Attached are the pictures of the Devore silk pieces. I am stitching and beading them to make decorative bags.
At long last I am back to my computer.
Attached are the pictures of the Devore silk pieces. I am stitching and beading them to make decorative bags.
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Over the past four weeks I have been working on producing silk.
In this process you use silk velvet which is made on a synthetic background. This is crucial as the paste you use to burn out the silk does not react with the synthetic material. The paste we used is a mix (this can be bought from "Art Van Go UK in a pack in the correct proportions and goes a long way) We used stencils or freezer paper and painted the paste onto the backside of the velvet. This is left to dry and the ironed to activate the paste process. Once dry we scrapped/rubbed off the burnt parts and had a lacy piece of fabric. We then died the pieces as we choose. First we used Disperse dyes ironing them on the synthetic side to get some colour into the synthetic backing - which now shows through to the front in the denuded silk patches. The silk we dyed with Dylon dyes, you could use any fabric dye. These were then left to dry. When we returned to the pieces we added some more dye to some of them. When they were dry we prepared some for gilding. This mean sealing some areas with Gel Paste or PVA. When they were thoroughly dry we applied Gilding paste which once again had to dry. When dry it remains tacky and this is what the gilding adheres to. Have spent a painful month with bruised ribs so been a bit more sedentary than desirable.
My Deconstruction quilt was juried into the Aotearoa Quilt Show. We went to Rotorua on Friday 6th May, The journey was lovely in fine weather. We went to the Awards ceremony and had a good catchup. Saturday started with breakfast generously hosted and provided by "Cottage Flair" in their lovely shop now in Central Rotorua . The Show was a great success, the venue ideal and everyone involved was pleased withe the outcome. Yesterday I couriered off the two quilts for Aotearoa Quilters Show in Rotorua in May. "Do Peacocks Fly?" and "Deconstruction."
Well here it is Easter and I don't know where the time has gone,
I have been working on a challenge with the Surface Textile Group from Stitchinfingers. We were challenged to take February and March to do a piece of work using some of the pieces of fabric we had collected in our swaps over the past. As I have only been in the group six months I haven't had as many swaps but it is amazing how much I have collected already. I decided to use my discharge dyed black material which had brown/amber undertones. I stitched a black background with diagonal lines using a variegated thread. Next I cut holes in the piece and inserted from the back selected pieces of the discharged material. I called the piece "Deconstruction" A two day Class with Ailie Snow and embroiderer and self proclaimed "Missionary" into stretching stitch well into surface design and the art world.
After a morning of quite intense discussion on choosing your theme, techniques and what you want to convey, Ailie showed us a variety of tips and techniques we might incorporate in out work. I had to get my head around the fact I was with embroiderers and not patchworkers also I was not doing crazt patchwork so didn not need to cover the whol piece. After looking at Ailies work and the others in the class and playing with some of the hew techniques I was finally rwady at end of day one to launch forth. I have had the idea for a while of doing a small album of my natural and my adoptive mothers. It was really planned to be based on the few photos I had. Now it grew. My first move into a creative embroidery piece. I worked well the next day and got on well. I also had used potassium permanganate to colour and burn a piece of white silk. On looking at it I saw "The Tundra" and have the planning for another piece of work! Will add some pictures when a bit more progress has been made. The Aotearoa Quilters have had a new lease of life and the new team are encouraging some more activity.
They are holding their first Show for a few years having pulled out of participating in the Craft Show. The first Challenge is "Flight". After a trip to Kauwau Island where I was entertained by an amorous Peacock I decided on a Quilt "Do Peacocks Fly?" My personal challenge was to use "Improv"(Improvisational) methods while knowing it might not be so acceptable to the traditionalists. This indeed was a challenge. It started off fine and I made the base of the quilt and was thrilled with the colours and techniques. I painted loose grass forms on the background. Then it all happened. On observing the peacock photos more carefully I decided the piece needed some glitz. I had free motioned feather outlines, then appliqued chiffon under the blue circles and over the feathers. I discharge dyed some of the chiffons below the circles as I observed patterns in that area. My two majors were the chiffon frayed more than I had intended and my machine jammed. Luckily I had been given a reserve machine and twin needled around all the feathers with hand in day fast approaching. I was not completely happy with the quilt but handed it in so there were some entries to select from for Auckland. There were only five and three had to be picked. I was not surprised mine was not one of the three. I have taken it home to add more quilting to the green background. My good friend Alma taught me to make beaded Christmas Wreaths. This was part of my plan to be ready for next Christmas.
After spending nearly all morning completing one I thought I was mad. With practice I found I could do one in about 30 minutes. Now have 8 done and ready to be used as tags on Christmas Gifts. I have been busy finishing tasks I didn't get done before Christmas. I'll be really ready for Christmas 2016 now.
First I finished of the last of small felt ornaments for my branch tree. Now have 16. At mixed media on the last day we started a making baubles so I have made two strings and am pleased with the results. Each panel of each bauble is different so it was fun playing with beads and stitching. I have finished the front of my Stitch Book which I plan to use following the TAST programme run on Pintangle. It didn't happen for me last year but have used most of the stitches taught on the cover and back of my book. I will do the samples and then stitch them into the book that is why I haven't completed the cover yet. The Chinese Thread holder I showed earlier in the year is now finished and ready to be given as a gift next weekend. Where has the year gone? Not a good one for me. Starting off this year with the intention of finishing all the Christmas projects I didn't finish in time for Christmas 2015 and will be well and truly ready for 2016 Christmas.
Alysn returned from UK in time for one class. We were proud to show her what we had been finishing while she was away and she started us off on some different type of Christmas Baubles. Between Christmas Day I have been working on these. Last night hung the first three on ribbons and have four more to make the next chain. Going to do some bigger ones to complete a set. I am hanging them on our naked tree. Ken took a long time to get me a suitable branch and by the time we had to go away on the 16th he hadn't got the decorations down from their storage. It is amazing how many we now have from ones people put on their gifts, the baubles I have been making and some felt ones which were nearly finished last year. I have decided to leave the tree for a while to enjoy our belated decorations. For the textile surface design group I got the November swap with resist dyeing done and today am trying Ice Dyeing. We all seem to have decided to send 2 pieces at a time to economise on postage. I will take photos and update as soon as possible. Off out to the hot day to check on my ice and see what is happening. there. Below are three postcards. First from a NZ exchangee, the second one I sent to Australia and the third I received from Australia. |
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