Surfaces.

Fumi trained as a surface designer and occasionally comes across her designs .This was in a B&Q brochure . She designed fashion fabrics ,wallpaper ,borders ,placemats in fact anything that could be printed upon.She even saw one of her designs on a set in Coronation Street.Apologies for the photo but how exciting !

She is continuing with the 100 day project online with Ann Wood www.annwoodhandmade.com

Sue Brown is a favourite with Debby and Jenn.Fumi spent some time there at a workshop 

exploring print of all kinds on fabric.www.theyardartspace.com

Sue is such a generous teacher and has pioneered  eco friendly  ways of printmaking.

Some mono print on fabric ,it creates such beautiful marks .

Continuing the print theme Fumi cut an eraser into an oval.She  then wrapped a thread around it to create this pebble cloth ,such a simple but effective block.

 

Stitch club

Just lately Carol has been very involved with her daughter's project in Broadmead .She has researched the kind of plants that would once have populated the area .There will be large planters plantedup with these outside of 'Sparks' at the end of May. We hope it goes well.

 As a consequence her work has taken a back seats.This month she brought along a Stitch club workshop which entailed recycling a vegetable net to create lichen/fungus which is 'very Carol' 

It was heated so it melted but in a controlled way ,see above against Sally's sleeve.

Carol keeps such detailed notes of the Stitch club  www.textileartist.org workshops that she can refer back and use them whenever she pleases .

This one was run by Nerissa Cargill -Thompson and you can find out more about her work here ;

www.ncargillthompson.co.uk

It also used a suit trouser leg printed with bubble wrap and the addition of Suffolk Puffs to represent  limpets or bracket fungus.

 

Sarah Hibbert and collaged quilts.

Debby,Alison and Fumi all attended Quilters workshop with Sarah Hibbert who is a British Ambassador for Modern Quilting .The idea is to first  create a collage on paper ,then a grid is used to choose an area to translate into fabric.There is a lot of clever fabric choice , cutting and stitching to create the eventual quilt.You can see they created some individual designs and learnt a lot in the process.

www.sarahhibbertquilts.com

Debby

Alison

Fumi

 

Portfolio and more excitement.

After getting so much from her ceramics course Kirsten had taken the next step and applied for the Degree course at Weston College.She was going straight from our meeting to her interview.These photos detail some of her work .It covers a range of media undertaken over the years .We think she should be a certainty.

Her latest Print club challenge  was to create something to do with  Fish in print .These were then distributed to each member. Kirsten bound hers into a book with stab binding and end papers she  marbled herself.

Kirsten made several prints before 

choosing just the one to edition.We loved the little sparkle of gold.

Below are photos of her next Ceramic piece, as yet unfired .It is slab built with  coloured slip into which she has scraffitoed  ,then screen printed with mussel shells .

And finally a Mothers' Day activity with her family, printing onto a tote bag. Fun thing to do with a very useful and personal item at the end.

February into March 2024.

Sally hadn't been at our last meeting but had taken time to create her Dandelion clock. It is delicately stitched on some sheer fabric .

Meanwhile this month's 'OLD' prompt was treated in different ways as seen below.

Jenn 's work wasn't put up for February so here it is along with March's contribution.She had been to the Elias Sime exhibition at the Arnolfini which was very interesting in a number of ways.Aside from the work she was struck by the Ethiopian symbols and did some research to find some to explore.She has been Gelli printing and made some stencils and stamps from them to build up layers.These were printed on silk from some of her prints them some stitch added. 

She cut up and collaged some of her prints onto postcards.

She had also been to the Cathedral where she discovered some Medieval glass fragments in the cloisters .She played about taking them into monochrome and printed onto silk.

She had also been to the museum and looked at the Delfware they have.The fragments were what interested her so she took some of the patterns and free machined some on cotton organdie.

Doing further research she found jug shapes and made a drawing using some of the patterns to create a tetrapak print block .

All of these have possibilities to develop into new work and may well find their way into our next exhibition 'Found'. If and when we can secure a venue as Bristol Guild have let us down.

Jenn continues to add to the Shelley Rhodes piece started with Bristol Stitchers zoom workshop.It 's a lovely way to use up small snippets and can be picked up and worked into in odd moments.

 

Change of heart .

Sue had been thinking about her choice of shells for 'Found ' and had decided to set that idea aside for now.

As a fairly recent resident of the Bristol area she had chosen instead to explore the 

places ,events and famous engineering  associated with the area.

She enjoys creating Kinoptic art so is using the technique

with paint and stitch to put her own slant on the iconic .

 

Encrust and crush ?

Jemima Lumley gave a workshop at Bristol Stitchers on 'Encrusted Embroidery'

Carol took the Forest Floor as her inspiration and you can see her progress above. 

One of the techniques they were introduced to was 'Crushing' .Basically it entails solufleece under fabric which is then steamed .The steaming makes the fabric crinkle ,the more steam that is applied the crinklier the fabric becomes.A very useful way to create texture.

She also brought  along her Garden birds 

which has been an ongoing project.

The detail she creates in her choice of fabric and the 

carefully chosen stitching really brings them to life.

Just a few more to complete but they will be stunning .

 

On a roll.

Kirsten has really taken to exploring her creativity.She is taking workshops whenever she can .This one was about developing Abstracts with Nick Moore.Drawing with their eyes shut and using spontaneous movement to mark make .She didn't quite feel she had let go enough as the shapes are recognisable.

The next was working in a zig zag sketchbook with Karen George .The drawing was made in the middle of the surface then the viewfinder was used to isolate areas .The  shapes were then taken and rotated to create patterns.Both seemed to be very interesting ideas to explore.

In her Print club they had been using fish as their theme.She chose an Anglefish .Each member prints 20 so that they each get a bound book containing all the prints from the group.

This is the next prompt 'Leaping'

She has found her ceramics course has woken a desire to do more. She has taken the plunge and enrolled for a degree course which will fill two days a week starting in the Autumn term.

For 'Found' Kirsten has been working to develop her cabinet of curiosities . Creating a workbox containing the usual items but made from unlikely materials .Her scissors are cut from aluminium and coloured ,and cut ,by her hand.

below are items on organza drawn with Inktense .

She is on fire!