Sunday 5 January 2014

BLOG 181


Rog had just said that he doesn’t know how I find things to talk about each week, especially as I am talking ‘in the dark’ to people I can’t see. I know there are lots of people out there following my blog because you tell me so when you see me! But because I can’t see you, writing this blog is essentially a leap of faith, with a dash of hope that someone is listening. I am not really talking to myself, am I?! On your side, there is an expectation that the blog will be posted each week and that is what keeps me writing it. So I hope you continue to listen ‘in the dark’, look in regularly and enjoy what I am making and what I have to say. You may learn something on the way and I would be delighted to answer any questions or address any comments.

I just love the festive season and we have survived it once again but it is really nice to get things back to normal and the Christmas boxes back in the loft. Post-Xmas rooms can look terribly bleak but here there are plenty of colourful quilts to go back over chairs and onto walls to cheer me up. I have always tried to sew on Christmas day, usually after the turkey and pud, when the family are replete and relaxing over their presents. This year it was impossible with the little ones in residence, I just couldn’t slope off, but I managed it on Boxing Day after they had moved onto their other grandparents. Before Xmas I had been creating a shaded background fabric in my painterly style, seen below. I made 12 squares measuring 18” each, with a hole in the middle but, back then, I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with them apart from thinking in terms of some sort of a calendar.

                 Shaded background fabric


Then the seed of an idea started to form as I played with threads at the machine embroidery class I go to. Initially I think my intention was to make floral plates, like the one you saw in Blog 178, and to put one in the centre of each square. But I felt the detail in the plate was too small for the size of the square. So this is what I made during my last embroidery class, a cluster of anemones. I trapped some sheers and fibres in appropriate colours between 2 layers of ‘Ultra Solvy’ and I worked in a tight frame.

                                 A cluster of anemones

 
To get rid of the ‘Solvy’, I removed it from the frame and placed it in a glass bowl in the sink.

                                         Place in the sink

 I then poured hot water from the kettle over it and the ‘Solvy’ began to dissolve.

                            Dissolve with hot water


I did this several times until there was no stickiness left on the embroidery. I then put it onto a cloth on top of a radiator to dry.

                                         Leave to dry


This is the background square it will eventually be attached to.

                      Background square and anemones

 Oh it’s lovely to be back climbing the fabric face again! Happy New Year!

2 comments:

  1. Just to let you know that the void is reading and watching so keep up the excellent work!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jackie and a happy New Year!
      Nice to hear from you. It is encouraging to have at least one reply.
      Dilys

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