Tag: embellish

Categories
quilt

Blue Moon, Kind of Blue or Moonflowers

Kind of Blue, Embroidered fabric, 135 x 52 cm,

This patchwork and machine embroidery quilt was made from a piece of patchwork originally destined to be dolls clothes, but I had so much that it had been put aside and forgotten. The quilting lines show in this picture but the metallic threads do not. There are a lot of shiny silver and blue metallics here and many of them and vaguly flower shaped.

The quilting lines are mainly broad curves, often inspired half or quarter moons or those slivers of the new moon.

Using Kind of Blue as a title feels very cheeky, but the Miles Davis masterpiece is often playing in my studio and the dreamy, sensuous curves of the music are always in my mind.

Moonflowers would reflect my hippy youth, back when work of this kind was unknown, or just consigned to ‘women’s work’ and ignored by the art world. Now there is a wealth of fabulous textile art, many examples may be found on the web.

Categories
Doll

Four Dolls

There is something I find satisfying and rewarding about doll making, although I can’t claim to know what that is. These four dolls are button-jointed in the Jan Horrox style, about 60 cm long, their clothes are made from embellished and embroidered scraps and may be much longer. The fabric scraps are often silk and satin and have many metallic threads but these shiny things do not show in these photos.

These dolls might represent both birds of the British Isles and the four regions, Scotland – Magpie, Wales – Red Kite, Ireland – Greenfinch and England – Tawny Owl. I think the Magpie, the first one I made might be my alter-ego, a Scottish Prince!

  • Tawny Owl
  • Red Kite
  • Magpie
  • Greenfinch
Categories
quilt

Fabric art

I don’t make many art pieces but I was sorting through my fabric and came across this forgotten piece of work that I had put aside for some reason, possibly a left-over from a double-sided cape of some years back. It was patchwork blues, slightly embellished and overstitched, looked quite attractive so I thought why not quilt it.

I found a length of black cotton just the right size, then a layer of wadding and finally some thin cotton from a sheet. There is a lot of silver thread used in the embroidery and the quilting but it doesn’t show in this pic.

I’m using a free motion embroidery foot to quilt circles and flower patterns, takes practice but gives me a distinctive style.

Categories
textiles

Embellish and Sew

Finally finding some creative energy and some old pieces of partially worked fabric which can be worked on some more. One of the joys of machine embellishing is that there is no limit to the amount of layering other than the ability of the embellishing machine needles to pass through, without breaking. Another pleasure is the using up of tiny scraps which would otherwise just be waste. The needles do break from time to time and they are not cheap so care must be taken. I often overstitch or couched threads, silk or metallic, embroidery, wool &c. but the thicker they are the more likely to trouble the embellisher, so these are best added after embellishing. But as I am rarely satisfied I often return to embellishing after stitching. The possible combinations of colour, texture, fabric and other elements are of course infinite.

It’s quite tricky to get a good pic of the shiny fabrics and threads and this low res one is also a little out of focus, I’ve used a wide appature on a small camera.

This patchwork of embellished fabrics and embroidered threads will be made into a long dress for a 60cm button-jointed cloth doll, just visible on the left .

Also out of focus, unfortunately, but show the shiny stuff a bit.

Categories
Doll

Doll

Almost finished the owl doll, her costume is mainly silk embellished from scraps. The embellishing machine is great for using up even the tiniest of remnants and bits of thread.  Embellishing needles get used up (broken) fairly quickly so I always keep a stock.  Just a few final touches needed, her limbs and neck and around her face need to be darker .

Owl doll

Categories
Doll

Doll

I’m making another in a series of bird inspired dolls, this one is vaguely based on the Tawny Owl.  Button jointed dolls are fairly easy to make, I always follow  the pattern and instructions of Jan Horrox, a wonderful and inspiring doll maker, then modify things according to my wish.  The most challenging part is to put a face onto the head.

Tawny Owl

These dolls have needle sculpted faces, which takes some practice, then the features are drawn on with Micron pens and water-based coloured pencils.  A steady hand is essential and the results can’t be guaranteed.

Doll head etc.

Once the face is drawn then it has to be sprayed with artist’s fix, the solvent type.  These dolls are more ornamental than play, although I try to make them robust enough for older children.  Next stage is to attach the head, then make hair, or in this case feathers of some sort.

Categories
quilt

Quilt

It’s not unusual for me to take the scissors to a fabric work in progress but I rarely hack away half in one go.  But sometimes it just has to be done.  Anyone who has ever made anything knows the feeling – it’s just not working – but a frequent sin is to fall in love with ones own work, or perhaps just not be able to see where it’s going wrong.  I suppose that’s what editors are for.

 

Afghan Wedding quilt, work in progress

Categories
quilt

Poppies

Just mono-printed and then stitched (quilted) some tiles for a larger piece of quilting.  I got a bit carried away and made 20 +, here are some.  The images seem to have suffered during upload!

Poppies 1

Categories
print

Collagraph

Ready to print my first large collagraph at Cato Press, if my paper ever arrives from Lawrence Art Supplies (Brighton).  Not their fault, just the delivery firm.  The only place to buy a good range of print paper in Bristol is Bower Ashton art college (University of the West of England) but they are shut for the summer.  I need a wider than average sheet for this relief print.

Athena’s Shield proof

Since making this proof I have altered the image quite a bit but  hopefully this will be the final effort.  Time to start work on the next one.  I feel at home with collagraph and I can work on the image without special equipment – just glue, knives, card and other thin material – in my studio at home.

Having spent a lot of time recently on my plywood toys and models – now on sale at Basically Wooden – I hope to give more attention to print making.

Categories
print

Cato Press

Just back from Cato Press where I was proofing a new collagraph.  Not entirely successful so brought the plate back for some more work.  Some of the lettering was insufficiently stuck down, moved around on the image.

Athena’s Shield proof detail