Oh my, it's hot here at 31c and high humidity - just waiting for the thunderstorms to arrive while I lay on my bed in the cooler (so far) bedroom. Thought I would post the next part of the process trying to piece these separate fabric designs together into some cohesive whole. It was a lot more difficult than I imagined and meant lots of pinning up on the design wall, taking down, ripping out stitches and redoing. Not sure where this is leading.....

I'm really not fond of this piece of work although I have learned t a lot this term in terms of design. I'm adding some more to this with couching threads and embroidery stitches and I will try to complete it just for the hell of it. If I'm still not keen then I'll maybe chop it up into smaller, interesting pieces. We shall see.

On another note I've managed to finally finish a quilt for a friend's significant birthday. I needed my new machine to attempt the quilting on such a large piece.It's comprised of 16 crazy quilted blocks which, when all were completed, were sewn together with an added border. She chose all the fabrics and I'm very pleased with the result. It's much more controlled than I'm used to with my textiles work but fun and relaxing.

I've recently been asked to make a quilt for someone for which I shall be paid. This one will be quite different and I will try to take pictures as I go along.
I'm also booked up for several workshops in the autumn including a water colours painting course in France, a screen printing workshop at Art Van Go in addition to my textiles course which I am signed up for again. I have also signed myself up for a 4 day 3d machine embroidery course at West Dean in February 2015 using the vouchers some lovely friends bought me for my 60th birthday. I've been waiting for a "special" course to use the vouchers and finally one has arrived. I'm very excited by this course!!

Last, but by no means least, is I finally bought myself a new machine after careful consideration for nearly 18 months. I chose a Bernina 750 for several reasons; large space for quilting, interchangeable presser feet from my smaller Bernina, clip on presser feet and a touch screen instruction board which are great for arthritis. It also has the potential for an optional embroidery unit which I intend to purchase in the future as I want to explore machine embroidery using a machine attachment. I would like to make my own designs, scan them onto my computer and use them via a memory stick.  I would like to then incorporate these designs into future quilts and textile work. It is a beauty and sews really well....I love it!!

Isn't she gorgeous?? Hey ho,speak to you soon x

It's been ages since I last updated this blog! My textile course is over for the term and I've made a piece, currently unfinished, that I had no intention of making but it somehow organically grew.. I decided to focus on screen printing and collected leaves from Hyde Park which I used a templates for my pattern pieces. The patterns were made from  thin paper and screen printed over in both dyes and paints - I was working towards some luscious foliage.

 Having made many samples I chose a selection and started to place them together - much easier said than done! I really wanted to develop my design approach this term and this exercise has certainly stretched me in that capacity. Firstly, I laid the pieces one by one onto the floor and jiggled them around with a view to balance, scale,colour. This was ok as an approach as I have no wall space on which to hang the piece. Most people designing textiles will have a design wall, a precious commodity I have no space for. That bit needed to be left to when I was next in class....

Next time I'll show  how the pieces eventually came together after several hours of maneuvering ( and swearing).