Sunday, 6 January 2013

Making a New Leaf

Happy New Year Everyone
 
It is usual at this time of the year to make a resolution or turn over a new leaf - I am combining the two and making a new leaf.

1. Sandwich 2 layers of polycottton with a layer of terylene wadding in the middle.
Draw the leaf shape on fine paper and tack all together. Include the veins and the stalk

2. Stitch round the leaf shape using a straight stitch on the machine.
Tear off the paper and stitch round the shape again using a narrow zig zag. Include the stalk.

3. Cut round the leaf shape - including the stalk.
Stitch round the shape again using a wide zig zag - including the stalk.

4. Paint the leaf - I use fabric paints on a very wet fabric and leave the colours to dry naturally so that the colours run and blend.                                                                                                    dh

Saturday, 15 December 2012

Season's greetings.

The photo that Val seems not to have taken.......her lovely festive table centre!

Wednesday, 12 December 2012


Of course they are right - I should not have cut my piece up, but I didn't know what to do with it!  This is where GTA is such an excellent group; critical, constructive and sometimes we even take the advice.  I machined into my fingers three times making that piece of work which was extremely painful, not to say dangerous!  Now I am trying again but using my quilting Big Foot to keep my fingers away friom the needle so I hope I shall have a new piece for next month, and my reputation redeemed......

Sally

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

December meeting and Christmas lunch in Long Ashton

 Members helping Sue with ideas and suggestions
 Ira shows her new work-in-progress
 Kirsten has to make a decision
 Jenn needs  a hanging solution
 Everyone has an opinion about Sally's - she should never have cut it up!!


Afterwards we're all very ready for our lunch
 Unfortunately the cameraperson didn't remember to take photos until we'd almost finished the food
 which was all very delicious, especially the puddings.

 Everyone brought a card they'd made, which had to include a decoration to hang on a Christmas tree.
There were some very pretty designs, and one or two surprises.  We did a lucky dip to receive a card.

.

Thursday, 15 November 2012

This piece of work is is part of a series I have done based on vegetables.
The background is strips of fabric of various types, woven, machine stitched and dyed with onion skins.
The variation in colour is achieved by using different mordants on different fabrics.
The stylised onions are worked in a similar manner and applied.

The finished piece is a soft hanging and will be in the next GTA exhibition at Nature in Art.
dh