Velvet Scrap Cushion

I make cushions for the sofa in The Old Art Room every month.

This one is made from lots of scraps of velvets and

 plush upholstery fabrics.

See more of what is going on in the studio and students work

HERE

PVA, Tissue Fabric

The first Textile Tuesday and Thursday of May,

 we were making PVA Tissue Fabric.

It is a popular method of creating an unusual textured fabric and 

it can be stitched, decorated, coated and gilded.

You can use any fabric as a base.

We started with sheeting, muslin and 

upholstery fabric. 

You mix one part PVA glue with two parts water.

Tear up your tissue paper into pieces and 

start gluing them onto your fabric,

over lapping slightly.

As soon as you have finished you then add colour.

We used spent procion dyes.

Allow to dry thoroughly and then you can start stitching

and decorating.

If you want it for a book cover you can gild it with metallic rubs,

 then seal with acrylic wax or boot polish.

(Boot polish gives a leather look).

Everyone had so much fun. 

Sticking gluing and dyeing.

Textile Thursdays

Classes Started in September 2013

These are catchup posts as The Art Room has been great for

classes and I am catching up with posts.

These are some of the first workshops.

You can see the light is just wonderful.

See what is going on at The Old Art School HERE

Ready for Classes

Within a week of moving in The Old Art Room was ready for classes

and it is so light and bright especially with its new coat of paint 

and the tables and some art work going up on the wall.

See more of what goes on at my blog

www.theoldartroom.blogspot.com

Dresden Plate

Dresden Plate is always a popular pattern at classes and here

Muriel has used up all her scraps to make these wonderful 

plates to start off her blocks. 

I use the straight top blade method and then machine stitch 

across the top, open up and you have a point.

Muriel is going to add them together with 

Machine Embroidery Blocks in between.

See the you tube video on my tech site

HERE

Creating Metal Work

What I love about the Textile Classes everyone is so open minded

now about creating and trying new things.

When I asked everyone to bring drinks cans and a Jeans needle,

everyone was intrigued.

When I showed them the start of the can and what you can

then do with the techniques, some

where a bit cautious but they soon got

stuck in and shared the results they were getting.

This has started another hoarding phase,

Sorry!

Recycling is so good and you can make so much treasure from it.

Foiling and embellishing added to the technique and 

I am sure metal will appear on lots of things in the future 

as now there is no fear of putting metal under their machines!

Mixed Media Textile Samples

Lots of layering of textures and textiles make for interesting

backgrounds ready for main pieces to be applied to them with

various techniques. 

Classes at Cancer Care Dereham

I have been teaching Textile Thursday

 at The Cancer Care Moving on Project,

since 7th March 2013.

Two sessions on the Thursday. 

10am until 12.15 and then 12.30 until 2.45.

See HERE for more information

The atmosphere is lovely and everyone is so friendly.

We do lots of Textile projects and it for beginners to experienced alike.

There is inspiration each week and help with your own projects.

It is £8.50 per session and half goes towards the centre as a donation.

It is a great way of showing our support.

I feel so lucky to be able to support charities while I work and share.

There are different things going on each day at the centre.

The volunteers are all trained and 

are there to help anyone touched by cancer.

Pop in and see what the centre is doing 

and if you can help support events.

See their website

HERE

Folded and Twisted Hexagon Flowers

These are some of the Folded and Twisted Hexagons that the participants on 

Textile Tuesday made. The fabric hexagon is one that fits an A4 width of paper. 

You need them large to begin with because the hexagon

flower will end up half the size.

It was a real morning of concentration due to all the folds and 

needle techniques.

I had started with the easier Twisted Square to begin with

so they weren't overwhelmed by all the folding.

Some went away and made enough to make a bag!

You join each hexagon flower by putting right sides together and

 over sewing.

To see how they are made visit a video on my tech site 

HERE 

Invest in Your Work

This booklet made me smile.

It was a booklet as you can see printed in 1937,

with all the fashionable embroidery stitches of the time in it.

Stitches that I often teach on a daily bases.

A lovely little booklet and on the back page

an advert which could be relevant for today,

'Invest your work with beauty that lasts'.

Teaching Creative Classes I inspire my students to 

play, explore techniques and really enjoy their creativity.

This shows in the results they get and what they share with others.

