There's always one who brings fabric i was told

i recently went on a letterpress weekend course. it was great and i am converted although it wasn't difficult as i love using type anyway.

 i had an epiphany moment and started using stitch and masks which i was really pleased with. i used a Ramie that i had painted with fabric paint and then starched so it was nice and crisp, ideal for taking print.

 i also used some abaca 'paper' to print on which also worked well but there had to be less pressure on the press otherwise the fibres broke.

organdie also worked well and i discovered that taking a second pressing onto paper after it had been printed onto textile gave a weave print.

i am using some of my results in my latest work so watch this space. 

New Work

it seems a long time ago that i last posted but i have been busy with lots to think about. i have to admit that i cannot multi-task which i am meant to be able to do as a woman but i cannot. i can however think of more than one thing so i am mentally thinking of other works whilst getting on with the current one. SWTG have an exhibition at Ilminster this year with the title 'Pathways'. i have been working on a theme of learning and sampling; how people used to learn from an early age to write, count and later to embroider and make things.

so i have been working on a range of small randomish samples to be joined together which will eventually turn into the spine of a book.....? using some traditional techniques and stenciling etc. so the ones above from right show how we learn to write by joining the dots, then looping through holes, ways of forming letters and counting. these are about 11cm wide.

 
the above three still in the working stage show the ideas of embroidery; the one on the left a representation of 'daisy' stitch

NEC

Just come back from the NEC and thought I would share a couple of pictures showing my pieces in situ.

i thought the colour schemes all worked well together

it was great to see Siân again and to meet Judith at last

Finished

at last i have finished my pieces for the NEC 20th March - 23rd March so anyone in the area please visit the South West Textile Group stand.

'socks'

'tablet void'

 it took a while but i am happy with the results, hope others like them too!

New Work

i have been working on something to show at the NEC in Birmingham in March as part of the South West Textile Group. the brief was to use a 30cm square canvas and have a Romano, Celtic, medieval theme using a certain palette of colours.
i have been thinking of 'voids' for a while now. spaces left by things that are no longer there so for this piece i have been looking at Roman wax writing tablets and the marks left behind on the wood.

wax would be melted into the middle section and then words scraped into the hard wax with a metal stylus.

as usual i got carried away with various drawings.

got a bit carried away with the colours on this one.

 i then made a sample of undyed merino wool felt with oxidised copper strips stamped with letters. i also made a mould of a stack of strips which i have filled with paper pulp and painted with charcoal. the plan is to have lots of dangly metal strips, paper pulp and newsprint pieces simulating scratched voids.

sample

i have started the main piece so will post more later

I have it!

i have my Diploma certificate yippee. Thanks Siân for being such a great teacher and to everyone else on the course who has ever given me encouragement, comments and companionship at summer schools. please continue to pop in and see how i do..... so watch this space.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and a very creative 2014