Doing nothing........really ?

Carol is so good natured and easy that she often gets herself put upon.This month she said she had done nothing of any note then it turns out she has got roped in to crocheting 140 poppies to celebrate the end of the Korean war.They will commemorate 885 casualties and are to be displayed in Olveston churchyard.

She brought along her workbook ,she is so very organised and thoughtful,where she details her ideas and makes.The one above was a New Home card she designed and made for Marilyn.The one below was a wedding card for her son who married recently.Both uniquely hers.

She had also been along to a' Dinky Print 'workshop where she had produced these strawberries 

complete with sparkly seeds.She also brought along an interesting article from The New Scientist about How to read Inca.They think they had a sort of language using strings and knots .Carol was interested and may use this as her inspiration for messages.

Deryll also brought along an interesting  newspaper article.It  showed how  this Summer 's heat had exposed lots of sites of archaeological interest not before noticed ,when viewed from the air.Another subject for messages perhaps.

She had been exploring ideas for cards ,see below.

As ever, she had a nifty little technique to share 

Fabric was mounted in a hoop and some circles cut out.Using straight stitch you stitch backwards and forwards to fill in the holes.The threads are then cut carefully on the edge to create the flower head .

She discovered ,if the fabric is left in the hoop after the flowers are cut ,you can do another set over the same holes, and get bi-coloured flower heads.Nifty eh!

Zambia

Sally had returned from her trip to Zambia and admitted that she had sat, walked but not lifted a pencil .She had used the time to relax for the two weeks she was away.

She had picked up some beads and flour resist fabrics from Tribal Textiles at the world Textile Day

and had some delightful cards from Zambia, made on paper made from elephant dung.

Since being back ideas have been slowly percolating, and she has made drawings 

from photographs of the trees which fall and lie down the in the river in Zambia 

She has also been playing around on the computer with her photos applying filters to see what results.

The mud ,below, is so like the markings on a giraffe.

More wonderfully textured trees and 

a play with zebras!We thought the middle one could be a perfect abstract piece....Sally maintains she doesn't do abstract.

She intends to use her repurposed ,washed papers to create a book ,with beads for the binding.Her mind map of the emerging ideas ........it just shows that no experience goes to waste.It just needs time to emerge.

And one last purchase -from Sue Hawkins at UWE ,a kit to see if Sally can manage some hand sewing which she finds difficult these days .

She thought the canvas work might help as there are holes already to push the needle through.

TRUMPET ROLL PLEASE ..........

Sally's exhibit at the RWA Autumn Open Show .Textiles are gradually being recognised and accepted ........Well done Sally !

More World Textiles.

Debby had picked up this indigo fabric from Quilters Guild where they often have some pieces of fabric for sale.She thought it had been stitched along its length before being dunked in the dye bath.There were some very fine lines where it had resisted the dye.She was wondering what she might use it for .The width was quite narrow so she might have to do some piecing to get a garment from it.

She had also had a spending spree at World Textile Day, picking up some Hungarian batik fabric.It is incredibly fine and detailed, the wax is pressed into the cloth from copper and wire tools which create the repeat patterns, like the tjaps used in Indonesia.

Debby couldn't resist adding to her collection of tjantings, they are beautiful to look at and a joy to use being so light.

a little Hungarian heart 

and stencil,

some Schwein fabric

and a fabric pack.

She also bought this length of stitch resist fabric in gorgeous earthy colours.Debby told us that before the Slave  trade many more dyes were used.It was only that indigo was easy to cultivate that it proved popular.The patterns in the fabric are reminiscent of scarification patterns used on skin by many indigenous peoples.

Her last purchase was a lovely Kantha pack.We will no doubt see these in different guises soon.

She had been doing some creating too.......in her own words" this month I have been mostly making bags'

This is one and she has used a Prym snap tool to add the closure .They can be bought in lots of lovely colours to enhance your makes.

These were made from some pleather and offcuts of laminated fabrics left over from a workshop.

If you visit @65 gallery in Nailsea when we are there we are sure you'll find many more such goodies to spend your pennies on.

World textiles.

Do you remember the indigo fabric Viv was given as a present fromTokyo?

This is what she has  made with it ,isn't it lovely?She'll get lots of pleasure from wearing it.

It was World Textile Day in Salford the other weekend and several of the group went along.As well as interesting talks there is always a lovely selection of stalls selling all manner of textiles and related items from around the world.Viv treated herself to a selection of beads.

She also brought her version of the bag Deryll shared with us last month.

It was started but put aside and not finished ,perhaps she'll get around to it now Deryll has told her she should!

Withdrawal symptoms and a remedy !

                                               

     

  First a date for your diaries..........24th November -Ist December.

               

                       GALLERY 65 

                       65 HIGH STREET 

                       NAILSEA

                       BS48 1AW.

We have been having withdrawal symptoms after not being able to exhibit at Newark Park earlier this year, and having the Bristol Guild cancel our booking next Spring because of building work.There has to be some focus for our work so we have been looking around for other opportunities.Deryll did some sleuthing and has found this new venue in Nailsea .We will be there on the above dates and hope to see lots of you.As well as work on the walls there will be cards and other goodies for sale.An excellent early shopping opportunity.

Now on to the October meeting........

Jenn belongs to Sian Martin's Stitch Textile Artists (www.stitchtextileartists.blogspot.co.uk)who meet twice a year at Ammerdown and exhibit together about once every two years.The next exhibition 'Telling Tales' is coming up at Ilminster in the Spring.jenn had been spending some time working on her pieces.She brought along some "pods" which will accompany a 

wall piece .They have been made from cotton organdie with corded pin tucking and her own printed fabrics.Some additional embellishing has been added in hand stitch, beads and sequins.

Captured !

Kirsten had been preparing some samples for a workshop she is to teach.The eventual pieces will fit into a 7" hoop.

We loved their direct gaze and the 3 -dimensional quality.We thought they would be great piece for exhibition.Kirsten was not sure how to display them.She has made cushions in the past but said these would not be robust enough to take the wear .

We thought they were quite wonderful as wall pieces and even suggested they might be free standing.

Perhaps with a base, rather like at the top of a totem.

That's it for this month, lots of people away for one thing and another .We should be back to normal numbers in October.See you then.