Cyber Fyber Exhibition

If you've not yet seen it, do visit the amazing on-line Cyber Fyber
exhibition. It's such a wonderful opportunity to see an amazing response to Susan Lenz's concept with a phenomenal range of textile techniques from around the world. My postcard and ATC are on display in some very distinguished company. I'd love to see your comments on them.

So far, the new year has not seen much creative activity here, mainly thanks to being virally challenged still (sinusitis now). I hope I can soon find the oomph to get going again.

Two ATCs and a Postcard

This is the ATC that I made and sent recently as part of the fabulous Cyber Fyber swap and exhibition which Susan Lenz has been busy creating. It is made using cut-back or reverse applique using organzas plus machine embroidery.

This ATC is for another swap between myself and Annica Lindsten in Sweden. It is made of my own silk paper which I screen printed with the design of seed heads.

This is the postcard I made for the Cyber Fyber swap, again from the screen-printed silk paper but this time incorporating a disc of tiny-scale crazy patchwork embellished with machine embroidery.

My Cyber Fyber contributions can be seen in the on-line exhibitions here (ATC) and here (Postcard).

Other than this, I've been struggling since I last posted, having a couple of fluey viruses in quick succession. I managed to make my daughter a long dress to wear in her choir concert earlier in the month. My Christmas preparations were severely curtailed by my health problems and I did not manage to write my Christmas cards so have been thinking about a New Year card instead. I seem to have managed to miss this boat as well so will have to think again.

Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy and Creative 2009!

Crochet Blanket

On a grey, damp and chilly winter's day like this one, what appeals it to wrap up in a shawl or blanket and drink lots of soup and tea or hot chocolate. This blanket is one I crocheted some years ago, from scraps and remnants of knitting yarn, and it has proven a valuable friend over the years, bringing cosy comfort to my children or to me whenever that has been wanted. The motifs are overgrown "Granny Squares", and gave me gentle occupation and a sense of achievement when I was bed-bound due to high blood pressure during my first pregnancy, and later when I was capable of very little activity when I first developed M.E. 20 years ago. Although both blanket and illness have been my constant companions throughout the past two decades, the blanket has been by far the most welcome.

I Won A Prize!

Quick blowing of own trumpet: Doormat was awarded the prize for Contemporary Interpretation! Unfortunately, it looks as if I'll need to wait till next year to receive my prize as I can't get to any of the shows before the one in Birmingham, so I need to let the National Needlework Archive know that I would like the presentation to happen there and then. Meanwhile, my ego is enjoying the massage!

Small Stitched Collage

 

Shown above is another mixed media textile piece I started at the Knitting and Stitching Show at the NEC earlier this month during a workshop with Claire Martin. I like its rich colours and touches of glitz, and I enjoyed mixing running stitch with oversewing and feather stitch.

Rags Repurposed

 

Once, I bought a pair of linen trousers on eBay. They were a lovely, washed-out navy colour and they proved a useful and favourite addition to my wardrobe. Sadly, in time, they went the way of all trousers...

 

Worn out they might be, but I was loth to throw away this lovely cloth, and I decided to make myself a studio coverall,or craft apron out of the good cloth in my trousers.

 

Yesterday was the day, and my new-from-old garment took about three hours of gentle activity from start to finish. The remaining cloth is tiny scraps, so not even much waste came from this refashion.

Developing a Mixed Media Piece

A week ago, I spent the day at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. It was the Knitting and Stitching Show and, having missed it altogether last year, I had booked this plus two days at Alexandra Palace next month. The NEC version is a smaller, more intimate affair while Ally Pally has more to see and do but is more of a scrum.

I also booked to attend some workshops there. Sadly, the person leading the first one I'd booked had broken her leg and wasn't there, but I rebooked on another with Claire Martin. She's a good tutor who runs an enjoyable session, so I took a second one with her as well. This was on mixed media work, and the pictures below are of the piece I began.

As you can see, I started collaging and patching different fabrics and papers, using glue and stitch to grow the piece, and layering up various items as I went. I have worked with paper before but this felt very different from my usual way of working, in an enjoyable way. It was interesting to make marks with stitches in a very carefree manner and to juxtapose the different textures available among the materials provided.

I worked a bit bigger than I might have done. The next stage was to apply gesso to integrate the surface elements, but I decided to do this at home once I had completed the stitching.

The gesso makes a considerable difference so that the individual elements are relatively subdued, and I am now thinking what to add next. It's one thing to follow a prescribed process and another to choose one's own direction. I'm contemplating moonshadow mist and either gilding with leaf or judicious and careful rubbing with treasure gold to emphasize areas of texture, but other possibilities, like Quink and bleach or reactive iron paint and rusting medium are also worth thinking about.

Unfortunately this day trip was very tiring and I've still not fully recovered from this excursion. However, there's no harm in taking time to think before progressing the work, and the day was so worth it.