I have three challenges to work on and had been completely devoid of ideas, but several came all at once - a bit like buses.
The one below, which doesn't look very exciting at the moment, will become my response to the Stitched Textile Design group challenge for February. Probably. Provided it doesn't go wrong.
For some reason, since I got my new Bernina, I have lost what little confidence I had about free motion embroidery - daft, really, when the Bernie is supposed to make it easier. However, yesterday I decided to give it a go. Polyester satin was probably not the best choice to try to regain confidence with, but I'm not too disappointed with the outcome. The current plan is to add some transfer dyes over the top of the quilting - an odd way round, I know, but I want to experiment.
I did another piece for the Dyehard Surfacing challenge, but as it's black on black it doesn't photograph well ...
This lot above is for the 'Around the World in 20 Quilts' challenge, 'Brave New World' - which has to include recycled materials. Hence the old jeans and newspaper. It has progressed a little further but I can't reveal all until the end of March.
I did play around a little more with yesterday's stamp, as I have some ideas for embroideries based on it. The one above is on some 'end of the day' hand dye - the mop cloth which I use to catch spills when dyeing, often ends up in a bucket with the left over soda solution and dye. [On this day there was obviously a lot of red left over.]
I think this one will have some simple stitching in a 50s 'Needlework Development Scheme' style, perhaps with wadding or felt underneath. I do like adding wadding to embroideries, I like the softness and the slight puffiness.
This is the same stamp on canvas - it was so pale I had to go round it with wash out pen. I have actually started embroidering this but so far all it has is a few rows of brown tent stitch.
Finally - I must wax lyrical about my new book. I came across it by accident while Googling for something else and ordered it from ABE Books [cheaper than Amazon for once, although ABE Books don't seem to be able to spell the title correctly either ...]. I don't usually like to buy books sight unseen but I am so glad I did.
It is full of beautiful pictures of wonderful textile related art work. I am too embarrassed to say how few of the artists featured I had heard of - so I will just mention two whose work I have been lucky enough to see for real , Hilary Bower and Rozanne Hawksley.
I thought I knew of every textile book published in the last few years but I had never heard of this one, perhaps because it is more art oriented than embroidery oriented, but it is very inspiring if you are interested in textile art.
Gushing over for today!
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