Decisions

I have decided to combine both commercially printed and my own hand dyed fabric in each colour block..  Yesterday was spent adjusting some of them and introducing some new ones using silk and fabric paints to achieve a pleasing palette (it was quicker than overdyeing and I had more control over the result!),  Each colour block will have some home dyed stuff.  Am a bit concerned about the "jade" ............. might leave the piecing of that block until last to see how it fits in.  There is more of a contrast between the blue and turquoise than showing in the photo ............... overall I am quite pleased so far.

Am itching to stitch but need to spend some time working on fabric arrangement - there needs to be more than one layer for reverse applique in places and I might even embellish some of the fabrics before I piece them.  Also need to make and/or colour any trims that I might use in seams.  Included will be a bit of Broderie Anglaise trim as I used for our bridesmaids outfits 30 years ago ...............

Textiles from secondary school included leaves & an apple so they will be there somewhere too.

Dilemma Time

After much deliberation I have settled (I think) on a block with width = 3.5 x depth thus 4" x 14" .......... it looked more pleasing to me than other ratios and, being realistic, going any larger might result in a UFO.

On to fabric selection ................. starting with red being that it's sometimes a bit of nightmare where it bleeds so much after dyeing.  The bottom fabrics are "mine" whereas those top right are commercial ones.  Do I overdye or paint some of mine so that they are all my fabrics in the quilt or do I incorporate some commercial ones too ................. I could include a piece of the lovely red silk that mum brought back from India for me?  Then there's the printed fabric with the orange ............ it might be nice to use this as the red block will be next to the orange one?  Maybe I shouldn't be putting restrictions upon myself?

The love affair with textiles started almost as long ago as I can remember (I honestly think I was born to stitch) and being as this is for me, I am going to incorporate some key points.  Without boring anybody with everything, just some of the things I plan to incorporate:

Mum asked me just a couple of years ago if I remembered cutting the flowers out of my frock (yes, the one I was wearing) at infant school?  I didn't recall but the more I think about it there is some vague recollection.  I said that I must have been cutting something up on my lap rather than the table for that to have happened.  She gave me one of them looks and said they were all NEATLY cut out!  There will be some cut back appliqued flowers somewhere in this quilt!

In the first junior class we had a student or supply teacher for a while with whom we made a textile seascape each ............. it was beautiful sea colours and incorporated tulle & felt as I recall.  Somehow this remained at nan's house.  Many times during my married life she asked if I wanted to take it home but I always declined saying it was safe where it was.  When she died nobody found it (I did ask) but there again it may not have been realised that it was anything more than a scrap of something or nothing.  There will be something of this.

There was the small grey felt elephant that I stitched together so there may be an elephant albeit not grey.

At 10 years of age, I cut various crimpelene circles of about 4" diameter and randomly stitched them (very neatly with buttonhole/blanket stitch) on to a short sleeved jumper that I sometimes wore to school (we didn't have to wear uniform then).  The teacher asked if I had done it to cover up holes .................. how dare she suggest that my jumper had holes!   Of course there will be circles of some form.

And, lastly for now, I love the dress (below) mum is wearing at my sister's christening in 1964.  I don't actually remember the dress but I may include a flower something like it.

This project is supposed to be "Me"!  Already mum has cropped up three times but then I wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for her, dad and their ancestors.

More of my journey later ...............

A Journey Revisited

Returning to my rainbow of dyed fabric and how I could use a good number of them in a textile as mentioned in the post before last has confirmed in my mind that I would like to make a wall hanging.

I love colour, I have always loved colour.  Colour is one of my strengths ............ more so than composition.  As a child I was fascinated by rainbows - what child isn;t?  A rainbow piece it is then albeit with artistic license as I will probably have 9 colours.

My passion for textiles goes back to childhood and there have been lots of significant points along the way.  If I made a crazy quilt wall hanging it would give me scope to portray many of these in some form ................. I think this piece will be "My Crazy Journey".

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I think the colours are sorted so need to play around with size & proportion.  Meanwhile, something that I've been meaning to do for ages .............. dyeing some buttons

I have some lovely yellow buttons.  It's unfortunate that the pearlised coating on the large floral one is chipped now it's a wonderful golden colour - unfortunately the underlying materidal didn't take the dye.  This was an experiment - not without incident so not a method I will be recommending and I will do it differently next time.