New Year's Resolution

I have made a resolution that I will become much better at blogging. I keep forgetting to write anything and was sadly irregular in blogging during 2011. THIS year I am going to make it a ritual---not sure how often, but at least weekly. I have been madly working on baby quilts and Christmas presents and now have started a lap quilt for me, using Sue Box "Traditional Homes and Gardens" embroidery patterns. This photo is my first attempt at sewing through metal. It gives a good effect, I think. Now I just need to figure out if I can use metal as decoration for clothes---I'll need to make some new ones before school goes back. Down to the farm tomorrow, for my final week of holidays. Lots of preparation to do, as I am teaching a new subject at VCE level this year. Oh, well, no rest for the wicked...

July 5th 2011

Happy Birthday to me! I have had some fun over the last couple of weeks, participating in both the Holey Moley Club 2011  and Gilding the Lily. Here are a couple of pieces I have done for each class:

The illuminated manuscript is part of the Holey Moley "Words" activities, while the gilded patterns are part of Lesson 1 of Gilding the Lily. Both were a great deal of fun to make and I have learnt a great deal about applying metallic foils and other effects.

Wednesday 8th June

I began a new Thread Studio course called Gilding the Lily yesterday. I had some time today, so have tried two of the techniques in the first lesson. The top picture is fusable webbing cut into flower shapes, then bonded to black cotton. This was then foiled with metallic foils. The second picture is lace covered with Gossamer Fuse and then foiled. Both pieces are much more interesting than these pics show, but the foils just don't photograph truly. Still, I am having fun....

Saturday 3rd June

I haven't posted for ages. School has been really busy and weekends taken up with preparing the garden for winter. I have been playing with some of the Holey Moley Club ideas, but mainly knitting. I Finally finished Michael's cardigan (it only took 2 years!) and have been making beanies for Bairnsdale's Beanie Festival. Today I finished a coat for Yin. She's happy, but Yang wants one now! Okay, so I have to get knitting again...

29th March 2011

I had a wonderful weekend playing with different things. This piece is the beginning of Lesson 4 of Hot Needles, Cool Stitches, which I had not even attempted. The lesson is all about making fabric. This was made with silk tailings betweem water soluble Guilliette. Once it had been free motion quilted, I washed the Guilliette away and this is the result. I really like the 'holey-ness' and am imagining ways of using this in other work. It is actually quite sturdy, even though it looks fragile. What fun!

Monday 28th March

I haven't had any time for blogging in ages. Going to school, coming home, going to school, coming home......life sometimes gets in the way! I have finally found some 'me' time and have begun on The Holey Moley Club 2011 Flowers lessons. This piece uses a painted piece of Evalon with one of my grandpa's handwritten poems printed on it. I then placed hydrangea petals on it and covered it with webbing. It makes a very nostalgic piece.

This piece didn't work well at all. I followed Dale's instructions to use two pieces of painted webbing with the flowers in between, but the webbing makes the picture (sheet music) disappear. I think one layer of webbing is enough.

Holidays in two weeks! Of course, we have to get through Parent-Teacher interviews (two lots) and finish off marking work for the term, but Easter is added to the holidays to make two and a half weeks. Sheer bliss. Maybe I'll even finish the lessons from Hot Needles, Cool Stitches during the break!

Sunday 27th February

I have had the most relaxing weekend! All my planning and marking was done on Friday, as I had two free sessions (something of a miracle!) I took my embellisher down to the farm and spent the weekend bonding(!) with it. It was raining the whole weekend, so I didn't need to feel guilty about the length of the grass or the weeds in the garden. The horses didn't even want to move away from their shelters.

This piece began as a nine-patch (can you see them?) but I decided to add another flimsey and embellish from the back of the piece. Then I added some hand sewing in circles. Looks like the Bungle Bungles to me!

This one began as a two-tone piece, using Merino 'batting' I purchased at 10001 Yans and Fibres, a local Bairnsdale store. It felt so soft and springy, I couldn't help but sew into it and add some embellishment. I loved working on this!

I used all my knowledge gained from Hot Needles, Cool Stitches, as well as some pieces from other courses. It's amazing how you can incorporate past experiences into making a new piece. What fun!

It's really amazing how working on something creative relieves stress. I'm actually looking forward to the next week, knowing I have had a 'me' weekend. When you are creating, you forget all about other things and the time just flies. I love my embellisher!