WALKING IN THE RAIN

Stitching pewter is a labour of love and over the years I have perfected methods of working with this beautiful metal. The mirror bright surface is very easily marked and scratched. It must be protected from the pressure of the sewing foot at all times. Every stitch has to go in exactly the right place as there are no second chances or opportunities to unpick your work as you would with fabric. I feel it is really worth the effort on my part as I just love the finish the stitching gives to the metal. The heavily stitched areas are a form of granite stitch using free machine embroidery which gives a lovely rippled surface. When coupled with outlining straight stitch and areas of smooth metal I think there is a very pleasing mix of contrast, texture and light reflection.

I took the word ‘encrusted’ (my thoughts from the last BLOG entry) completely to heart hence the packed surface of the first two books. The single flower of the smaller book is made with the addition of laminated paper and lots of beads. All very different but I think they sit well together.

I took Jackson for lots of long walks to the woods with plenty of bags but the November rainfall put paid to my hopes of returning home triumphant with armfuls of dried leaves. Sadly every tree stood completely naked and we walked or should I say squelched our way along very soggy tracks and paths inches deep in rotting brown leaves. Unfortunately my Eco Dyeing days are well and truly foiled until the Spring. Such a shame but if I learn a lesson from this experience I will endeavour to fill the freezer with fresh foliage for use later in the year as well as collecting dried leaves much, much earlier. 

As I walked I was intrigued by some of the patterns in the mud and thought to take a few pictures for future use. I am glad I did as they are proving very useful in suggesting ideas for some new stencil designs I am working on.

So far I have used a few commercial stencils along with ones I have made for myself but as I would like to continue working on some larger pieces I am scaling up to A3. They obviously take longer to cut but as my skills with a sharp blade improve hopefully things will speed up!

By overlapping these three to take a photo I immediately liked the effect of the grid behind the circles and straight away I know this is where I will be experimenting first! An added bonus is that the cut out pieces are able to become new stencils to add to my collection with no waste at all.

I like to take my camera for a walk as there are treasures to be found every day of the year. I often look for images that offer design potential by ways of line, shape, form, texture and colour etc. As I have really enjoyed working in more of an abstracted fashion these last months, I am learning to interpret my photographs with a different eye.

UNEXPECTED FINDS 

The rain and cold finally defeated me this week and I reluctantly decided it was time to come in from the garage. My makeshift studio was one of my better ideas this year and up until now has been a wonderful space in which to work freely and without fear of the consequences of paint splashes and spills (a skill I have in abundance!!) The freedom has been quite liberating and I have thoroughly enjoyed trying out new techniques and being creative with all things acrylic. My only problem now is what to do with all the paints, papers and printing paraphernalia? It all came from my workroom originally so surely it must all fit back in...Wrong on so many counts!

Whilst rearranging several cupboards to accommodate the garage contents I came across a forgotten tray of pewter flowers. I remember making them to use up some leftover metal pieces but without having a specific purpose, clearly that is why they were forgotten! I haven’t had the opportunity to wax lyrical about the joys of stitching with pewter for some time, so looking at them now I wonder if I should be thinking about a project or two.

What about an encrusted front cover for a book? Or perhaps some new vessels with more of a floral theme. I will find the carefully wrapped roll of pewter and look at its beautiful seductive surface and wait for inspiration to find me.

So this is my finished book. After threading the needle I had a sudden panic that I would have forgotten the order of stitching but thankfully my fingers remembered and it didn’t take long at all.

The construction is very simple but as it is stitched it allows for the pages to open fully and lay flat. This was an important consideration because I wanted the inside pages to show both sides of the printed foliage when open and visually show the printing process from both sides of the papers.

The last words are reserved for an unexpected little treasure. I thought I would try using a very dead and dried acorn leaf just to see how truly awful it would be, but to my complete amazement it was a little print of perfection. You can easily guess what my next eco printing session will be based on. Time to invite the grandchildren for their favourite toffee apples and let them loose in the woods with large bags for the collecting of dried fallen leaves!!

