Saturday 30 April 2011

quilt challenge-52 cards in a year

Week 48

5 weeks to go!  I have really enjoyed making these cards.  They have been a nice size to work on and quick to finish and a great way of learning new skills. 

My last 5 cards are based on photos I have of tulips.  They are shots that are taken in Holland of the rows and rows of Tulips.  Each of the next 5 cards have been made using a different technique and design. the first one is of the fields going off in the distance.


This card has been made by painting cotton fabric then quilting it. 



I really like this card.  the perspective turned out well and the colours really look like tulips from above.

Friday 29 April 2011

Skechbook challenge: 7 days of drawing

I am finally up and running again.  I find computers wonderful most the time and highly annoying for the other small part of the time.  If nothing else this glitch in the system has given me time to really get to know how my blog works :-) 

I am really enjoying this sketchbook challenge.  I can see the improvement now from the beginning of the year. It feels so good.  I have kept to my goal of drawing every day and really put a lot of work into my drawing and it is paying off.  Thank you for everyones encouragement and support.  you have helped me stick to my goal.


Entry for April 18th
Branching out: Freedom to choose


Entry for April 19th
Branching out: My great grandmother and Auntie


Entry for April 20th
Branching out: My 3 fairies

Entry for April 21st
Branching out: My father in law


Entry for April 22nd
Branching out: Women

Entry for April 23rd
Branching out: Regal

Entry for April 24th
Branching out: One of those days!


Wednesday 27 April 2011

Skechbook challenge: 7 days of drawing

I've had a wee break from posting blogs as it is the holidays,  I have had sick kiddies and visitors staying.  It is nice to get the house back to normal again.  I have been busy sketching again and doing lots of work on quilts and re designing my studio.  Now that I can post work I can't get any photos to upload on my blog.  I have been trying for about 6 days. So please be patient with me as I try to sort out this problem with my server provider.  If you would like to see any of my sketchbook pages just click to the right of the page and go to my flickr site. 

Hopefully I can post pictures again soon
Catherine

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Felting

I have been playing with felting after watching Jane LaFazio's video for The quilting art e-magazine in stitches. 

I did the first layers with my machine felting machine.  I layered wool rovings, organza,  silk threads, and strips of sari. 

Then I tried hand felting for the first time.  I loved it.  I now need to save up for a hand felting tool!   I added wool,  more rovings, and threads with the hand felting tool.

After the felting had been done I have added hand embroidery.  Embroidery works so well on felting as it is so soft and supple.  It is lovely to do.


I want to add more embroidery.  Where could I place it?  What stitches? Any suggestions?.......Let me know!

Monday 18 April 2011

Quilt challenge-52 cards in a year

Week 47

This is the last card based on some of the techniques and designs of Beryl Taylor, an English fabric artist. Her work is very creative and explores a lot of different ideas and techniques.




This card is made from Upolstery fabric,  silk fabric, an old hessian place mat, paper clay, threads, embroidery cotton and gold ribbon. 


The card was constructed by double sided fusible interfacing and the stitched together.  The paper clay motif was made by pressing a stamp into the clay while wet.  When it dried I then rubbed gold ink over it. 

I have really enjoyed this series.  It has been fun working out of my normal materials and designs.  I have really enjoyed the hand work too.  It is nice to pick up something and make it with my hands without anything mechanical.  Who knows maybe one day I will extend these ideas a little more.....




Skechbook challenge: 7 days of drawing

Entry for April 11th
Branching out: The boys colouring in
A very fast and furious sketch

Entry for April 12th
Branching out: My daughter studying


Entry for April 13th
Branching out: Me


Entry for April 14th
Branching out: Winter at Waihi


Entry for April 15th
Branching out: The boys


Entry for April 16th
Branching out: My Nephew


Entry for April 17th
Branching out: My great nephew

Thursday 14 April 2011

Lime Quilt

It's finished!  It is lovely and I am so pleased with it.  I even got it finished in time for the competition I made it for. WAHOO!!

The finishing off parts for a quilt always seem to take ages.  Really after the quilting it should all be just about done....well that's what my brain always tells me.  In fact there really is quite a lot more to do. 

Once the quilting is finished the quilt needs to be blocked.  Simply stated that means to lie it flat on the floor to pin it to the carpet and the to steam press it with a damp pressing cloth.  This gets the piece ready to be cut and irons out all the quilting bumps and lumps.  I trimmed this quilt because of alot of excess fabric around the edge and it would probably get in the way.


