Doing a series

Although I did not realise it at the time, but I unconsciously do art in a series.  In the past I have drawn little individual books of birds, cupcakes, cats and dogs.  I have loads of sketchbooks with specific themes in each.  I have not really done this with my textile art before, but things are changing.

I love curves (and straight lines) so have started free cutting my fabric without much thought and putting them together again and adding lace, beads and top stitching. The results are these beach scenes.

More will be coming, as I have sold the top one at my local Hayloft gallery.
Update, now sold the bottom one as well.

Creative Tuesdays - Heart

When is a heart not a heart, that was the quest for the latest Creative Tuesdays challenge. The idea was a heart that is either depicted like it's floating, or in the air, or perhaps on something that's in the air.
 
Well, keeping on with my instintive quilt art practice (see previous post) this is what happened, a flower!

Having previously hand painted some silk, I decided to try and incorporate this into another instinctive quilt with just the idea of a heart in mind.  Now I look at it, it rather reminds me of a large strawberry, albeit is using three heart shapes.  Oh well back to the drawing board or should I  say sewing machine!

Pop over to the CT blog to find other hearts.

Instinctive Quilt Art

Have found this fabulous book by Bethan Ash called Instinctive Quilt Art and have now completed the first exercise. What I like about this book is that it guides you and gives great examples but leaves you using your own imagination to complete the exercises, so you develop your own unique style.

Had great fun doing this but did find using very thin pieces of fabric a little challenging to stop them from fraying and breaking.

I do recommend this book and this is the cover which has a lovely fabric feel to it.

Merry Christmas

Season's greetings ......

and a Happy New Year to everyone! May your festive season be blessed with love and happiness.

Creative Tuesdays - Under the Leaves

Still practising my fabric painting and freehand machine stitchery for Creative Tuesdays next challenge, "Under the Leaves". 

Well you never know what you may find!

I really enjoyed the painting aspect of this one.  Whilst using my fabric paints, I realised I have not had my acrylics out for ages which I think may have to be rectified soon.  I may even try redong this in acrylics to compare the different results.

To find other hidden goings on in the undergrowth pop over to the CT blog.

Creative Tuesdays - Pillows

Well Mr T, I took you at your word!  One pillow, although a small one.  I wanted to pratice my freehand sewing machine work with some dyeing and painting of fabric, as well as trying to keep my whimsical style.  Three days ago this was a plain piece of white cotton fabric.  The fish has been painted in pearlescent paint, so sewing all the details was a bit heavy going at times.  All the stitching was done freehand on my sewing machine. But, although it took me awhile to complete, I must admit I am a bit chuffed with it. It also has quite a tactile feel to it.

This is the fish on the flat before it was turned into a pillow.

Find other works of softness over on the CT blog.

Creative Tuesdays - Red Apple

The latest challenge at Creative Tuesdays is Red Apple(s).  I have gone the fabric route for this one. 

The yellow background (which is made up from a lot of little squares) and the apple are hand painted.  It was interesting to feel the difference between sewing on hand painted fabric and manufactured fabric. On manufactured fabric it is a lot smoother and easier to manipulate and the stitches seem to blend in more.

I then had a light bulb moment of childhood and stamping with fruit and veg, so fished out some apples to use as stamps.  The three on yellow fabric I think I may well make into a mug rug or something.  All in all I had a fun morning yesterday playing with my fabric paints and getting messy.

There will be lots of other red apples to make your mouth water over on the CT blog.

Summer of Color 2014 completed

Summer of Color 4 - smudge, splash and pop.  My 6 beach huts have become a mini quilt (19 x 17 inches)!  I am so chuffed at how they turned out and with the finished piece.  As I can fold this quilt I also made a special little bag for it to rest it, safe and sound.  Any quilters out there, please don't look too closely as I took a few liberties to get to the end result.  It all just grew organically, so I had not really planned it all through.

This is it in all its glory.

I painted the back and the bag in some of the colours we had used.  This was the largest piece of fabric I have ever painted!!

And then we have the bag, again using some of the colours.  I added a pocket so that I could pop in a card with each weeks colours as a record in the future.

This is the quilt folded.

Thank you so much Kristin for hosting this Summer of Color, I have learned so much and managed to do things I have never done before with fabric.

Can't wait for next year's SOC.

Summer of Color 2014 - week 6

Time just flies by when you're having fun!  Week 6 already of Summer of Color.  Colours this week are raspberry and tangerine with a splash lemon.

I am now working out how to put all six beach huts together.  I am thinking a small quilt that can be folded like a book.  Check back next week to see what I do.

