Looking towards the Summer

My family know that I take photos of the strangest things. This is the weathered top of a gate post that caught my eye.

After some sketching I developed a line to be used for quilting. 

My garden chair is made of a black netting type fabric. Very comfortable but if there is the slightest breeze I feel it on my back. 

I chose denim for its durability and have quilted the line in repeating patterns, both by hand and by machine. This added texture to the chair cover. I now need to make a cover for the head rest and keep my fingers crossed for a warm summer.

Happy Stitching

Bev

Rag Rug workshop

Another generous workshop at Stitching for Pleasure at the NEC was Rag Rug introduction at the Pots & Pancakes stand. Pots and Pancakes. I have never made a rug before so was interested to have a go.

I have just finished my mini rag rug - In true Rolf Harris style 'Can you see what it is yet?'

They were very generous with materials letting us take a bag of fleece to finish the project. We use multi coloured fleece which doesn't fray, and is very soft. I can see that it would make a lovely soft, warm rug.

This is a proddy type of rag rug made by prodding strips of fabric through hessian backing using a prodding tool or stick.

When finished it was very therapeutic to trim all the strips to make a level surface and reveal the pattern.

Happy stitching

Bev

Printing with Maggie Grey

Yesterday I looked back though old sketchbooks and folders, and came across these wonderful fabrics. I had completely forgotton about. I love Celtic patterns and designs. The source picture was two interlocked people. 

New fabric stash

richly coloured fabric

A day school with Maggie Grey prompted a great day of printing, with a stamp made from a polystyrene pizza tray  and a sharp pencil. A loop of masking tape on the back to help lift the stamp and I was away.

Acrylic paints

expandaprint

Acrylic paint and black cotton fabric made  rich textures and colours. Printing with expandaprint and heat treating the surface has given even more texture.

If you are a regular reader you will have seen that I have several projects on the go. These have now added to the pile. I can't wait to embellish them. 

Happy stitching

 Bev

Easter Egg Mobiles

Happy Easter everyone.

In the garden 

I thought I would share these Easer Egg Mobiles that I made a few years ago. They make lovely mobiles any time of the year but especially at Easter.

Photo tutorial coming soon.

single

double

triple

 Happy Stitching

Bev

And here are two more landscapes ready for stitching

African Textiles at the British Museum

On Thursday I had a lovely time at the British Museum. I had gone to visit the Pompeii exhibition but took the opportunity to see the Modern African Textiles too.  Social Fabric - African Textiles Today. 

You are greeted with the words 'Karibu mgeni" which translates as 'Welcome stranger' A lovely way to begin exploring this gallery.

Welcoming Kana

War on HIV

The Kangas in the exhibition show the political affiliations, the health concerns, religious and social feelings of the wearer. A Kanga is a rectangle of cloth with an inscription. They are worn in matching pairs principally be women in Eastern Africa.
They are a remarkable method of communicating many issues.

This has the inscription  "We young people declare war against HIV and AIDS because we have the capacity and the will to do it"

Guinea Fowl Kanga

The Kiswahili word for the guinea fowl is kanga. The spotted plumage may have been similar to patterns on early cloths.

Three Cats Trademark

And there was the Three Cats trademark which I have become familiar with whilst working on my Manchester Blue Throw

 This is just a taster of the exhibition. It is on until the 21st April

Happy Stitching

Bev

Flow Wall hanging

Original picture which inspired the wall hanging

The inspiration for this wall hanging was a photo I took in the local country park. It was such a bright day and the river was like a mill pond giving crystal clear reflections in the water.

This is the photo but can you see that I have flipped it so the reflection is at the top and the actual trees are at the bottom. It is amazing how the reflection looks more real than the riverbank itself. 

Using a stitch and flip method of patchwork I created a flowing river running down the wallhanging. It has been quilted using large lazy S's . The edging is a double piped  binding attached in an upholstery way. One piping added to each of the front and the back and then pulled together using ladder stitch.

Flow Front

Reverse 

Remnants of the fabric were pieced again using stitch and flip to create the back art. The hanging has been finished with tab tops and a lovely wooden hanging I purchased at the Knitting and Stitching Show. 
I love that this is a reversible wallhanging and that it is my memory of all the walks taken with my friends.

Happy stitching

Bev

Jewellery Roll

Jewellery Roll

Jewellery with large hole beads which can be moved and swapped in or out to match your outfit has become very popular over recent years.

How to store extra beads and the chains on which they go was a problem for me, so I designed a handy jewellery roll.

Quilting and Beading

The roll was made from hand dyed silk - I chose a turquoise as it is my birthstone.

To represent the beads inside there are additional areas of wadding which have been stitched around using straight  and zig-zag stitching

Detail showing beading 

 Lengths of seed beads have been added for more texture.

Interior arrangement

The interior is black cotton. I have added flaps at the sides to keep the jewellery from escaping at the sides when it is rolled.





Happy Stitching

Bev