Quick fix.

Running short on time,cards,energy,ideas?

Here's a brilliant idea that Deryll brought to show.

Take a sheet of paper or fabric,about A3 or A4 in size.Sort out your snippets of ribbon,fabrics,ric-rac,papers that are really too small to be useful.Choose a shape.....triangle for Christmas tree,circle for bauble etc. and cut out about eight.Add some small coloured backgrounds to the base then place shapes on top.Add ribbons,braids etc to decorate the shapes,Stitch or stick in place ,you can use decorative machine stitches if you like.Photocopy in colour as many times as you need.These can then be cut up and stuck to cards or parcel tags to use for sending or attaching to gifts.Advantage you send or give something handmade and use up your tiny leftovers........WIN WIN.

Annual Christmas Lunch.

We came together as usual but this meeting is always a little different as we eat together ,all of us providing something for the table .

We have our 'show and tell' and any business beforehand(More of this later).We then clear away and lay a festive table before enjoying a meal together .

As you can see we have a lovely spread with plenty of delicious treats,savoury and sweet.It is a lovely way to round off the year.

Four of our lovelies enjoying a warm!

Leaves and books .

Liz continues her adventures with Eco dyeing.She is currently doing an online course and finding out more about the subject.

She manages to keep so many things on the go,this quilt was going in to an exhibition with Contemporary Quilters West.

And as if that wasn't enough she has revived her interest in bookmaking!

Ira surprised us all by just producing this piece from a few years ago.She normally says she has nothing then proceeds to pull piece after piece from her bag.She'll surprise us in January!

Adding dimensions.

Marilyn brought the mats she had woven along with the book of patterns developed by Rosalie Nielson

Who is to publish the book derived from these patterns 'An Exaltation of Blocks' should anyone out there be interested to try them .

There are lots of variations to try with the REP weave.

These three 'dimensional pockets' within the weave are fascinating.

Whose boots are they? 

She had also been experimenting with the paper yarn ,we loved them as they are ,but thought they could become 3D vessels too.

Versatile !

Last a jewellery set using weaving and beads.

Weaving has so much potential.

Tweet !

First a little extra splash of colour from Carol.This just a little taste of using an embellisher.

Her main contribution to 'Show and Tell 'were these delightful birdie cards.

She has captured such a lovely style with the combination of appliqué and stitch.Really they are too good for just cards,any one would make a lovely small framed piece.

Debby came next ,showing some pieces she had layered with fabrics and added stitch .

All sorts of snippets can be employed to create stories and pictures.

Even colour mixing with the use of sheers.

Debby talked about teaching rhymes and rhythms to young children and this piece below was something she created to illustrate that.

and to finish a lovely lino print showing how there is often enough ink left on the plate to create a 'ghost print'.Sometimes these are 

more atmospheric and can be worked into.

Splashes of colour and some silliness.

 

Viv

has a lovely collection that she raids ,from time to time ,to show us.We wondered if this was a piece of barkcloth maybe dating to 1950s.It is certainly a colourful and eclectic design

Sue loves to use the embellisher and this piece originated as a charity shop cardigan.Sue had used some wool tops to embellish the surface.

She ,like Viv, had been trawling through past samples and turned up this

Indian inspired piece.You can just glimpse the felt vessel she had related to this.

More below.

Patricia does wonderful things with colouring fabrics.She treated us to this selection silks and velvets,troubles they are often seen as lovely in themselves and we are loathe to use them

Jenn couldn't resist Sue's felt piece ,it gave everyone a good giggle as you can see.

Continuing the garden theme.

Jenn has continued to work with seed pods.She has been adding to her ideas using wire,printing and stitch.

She has been experimenting with using up fragments of leftovers to create little stitched books.

On a recent textile weekend she used silk fibres to make paper and to add some fibres to a thermofax print 

Another idea to be explored is a technique learned from Jean Littlejohn

Several of these ,above, might be fashioned into 3 dimensional pods.

She has also had an enjoyable time drawing pods on Khadi paper then adding colour with Koh i Noor watercolour dyes.

Lots still to explore,this theme is yielding lots of ideas. 

Mist and mellow fruitfulness.....

Sally had been looking back at some  sketchbooks and brought one to show,picture above and below.They show her love of observing detail.

She had gone away from our last meeting and experimented with her 'bundles'

hanging them from found twigs.They look very interesting and some were of the opinion they looked better laid on a background,we all have our own preferences and are free to choose.

She had also started a new concertina sketch book this Autumn

filling it with rich and colourful observations of garden plants.

Such a lovely reminder of how beautiful this Autumn has been

She had joined the three week  Drawing School collage course run by Esme Clutterbuck.

producing these .

Sally wasn't too happy with them but we thought they provided a different way of working.Using a viewfinder and isolating areas will give some delicious areas ripe for development.

We shall have to see if anything comes of them.

Advance notice

If you are a fan of Deryll and want to get your hands on one of her lovely little landscapes now's your chance!

This is one she brought to show us yesterday at our monthly meeting.We suspect you'll have to be quick.

Don't forget the South West quilt and textile show at UWE this weekend we have a stand ,and there will be lots to see.