Machine Embroidered Leaves

Jeannette is starting a new project, a wall hanging

containing all different mixed media layered leaves.

There are many different techniques she wants to learn

and improve on ones that she has touched on in the past.

Here are some of the ones she made in her session.

The sessions @ The Gallery are approximately

2, 2 and a half hours long and some stay all day!

See more textiles in my portfolio pages on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Bolliwood Turrets Completed

Tuesday 10th May, Gallery Day back after the break.

Lots of pieces finished and new projects beginning.

As you can see "Bolliwood Turrets" is now completed

and in a box frame. It really looks wonderful and there

was a wow when it was un- wrapped.

Well done! Jeanette it looks fabulous!

You can see the stages of how it was made by clicking

the label,'bolliwood' under this post.

To see more of what goes you can use the other

labels but also visit

www.thegallerydereham.co.uk

Weeting Quilt Group

Today was The Weeting Quilt Group Meeting.

It was a really busy one with Chris showing everyone

how to put together the strips for the "Jelly Rolls".

I was on cutting the first part of the morning,

cutting strips 4.5 " by however long the scraps of material was.

You just make sure you square off the ends.

Sue was on ironing and most of the group was on sewing

the strips together.

By lunch time we all needed a break and

everyone had a good chat. Ida and

some of the new quilters were advised

on sewing machines and how to choose fabric

for The Sampler Quilt, the first block begins

for them next month.

I admit, I have an unfinished Sampler Quilt Blocks among

my stash so I think I ought to get mine out and

finish it. This is always a good way

of finishing those UFO's!!! Join in!

After lunch, it was back to putting the long

Jelly Roll strips together the length of the wadding

and fleece backing fabrics.

Three quilts were put together ready for quilting

or tying.

I photographed the growing number of quilts

coming in for Chernobyl.

See more of the Weeting Meetings

by clicking the Weeting Quilt Group label below this post.

Clematis Arch and Box Hedging

Last night it rained for the first time in several weeks.

It has made everything in the garden really green up again.

This is what we call the Secret Garden as it is secluded

and surrounded by a large hedge and covered trellis.

The raised beds have strawberries, leeks, chives, lettuce,

carrots, herbs, onions, rhubarb and

runner beans (which got a little singed the other night

by the frost), as well as flowers,roses, bushes and clematis.

We decided to cut the Box Hedging as it was cool

and this would stop the cut leaves burning.

It is a bit of a bother but putting down sheets to

catch the cuttings, makes gathering them easier.

We cut the Parterre garden too!

There are always jobs to do in the garden

at this time of year.

I can honestly say I am a fair weather gardener these days!

See more of our garden on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Origami Colour Firework

I persevered with the origami firework.

These units start at a 16cm square which made the difference

for holding and as you can see

I made it in another colour combination.

I say I, Stewart got intrigued and helped fold the

units so far and then let me do the fiddly bits.

He then shuffled and folded the ends in while

I held it!

A two person task!!!!!

It starts looking like the top and then you twist it

inside itself and you get to the next photograph.

Due to this being a moveable origami it

looks better in film so watch

the film I put on a previous post by clicking

HERE

See more of my creative paper techniques on

my portfolio pages on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Origami Firework

Sometimes I like to set myself a challenge!

I have never really been that good at origami but I do

folded patchwork.

While researching folded papers I came across this......

"An Origami Firework",

Well! I just had to have a go.

What seem hours later after putting all the little

units together I finally and I mean finally,

got it to a stage where I could manipulate the flower,

I mean firework and what happened?

it started to fall apart and the more I tried to put

it together the more creases appeared.

All I can say watch the video and enjoy,

if you are going to make it I would try a larger

square to begin with!

I will have another go at this myself again

with a larger starting square and I will show you the results.

Enjoy this weekend project!!!!

Blue and White China Inspiration

I love Blue and White China and have a Welsh Dresser in my kitchen

full of all different types. I especially like Spode and

The Willow Pattern China.

In the afternoon after the card class had finished

I played around with this blue and white combination.

Kim showed us how to mask sections of our stamps,

you can see, by this card, a vase behind a vase.

When I got home I researched a little more into The Willow Pattern

and here are two videos that I really liked.

The first tells the Legend of The Willow Pattern

and the second is a quick animation.

If you would like to see a really inspiring Chinese Puppet animation

interpreting the Legend almost true to the actual story.

