I am so lucky! Now that I am retired, I can just switch on
my creativity when I want it and in any way I want. This week I am working on a
project which is what I call a ‘means to an end’ project. These are the easiest
projects to work on as they generally have a display place waiting for them so
there is no effort required to make them. In this instance, I wanted to make a
long thin wall hanging to go above the bed in the ‘restless room’. Newly
decorated and awaiting the completion of the ‘Lady of the Lake’ Quilt, we
continue to work on the room by adding tongue and grove cladding to the wall
instead of a bedhead. I wanted the wall hanging to go most of the way along the
top of this feature. I chose felting this time, feeling the need to use the
mountains of felt that I ordered without knowing just what I was ordering. I
was horrified when 3 huge bundles were delivered in light, medium and dark
shades and I am now determined to use as much of it as possible. Here is the
‘paint palette’ laid out on the floor beside me.
I started with a foundation strip of light inter-facing and
began to needle-felt short strips of fibre with my embellishing machine.
I placed fibres down first to get a base layer that covered
all the interfacing. This took some time to do because of the size of the piece
of interfacing, 14” x 48”.
Once I had established a good base of solid colour, I was
able to use fibres like paint and add wisps of colour, like brush strokes.
Willow Pillow took a great interest in what was going on in
her position as quality controller. It could also be something to do with the
fact that my daughter’s 2 Labradors are here overnight and she was staying as
far away from them as was physically possible.
And before I knew it, I had laid the background for the
flowers I intend to place in the foreground. I am pleased with progress and
with the ease I was able to achieve so much with so little effort. The machine
did all the hard work; all I did was place the colours where I wanted them. I
intend to fine-tune the background some more before adding flowers and leaves
in the foreground. That will be my focus this coming week.
Here you can see it behind my felting machine. It still measures
14” high by 48” wide. Using interfacing has meant that there is very little
shrinkage.
I am wearing a black armband this week. Not because it is a
year since my mother died (where has the time gone?), but because my Bernina
1230 has been declared unfixable. It died during my Richard Box workshop and
cannot be revived. It owes me nothing as I have had it for 20+ years and it has
been a loyal workhorse all that time. It is like losing a faithful friend and I
am sad to know they are not available any more. My Bernina artiste is not a
patch on it.
On a lighter note, here is the carrot my husband has just
dug up from his vegetable patch for lunch!! One top and 11 bottoms! What’s a
girl to do with that eh?
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