2020 or is it SOSO?

Blogging has taken a back seat in 2019, might it return to the front seat in 2020? Catch up on Nov - Dec activities

Costume exhibition at the National Theatre, free, on until June 2020, 

Panto making, production photos here

Birthday flowers

Contemporary drawing at The British Museum, very inspiring, free, finishes on 12 January

Floods in Oxfordshire

Last 4 Brexit journals, painted wadding background, decreasing influence

Repairing the Xmas wreath, from Gina Ferrari, I think 

Golden yellow winter jasmine, much needed colour

Starting work on a bookshelf quilt for a baby due in March, some of which had to be sewn on the Singer 201k

Will I take part in the Contemporary Quilt Group challenge for 2020, theme is Fragmentation? One metre by 60cm for 31st May? Gathering ideas

Just for fun, a pen holder, using scraps from the panto costumes, using this tutorial.

Trying to persuade my husband that even if we are trying to reduce, re-use and recycle, that a new nail brush might be needed, 

Coming up:

New exhibition at Two Temple Place, “Unbound, Visionary women Collecting Textiles” free, on until 19 April 2020.

Alexander McQueen, “New Roses” how some of those astonishing dresses were made, 27 Old Bond Stree, free, until mid 2020.

 

 

Journal quilts 2019, continued, May, glimpse of hope?

Trigger warning - politics ahead.
The brief for the next series of journal quilts was that they had to include a substance that was not cotton, woven cloth. As the Brexit farce continues apace, I had to continue with this theme. That means that this series of 4 is neither pretty nor technically skilled  - rather like the current political environment.
I experimented with newspaper painted with acrylic paint, then  backed with fusible, woven cotton interfacing, before layering with wadding and backing.

Painted newspaper with a flash of green cotton to represent the successes of green candidates in the local elections, giving us some hope?

Paint is a mix of red, white, blue and yellow, giving a murky green - representing the state of my spirits.
There is quilting on this, it is just rather difficult to see, like the UK’s future outside the EU.

Edged with black mourning ribbon.

April, journal quilt, work in progress

Quilting to show that black and white arguments are not straightforward

and often contain many shades of grey

Journal quilts 2019, January, Brexit 1

A new year, a new stitching challenge. A4 size, four quits to be made with a sewing technique, four to be made with fabrics other than just cotton, four to be made using a different technique to make a background. The first sewing technique was an opportunity to re-visit appliqué of bias strips, something I have not done for years.
Initial sketch

In development, tea-dyed Union Jack fabric, and very useful, very short appliqué pins. Bias strips ( 1/4 inch) made using a bias strip maker, not essential, but saves burnt fingers.

Sewing down the strips, background is a piece of blue satin from my recent pantomime costume-making. Strangely appropriate for this piece.


Finished and quilted with FMQ, bound with satin stitch.

Does this look like my initial sketch? Mostly yes, but I made these changes

• the twisted chain was too complex in a piece of this size and with this width of strips. It would work on a larger scale
• the strip representing the UK went off the piece to the left in the initial sketch. With everything that is happening in the UK, it was a better representation that it went off to the far right
• final piece of the UK strip is tattered and fractured, linked together by a thin thread
• FMQ on the left is swirling and co-operative, FMQ on the right, where the UK strip is heading,  is a maze of never connecting boxes
• FMQ in the centre is dense and closely connected

Easter quilting

More daylight, an Easter weekend with no commitments and too much rain to do any gardening led to plenty of time to get quilting on the blue splash quilt. After auditioning several complex designs, I decided simple is best for the blocks.

I’m contemplating more complexity in the borders after re-reading Freemotion Quilting by Judy Woodworth.

Journal quilts 2018, Abstraction

It has taken me a bit of time to get started with this year’s journal quilts,  ( all to be 7” x 9”) but the vernal equinox has spurred me on. My theme this year is “Abstraction”, stimulated by conversation with my drawing teacher.  The first three are about birds.

January, Gannets diving into the sea

Hand-dyed and commercial fabric, patchwork with proportions of colour to reflect the different colours in gannets.

February, Robins bob-bobbing along

Applique, commercial and hand-dyed fabric

March, Red kite soaring

Commercial and hand-dyed fabric appliqué  with some lipstick highlighting.