Cover Finished

Yesterday evening I finished the cover and added a few pages

to the mixed media 'Thou Art' Book.

One of the pages is made up of Italian Lace

that was in a bag of trimmings someone gave me

when they were having a sort out.

See work that I have created with vintage lace

by clicking HERE

I will keep making pages and then arrange and

secure them in.

See more of my mixed media work on my

website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Thou Art Mixed Media Book

This is the start of the Mixed Media Book I have called

"Thou Art".

Base on a Scottish Proverb I found,

"What ev'r thou art,

act well thy part".

I began the piece of work by collecting the materials together

from around my studio and then began by

layering items onto an antique lace tray cloth.

You could use a lace handkerchief etc.

This I backed with Hobbs wadding (batting) and

then began sewing and sticking the layers of items on to

the tray cloth.

this is going to be the cover.

I managed to make a few pages and will continue to add.

I will take photos and post as I go.

See more of my mixed work on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Collecting Together

On Thursday was my day in the studio, lovely.

I love being out and about sharing

and enjoying all the wonderful meetings and workshops

but I also like the time in my studio on my own,

playing and experimenting with 'stuff'.

I wanted to make a mixed media lace inspired book.

Something frilly, containing memories and keepsakes.

So my usual practice is to collect all the things

I can find in an short time. Often colour related too!

It keeps it project and idea based but I allow

for red herrings, lots will be rejected or

it will spark off where other items are while I am

making the item.

(I normally allow 15mins for this collecting otherwise you get lost

with all the lovely things and you don't get anything done).

So above are textiles, paper, trinkets, canvas and water colour paper.

The the process begins either with an inspiration via a picture, idea or

by the items I have collected together.

So many ideas then start rushing through my head

and I group items together.

in this case for the cover and the pages.

In the afternoon I had a visit from Chris who runs

Weeting Quilt Group. She brought her husband to see what a

studio in the garden looks like!

See more of my mixed media work on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Alveva Workshop

Alveva Quilters takes up the challenge each year of learning

new patchwork and quilting skills and techniques.

This year it has been folded patchwork.

We started this year with origami and then transferred that from

paper and napkin folding to fabric.

On Wednesday evening,

I showed them how to make the Japanese Folded Bags.

You can see by some of the

ones nearly finished on the table, they are really fun

and so individual.

If you would like to come to one of my workshops,

studio or I am available for talks and demonstrations,

please feel free to contact me.

Alveva Quilt Group

Wednesday night was Alveva Quilter's once a month meeting.

I had been away on holiday for the last few meetings

so it was nice to catch up with everyone.

At Show and Tell Liz showed us her latest

acquisition from ebay.

A wholecloth quilt probably originally from Wales,

from the 19th Century.

It was beautiful, yellow on one side and a slate blue on the other.

Liz has a good selection of old British Quilts and is

available for talks.

See more wholecloth and Alveva by clicking

the written labels below this post.

Machine Embroidered Leaves

Jeanette is machine stitching the mixed media background

for the leaves to be attached to and making lots more leaves and

cords to embellish with.

There are so many techniques that Jeanette has used

on this mixed media wallhanging so far.

See more of the leaves and machine embroidery

by clicking on the written labels below.

Brenda Hand Sewing

As you may know if you follow my blog,

Brenda made a brown crazy work patchwork cushion before.

Her Daughter and Grand Daughter visited her at

the weekend and both saw her amazing cushion, on

the living room chair and both declared,

they wanted one! Could Brenda make them!

Brenda is making them both one and you can see

she has started with her Grand Daughter's first.

All shades of pink and glitz.

The machine embroidery stitches done,

the hand embellishing begins, with

sequins, french knots and sisha mirrors.

See Brenda's patchwork by clicking on

the crazywork patchwork cushion label below.

Gallery day 14th June 2011

Gallery Day was a bit quiet this week as some of the group

were on holiday.

Pat and Sylvia took the opportunity to work on the machines and

get to grips with new techniques.

The patchwork square above is 19" by 19" and

was made out of the scraps from one of my 50p bags.

It took Sylvia an hour to choose where to put the pieces

and sew it together which seemed like magic to the others!

Sylvia loves patchwork and is now enjoying real

high colour in her work.

I wonder where that comes from?

See more of the Gallery at

www.thegalleryderenam.co.uk