For someone who doesn't do a lot of hand stitching..............

I seem to be doing a lot of it, 

Must be too much “Strictly”!

Half a hexagon.......

…. is better than none. Stitching this week has been piles of calico half-hexagons, therapeutic, but not exactly photogenic.

Sketching was focussed on the2017 journal challenge for the Contemporary Quilt Group. My theme is”microscopic” and my current thoughts are to focus on seeds, algae, bacteria and plankton, all tiny fragments of life that are critical to our survival.

Seeds, after looking at the photographs in “Seeds, Time Capsules of Life"

 

A very interesting class at Mary Ward this week, with a session on mono printing. We focussed more on making marks through an overlaid paper, rather than mark making on the ink itself.

Initial scribbles - plankton appearing!

More confidence in the line

More dramatic background effects. I’m very interested in this technique and am going to try this on cloth with Markal sticks.

overlaying with acrylic washes. 

and on the way home, a protest against ironing

and for inspiration, the beautiful wood-carving of a modern Grinling Gibbons

Giles Newman

 

 

 

 

 

Hexagons and drawing

Like so many quilters, I have piles of hexagons pieced and waiting to incorporate in to a quilt.  As this is the start of another year, I have laid mine out again, in a different order that was last seen on here, 6 years ago!

As with all hexagon quilts it needs more hexagons. Just as well I have Game of Thrones seasons 5 and 6 to watch as I really only stitch these in front of the television.

Drawing continues, favourite pincushion, pencil and watercolour crayon

Artist’s model ( with lost foot) , pencil

Is it still drawing if the “drawing” is done with a scalpel?  Collage, black paper and metallic pens

Attempting to draw for at least 10 minutes / day in 2017

Hand-carved spoon by Anna Casserley, charcoal

Learning - charcoal is not the best medium for this scale of drawing

Fabric hexagons ( grandmother’s flower garden blocks), pencil

Learning- a drawing always looks more accurate after you have not looked at it for at least 30 mins. Always have the eraser to hand before starting to draw.

Wax block and needle threader, pencil

 

Learning - go over the margin/ border of the page if you have to

Pincushion  ( a favourite, bought at the Dansel Gallery many years ago)- pencil, watercolour crayon, pen, calligraphy ink

Learning- try more colour and don’t be afraid of ink

Journal quilts 2012, summary

The final posting of the 2012 A4 journal quilt challenge is now done, and we have been asked to load a photo of all of our journals in one picture.  I'm quite pleased with the results of this year, particularly as I made these only from materials from my collection, or from  cloth dyed / printed or otherwise coloured during my course at Morley.   I'm happy to see that there are only 2 out of 12 of these where I have used unaltered commercial fabrics: top row, far right and middle row, far right.

Unfortunately the album of everyone's collections is only available for viewing by members of the Contemporary Quilt Group, but they are stunning.

The theme for 2013 is yet to be announced - I can't wait to get started.

Hexagon huddle

Looking at options for the hexagons, this seems feasible, but will need more tweaking of layout to ensure enough contrast between adjacent flowers. Some of the stripes are overly dominant, but aren’t we all sometimes?

Hushed hexagons

In a brief window of sunshine amidst torrential rain, background hexagons with calm, calico outer layers and vivid centres. Still finding stitching these to be therapeutic in the maelstrom of family life: vomiting nephew and vomiting dog, to name but two.

Whirling hexagons

If split hexagons are placed so the seam radiates out from the centre of the hexagon, they do this,......

and if stripes are placed so they radiate out from the centre, they do this........

but if that's too much, there are always these.....

One hundredth post, and ...... it's about hexagons

Still blogging at 100 posts, so better than 85% of starter bloggers apparently.
Hexagons from the Jen Jones Quilt Collection. a velvet and silk quilt made for a friend by another who was emigrating. These hexagons are about 1 inch in diameter ( can a hexagon have a diameter?), so this was a true labour of love.

Stitched over papers, and then hand appliqued to the velvet with feather stitch . The long contrasting stitches around the inner edges of the hexagons are a lovely touch.

Hexagons on location

Last days of the summer holidays, and a superb day out at the Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park. This is such a great place, easily accessible by road, and yet there seem to be very few people who have heard of it. Niece and nephew were well entertained by elder son, so I could sew hexagons, sitting on impressive wooden chairs, imagining I was in Narnia.

West Wales, stitching and inspiration

Superb , if wet, visit to Penbryn in Wales. Highlights were:

loads of beaches within walking distance or a short drive

great big communal campfires and amazing sunsets at night

activities if you want them, nothing if you don't.... AND, ....

• the Jen Jones Quilt Welsh Quilt Centre about 30 minutes drive away. This will have a separate post, as it was so inspiring


• a visit to Melin Tregwynt, with a little retail treat

• more hexagons

• inspiration from beach stones and structures