Stitching, Reading and Op Shopping

The stitching is on-going as I add little extras to the sea angels; here are a couple of snippets (I have been powering through the romeo for all the metallic lace):

I am into buttons at the moment (after the workshop making some) and I’m currently reading this really interesting and informative book on the history of buttons:

And this one on making all sorts of interesting buttons (some of which may find their way onto the rose sea angel):

Now for some bargains picked up from the local Op Shop, handily opposite the furniture warehouse where I was checking out beds for youngest son. This would have to be my favourite op shop for picking up great stitching supplies. For $14 I scored over a metre of good quality wool gaberdine, 2 metres of a silky polyester (feels very similar to the fabric in my favourite Basque dress and would look sensational printed with a gold motif), a fat quarter of a toning batik cotton (also good quality) – I can see a bag happening here, 4 new zips, 2 silk ties, a chiffon scarf, large piece of red synthetic felt, assorted buttons, a reel of a very nice variegated pink cotton, a spare bobbin case for my Janome (I can now use this for fiddling with the tension), a thin strip of velcro and over a metre of hand crocheted cotton edging.

What a haul!!

Yet again we have missed out on tickets in the Geelong Footy Club ballot so we will be watching from home; at least we won’t get wet!

GO CATS

Cheers

Birthday Giveaway

Sewjourn is having a birthday giveaway, be quick it ends at 5pm tonight.

I have just downloaded my September copy of WOW, great inspiration there and well worth the miserly subscription. I am about to incorporate Julie Smith’s wonderful article on making a mermaid’s purse (or cuff actually) into my sea angels. I have just about finished all the machine stitching and will spend the next two weeks with the hand stitching.

Here is another taster.

 The first is the twin needle stitching on the neck of one dupion silk gown:This is the other gown painted with a mixture of acrylic, opulence ink and dyn na flow then sprinkled with salt:

I painted some pearl cotton with the leftovers but they are a bit stiff, even after being in the dryer. They might be okay in a twisted cord or couched on. This is in the wet stage, it actually dried much lighter and will be toned down with overlays.

The last photo is another of the wing pieces. On the corners I have stitched using the Maggie’s technique from the Perth workshop. I’m hoping these will look like fragments of fishing net once dissolved.

Sorry about the flash off the glass cooktop.

Cheers

Wings take flight

Linda over on her textile blog was talking about trying machine stitched flowers on soluble with wire edges so they can be manipulated into shapes. The scan below shows part of the angel wing for the Sea Angels (it was too big to fit in the scanner).

I drew the outline in fineliner, stitched the diamond grid twice over with straight stitch, then went over in a small zigzag stitch. Then the dissecting lines were stitched twice over with straight stitch. I had a nice easily bendable wire (probably jewellery wire) and zigzagged that around the edges, then went over again with a close satin stitch. I used up as much of the romeo as I could stitching the little bubble fragments. I dissolved it in a sink of warm water, rinsed in cold water, patted dryish with paper towels and laid flat on baking paper to dry.

Cheers

The Workshop

Prequel:

At the fair on Friday I had also met up with another ‘cyber’ friend, Doreen from Canberra. Doreen is a prolific and talented textile artist and blogger and it was wonderful to meet up at last. We had lunch together and then Doreen went off to a workshop to make this sensational little needlecase. Her stitching is just beautiful.

A very interesting exhibit at the fair encompassed works from all the branches of the Embroiderer’s Guilds of WA in celebration of 40 years. Linda Stokes, another talented textile artist and blogger from WA had a beautiful book on display. I didn’t ask Linda’s permission to photograph it but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me showing the cover. I spent at least fifteen minutes enjoying the beautiful pages within (with gloves on of course).

After whetting our appetite at the fair, Linda, Doreen and I, along with 17 other enthusiastic ladies gathered on the Tuesday for some personal tuition from the ‘master’ of textile art, Maggie Grey.

I was lucky enough to be loaned a new Janome by Wendy Gager’s Janome sewing Centres.

It was a dream to sew with after the clunking of my 25 year old Janome!!

Maggie taught her techniques with massive doses of inspiration, thoughtfulness and clarity and with her help we all created some lovely pieces. I will blog a picture when I have finished putting it together!

This piece of Maggie’s shows how it should look.

Here is a photo of the two “Grey’s” : Doreen and Maggie.

A photo of the ladies hard at work, except for Linda enjoying a cuppa there on the right!!!

That is also Dorothy on the right, another “Holey Moley“.

And a photo of Maggie showing us one of her amazing examples as she explains a technique:

Thankyou Maggie for a wonderful time, and thankyou Dale for your fantastic organisation.

Final instalment, at a later date, will be my great final day in Perth, spent at King’s Park, surely the best public park in Australia.

Cheers.