Mixed Techniques Cosmetic Bag

I've been having fun this week trying multiple techniques, the end result being this rather over the top cosmetic bag.  I honestly don't know if anyone would ever use it, but it was fun fiddling.

I started with a fat quarter of my own hand dyed green fabric, which I sprayed with what I thought was water.  I had forgotten that I had bleach in my spray bottle, and the colour immediately began to lighten!!!  Never mind, I pressed on.  Once I rinsed the bleach out, I over painted with some purple fabric paint, then allowed the fabric to dry before stamping with a crude home made stamp [nine nails hammered into a block of wood].  I then sprayed it with watered down gold drawing ink.  Finally I backed it with wool felt, covered it with a purple chiffon scarf and machine stitched lightly, finally burning away some of the chiffon scarf with the heat gun.  It was then cut into segments using my wedge ruler.  This is the rough draft, ie pieces embroidered and assembled ready to make up.

I cut some circles of fabric out and machine stitched little spider webs, adding tulle and gold fabric behind the stitching so I had  little 'windows'.  I had lots of time playing with some hand stitches that to date I'd avoided trying, ie up and down buttonhole and wheatear stitch.  Herringbone, chevron, and closed buttonhole stitches were also used, as well as an assortment of beading.  I also found quite a nice thick cord I had which was perfect under some machine couching.  I wanted this to have the look of crazy patchwork without the 'twee' factor, hence the use of thicker threads, and larger stitches.

The meandering machine stitching was an excellent guide for some of the hand stitching, something I hadn't planned on.  This was a really great way to use a lot of techniques in one project.  I also found the use of my large grooved piping foot to be of great benefit for the ladder stitch couching over the heavy cord.

This is the flip side of the bag.  I again only used threads, buttons, and beads from my stash.  This little bag has a type of dog-ear treatment at the bottom, making it look as though it has a gusset.   I left the bottom panel void of embellishment, as it would always be unseen.  I have another piece ready to do something similar, the same green without the bleaching........  Now that I have done this one as a trial, the green one might make a nice journal cover.

The Resurrection - A Rusty Vessel

I keep telling myself that no matter what happens I must not waste my efforts.  So, this little 'vessel' is the result of something that I felt had gone horribly wrong, but must not be wasted!!!  Last week, I paid for and downloaded an interesting lesson from the website of Lynda Monk and Carol McFee.  You can see the information here - http://www.fibreinform.com/Creativesurfaces.htm

I purchased some of the requirements, and proceeded as instructed.  However, my painting, inking, bleaching, salting results weren't quite what I'd hoped for.  I am not totally sure what I was hoping for, but for some reason, I just ended up with a blotchy, rusty piece of Lutradur, which I felt needed to be used.  

Prior to stitching, I sprayed watered down gold drawing ink onto the surface, then added some gold and copper foiling.  This was then covered with black tulle, and free machined with quite bunchy stitching on top [I used two different metallic threads through a #100 needle, with the setting on a narrow zig-zag].  I was trying to achieve the verdigris look.............   Old gold metallic fabric was used for the lining [again covered with black tulle].  I added some additional beading after the stitching, using amber iridescent beads that I've had for almost twenty years.  To enable me to bend over the pointed tops I sewed wireform between the layers, cutting it slightly smaller than each side piece.  This worked really well.

 I do hope the stitching and beading can be seen in these photographs.  It's very hard to get the camera to recognize metallic elements in one's work.  This was a very rewarding project in the end.  I loved working with these rusty shades, and much of the fun was finding and using beads that I'd been saving for just this occasion!!

Some time ago I photographed a rusty wheel rim down at the shed, altered it a little in my photo program, and this served me well as a source of inspiration when working this piece.

Scrap Quilt

I had to wash one of my quilts on the weekend, so decided I might share it with some of the ladies who visit my blog.

This scrap quilt was adapted from a pattern I saw in an American Quilting Magazine [dating back to pre-2000].  I love scrap quilts, and really should make another. The biggest drawback is that machine quilting for me is becoming too hard, and I refuse to have them quilted by someone else.  The original design had the blank areas quilted, but I had not long purchased a sewing machine with the embroidery unit, so decided to give it a really good try.  I had to hoop this up 247 times!!!!   It may have been easier to embroider the fabric prior to assembly, but to be honest, I didn't think about it until I was actually confronted with all of those blank squares.

