Woven Hexagons

Thank you all for your kind comments on my last post.  These make me feel that I have something to contribute, and hopefully will continue to do so.  Getting back to the business of stitching, painting, and experimenting, yesterday I finally decided to try my hand at some more complex fabric weaving.  I initially saw this weaving in an English Patchwork magazine.  The instructions are rather scant, with small pictures for much of the guidance. 

I initially cut some firm woven interfacing, marking the perimeter, and two lines across at 60° angles.  I had no idea how much this project would take, so fused Vliesofix to three different fabrics, each around fat quarter size.  The background fabric size was measured to fit an A5 notebook.  The colours I used are a deep royal blue [almost to purple], a mottled cream/blue/mauve all over print, and a pale mauve.  These were cut into ½" strips.  Again, I had no idea really as to the size strips I would need, as this project was based around the use of those bias making gadgets, manufactured by Clover products. 

The first step was to lay the strips top to bottom in their sequence, ie mauve, print, blue, repeating until they covered the background fabric.  The second step, again keeping the sequence, was a series of over one, under two, which seemed to form this arrowhead pattern.  I have not photographed the third step, as I really have to do another project to get my head around this.  It is not for those who would wish to quit in a hurry, and takes some thinking.  As I said, there were really no instructions for this hexagon, and I had great difficulty seeing how it was done by the pictures in the magazine [even with the use of my magnifier].  I suppose the moral of the story is to go and buy the book and stop being so lousy!!!  I have not finished the bookcover off as yet, but will try to post it when I decide how it should be trimmed.  I always like to put something on what will be the front of the book, less confusing in my opinion.  This was fun, but challenging and time consuming.  I love the colour combination though.  The deep blue and mottled blue/mauve fabric was sent to me as part of a goodie bag challenge I've joined on the CB forum.  The lady sent me so much lovely fabric, I'll be making 'goodies' until Christmas!!! 

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. 

Fabric Painting/Mixed Media

I have been fiddling with some hand dyed fabric. This was fairly dark when first dyed, so I bleached it a tad, then painted over with metallic paints. I decided to use it to make a sleeve for an index book. The front has added foil appliques, gold cording and fancy yarn. The back has a more flowing embellishment.