Easily Distracted!!!!

 As previously mentioned, I've signed up for an online course hoping to improve my photo enhancing and design skills.  I've received two 'lessons' so far, and still feel rather overwhelmed with the terms and commands.  To be honest, I think I just freak out and find it hard to follow the set tasks!!!  I was sent a lovely photo the other day, so decided to use it for the exercise in lesson two. This pretty anenome was perfect.  I like open faced flowers for this purpose.  I just thought I'd share what I had achieved.  Now, don't think this is supposed to be what the lesson stated.  It's so totally NOT.  I got distracted when my cropped image wouldn't fit into my 'new' window, and when I saw only a portion of the flower, in a small rectangle, well......................  All I can say is I'd love to transfer the 'purple'  image to fabric and play a stitching game.   Having not long received a parcel containing lots of lovely purple fabrics, I think I'm finding it hard to get my mind off that colourway.

The Camel Hair Scarf

It seems ages since I've posted anything.  Family has been keeping me a little busy of late, but I do have a little something to show everyone.  I love working with this lovely soft baby camel hair.  This scarf pattern is very easy to do, nice when you just want something to do in front of the TV at night.  It is almost long enough [had a fitting on the weekend..................LOL.........yes, we have scarf fittings at our house!!].  I'm knitting this supposedly 8ply on 6.5mm needles, just to have a slightly looser tension, keeping the feel a little softer.  There will be a tassel at each end.  This pattern was in an Australian Knitting magazine, and is a simple garter stitch, increase one, decrease, and so on, which makes a 'chevron' effect.

I have become interested in the many and varied fibres on the market today, and can't believe how many exciting products we have at our finger tips.  I saw this site some time ago, but had forgotten about it: http://ecoyarns.com.au/index.php    I can see some time wasted [??], and money going out of my account!!!  After knitting with bamboo fibre a few years ago, and more recently using bamboo quilt wadding, I'm quite keen to try some of the newer products available.  I hope you find something interesting on this site.

Needlebook Winner - Congratulations

Well, ladies, for me July 7 is almost over, so I'll put the winner up here tonight.

Congratulations to Robin Mac whose name was drawn out of the hat.  Robin I will contact you regarding your address, etc.  You stated that you were drawn to the March needlebook, so I hope you are happy with it when it arrives.


Thank you everyone for taking such an interest in my crazy 2010 challenge.

Cheers.

Stained Glass Applique

Today I finished a piece I'd started a long time ago.  This is a long wallhanging panel done in the stained glass technique.  The pattern was in Australian Patchwork and Quilting [Gina Burgess design].  From memory this was started in 2003.

Now that it's finished, I am so happy.  I still like it as much as the day I saw it in the magazine.  Much of the fabric I have dyed myself, the exception being the pale lemon [window], and maroon border pieces which are commercial fabrics, and the striking purple/orange window border, which is a Dianne Johnston hand dye.  

I had some difficulty deciding on a backing for this.  I knew I needed to quilt using black and maroon, so required a dark and busy piece in order for the quilting to be 'lost'.  I had a piece of Liberty I'd bought from a small swatch, but on it's arrival decided I would just not wear it for the blouse I had in mind at the time, and so it sat in my cupboard [since 1999!!].  It seems to work, and all I can say is why did it take me so long to have this on my wall.

Tonight I shall be doing the draw for the needlebook give-away.  Blogger has decided that it is not yet July 7, so it will be better to wait.  I will post the name as quickly as possible.

Using the Stash

Thank you all for commenting so favourably on my last few posts.  I think I'm addicted to weaving!!!  Yesterday I decided to try 'straight' weaving and use some of the many things I have in my stash.  You may recall  the post where I showed the slightly altered rose photos.  I printed the orange rose onto some Inkjet Printable Silk, the image not filling the whole A4 page, but almost.  Of course, it wasn't as vibrant as I wanted, so I fused it to a piece of my orange hand-dyed fabric which did intensify the colour.  I trimmed the edges to the photo, and also cut the same sized piece from a lovely little snippet sent to me by Dian [Beach Textiles]   Each of the pieces were then cut into half inch strips ready for weaving.  

After stitching, foiling and trimming I am happy with this little address book cover.  The stitching is done with an elongated serpentine machine stitch, the foiling is a bronze, and surprise, surprise, I had just the bead I needed, some copper wire for coiling, and a few more round orange beads to add to the end of my coils, not to mention some distorted orange crystal organza that needed a home................   Now, all of this has been done by one who not long ago confessed to 'not really liking orange'.  Yeah right!!! 

I hope these close-ups will show the beading, and curly wire treatment, as well as the inside of the cover showing in part, the lovely pattern on the fabric that Dian sent me.  It was only a small piece, but I'm thrilled with how it has given this altered photo a more pixellated look.


Tracey asked where I'd seen the wavy weaving technique.  I was introduced to it by one of my patchwork group friends at our sewing day.  To do the wavy weaving, you need both pieces to be an identical square.  I must Google it and see what other pretty ideas I can find. 

Wavy Weaving

Not long ago I was introduced to this technique - wavy weaving.  It's a simple process, but creates an interesting background.  I used black and white silk dupion for the weaving, then free machined with black/silver metallic Madeira thread.  I always wanted to make the trim a different colour to the background.  I found this rather 'loud' fluoro pink polyester organza in a little store, so thought it might work, as I had a rather glitzy hot pink metallic thread in my stash.  I fused two layers of organza with Gossamer Fuse [The Thread Studio], hooped it and made three little five- petalled flowers.  After cutting these free, they looked exactly what I wanted.  I knew I had some rather bright beads left over from something my daughter made a few years ago.  The metallic pink stitching gave it a bit more movement, but it just needed something else.  Thank goodness for feathers!!!!!  This ever so soft pink maribou gave it a party feel to me.  I have fallen in love with making these little pieces of 'art', but have to admit to taking far too long to achieve my goals.  There was enough of the weaving to cut two pieces for ATC's, but I might shelve them for a while so I can finish some other projects.

Fabric Dyeing/3CS_TOM

The girls over on 3CS have us experimenting with fabric dyes this month.  They always come up with achieveable and interesting projects.  I have done this type of work before, and now I really should make something from some of my pieces to show I actually USE 'stuff'.

All of the pieces I have pictured here are dyed using Procion dyes.  I mostly use white homespun, washed to remove the sizing, then soaked in a Soda Ash solution, prior to adding to the dye bath [fabric damp].

You can see some colour gradation pieces, as well as an assortment of various colours.  I have not taken the time to weigh and record anything I've done, which in some instances is a shame, as several colours I'd love to re-create.