Stirling revisited!

A while back...28th September 2010 post...I showed a picture of the work I'd done at the Embroiderers' Guild Scottish Branches Summer School in August. I was in a class taken by Louise Baldwin (brilliant by the way!) we were working on lines. We produced some artwork from our source, mine was The May Island in the River Forth. We then transferred our artwork into a series of machined lines. Cords, braids wired, fabric, yarns basically anything went if it was appropriate to your source and it made a line!.

I think that back in September! I'd promised to show some close up photos of my work. Well, her they are...at last!

I liked how you could combine little bits of fabric and beads within these lines. 

Some of the lines turned out quite delicate and fine 

While some of them looked more agressive and bold.

This one is much broader but still looks quite delicate.

The one below has delicate areas but doesn't look very fine.  

These are just a few of the photos that I took em... just the other day! Talk about being prepared...I'll put the rest on my Flickr page.

Bye for now.

:o) 

printing & stitch

 I took some photos of my printed fabric. The fabric was very busy so I used "L" shaped card to home in on a few sections. The only thing is that it takes ages to select which ones that you think are interesting. I took loads of photos and end up only using a couple of them here. I may post more of them on Flickr.

I was at a great workshop yesterday where I was able to use some of my printed fabric. I added it to a piece that I'd started at a previous session.

 The piece above was using my newly printed fabric. I hadn't realised that I'd ended up with little flowers until the tutor pointed it out!. Sometimes it's better to look at what you're doing from a distance. I think that a was so intent to get to the end of the row and wondering which bit I would tackle next  to really notice what was going on.                                  

                                   
These are some of the bits that I'd worked on a previous occassion. We were allowing the piece to grow as we went along which proved to be more difficult than you 'think. Designing as you go!
                                    

Our aim was to produce an exotic piece of work

 I loved stitching the little dots and the squares. It's great how the use of very simple straight stitches enhance the printed image.

This is where I was working, just for good measure.

 Aren't Ikea scissors great!

Another printed image. The orange line was monoprinted  by laying the fabric down on a sectioned of rollered orange paint. I then dragged the end of my paintbrush across the fabric. You get the missing sections when the fabric shifts a little and the brush jumps over the little ridge that was created by it moving. Hope that makes sense!

Bye for now,

:o)

back again!

Hi folks! Thought it was about time for me to come back to blogland.

I've have been keeping myself busy but never managed to blog about it. Tisk, tisk. I aim to add to this more often from now on. It may be a bit random as to the subject matter but I will try to continue to post about my stitching bits and pieces as I go along. Of course to start me off again you'll see that it's not stitched pieces at all but a little bit of printing. Just because I like it!

 

A bit of rollering and stamping here and there.

 I treated myself to some alphabet blocks recently which need a bit more experimenting with. I do like a bit of text in textiles!

We can't forget good old monoprinting. I love it!

Here I've tried a little fish print in positive and negative.

You can just see the negative image in the photo above. The top one is done by carefully laying the fabric down onto the inked surface, then drawing the image onto the back of the fabric. I'm sure most people will know how to do it. I don't use ink, I use acrylic paint straight from the tube. If you do that you must work quickly before it dries. It's probably worth while getting a medium that delays the drying process it would make a big difference. 

Having a play with my alphabet stamps and I liked the colours that were on the paintbrush at the time.

I'm not sure if my printed fabric piece worked all that well. It may be better when it's cut up into smaller pieces.

I'm a lot happier about the little fish prints and can see myself working on them. Eventually! I'll keep you posted.

That's all for now.

Byee!

x

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A bit late I know but hope it was a good one all the same.

Hi!

I love it when the sky is blue and everything is white!

I like how the snow catches in the fence and tops the posts!

I just love the snow!

I'm not looking forward to the thaw, the mess, the flooding and the dark!

Took these when the snow came at the end of November. It looked lovely but now at the end of December it's a mess. It's been raining a lot, the snow is shrinking and some bits are just sheer ice. Not so nice now, but we did have a white Christmas, woopee! Sadly the snow novelty has worn off a bit now.

Anyway, hope you all had a great Christmas and here's to a Happy New Year!

x 

Stirling...

I can't believe it's one month on from being at The Emroiderers'Guild Summer School (Scottish Branches) at Stirling. Anyone would think that I hadn't enjoyed myself. Completely the opposite!!! I had a great time this year with Louise Baldwin as my tutor. I've loved her work since I did my City & Guilds so it was great to finally meet her and be in her class. She was brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the results of my labour can be seen in the picture above. We were working from our own source. I chose to work from my photos of the May Island which I visited in June. I can feel a series coming on!!! .....
I hope to take some close up photos which I'll post sooner rather than later.
That's it for now,
Byeee!
:o)

Holiday snaps 2010...

Some of the wildlife...

They're back!    Same as last year.

Moonlight! 

Sunrise!

Sunset!

This one is just for show. Honest it's not real.

Spotted on the Isle of Arran, Scotland

The lovely old paddle steamer Waverley.

Some fine inspiration.

Interesting flotsam!

More from Arran...the unreal variety!! Pretty cute all the same.

Imagine my surprise when I found this on the shore.

"M" it definitely is.

 :o)

super trip....100...

The Isle of May National Nature Reserve in the River Forth.  Had a great day here on one of their open days. We went on the boat from Anstruther and this was some of the first close up views we had of the island.

The stars of the trip! We sat on rocks and watch the comings and goings of the puffins on their way to feed their little pufflings hiding underground..

I would have loved to have had closer pictures of the puffins. Much larger lens required!These were some Shags and a Razorbill with its little chick following him or her around. He was so sweet.

This was a family of Guillemot with their chick in the background. Its amazing how they look like little penguins.

Of course the extreem close-ups ended up being the seagull chicks. I have to admit that they look really nice when they were all fluffed up.

Heaps of inspiration on the island for textile pieces!!!

These were all taken in and around the Engine House which was on Fluke Street, fabulous name! Loads of peeling paint and rust. I can feel a May Isle range for next summer!!!I think I took as many pictures of inspiration as I did of sea birds, they didn't move! The birds had a tendency to turn the other way just when the camera went click so it was amazing that I actually have any bird photos!

Some local island text!

This was where an old railing post had been cut off. I know that railings were cut down during the war to be melted down for I think munitions so maybe this is what happened here. I would like to point out that this was learned and not from experience! Anyway I loved the areas of colour on the stone.

Well that's it for now. This as it happens has been my 100th post. I had thought to commemorate it with a giveaway but I've never done anything like that and am not sure where to start so for now I thought that I would share with you the photos of what was for me a fantastic trip.

I wonder when they take the bookings for next year!!!!!

Bye for now, I'll be back soon.