Pin on the floor on towels
Pin securely to carpet.

Iron flat with a damp pressing cloth.

Once the quilt is dry remove the quilt the quilt off the towels and cut sit quare with a ruler and rotary blade.  Check that all the corners are right angles. 





Once the quilt is square I bind the quilt.  I use the raw edge method by Robbi Joy Eklow.  But you could use any traditional methods too.  Google the word bindings and see what you can find. I use the fabric I painted at the beginning of making this quilt and that I laid aside. 

Then comes sewing off all the threads on the quilt.  This takes a long time but is worth the effort and there is nothing worse than your quilt coming undone. 

To finish my quilt a hanging sleeve or Velcro is normally added but I didn't need to do this for this competition so I will do that when the quilt is returned to me.   Then I made a label for the back of my quilt.  I put on it the name of the quilt,  my name,  when it was completed and my contact details. 

This is my finished lime quilt.




Monday 11 April 2011

quilt challenge-52 cards in a year

Week 46

The next 2 cards are based on some of the techniques and designs of Beryl Taylor, an English fabric artist. Her work is very creative and explores a lot of different ideas and techniques.

This card uses Cotton fabric, upholstery samples, silk, threads, a brass ring,  button, embroidery thread and paper.
The layers were fused together and then embroidered in running stitch.  My favourite hand stitch!.  The ring was wrapped in threads and the secured with a knot and button.

Close up of the brass ring.

Sunday 10 April 2011

sketchbook challenge:7 day of drawing

Entry for April 4th
Branching out: My boy


Entry for April 5th
Branching out: My youngest daughter


Entry for April 6th
Branching out: My eldest daughter

Entry for April 7th
Branching out: Youngest boy


Entry for April 8th
Branching out: Daughter in the grass

Entry for April 9th
Branching out: A maori woman
 
 
Entry for April 10th
Branching out: My nephew



Saturday 9 April 2011

Quilting bloggers weekly competiton

I have entered my Tree of Life quilt into the weekly themed competion on the quilting bloggers site. 

http://quiltinggallery.com/2011/04/08/weekly-quilt-contest-applique/

Please come and cast a vote for me or your favourite one.

Catherine

Thursday 7 April 2011

Lime quilt


Well I am getting through my lime quilt.  It has been a lovely piece to work on.  I have really enjoyed the whole process.

Once the top was completed I made a sandwich of backing fabric, batting and the painted top.  The backing fabric was hand painted too to match the front of the quilt.  I lay them out on the floor the backing pinned into the carpet to keep it from puckering.  I then use safety pins to pt all 3 layers together.




Close up of pinning

I have chosen to do free machine quilting, starting from the centre of the quilt and working outwards.

I quilted the centre part with wee little circles, starting with a dark green and moving out to a cream.  The segments were all quilted with different patterns.
The inspiration for the designs came from maori carvings and artifacts.



And the outer edges with lines of stitching close together, again graduating from a deep teal green to cream. I found I needed to be very careful not to catch the backing fabric as I sewed and also to check my stitch length regularly.

The next blog will be on the finishing off of my lime quilt.  Keep watching this space!



Tuesday 5 April 2011

quilt challenge-52 cards in a year

Week 45

The next 3 cards are based on some of the techniques and designs of Beryl Taylor, an English fabric artist. Her work is very creative and explores a lot of different ideas and techniques.


Made from a belt buckle, paper clay, wool, gold wire, gold card, paper, embroidery thread, beads,



Th paper clay has been stamped and then rubbed with gold.  The buckle is wrapped in wool and wire. The card is assembled with double sided interfacing and stiching.




Monday 4 April 2011

Hi to everyone,

I have been invited to post a blog on the sketchbook challenge page.  And here it is! It tells of how I work and how I approach a page.  Feel free to read...

http://sketchbookchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/04/special-guest-sketchbook-participant.html

Have a lovely day

Saturday 2 April 2011

Skechbook challenge: My days of drawing

Entry for March 29th
Spilling over:  Time


Entry for March 30th
Spilling over: Sleep/dreams



Entry for March 31st
Spilling over: phone calls

The new theme for this month is branching out:out on a limb.  So I have decided to push myself and draw people every day this month without pencil first. 


Title page for April
Branching out:out on a limb


Entry for April 1st
Branching out: My hubby


Entry for April 2nd
Branching out: My daughter

Entry for April 3rd
Branching out: My boy
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