Monday 19 April 2010

The next step

I have been begrudgingly doing my chores; cooking, shopping and cutting the moss and weeds - sorry lawn over the last few days when really I wanted to MAKE BOOKS. In fact I have managed to start four! Here are the covers of two of them.
The little heart book has a three fold cover and I have started hand stitching on the dyed pelmet vilene. I only bought a few colours of the transfer dyes so I have worked on it with colour pencils before giving it a coat of acrylic wax to fix the colour. I hope to transform it with embroidery, I shall take my time. I shall fill it with rather girly heart motifs. The larger one I made in the same way but I have started to machine embroider this one and stitch on ribbon and lace. I have an idea of calling this my Book of Days and am toying with a few ideas. I promise to keep you informed. I have made another cover in the shape of a leaf, but I have put that one aside for later. 
This is the little book I have got furthest with.


I have finished the cover with embroidery and beads. The edge of the cover is pierced and shaped with a soldering iron which melts the vilene.

The theme of this book is the letter J (not too difficult to guess) and I have been making a list of things beginning  with J to go in it. Jokers, jellies, jumpers, jingles-the trick will be to make each page decorative.

Here is the first page - I am the big one!
The pages were lining paper soaked in Brusho water colour, I wrote the letter J on the right hand page with bleach. I shall probably add some stitches too. Got to go now, I am using up valuable stitching time. I'll try to drop in on your posts later.
Jill

14 comments:

menopausalmusing said...

Cooking? Shopping? Pppffffffffffffft!

Loving reading all about these and the processes involved. :O)

flutterbycrafter said...

You are so clever, these are beautiful, and I love the colours.

Marigold Jam said...

Never mind the chores keep crafting I'd say!! These are beautiful Kill and I just wish I knew how they are made. Can I pop round one afternoon?!!! What about a page for Joy - a lovely word don't you think? Or there's jade jam, jazz, jeans, jester, journey, jubilee, jumbo - just joking!!

Jane

Marigold Jam said...

Oops got carried away with the Js and missed one for your name I know you are not really called Kill! Sorry

WrightStuff said...

Lovely - your creativity knows no bounds!. I got a book on how to make books for my birthday. Still to start any mind!

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

You're going to have fun with these books - it's quite clear that you are bursting with ideas, Jill. Like the photo of you and little sis at the seaside. Bfn, Lesley

Leenie said...

It is annoying how life gets in the way of creativity. You do beautiful work!

LAC EMP 2020 said...

I'd like to throw down the challenge on a page for Jamboree or Jingoism... only kidding! Glad to see you've got your priorities right by making stuff before anything like 'housewifey' things. These are wonderful Jill and the transfer paints give such a strong colour. Do you think acrylic ink like FW's would work equally as well or would they sink into the vilene and go muted? I suppose the transfer colour really sits on the surface. I have loads of pelmet vilene as I buy it for stiffening handbags so I might try it with the ink to see. It's so lovely to read about your enthusiasm for making books. Forget the washing up - keep stitching! Lesley

Lizzie said...

Housework - What's that? Hmm, I suppose it has to be done, but still... why waste time on too much housework, when you can create some lovely books etc etc.
I like the stripey and heart covers so far; the "J" book looks great - I will look out for further updates on this one!

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Love the 'J' book and the covers for the other two; just fabulous :)
Anne x

Karen Blados said...

These are gorgeous! Forget the chores ... at least until the neighbors complain ... and make some more of these.

SCALEY SCALES said...

For one moment I read 'make books' as 'mark books'. Anyway, thanks for your kind words on my blog. The situation is pretty grim here. We wasted a complete day by being called to the airport and then being told there was no flight anyway. Read more on the blog for today.

Unknown said...

Wonderful, and so creative, as always. Great work Jill!

Janet said...

'Jumping jehosaphat' Jill - jolly jinks.

Janet's justifiably jealous, jibbering, jaded.

(jelly-hating) Janet x x