TWO THIN BOOKS

Salvaged from my depleted stash of eco printed papers were some long but not very wide pieces, hence two thin books. With the last of the tissue paper I made some beads which I wound with metal wire and glass beads and using my cord maker, some fine cords. A few twigs later and I have two more books to add to my growing collection.

Now that Autumn is upon us I really must find the time to make more eco dyed papers and fabric to last through the winter. If not, I will have to experiment with fallen leaves and frozen foliage and I’m really not sure what sure to expect but perhaps I could be pleasantly surprised!

CONVERSATION with FRIENDS 

So, over tea and biscuits we discussed all things ‘textile’ (always a very pleasant way to spend a morning) but ended up having a deeper conversation about our personal ‘comfort zones’. We enjoyed sharing our ideas regarding subject matter, personal styles of work, sources of inspiration etc but the discussion was all too soon drawn to colour schemes and our own preferences for particular colours. After musing on the subject I owned up to my intense dislike for anything gold; could I explain it? No, it just was!

Later that day I was still thinking about colour in my work; I love to mix up different palettes and use different colour combinations. Personally, one of my favourite methods for working is to dye fabrics and paper to make a colour wheel from three primaries; this gives me twelve colours that are all related. Depending on which primaries are used a vast collection of very different colours can be achieved. As textile artists today we are so fortunate with the choice of colours and dyes available to us along with different types of paint such as luminescent, pearlescent, metallic and iridescent to add an extra dimension to our work.

But, still not a drop of gold in sight so I decided it was time to overcome my aversion and address the lack of this colour in my life. After an extensive search I found a reel of metallic gold thread and a tube of golden acrylic; my challenge had begun!

Rather than opt for a focal point I aimed for more of a repeating design with variations of the two motifs. After cropping the design I am wondering if the techniques I use would lend themselves to printing and stitching on fabric which would allow much more scope for free machine embroidery.

Several Photoshop moments later I thought this effect had potential. I would need to consider ways of achieving the darker outline of the shapes which I really like. Whatever I decide, I survived the ordeal and to my surprise quite enjoyed myself!

GLORIOUS GAZANIAS

Whilst much of my garden is struggling with the heat the Gazanias have been positively dancing in the sunshine. The colour combinations are too many to show but I hope you like the selection that I have chosen today.

Their name comes from the Latin 'gaza' which translates to treasure, or riches, in allusion to the large and gaudy flowers. The name suits them well indeed, each one a little treasure that  makes me smile.

I have finished my larger abstract pieces and will now need to decide on how to mount them to best effect. I'm really not a fan of raw edges unless it's machine embroidery or is warranted by the work so I will probably opt for a cut mount to give a crisp clean finish. Photographs give the viewer absolutely no idea of size so after a quick measure I can tell you that each piece is approximately 25cm x 65cm which was the largest size I could manage for fitting comfortably under the sewing machine. 

I just love bold, sweeping statements full of ambition and intent – except perhaps when it is one of my own. Reference my last post and I quote “I hope to amass enough work to keep me busy through the winter months.....” So far I have had four Eco Dyeing sessions but very little to show for it as I seem to have used virtually everything!!

The last session was a painstaking process due to the sheer volume of insects and especially spiders hiding amongst the foliage;  I did of course keep stopping to remove and relocate the little beasties to a better place but unbeknown to myself at the time the spiders were quietly relocating themselves to the relative safety of my kitchen ceiling, and what a collection they are up there!

I am beginning to understand more about the colour combinations that can be achieved with different natural mordants and the dye baths in which the tied bundles of foliage and papers are boiled in. There are so many variables in the equation also like pre soaking papers before use, the time of year, condition of the foliage and so on. I am keeping notes on the the recipes that I am using to learn more but think it will be a never ending story. I suspect the permutations will be as many as a good mathematical formulae would predict and will endeavour to keep going until my garden is bare of foliage and the autumn leaves have fallen. 

So far my stash has been used to make a few different sizes of concertina books. They are very nice to hold and play with as they unfold and undulate across the table but not very practical for actually using. I have more cut more book pages which are ready to be stitched and will incorporate a variety of plain pages for writing / sketching on. 

