Rising to a Challenge

I tell myself I shouldn't because it gets in the way of what I 'really' want to do [if I only knew what that was] but I keep signing up for challenges.


I have mentioned the BQL challenge before - this is February's. One for the pink and lime green fans out there.


I think it looks a bit boring and probably needs some stitch.

I am also a member of the Textile Challenges Yahoo group, although I haven't, up till now, got my act together to participate. I found February's challenge a bit scary as it required - nay insisted - on spontaneity - to make an ATC in 15 minutes from whatever was available. Then I realised I could use the left overs from the BQL challenge - so I did. Actually it took me 25 minutes, partly because I had machine problems - you can see that the bobbin thread was pulled up to the surface despite slackening off the top tension.

Then there are my personal challenges. This is the result of the first lot of snow dyeing. [The lump of crud is the threads I dyed, which, despite putting them in a net bag to wash, still ended up tangled together. Good job I enjoy untangling threads.

The top piece is the viscose velvet which has come out beautifully. Bottom left is cotton jersey, bottom right is UK muslin. I seem to be in a pink and green phase.

There is some bluey purple muslin in the washing machine right now, which may be the last snow dyeing for this year. There is still some snow outside but I don't have time to do more today and it is thawing. More snow was forecast for later in the week but that has been downgraded to rain - can't say I'm sorry.

Speaking of rain - that was this week's challenge on 'The title is ...' if you want to look at my effort and several others.

And my stamp making challenge today involves minimal stamp making. Jackie commented that she liked yesterday's image of weeds in the snow - and so do I. So that is today's image, although it doesn't lend itself easily to stamps because the lines are so fine.



On Creative Sketchbooks we were taught credit card painting - not the type where you smoosh paint around with a credit card, but the type where you print with the edge.

That technique seemed to me to lend itself well to this image.










The current challenge on yet another group is to make a journal quilt which is painted - this design may actually be translated into fabric - white satin, I think.

I added some nature printing, using the seed heads of the plant in the photo - not sure what it is, a long stemmed dandelion-like weed. [My mother, who taught me a lot about wild flowers, would not be pleased with my inability to remember what this one is.]

I also tried using the seed heads on their own - they gradually collapsed as I printed giving some interesting shapes.