Each of the machine embroidered motifs has been stitched with randomly coloured rayon threads for the flowers, and the same green throughout for the leaves/stems.  It is one of the prettiest quilts I've made, and I don't think I'd change a thing if I were to do it again.  The floral fabric used for the outer border is also the backing fabric.  This design is so simple, and it's just the off-set placement of each square that forms this zig-zag effect.

Now for some Bling!!!

Well, those of you who know me, know I LOVE bling, and I love sunsets and sunrises.  I have been trying to do some textile work, depicting the sun as I see it.  This is one of the most recent sunsets I've photographed [I have lots of them].  I have zoomed into this frame quite a lot, which really alters how the camera sees the colours.  I am also including the piece of fabric that I used as a starting point for my work - a journal cover.  I dyed this fabric quite some time ago, and never liked it.  Prior to stitching, I sprayed some of the colour out with bleach, dried it, then painted over it with some metallic gold Lumiere fabric paint, as well as a brush here and there of Jo Sonja's Opal Dust and Textile medium.

I then needed to have something textured for the sun, so painted a piece of Tyvek with Metallic Bronze Lumiere/Metallic Gold, which when dry, was overlaid with orange organza and stitched lightly, prior to crinkling with a heat gun.  That was magic!!  I had the texture and the colour I was hoping for.  Before laying this on my prepared fabric, I laid on a sheet of Irisé film to give me the colour change and reflection I wanted.   Next came some long wispy pieces of orange mohair/angora wool which were already lovely and curly, and looked just like I imaged solar flares to be.  In order to get this all stitched down I covered it with a yellow chiffon scarf, cutting away the excess after stitching around the 'solar flares'.  I also cut away wisps of the Irisé film to expose the fabric with the dark blotches.  This photograph should show the lines of wavy stitching.

I'm quite pleased with the overall journal cover.  The sun has gone back slightly into the background, but then we only see it as a blur anyway.  I've beaded in some places and really had to stop myself.  I could have beaded for hours, but commonsense had to kick in at some stage, enough already!!  I also painted glue in lots of places and sprinkled fine holographic gold glitter over the whole piece.   I hope these photos will show the texture and the colour changes, as well as the 'bling' I got from the glitter.

I must say I have to admit to an embarrassment of riches with the lining fabric.  I received this piece in a prize package from 3CS a few months ago, and knew it was perfect for the job at hand.  Vicki Welsh dyes some amazing pieces, and I would love to say I could do the same, but alas, I've not come that far yet with my fabric dyeing [you only have to look at the piece at the beginning of the post to see that!!].  Some of Vicki's pieces are available here: 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vickiwelsh

So, an end to the story of the Bling Journal Cover.......... now to think up some equally more bright ideas.

The May Needlecase

Continuing on with my intention to work a needlecase each month, I feel quite chuffed that it's not yet the middle of May and I've got something to offer.

This was always going to be machine embroidery, but I hadn't decided whether I'd do digitized embroidery by way of my Bernina embroidery unit, or go again with some freehand machine work and mixed media/textiles. In the interests of time, and a small challenge by a very nice lady on a forum I visit, I decided to dust off the embroidery unit and swallow hard.

I just don't like this type of embroidery, or should I say I don't like DOING this type of embroidery, but I did want to try this card, as it was purchased on a throw out sale about two years ago, and not once had it been out of the packet.

The colours chosen for the embroidery were my own, differing from those given in the enclosed chart, as I wanted to use the lining fabric [and needed to have the colours matching obviously]. I just love the fabric, probably because there is a tiny hint of gold in it.

I'm happy with this effort. There is a monogrammed initial on the back, but it's just that, an initial, so no need to bother taking up space with yet another photograph. I seem to be going for red a bit, having two, and we haven't hit the half way point yet............... I am equally chuffed because I used what I had in my stash, which I hope to continue to do as I go along. Onward to June!!!

More Machine Embroidery

This blue fabric has been annoying me since the day I dyed it. It had some considerable working over before overlaying with several slightly different sheers and some free machine stitching. Originally I intended it to be the cover for a small index book, but once the stitching had been done, I just couldn't find a focal point in the correct place.

I finally took the plunge and cut it into several 'other' possible items. I still have some strips to work with so I will make some little 'Inchies' for future use. These two postcards are the result of too much time!!!

Anniversary Blues appears to me to have three elements which remind me of the Blue Mountains and The Three Sisters. Quite some years ago we spent our 25th wedding anniversary at Katoomba, arriving after dark, after a long day driving. We fully intended to view The Three Sisters before leaving early the next morning. Unfortunately, it was misty/foggy. We had to move on, and missed seeing them.

Beading seemed the only embellishment needed for the other version.