Reminiscing

Yesterday was Postman's Knock arrival day and the postman did knock, at about 9.30 while I was writing a few blog comments.  He had this package for me.

I patiently photographed it before opening and carefully cut the paper not ripping it off, which I usually do. Inside was my second window postcard, this time from Jane

It was 3D and depicted a beautifully draped window - very realistic, with clear cellophane panes looking out at a beautiful garden.  There is no way I can photograph the view without dismantling it, so I am the only one privileged to fully appreciate the work that has gone into this lovely card.

 Clicking on the pictures should give you a close-up view.

It is lovely.

My contribution this time was to the theme "Yee Ha! Ride'em Cowboy" which got me rummaging in the back of the cupboard for the bag of memorabilia I had kept after my epic USA trip in 1977, in which I travelled round the US on the Greyhound buses.  My old bus pass, timetable and a map centred on Colorado formed the main body of the postcard and an old book about cowboys belonging to Mr T provided the buckaroos. As the US is such a large place I wanted to convey this, so made a folding card to get as much map as possible.

I then distressed it as I wanted it to look as if it had been stuffed into a traveller's pocket for a few thousand miles!

The fact that I had kept my bag of memories intrigued a few comment writers on Postman's Knock so here are a few more details.  In 1976 after being in a long relationship and encouraged by an adventurous flatmate I advertised in Time Out magazine for a companion to spend 4 weeks the following summer touring the USA. It was something I really wanted to do with my new freedom, but none of my friends wanted to join me, I certainly didn't want to go it alone, so advertising was the only alternative.  After meeting several prospective travelling companions - male and female (But that's another story) I finally linked up with Cathy, another teacher from London.  I had relatives on Long Island, friends in Santa Cruz, Cal, and my flat mate had met a couple of lads from LA whilst she was camping in France.  We put them up while they toured the UK and I was invited to stay with them.  Cathy and I flew to NY and after a free night (due to a special deal with Thomas Cook) at the Statler Hilton (Telephone Number: PEnnsylvania 6-5000), now renamed Pennsylvania Hilton, we visited Dad's cousin on Long Island. From there we started our 8,000 mile round trip of the states.  I kept a diary as we spent many hours on the buses and the long straight roads made it possible to write while on the move - not usually possible on buses here. (Why didn't I keep a sketch book too? I ask myslef now)

Using the bus timetables it was easy to log our mileage as we went from NY to New Orleans - via Washington DC and Chattanooga (bit of a Genn Miller theme emerged here). Then to Houston - popping over the border to Mexico at Al Paso; then the Grand Canyon; a memorable night in Las Vegas;  Los Angeles and a stay with the lads we'd met; Santa Cruz; San Fransisco; Salt Lake City; Denver and a day trip into the Rockies; Chicago; Niagara and a quick pop into Canada for an hour or so; Boston and then back to NY - are you exhausted?  Think how we felt, as we spent every other night or so sleeping on the bus.  So perhaps you can see why I have kept all this stuff with my diary - and no I don't think it would make a very exciting book, although we did have a few adventures.

I met Cathy once after the trip when we exchanged some photographs, but not since. We got on well at the time, but had little in common apart from the trip. I quite like it that way. Somehow it means I own all of the memories. Shortly after I came back I met the future Mr T, who is not greatly fond of travel, so that was my GREAT ADVENTURE and I am getting plenty of mileage out of it still.

Sunny days

What an amazing week we have had - I can't remember an April like it! Like a lot of you, no doubt, I have spent a lot of time out doors rather than in my 'studio'.  I will share a few things I have been up to, but it is not a lot. Firstly I have finished my Butterfly books and they are now in my Etsy shop.

I have also filled in my Textile journal.

Otherwise I have not done a lot on the creative front - just haven't been in the mood this week.

But I did spend a lot of time watching the waxwings which stayed until Friday by which time they had completely stripped the last of the berries off the cotoneaster.  This was the best shot I got, heavily cropped.

At one time we counted 22 of them on the TV aerial.

Otherwise I have been trying to get rid of some of these

Although very bright and cheerful, they are overtaking my garden.

MrT has been looking after his onions

I don't drink this yogurt drink ALL the time, but here are about a year's worth of bottles marking the onion rows. Note little 'fence' which seems to have kept the local cats off.

