Experiments in spontaneity

This is a picture-heavy post, so apologies for that, but hopefully you'll like them!

I wanted to do something different in the Thursday class, something to break us all out of our comfort zones. I also wanted to revise some neglected stitching techniques, such as whip, feather and cable stitch, and teach them to the "new" girls. So while I was pondering how to go about doing this, I tripped over the work of Lauren Shanley, entirely by coincidence at the same time as Gina! I posted the results of my first experiments back here.

So fast-forward to this term. First off, stick a quick collage. Use pictures from magazines, keep your eyes peeled for motifs, shapes, colours that appeal. Try and get things stuck down fast before the inner critic wakes up and starts getting you to double-think and dilly dally.

These are all postcard size.

Hopefully you will have warmed up your spontaneity muscles by now. Repeat, but this time stick down fabric onto a piece of Bondawebbed calico. We used an approximate A5 size of fabric. Again, work fairly fast.

You will find as you do this, that you start to "audition" different pieces. This is absolutely fine, just don't over-think it or worry about the colours clashing. You will instinctively know what colours to use where, and whether you have got the balance of light/dark/size "correct" (whatever that is). Just go for it.

Here are Carole's collages, paper and fabric:

You'll note that Carole has actually followed the paper collages quite closely with her fabric piecing. This wasn't my intention, and was in fact a mistake as Carole now freely admits. It has made it very hard to continue with the spontaneity.

The first fabric piece is the hardest to work with, as it is the most similar to the collage. This is now a practice piece for the stitch techniques. The second collage is more successful as it loosely follows the colours and blocks of tone, but without being too prescriptive.

Onwards!

When you have ironed your fabric pieces firmly onto the Bondaweb and backed the whole with some sort of stabiliser (I use a tearaway paper type of thing) you can start to stitch. 

I outlined most of the blocks then started to add some detail. I used free machining patterns and doodles, and some textured stitch with whip stitch and cable. I also couched some thicker threads by hand. 

At this point, there was a halt in proceedings for people to get to grips with pulling up the bobbin thread to create whip and feather stitch, and using thick threads in the bobbin to stitch cable stitch:

And here's where we're up to after today's class. 

First of all, Maureen's fabric collage, only started this afternoon:

The Indian motifs were 'found' not stitched today :)

Then for those who had already stitched their "backgrounds", we tried breaking out of the confines of bands and blocks, with large patterns and motifs crossing the whole piece. Doing this helped enormously, and things are starting to take shape and feel more cohesive, less random. This is Sheila's:

This is Sue's - she included a fabric/paper transfer (using the Bondaweb on organza method) to add the flower - the other half was used in her paper collage:

and here is Jill's:

I must say, I am mightily impressed with Jill's work! She probably struggled the most to feel "happy" with her paper and her fabric collages, but now she's off and away and starting to enjoy it!

Here is where I'm at (my excuse is I am busy teaching not stitching, so I'm lagging behind now!)

I'm not sure I like them, I prefer Jill's! They might grow on me...definitely need more work, I've only really just started...

Finally finally, to complete this very long post of pictures, I have started a mini book of collages, trying to use bits and pieces I find every day. Here are the first couple of pages:

Look at that, some bits and pieces found at Brighton's Open Houses a weekend or so back.

And looky here, some other bits and pieces I found!

None other than Emma from Skye, and Alison Fibre Frenzi! Oh, and some tea and very good banana cake...

Hard sums

Whenever the Whippet has to think hard about something, such as "come here" or "don't eat that stick" or "cuddles with Mum or cuddles with Dad?" he gets confused ears, and we say that he is having to do Hard Sums.

For me, selling things - anythings - is very much Hard Sums. Same with stitching teaching samples. Which is why I get distracted and do things like make swirling vortices of marmalade instead:

or have a sudden urge to buy a red skirt in a charity shop, chop off any frilly extraneous bits (the skirt's on the bias and won't fray too much - fingers crossed) and stitch on some braid salvaged from another charity shop find several years previously...

before....

during...

 

after! 

(have you ever tried to photograph your own legs? bloomin' difficult...)

The red boots were a separate procrastination project. They were the Girl's, and she has grown out of them so when I was clearing them out of the porch, I followed a whim to try them on - and discovered that they fitted, in a slightly snug toe sort of way. So then I had to ransack the understairs cupboard for the special sheepskin washing liquid so I could chuck them in the washing machine, dry them for a week, and proclaim them My New Slippers. Girl is slightly miffed, and can't work out why her old boots that are now too small for her suddenly fit her Mother who has bigger feet than she has. I'm not complaining mind.

