Silk on Saturday

 

Last Satuday, Sarah and I had fun at the Avon Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers, where our Chairman, Joan Bowie,taught us how to make vessels from silk fibre. The rather odd "flowers" above are our vessels, drying on garden sticks in the sunshine. It's always fun to play, and an interesting technique that deserves to be returned to in the future.

Not a Bag

This is my entry to Poetry in Stitches 2, run by the National Needlework Archive.

It's my textile interpretation of a wonderful poem by Daphne Schiller entitled "Doormat" which she has kindly given me permission to post in my blogs:

Doormat

I am a doormat,
I'm brown and homespun
But my welcome's worn off.
I'm tired of taking it all lying down,
I bristle when I'm beaten.
Deep in the fibres of my being
I dream of becoming a thick-piled rug,
Fluffy and frivolous
On which seductions take place.
I'm going to let my hair down
So just watch your step.

Daphne Schiller.

It's made using a combination of techniques and materials, from canvaswork to using the embellisher machine, hooking and progging (rugmaking techniques) and some straight embroidery and fabric painting.



Materials include hessian, threads of linen, wool and cotton, merino rovings and wensleydale fleece.

After judging next month, it may go on exhibition:venues to be announced. Wish me luck!

Variation on a theme

No prizes for guessing that it's another bag! A variation on the BQL January bag, this time for a swap on the Yahoo Group, Unlimited Textiles. This one is going to Annie Bodelier in the Netherlands.

 

The pouch on the right above is the bag (left in the picture) folded up into its own pocket, so it takes minimal space in one's handbag or car glovebox and is ready at a moment's notice to take shopping and prevent the need for a plastic carrier bag.

The month's theme was Nature and this bag seemed appropriate to the theme, as it can potentially help the environment. I made it from stashed calico (muslin to my American readers) which I embellished with a floral design inspired by the clematis flowering in my garden, using fabric paint with a little embroidery. I so hope Annie likes it and finds it useful.

I also have Nature as a theme for a 5" quiltie and then I need to make a box inspired by "fantasy" and my May bag for BQL. I'm very behind with these projects due to the recurrent viruses that have come my way.

At Last! Stitching Again

 

Here is another bag I have made for the British Quilters' List 2008 Bag Challenge. I've had this wonderfully bright cotton patterned with multi-coloured cats for well over a decade. When I was planning this bag, I had in mind two different black denims, but this fabric had other ideas and insisted its time had come to be used. Another stash fabric proved a surprisingly good partner for it, and the result was utterly opposite to what I had originally envisaged.

 

The bag is again designed by Kandy Newton and it was interesting but easy to make using her excellent and clear instructions. My bags are getting plenty of use and I can see this one will be no exception