Enjoy and celebrate your creativity.

Textile Thursday

Textile Classes are always fun and so many amazing textiles are created.

We 'Show and Tell, every session and this inspire others.

I share a technique each week and there are so many techniques

the worlds are oyster.

There's lots off laughter too!

Mo above, is making a cushion/ pillow for her daughter to 

take in her pack back around the world.

She was telling us some of her stories!

I love bag making and I show different ones each month.

The ones above are based on sixteen 5" squares, with

a twist.

What a session!

See more by clicking on the written labels below.

Embellished Flowers

Pat has been Embellishing for a while. She has her own machine.

Theses flowers are just beautiful, based on Poppies.

She had begun them and then got a book on Embellishing for Christmas,

 there is a similar picture within it.

You often find this, you are inspired to make something.

Start looking around and you find similar ideas and items.

Pat added some of the techniques the book covered and enhanced 

her flowers.

Beautiful.

To see more click on the written labels below or 

visit Embellishing on my portfolio site

HERE 

Cut Back Sheers

Textile Tuesday at The Art Room, is always busy with lots of 'Show and Tell'.

Me demonstrating and everyone doing their own projects

or the inspiration of the day.

This Tuesday, it was Cut Back Sheers.

As you can see by the class samples above they are all different!

So, once you have layered up your sheers, threads and snippets,

you can then freemotion stitch a pattern or in areas so that you can

then use a soldering iron to burn back to reveal back to the sheers.

Health and Safety here.

 Well ventilated room. 

Make sure you have a stand for your soldering iron.

Make sure you are working on a protective surface. 

Use a tool to move the hot sheer out of the way.

Cases with Zips

Another virtue in sewing I have been adapting is,

The art of using 'zips'.

For some reason many have been put off by over zealous 

Needlework teaches and have never sewn in or considered doing them since.

I show a very easy bag and here are two different versions of it. 

Made by Jo and Mandy.

The top is the flat bag and the bottom picture shows it with

the zip in the middle and has sugar bag corners.

just made with a square of fabric and your ZIP!

Nikki's Bag

Nikki has finished her bag made with the fabric made from her

Alpacas. Notice it has buttons too!

This has been a challenge due to the tweed and it wasn't able

to turn inside out of the lining so a binding was used.

Great bag and Nikki is now making her next one.

It takes 16 squares and a little origami!

Sugar Bag Corners

Jo has made this bag with lots of details.

The main body of the bag is lots of patch worked pieces. 

The sugar bag corners are on the outside of the bag and decorated 

with buttons.

The handles are able to move up and down with the buttons

and button holes.

I have been extolling the virtues of buttons and button holes

this month at class and lots of students are trying them for the 

first time. They are finding out how liberating it is 

to finally be able to do and make them.

Well done Jo for liberating your button holes.

I tell everyone it take a bit of practice.

Helen's Bags

As you can see it's been Bag Inspiration Week.

I love the Owl Bag, apparently he is been in the making for

quite sometime and the snow gave Helen the opportunity to finish

him. Isn't he great?

Beryl's Bags

As some of you know who follow Quilters Cottage Norfolk

I love making bags and encouraging others to make bags.

Beryl has been busy as you can see making a selection.

We did have a laugh with her though, as she brought an expensive magazine

because she liked the bag pattern in it (the pastel square one above).

She followed the pattern cut out the template and worked her way through

the instructions, only to find that the bag turned out 6.

A beautiful miniature bag!

The picture in the book was magazine page sized so led you to believe

that you would be sporting it on your arm!

not between your pinkies!

Its beautiful though and Beryl is going to scale the pattern up.

We are looking forward to the full size version.

See more bags by clicking on the written labels below.  

Sylvia's Quilt

This is Sylvia, one of the regular Textile Tuesday Ladies. 

She loves coming along to the sessions and is such an inspirational lady!

This is the quilt she has made for her Grand Daughter. 

The purple just sets off all of the strips of fabrics used.

Sylvia's Grand Daughter chose the design and it is one of those that is going to be timeless.

She has made it reversible too and the strips go through into the pieced binding.

It is going to make a wonderful gift that any of us would love to receive.

Well done Sylvia!

 She is now starting another quilt for her son,

 so I will keep you posted.

See more of Sylvia's work by clicking on the written labels below.