Spring and new printing

Just one of the pieces I created yesterday. Hand dyed
pdf cotton, screen printed with the lettering and over
printed with a leaf block in several colours.
For all the printing I used acrylic paint mixed with a fabric
medium. I'd already got the screen, a thermofax screen
I'd had done a few years ago. The leaf block came as
a freebie from a magazine years ago. Remember
'Inspirations' - it used to be a good magazine before
home makeovers became fashionable, then it folded.
They always had give aways of blocks, they'd be called
stamps now, or stencils or something you could push in
a drawer and use years later!
One of the reasons for doing this was to use what I'd
got - acrylic paints and fabric medium and to see what
results I'd get. The next step is to get some quilting done.
This plant has started flowering. Can't remember it's name

but it these beautiful flowers. They're hidden beneath the

heart shaped glossy leaves and are only abour 5cm high.

I've love rhubarb and have always wanted a plant in the

garden. I treated myself last year but it failed miserably.

Last autumn we dug it up and planted it in the compost bin

that we'd also moved. We have rhubarb growing in the

garden at last. I believe that you're not supposed to eat from

it in the first year - good job I'm patient!

From utility room to print space

Up early, cleared the ironing and made ready to have
a print session today. The large white board is the
print table - just board covered with wadding - and the
drop cloth draped over it. On the work surface is
everything I think I'm going to need.
The ironing board goes up...................

The print table goes on top of the ironing board. It's abit wider

and quite stable if I'm careful! The airer, on the right, will go

outside later.

There isn't alot of room by the sink and it pays to be
organised but I always end up in a bit of a pickle....

Finishing

I finished my 'Word for 2010' at last. I was procrastinating
about finding the black car spray paint that I wanted to use
for the grafitti. I decided to use a very dark green as it was
handy, it looks black aswell. The test piece worked well,
just needed to remember to mask off the edges on the
main piece.
Just made one error(as ususal) on the wall. I'm cross because
I'd even remembered to keep the little bits that dropped out
when I cut the stencil. I even stitched on the hanging sleeve
which was already made. It's now hanging on the book shelves
being looked at!

I also finished some hand stitching for a couple of journal

quilts. It's a series of pieces based on buttons and buttonholes.

All I had to do was finish stitching the buttons - it's done now.

Just got the edges to deal with now.

I found this chap in the garden on Saturday afternoon.

I disturbed him and we eyeballed each other for quite

some time before he hopped off into Love in a Mist

seedlings that had survuved the winter.

Lino printing, Goodies

I re-discovered lino printing the other week. There are
some new lino products that are much easier to cut than
the traditional lino. This image was taken from a photo of
the tulips in my garden. Isn't modern technology wonderful!
I used acrylic paint and 'Ormaline' because I'd got it.
The resulting ink was a little looser than traditional lino inks
and didn't work as successfully on some of the prints.
After ironing I started quilting some of the pieces to see
what they'd look like. This one needs some ends finishing
off.
I layered this one with organza. A couple of greens torn
into strips and overlapped over the print then quilted.
Quite like this one!
Some of the goodies from Quilts in the Garden...........

This photo tickles me - my old cd player and a textile piece

of my old house.

Quilts in the Garden

Had a lovely day out yesterday. Arrived here, Uttoxeter
Racecourse, in glorious sunshine for the 'Quilts in the
Garden' show. I was immediately envious of the first
sight I saw - a full caravan site, in the middle of the track.
Parking was easy and free.
The entrance to the show......

You can only guess what this might be used

for at a quilt show......

Had to visit this show being so close to home. Glad I went.

Got some books that I'd been wanting a look at and had

to buy a bit of fabric of course. An interesting and very

varied collection of quilts on display. Arrived home tired

but contented (had a textile fix) and in desperate need

of a decent bucket of tea!