Friday 27 May 2011

JQ's

I took the plunge and signed up to take part in the
Journal Quilt Project with Contemporary Quilt of the
Quilters Guild.
My JQ's are based on the elements or the 'Elementals'
- earth, air fire and water and the Sketchbook Project.
I decided to try and figure out what the textile elementals
would be.
January - Textile Elemental: Idea or 'It's raining cats and
dogs and I'm thinking.......'
According to the classical Greek Elements
there is a fifth element 'aetha' which is idea or
divine thing. I thought It was quite fitting for this series.
February - Textile Elemental: Materials or 'A shop full of
goodies'.....
Without the basics of fabric and thread I wouldn't be
able to do what I enjoy. Of course there's always the
embellishments and the fantastic stuff for adding colour
and pattern to fabric. And so much more!!!
March - Textile Elemental: Design.....
A design wall is used by some to display their work in
progress. This piece is a play on that idea using the
elements and principles of design. I have noticed that
I tend to aways keep returning to certain ones.
April - Textile Elemental: Learning or 'Sowing the seeds'...
This started life as skills and techniques but I soon realised
it was much more than that. We are very much influenced
by 'who, where and how' as well as 'what' and also by the end
result.
May - Textile Elemental: Equipment.....
Absolutely no question, my sewing machine is
almost surgically attached to me along with a few
other basics. I'm not a huge gadget person but
sometimes they do make life easier.
BTW, fairies are also elementals.....

Wednesday 18 May 2011

New neighbours

Went for a walk this morning and saw we had new
neighbours. Alpacas - they're quiet and unassuming.
Also this miniature shetland pony was proud and
protective of it's very new baby.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Solubles

Isn't technology wonderful!
I've been stitching on a heavy weight cold water
soluble today making moss. The first cold water
soluble I used (30 years ago) was thin and tore
very easily when trying to put it in a hoop for stitching.
Just the usual polyester thread and 2 layers of soluble.
I think I could have managed with one layer.
After lots of stitching this was the result.