Update on Work and some Older work

I have been but not very busy but not with sewing, family and other stuff however I am now back to work/play and thought I would show the work so far and also something I did some  time back. This was from one of Bonnie McCaffery's video's with Ellen Linden in Florida (I did'nt know about this lady when I lived this there!!!!!!!) I was in  a non creative dip and just went into my studio to look, think, tidy, you know how it goes, anyway I found a stretched canvas and the Golden stuff and thought why not  give it a try,( from memory) and off I went. I was surprised how fast it came together and how much I enjoyed myself.Also because I just went for it, no thinking involved, I found it very freeing and I  will try this again  I  used diluted   paint  on the white on white fabric  and just worked with whatever scraps I had to hand.

This  piece is  from another piece of work I posted some time ago, I gave up working on it because it just did nothing for me, then I read about Loch Lomond Quilt Show 2013 and I decided  to cut it up and re-make and I really like the way its working out.What do you think?
Take Care
Janette 

My Attempt At Dyeing

Its .been quite some time since I last dyed fabric and at that time I had no problem with excess dye however I now live in the middle of nowhere with a septic tank system so had to dye MY way. These are the results of my efforts.
The first batch was dyed  with transfer dyes and ice and came out pale but usable.
The second batch I used Dylon dyes and they were sdtronger in colour, I also over dyed  with red, yellow, blue and orange.I like what happened and over all I am pleased with the results.I like the "accidental" way of dyeing as I only want a small ammount to use and do not need to repeat  colours.
My next plan is to use Procion dyes and the exhaust method thus reducing the need tlike to wash away excess dye.

Please leave feedback if you can as I like to hear what others think and how I can improve.
Thank You
Janette

Recent Work

As promised here are the photos of my most recent play time, it is in a frame but only for taking this  is a jacket I am making for myself from Harris tweed.As you can see it is still a work in progress and I cannot decide what size of button would work??? What do you  think large or small??? Oooopppssss my studio is tidy!
Janette























photo I still have no idea what I will really do with it.I hve also been working on a Harris tweed jacket fo myself so here are some photos of that to comment on.

Recent Work

I'm still here!! and recent work.

Few I thought I had lost this blog somehow, with helpfrom blogger I seem to be able to once again sign in and post. My most recent work comes as a result of reading an article (ripped froom a mag. dont know which one)  by Kim Thittichai about painted bondaweb (wonder under).When doing my C&G I did paint and use this medium but not since so off I went.I had used all my bondaweb but had steam a seam so used that, not painted between two layers of sheer fabroc with bits bonded to it and then I used my heat gun to distress.Mmmmm, I like the overall look but the distressing didnt quite work out, maybe steam a seam has different properties and also I did not paint it so more play required.I have taken photos of said work and will post them soon.Comments invited.
Janette

Thoughts and Afterthoughts

I have enjoyed working on this challenge because it made me, 1) Use my stash better, colour choices etc. 2) Made me look at my threads and make decisions and discoveries regarding my thread collection. I found that I had more of one or two colours and hardly any of another colour so I can now add what I need rahter than duplicate what I like and at the same time I discovered some truely ugly threads both colour and machine friendly.Some time ago I bought on e-bay some fab.looking threads, they were from India (I had missed that info.) they arrived and are very good colours but hopeless in the machine so this  led to 3) Use threads in the bobbin that dont work on the top, I've found that most problem threads will work o.k. in the bobbin so I have not wasted time and money on something I cannot use. I also had quite a number of needles break partly due to me and due to the thick areas I asked them to quilt. I like the work of Ellen Eddie and visit her blog often, she uses thread work a lot and I find something new to learn each visit this time I found that she too breaks needles so I dont feel so bad now. I hope to do some thread work and see how it goes so watch this space.
Take Care
Janette

Ooooooppppssss

I have no idea how I managed to make the photos so big!!!!!!

Every inch quilted, Few!

Well I've done it, for the first time I have quilted a piece to withing an inch of its batting!! and here are the results.Some parts I'm more proud of than others but overall I like it I just hope its good enough.I used coloured threads in the bobbin to give the back some colour too so I've included photos of the back.I still need to make a sleeve and attatch but otherwise I'm done.As a result of all the quilting the piece has shrunk but is still within the size requirements. I don't think I will quilt anything quite as much again as it is now quite stiff but as its a wall quilt that works this time my problem now is when I ship it it will probably fold like card, Yikes!!!!  wewill just have to wait and see if the fold come out.Hope you enjoy looking, comments welcome.
Take Care

Janette

Ready Soon

 These are the photos of the front and back of my quilts I hope you can see the quilting on both sides.

Close to Ready.

This is an update on my Foundation of Colour Quilt.I have now added BLUE so all three primary colours are representd, I also added fill in pieces in any colour as most colours have the three primaries in them and therefor they would all fit. Next came the backing and wadding/batting, the wadding was fine quite easy to cut the backing however took a little thought and I decided to cut backing fabric (black) on the BIAS for the curves to make them stand alone, as it were, then I used the pillow method to back the main body of the work.This worked out well and I hand stitched the backing fabric where the straight met the curved piece, this also helped when it came to quilting.I decided to use F.M.Q. all over this quilt and have never quilted a piece quite so much, another first, and have found it has become quite stiff.I also decided to use the colour of the fabric in the bobbin thread to add colour to the back, another first, and it also shows the curves of each colour.I still have a way to go but can now "see" it  all coming together. I still have a stash mountain and have enjoyed using the rulers and may do another quilt in another size, thinking cap firmly on! Hope you enjoylooking and please leave a comment I do not take offence as often others "see" things I have missed.
Take Care
Janette

Work in Progress

I am part of an on line group Stretching Art and each year there is a new "theme", the theme this time is Foundation of............The group show the quilts in a quilt show not a virtual show so there is a  of work done behind the scenes by the two quilters who organise and co-ordinate  they also choose the theme.There are no rules in that you can interpret the theme in your own way the only restrictions are size and deadlines so the variety of work is exciting to see (for me, on line)The show is in the U.S.A. so I have to thank the others for the photos they post.As I said this years theme is Foundation of..... and I have chosen  Colour.This is something we as quilters use all the time and we see, think and even dream in colour however my problem was how to interpret this in fabric.Some years ago on a wonderful visit to Quilt Show in Houston I bought Marilyn Doheny's wedge rulers (a must have after  seeing the demo!) but I had never used them, UNTIL NOW.Another problem for me is where I live, on the Mull of Kintyre, very beautiful but also very remote so no quilt shops or even fabric shops close by the result is I jumped into my stash and used what I found, the photos are the work so far Please leave a comment as the eyes of other quilters often help me "see" things I had no idea was there.
Take Care
Janette

Hello 2012

I have not had much time to sew in the last few months but dicided to just stitch stirps, any size, and stick to blue's and green's mainly because I have rather a lot of blue in my stash but also because I like green and I think these two colours work together. I work quite small these days, no more bed size quilts, usually within the min. size for shows and I am trying to use what I have in my stash. I also want to broaden my work but stay within "tadition"ish as here in the UK tradition still rules more or less anyway thats part of my reasoning. I will enter a few shows this year and plan to work work work as for the past tow years I have not really had a work ethic re sewing but now feel I need a more organized approach.I will post photos of the work in progress.
Take Care
Janette