An offer you can't refuse?

Here is an offer on one of my other blogs.

Trapped

It has been some time since I posted

due to pressure of work!

However, this is my effort for 'trapped'.

Paper flowers are sandwiched between chiffon and sizoflor.

Purple Challenge

Well, maybe this is a slight cheat! However, red and blue do make purple, and I have always said that all interpretations count!

This is the front of a book cover and the sample for the 2 hour workshops at Cottenham. It isn't the best of pictures, but at least gives an idea of what we did. The blue shapes are felt made (on the day) using roving and the red/blue are a combination of fibres and fabric.

Cottenham was an excellent event. If you didn't make it this year make sure you do next.

Textiles in Focus

We are off to the above event for a few days. It is always worth a visit, so if you are in the Cambridge UK area this weekend I can recommend it. If you would like more details there are links here.

Have a look for us at the Winifred Cottage stand. I will be teaching a couple of sessions, but the rest of the time I hope to be demonstrating and signing the book. I look forward to seeing any of you there.

Different Backing

Tearaway backing made from cotton fibres produced and interesting background to try.

In fact I have meshed same to same by tearing pieces from another sheet. The background is coloured with a dilute solution of walnut ink mixed with a few drops of red food colouring. The applied shapes came from a sheet coloured with procion dyes















This is the back of the finished sample. You can see the areas where most meshing has taken place. Too much work will produce holes, but that can be an interesting feature too.

The Spice Challenge

This is not the easiest way to work on scrim. Scrim is a very flimsy material with an open background that easily works into holes. Triangles are easy to distort and a firmer backing would have helped. The points push through the scrim, and it would also have been easier with a different type of felt. I chose hand-dyed wool/viscose felt and this breaks up if worked too hard.

What I am trying to say is that this really was a challenge. I'm glad I did it as I learnt a lot, even though the result looks really simple.

I am teaching a dyeing course at Missenden Abbey at the end of the month. We will also be covering materials that are suitable for use with the 'embellisher' machines. If you would like more details send me an email

nuvofelt@gmail.com

Spice

I have just run out of time. I am away teaching this weekend, so I won't be able to post this picture until I return. The new challenge will be posted shortly, though.

Emerald

Take bright emerald fibres, place them on a black background and this is the result.



The base colour is all important when working with a specific colour as it will influence the final result. The flowers were pre-felted on the embelliser, trimmed and refelted as they progressed. I then well embedded them into the piece. It was worked from the side that you see and then a little from the reverse.



This is the reverse and the result for which I was aiming. Much more sublte. I have machine stitched the outline, but more stitching will be added later today as it is a class sample needed for tomorrow! I will post a picture of the finished item after the weekend.

Blue

When I set the challenge I was actually being selfish and thinking of myself! I find it very difficult to work in blue, and try as I might nothing seemed right as I worked. You will see that in the end colour won over! You see, BLUE was only the inspiration that got me started!

Layers

I call this effort 'Altered Ego'. It isn't really a self portrait, but it looks more like one than the original artwork! Originally designed with torn paper shapes this was put together with layers of hand-dyed felt, partly felted, then cut back and finally meshed together.

Looking forward to seeing what the rest of you have done.

Take a stitch Challenge 2

Another effort for Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge. I can't put a link in directly to the challenge at the moment because Blogger won't let me, however I will try again later and you can get to it circuitously by clicking on 'Another effort' above.

Watch this space for 'layers', that too will come later

Worth a look

It is always a pleasure to come across something by accident. I don't often browse through sites, so it was kind of Kjersti to point me to this work by Karin. Lovely colours and thoughtfully produced. I'm sure you will agree.

Take a Stitch Tuesday

As a textile artist there is nothing better than stitching. However family commitments and other obstacles have been in my way for too long. It was for this reason that I decided to join Sharon Boggon's Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge. Of course, because I WANT to stitch doesn't mean that there will be lots of time to do so! Consequently my effort so far is minimal. I have used a perle thread from the Sassa Lynne Serendipity range, (not yet on the website but worth enquiring about) and 14 ct canvas painted with copper fabric paint.



I could have uploaded stitching from a while ago, but this wouldn't have solved my current craving for stitch. I intend to do more, and you can follow my efforts here.


More on the Embellisher later this week. I'm looking forward to that too.

The new challenge

The challenge for this week has just been posted at
http://needlefeltchallenge.blogspot.com

How about making a New Year's resolution to take part? Layers is fairly easy, let's face it, a piece of felt with something on top constitutes a couple of layers - so how can we make the most of them? If you are stuck, try this and then work from both the back and the front to see what happens. I look forward to seeing some stunning work.

Rainbow

This small sample is just to show you how effective fabric can look when manipulated under a needle-felting machine. Cheap polyester organza was 'embellished' prior to being applied to felt. The surface is much more interesting than before.

Workshops for the New Year

There are a couple of new workshops to tell you all about.

Firstly, two more for Grayshott in Hampshire

1 Taster Day

Wednesday 31st January 2007
Another chance to try the different machines. There are currently 3 machines to try, decide which one you want to buy or just play and have fun. This is a good opportunity to compare machines, and you may be surprised.

2 Felted Bag

Wednesday 7th February
Make a bag in one day. Made from wool and an unusual technique. This will be fun, but you may need a couple of spare needles!


Friday - Sunday 16th -18th February 2007
TEXTILES IN FOCUS

This is advance notice of 2 x 2 hour workshops at Textiles in Focus at Cottenham near Cambridge. If you would like more information, send a large stamped addressed envelope to the following address. I suggest you do it quickly as the event is ALWAYS well attended and tickets for workshops are sold very quickly. There is plenty of accommodation in the area, so if you are thinking of travelling a distance and staying for more than one day it is worthwhile.

"Textiles in Focus"
COTTENHAM VILLAGE COLLEGE,
COTTENHAM,
CAMBRIDGE CB4 8UA


There is also a competition, not aimed at 'embellishers', but....

C O M P E T I T I O N

Make a piece of Jewellery that will fit into an A4 padded envelope.

All techniques are valid, but there will be a prize of Sassa Lynne threads for 'Innovative Use of Hand-stitching'. For further information, and an entry form, send a stamped self-addressed envelope to the following address

"Textiles in Focus"
COTTENHAM VILLAGE COLLEGE,
COTTENHAM,
CAMBRIDGE CB4 8UA

IMPORTANT If you are sending from abroad, enclose reply coupons from your post office to cover postage of the information, regretably you won't have a reply without these

Holiday

Not a very exciting rendition, but I am working under unusual conditions at the moment.

Glitzy yarns were meshed onto green hand-painted felt. A few stitches have been added by machine using metallic thread, a triangle cut and the shape glued onto a card.

Have a happy Christmas everyone.

Rectangles

Well, not very precise ones, but a sample for the current challenge. Yarns meshed onto white felt, cut into shape and remeshed onto black felt - alternating the top surface.

Do Something

A little late, but here is a response to the 'Do Something' challenge.

Carrier rods have been meshed onto yellow felt. Originally quite hard, the carrier rod has been transformed into something quite soft.

Life and things

I haven't been able to post much over the last short while as real life has been 'in the way'. However I have been busy and promise to put some pictures up shortly. I am not connected to the scanner or camera while I am away from home.

Next week is the Play Day for the Embellisher. I am really looking forward to it, I'm sure we'll have a good time.