Lastly, I have made some little card packs including a bookmark and gift tags for future birthdays. The dyed papers were wonderfully dark and autumnal ( a happy accident from over the zealous use of rusty water!) and I double mounted them on a softer paper that had been dipped and dyed to match. These were so enjoyable to work on, I can't wait to try some more.

If you are on my birthday list look away now!!!

Some of the cards above and below paired with bookmarks and tags.

RUDBECKIA SUNSHINE

 

I seem to say this (or certainly think it) every time I begin to write; what happened to the last month? July seems to have slipped by very quietly and quickly and very watery! The wonderful benefits of all this glorious rain has been the lushness of the countryside, the bountiful crops in the fields and my garden, which after such a backward beginning has finally burst into bloom with some deliciously wicked flowers that have just been asking to be photographed. The Rudbeckia in particular have suddenly put on a glorious show, each beautiful blousy, showy flower a little sunshine on a stem. 

I have been busy on my larger abstract pieces and am pleased to report that two are now completed. I am beginning to collect together some colours for the final piece and have been looking to some statuesque teasels for inspiration. I will save them until completed and then share the finished work with you.

My grandchildren have been staying and we have been making pasta big time so the kitchen seems to have been under a permanent haze of flour, but it was nothing compared to my recent Eco Dyeing days. Even after protecting every surface and having every window open it has resembled a frenzied florist’s workroom and as for the smell, well the less said the better! Honestly, the things we do under the heading of being creative!!

 

BUT, the results have been amazing and although I am only a beginner I am positive that I am working in the right direction. When the boiling of the foliage is complete and the bundles are cool enough to unwrap a complete sense of stillness and enormous anticipation envelops me. What hides inside has occasionally been disappointing (in a learning kind of way) or absolutely beautiful; well in my eyes anyway!

Slowly, I am beginning to build a record of different plants and which have foliage suited to this natural method of printing. In the days to come I will be experimenting with different types of paper, fabrics and the addition of natural colourings. I hope to amass enough work to keep me busy through the winter months making books, journals and anything else that lends itself to these beautiful everlasting botanical prints.

An enormous thank you to Pat for showing me her gorgeous papers and fabrics which whetted my appetite for discovering more. 

BUTTERCUPS AND DAISIES

 

The buttercups were a work in progress on my last post and although I think the piece is finished I will keep it on hand for a while longer before making a final decision. Several friends that have seen the piece have commented on it having an 'underwater' feel and I can see exactly what they mean, so rather than adding a seahorse or two I will make a note to explore the idea further. 

The trio of daisies piece just needs a little more embellishment to the petals and centres before I can consider it completed. It is interesting to see how the position of the grasses in both pieces gives a sense of movement and again is something to be investigated further.

I really enjoyed using the fresh grasses to print from and will definitely be looking at ways to use more natural foliage to work with for the background layers. Out walking this morning the fields and hedgerows are looking very tired and faded. The many varieties of grasses are in full seed and in places are just a sea of froth and foam, so very pretty blowing in the wind. A timely reminder that I need to be printing with fresh grasses before they begin to die back.

Memories are wonderful things, especially those that have associated words attached. Often when I work on something new I can still hear my City and Guilds tutor’s voice booming across the workroom, “Samples ladies, samples. Where are your samples?” She was of course absolutely right, it is so much better to try new techniques and methods of work on a smaller scale before embarking on anything full size. All the pieces I have made so far I consider to have been learning samples. They all stand as pieces of work in their own right but in the making I have refined my method of work so that each subsequent piece is a little more polished and complete.

So, I have decided to make a series of three pieces in a very abstract format – no obvious flowers allowed! The sample pieces so far have been roughly A4 sized but I am going to work on a longer length of approximately 70cms. The size has been determined with consideration as to what I can comfortably manoeuvre on the sewing machine table without causing damage to the painted surface. Unlike material, the tissue fabric cannot be rolled too tightly or folded in any way. Hopefully these will form the beginning of a small body of work for a future exhibition.

The above piece has been coloured with pastels, printed and outlined with stitch and that is the first layer finished. Next I will make a selection of papers using metallic, iridescent and pearl acrylics with stencils - one of the processes I find most enjoyable and slightly addictive and after that the abstracted fun really begins!