Emboldened by the success of the Red Skirt, I dredged from my wardrobe another indifferent bias cut skirt in an indifferent shade of beige. This was also originally from a charity shop and bought because it I deemed it suitable for "work". But seeing as I never really do much of that, I thought it would now be a fine candidate for another chopping session.

But first, to address the general beige-ness, a dunking in the dye pot was called for:

(note the teaching sample on the wrist!)

We are now at this stage and have come to a temporary halt until I stitch the braids together.

.

In between simmering things from my wardrobe, I finally did do something with all the bits that were lying on my desk.

Here they are cut into strips:

and then with added sheers

then with added hearts

then with added stitch

and finally with added mount board, ready to go into the etsy shop.

And while I was considering this bold and dramatic move, which gives me very uncertain ears, I found this little piece from last year, which I shall list at the same time:

The most Hard Sums of all involved finally listing some stuff on eBay - the carved wotnots that I found in the loft last week, which Mr G said looked a bit like some members of the Kenyan paralympic team....

So I get it done eventually, but I do find it very Hard Sums and wish I didn't. Maybe I just need to do more of it...

And now for something completely different...

I actually did something!  Something vaguely creative!  For me!  Not for teaching, not for selling, just for me!!

Sorry about the excess punctuation, but I'm so excited...

I made a collage out of bits of the Sunday newspaper magazine (don't often get a paper, but I was after some more recipes...coz I haven't got that many...ahem).

I then added oil pastels, then Koh i noor paints.

And I've finally got myself sorted out enough to put some things on the etsy shop.  Nothing huge, don't get too excited, but it's a start!

I've been so busy - doing endless paperwork, having a rotten cold, having my teaching observed and graded, and attending another local craft fair, that I haven't had a moment to myself.  Today I'm fighting back!

Thread sketching

As promised, my little stitching project inspired by Stephanie Redfern.

First, gather ye random pieces of paper and stuff:

Then, scrabble around to find sketchbook - one of the many... - and choose a suitable candidate:

Thirdly, find yet another blank sketchbook and quickly draw the main shapes and lines: 

Then, start to stick down the random bits of paper, following the "plan".  Work quickly, before the Inner Critic wakes up and asks what's going on:

Stitch all over it - by hand and machine - again, working quickly:

Don't forget the leaves and stuff:

Decide it's finished, step back and admire.

Then photograph in poor lighting, late at night...

That's better!

Colour and texture - sorted

After the muddy foot debacle of July 14, I discovered that the lovely people in Cornwall are making my favourite boots again - so I took a deep breath and ordered a new pair.  Gosh, they are lovely.  Like walking around with your feet wrapped in a duvet all day.  Expensive, yes, but my last pair lasted four years and are now on light dog-walking duty in the mornings when I don't wear wellies.

But...every time you order something, you get another catalogue - as well as the ones that are sent out anyway.  So yesterday, when we received yet another catalogue from my favourite purveyor of warm boots, it was definitely surplus to requirements.

I'd already used a previous one to stitch over with various LINES

 (it's in there somewhere - I think it's the woolly jumper along the right-hand edge)

So as we had another one, I thought I'd chop it up and sort out COLOUR 

and TEXTURE as well!

Job done.

(Well, apart from the yellow/orange section...)

Talking of yellow and orange, did I show you my squash?

From my favourite purveyor of seasonal veg.

(no, I'm not on commission!  Just a happy customer:)

Shamed and inspired

I've been shamed by Heloise into getting my bottom into gear and making something with my collage paper, instead of "filing" it!  It's a funny old blogging world - I make some paper, someone else is inspired and makes a book, I am then inspired by that someone else being inspired by me and so I make a book...

A little book, with ripped paper pages. 

I wanted to try and stitch onto the collage paper but wasn't sure how to go about it so I had to have a bit of a think (hence the delay, honest guv'). 

In the end I "bondawebbed" some lightweight cotton to the back of the decorated paper (and used greaseproof paper to protect the ironing board from the melty waxy crayons - which didn't melt too much).  I then painted it with acrylic wax to seal, then stuck on some Handel flute music that Mr Gonecycling said I was welcome to cut up because it was too hard to play, then acrylic waxed this too.  Then I stitched down some strips of silk and added some handstitches - and used my new wheeze - I stitch the paper by machine, using a long stitch length and no thread, then handstitch into the holes.  Clever, huh?  Then the stitches are exactly the same size, and I don't have to try and shove a needle through thick paper and bondaweb and cotton.

I also made a set of cards

Actually, I made these before the book.

All are in the shop now.