Click my tech site

www.art2inspiretech

Card making with Chinese Inspiration

On Wednesday morning Kim brought in some Chinese stamps for

us to be inspired by. Using printing,card and the newly learnt

bleach techniques, we were experimenting!

The card directly above is one of Kim's for inspiration.

She embossed printed the fans and then

using concentrated bleach and a fine paint brush

painted the fan middles, as you can see

it removed certain areas of the red card.

Kim then used chalks and ink and printing

to finish the card.

I used the beach on the Peony petals to remove the

red card colour.

I would make the card slightly larger next time

to give the writing some room between the flowers.

I really enjoyed this colour combination.

See more paper techniques in my portfolio pages

on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Lavender Planting

Today Stewart and I tidied the front driveway and moved what seemed tons of gravel. The driveway needed a new protective membrane to stop the weeds!

I also planted on at least 70 of my Lavender plants into the next size pots. This was a lovely job to do in contrast to the gravel! The original plants came from Norfolk Lavender see their website at

www.norfolk-lavender.co.uk

I will plant out some, Mum will have some and the rest I will put on my stalls.

I just love this video of the harvesting of the lavender and look forward to more of that this year. They make it look so easy! I am not going to use shears anymore!

You can see all the process at Norfolk Lavender and they have their festival in July, a great day out!

Enjoy this video.

Studio Garden

This is Mum's garden and we were over there yesterday

helping with some re-modelling, laying paving stones, fixing fences,

putting up arches and wire netting for clematis, roses and

honeysuckle to grow up.

As you can see, she has a studio too! it is painted a very lovely yellow

and has patchwork curtains similar to the conservatory

ones I make. These ones are very french in their colouring though to

match the sunny studio.

This picture was taken through Mum's Kitchen window.

To see more of my garden visit

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Royal Wedding

Today is the Royal Wedding and something to celebrate, the romantic in us!

Good Luck, to Kate and William.

I liked this idea of a concertina photo album.

It was a wonderful wedding and steeped in tradition which was so lovely to see.

History in the making!

Judy another textile artist sent me this link about The Wedding and West Minster Abbey.

Click HERE

More Cottage Flower Quilts

In between gardening today, I finished cutting and piecing

this next quilt today. It is made from the fabric scraps from of the

first Cottage Flower Quilt.

I used the similar brick path strip pattern but smaller,

than the first quilt.

(3 and a quarter" by 5").

The borders are yet to go on. I will hopefully

get round that tomorrow in between

more gardening and quilting.

The garden takes first priority when I am holiday from

work, so it is easy care the rest of the Summer.

More tomatoes, pumpkins and courgettes were

planted out today.

The runner beans need transplanting tomorrow,

if the weather is good.

We are picking Asparagus most days now.

Delicious!

See more of my quilts and garden on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Cottage Quilt

With all the gardening over the weekend I needed

to get back to quilting and here is a

quillow sized quilt inspired by cottage flowers.

It is made with 'brick' shaped blocks, each

5" by 10" and placed in strips. It is now ready for quilting.

See more of my quilts on my

website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Tree House Transformation

Jennifer's treehouse was built 15 years ago and this week

she was 20!

Underneath it, we have always used it as a wood store

for the fire and log burner.

Stewart and I decided that it was finally time to transform

the area. It was difficult as the tree house has

been part of many happy memories and has been a key

shade spot in the garden.

We wanted to re-cycle the wooden frame to form

a wood store. as you can see we managed it

and now it has planting round it so it looks

like it has been there for a long time!

It took two days over the Easter weekend to do.

We are now happy that we no longer have to duck so

low to get at the wood!

Stewart has put a wicker fencing in front now

and it looks like we could put a Reindeer in it!!!

See more of our garden by clicking

HERE

My Fair Lady

On evening of the 20th of April,

The Coven Quilters were invited as guests,

to see the opening night of "My Fair Lady".

The production was put on by 'KLODS',

Kings Lynn Operatic and Dramatic Society and

Directed by Amanda Arterton.

It was a wonderful production everyone was amazing but

the lead roles, Eliza Dolittle performed by LaurenHoskins

and Professor Higgins by Kevin Shippey were

outstanding. The quilt we had made for fundraising

was in the foyer and the raffle tickets were selling well,

it is going to be drawn in May.

We had such a special evening together,

I felt very special!

Thank you to CLODs and the organisers.