Screenprinting can be addictive.....

My brother in law teaches in a senior school with an amazing Art Department and on an opportune social engagement, Debbie met one of the Art lecturers. Well you know how one conversation can lead to another and.... we found ourselves on a tour of the department and an invitation to use the printmaking facilities. We spent two fantastic sessions screenprinting, using screens already made within the department. These are some of the results, fell in love with the "Agapanthus" screen and used it quite a lot.





The tape used on my sketch book cover was printed with this piece, hence the "blank" line running through!


....and finally just had to make up a fabric basket using some of my new treasures.

....more scraps to use up!

Decided to use the bits of fabric left over from my basket making extravaganza to make a long awaited sketchbook cover. The appliqued leaves were from fabric I stamped a spiral onto using a rolled up kitchen sponge! Needs must and all that.
Couldn't resist the "Made in Australia" tag from a shirt find in... you guessed an op shop! The tape ties were screenprinted by yours truly.

Fabric is a wondrously varied invention of man.....

....and what pleasure it's given me over the last few weeks. I purchased 2.25 meters of fabric to make my stylish apron and have been using up the "surplus" (plus a retro nightie I'd picked up on my frequent op shop trawls), on the few projects photographed. Having decided that I needed to learn how to put in a zip and never sucessfully achieved it before I thought the opportunity to use Deb's far more logical mind than mine too good an opportunity to miss! So... she worked out the "how", instructed me and voila my little zipped bag was created.
The snap purse, again something that Debbie worked out and I just had the pleasure of making! We'd picked up some rather interesting crocheted lurex purses on a op shop trawl and stripped away the lurex part and re-used the clasp.

The waist apron design was a joint effort and am very pleased with the results.

Well, thought it was time I took tentative steps back into the world of blogging! Am in Australia with my lovely sister and her family for 7 and a bit weeks and savouring every precious moment. She has a little haven on the upper floor of her house where we've wiled away many a creative hour stitching companionably. Before I arrived she compiled a "to go" list and a "to do"list both of which we're working our way through, but the lists seem to grow ever longer and time is getting ever shorter. Thought I'd post a few of the sewing project pics here to get me up and running again in blogland. It's been delightfully relaxing to sew just for the sake of it with such great company, in such a lovely space.

First two photo's are of one of the projects Deb had pre-orgainsed for us... A 1950s style reversible apron, perhaps it will turn me into a domestic goddess like her!!

When I arrived she'd made some great slippers for me,(check out her blog to see them and her apron) here woollen, warm and cosy just the job, along with two beautiful fabric baskets. Cos she's the sharing type (phew) she gave me a masterclass in the construction of said baskets and I went into production big time!

We've got some printing planned for later this week so watch this space....

Good Times

Well.... what fun I had this weekend! Met up with three like minded friends and created from dawn 'til dusk.
I had wanted to have a go at the "bark fabric" technique that Val has explored and written about on her blog. Although I didn't want to create a finished piece that resembled tree bark i was intrigued at what background effects could be created using this method.
So off I went.....
A layer of felt was covered with some rust dyed fabric then newspaper, lace, painted papers and tissue were added finishing with a layer of sheer fabric. Stitching began and ended when I felt enough was enough! The peice was zapped with a hot air gun and stamped using foam blocks.
Keeping to my long running Anemone theme the shapes were stitched from behind using a sheer fabric as the applique piece and when stiched firmly into place I cut away the front portion (is this reverse applique?) Although not visible in the photograph the flowers are translucent. The applied flowers on the front are the bits that were cut away and are 3d but remain unfixed just pinned in place.
Now the dilema, it was created to be cut up into 2 PCs and a panel for a book cover but am rather liking the piece as a whole!
Thank you Maggie, Mandi and Linda for such a lovely weekend.
Off on Holiday this week so will be having a "blog break".

Four days of fun and surface decoration

Last week I spent four days with one of my closest friends just being creative.... bliss. Had a chance to explore "lamination" from the Lesley Morgan, Claire Benn and Jane Dunwold book purchased at the NEC, (pic's 1 and 2). After completing the lamination(transfer) process, which is so easy to follow from the book using matt medium, sheer polyester fabric and a variety of papers I screen printed the tree using a paper stencil and printing inks (pic 1). With the second bit (pic 2) decided to use transfer paints to decorate the surface further and took a print from a piece of anaglypta using the transfer paints then when dry, heat transferred it onto the sheer cloth. Very pleasing results!
Photo number 3 is a printed peice of fine linen using fabric paints with stamps, string, sequin waste and my trusty anaglypta then painted over with procion dyes (salt and soda added). It retained the colour really well so was chuffed.
And finally the last photograph is of the two paper stencils i cut for screenprinting and used during the time to decorate every piece of fabric and paper i could get my hands!
What a great few days am already looking forward to the next time we can manage to sneak off...

....on a roll now!

UFO's never kick start me into anything but after reading C.June Barnes (book mentioned in previous post) i decided to resurrect this piece which is at least three years old. It was loathed(as a whole) by the time it had put it together, although there were still small areas i liked. OriginallyI had wanted to create spaces behind to "use" as well as those on the front surface so had used dyed silk organza when piecing. Text was printed onto fabric which was then applied behind the sheer spaces as well as appliqued flowers. Although little bits of it were still liked it was too messy with colours that really weren't working. So....... I dyed it.
Do i like it now??? Not sure.
I lost the translucency to some extent as my cotton batting took the dye amazingly well making it very dark. In real life if you take a close look the text is still visible. The poly cotton fabric is, as you can see, very light. Stitching is now very clear as i used a synthetic thread in places and the cotton thread used took the dye differently to the surrounding fabric.
However, now feel i have a "more cohesive" surface to paint, print and work further onto. Watch this space.... may be a long time, ideas would be welcome.........