Summer of Color 2014 - week five

Week 5 of Summer of Color and the colours are red and royal blue with a dash of light blue.

Another beach hut themed piece.  Love red with royal blue, really zingy colours together.  Had fabrics for this one with the exception of the background which I painted to keep a uniform style across all six pieces.

 Cannot believe we only have one week to go and then the show and tell.

Summer of Color 2014 - week four

Week 4 on Summer of Color is pink and apple green with a touch of dark green.  My fabric beach hut this week looks more like a garden shed!  It's fascinating how colours can change something so much.

Trying to work out how I am going to display all six, not sure whether to make them into a fabric book or a wall hanging.

The Summer of Color blog has lots of other lovely examples of this colourway.

Summer of Color 2014 - week three

Wow, already the third week of SOC and the colours are lavender, grey and a splash of plum.

Continuing my theme of fabic beach huts, I again found I had no fabric in these colours so had to paint my own.  It is actually kind of fun looking for varous items that I can use as stamps.  For the main body of the beach hut I cut out triangles of foam stuck them onto some card and used this as a stamp. The door was a stamp I already had.  The rest is painted using a sponge and paintbrush.

When I looked at these colours I was not very inspired by them at first, but now it is finished I think they really work.  This is what is so good about Summer of Color in that you find lots of lovely surprises.

Other interpretations of this colour are over on the SOC blog.

Summer of color - week two

The colours for this week's Summer of Color are coral and teal with a splash of white. 

When I decided to sew beach huts for this challenge, I hadn't thought that I may not have fabric in certain colours. This week I had neither teal nor coral. 

As I did not want to buy fabric specifically for this I thought why not have a go at painting and printing my own, so out came the acrylic paints together with fabric addititive and I played.  My stash of stamps came out and suitable ones were used as well. 

This was such fun and I had strips of fabric drying on the line rather than washing!

The teal background is rather darker that I had wished and is creating a rather stormy effect, so the sun is trying to banish the clouds.

Loads of people are participating in this very popular challenge, so grab a drink and check them out here.

Summer of Color 2014 - week one

Well it is that time of the year again when the lovely Kristin of Twinkle Twinkle hosts the Summer of Color fun.  This year it is Smudge, Splash and Pop and this weeks colours are aqua blue, yellow and hot pink.

As I am nearly at my first anniversay of living by the sea I decided to do something beachy, so I am going to sew beach hut pictures in fabric which I will then quilt together as one large picture at the end.  I missed last year's SOC due to my move but am looking forward to this one.

There are lots of other fabulous people who have joined in, so check them out on the SOC blog. 

Creative Tuesdays - Bird House

The latest challenge over at Creative Tuesdays is Bird House or Bird Cage.

My interpretation of a whimsical bird house street. All done with marker pens.

And a bird house mug rug!  I wanted to have a go at dying fabric so all the orange and the blue background are dyed by me. I then cut out pieces of fabric and machined it all together with some batting inside to give it body.

I shall enjoy putting my morning cuppa on this.

Other bird houses/cages over on Dotty Hill Creative's blog.

Fabric fun with owl and elephant pictures

The sewing machine has been busy. A gorgeous blue owl and an elephant, both ready to hang on a wall in the nursery.  These are for sale in my Folksy shop.

Fabric art face

As I have a new sewing machine, thought I would try and transfer one of my drawn faces from the Feruary 29 faces challenge on to fabric using freehand machine stitching.

 ... and this was the original

It was such a fun exercise to do.

Fabric applique art owl wall hanging

Definately got the fabric bug at the moment!  The reason,  I treated myself to a new sewing machine, as my 30 plus year old Frister and Rossman eventually gave up the ghost, so I bit the bullet and  bought a Janome. So smooth!

The first thing I made was this 7x7 inch picture.

I think he is just so cute, don't you.  I am trying to keep my whimiscal art style but transferring it to fabric. I should have taken a photo of the back as it has the full pattern that is around the frame.

I am so lucky to have a really fabulous sewing shop in the town that sells gorgeous fabrics as well (The Little Sewing Company).

Fabric applique flower

Still having fun with my sewing machine and trying some free style embroidery as well. 

 Started by painting pearlescent acrylic inks onto some watercolour paper and then placing a fabric flower and leaves on top and free style machining it all.  The pearlescent ink background is really gorgeous. Added some dimensional paint and a button.  Popped it into a frame I had knocking around and voila.

Also had a bash at a very simple fabric line doodle using the machine thread instead of the pen.

Looking forward to starting the 29 faces challenge starting Saturday.