Most of the time I have just been enjoying these flowers which have burgeoned this week.

 aubretia

polyanthus

 plum blossom

 

spotted laurel (aucuba)

and finally a close-up of those polyanthus.

Oh, but I have been getting my next postcard ready for Postman's Knock.  You'll have to wait to see that.

Have a lovely week.

Jill

Teach yourself textiles - slashing and burning

Textiles I

I had a quiet weekend and have an appointment free week ahead so I am determined to fit in a few more exercises in my quest for textile knowledge.  Firstly, after watching a video from Fay Maxwell  about fabric slashing, I though I must have a go. (Thanks Lesley) Firstly I built up layers of fabric scraps on a piece of calico topped with a relatively plain piece of fine cotton.  I then straight stitched the layers together like this.

then taking a sharp pair of scissors started slashing the layers between the rows of stitches.

I only snipped through the back in a couple of places!

Slashing is only the beginning - the next thing is to wash the whole thing as violently as you can.  I was unprepared to devote  a whole wash cycle to this and unsure of colour fastness I hand washed it, but gave it a good scrubbing with my wooden lemon squeezer!!!  (Note to self - look for a old fashioned washboard) I then indulged in a fast spin, as it was very thick and then popped it on a rad to dry.

The green top fabric frayed so much I had to trim the threads, but the result is very tactile.  I am now deciding whether to add any stitching.

Natural Break

I did have to interrupt my stitching to cook a meal yesterday and when I popped into the garden for some rosemary a flurry of birds flew up from the cotoneaster which still has a lot of berries.  I had disturbed about twenty waxwings.  Luckily they didn't fly far and sat in a neighbouring tree while I rushed in for the camera.  The sky was dark and it was starting to rain.  There was even a loud clap of thunder, so no time to set up the large zoom and tripod which would have been better in this light.

A bit of cropping on this picture just renders enough detail for those of you familiar with this winter visitor to identify its characteristic profile with its tuft of feathers on its head.  I haven't seen waxwings and I am delighted to be able to add them to my weekly bird count which I submit to BTO Garden Birdwatch.

Textiles II

I have done the slashing, so here is the burning, although melting would be a better description. 

A selection of beads I made by melting anything meltable with my new heat gun.

 

 

Not sure what I am going to do with them - rather scratchy for  a necklace - but they are strung up at a window at the moment. 

Mr T was notable unimpressed by my experiments, but I know you'll be interested (I hope)

Jill

No fools here

That's another month done - goodess me, time does fly especially when you are enjoying yourself.

I seem to have had a busy month and last week I seemed to be rushing about from place to place.  But I did manage to get April's pages done, although at the moment they are looking a bit plain. The background is decorated with a spiral lino cut I whizzed off this week.  I'm into spirals at the moment, but more about that another time.  I also spent a day with my friend Sally at her studio at Digswell where she ran a workshop on monoprinting techniques using the heavy etching press - great fun, but really, we only had time to familiarize ourselves with the basic techniques as printmaking is quite a laborious procedure, but with so much potential.  Not sure that it is my method at the moment, more to share from that another time too.

However the excitement of the week has been the first posting day for the Postman's Knock group.

Twelve of us who have blogging connections have entered a 'deal' to send a postcard every fortnight to one of the members of the group on their chosen them.  The first posting date was yesterday, so quite a lot of us received our first postcards this morning.  You can view them here.

My chosed  theme is Windows and here is my card from Penny

Perfectly conveying her Spanish theme.  I haven't heard whether mine has arrived at its destination yet.  fingers crossed that it arrives safely.

Do have a look at the other postcards, I feel I am in such talented company.

Jill

Another week

I have had a really busy week again, but I have manage to fit in an hour or two for practising my free machine embroidery skills. By drawing with my needle, I have stitched two butterflies.

I first painted them onto pelmet weight vilene using Koh-i-nor watercolours.  The top one here, based on a Peacock butterfly, I covered with a piece of 'shot' polyester organza to give it it some shimmer. I then machine stitched using a straight stitch varying the top and bottom threads, often tightening the top tension to bring up the bottom thread to break the colour.

Here I have scanned the two pieces.  I added a bit of hand stitching to the Peacock one.

This is the reverse side which is also quite nice, but the colour is less intense without the painted background.

Here I have photographed them with a packet of machine needles for scale.  Since taking the picture I have cut out the peacock one, using a fine soldering iron which has sealed the edge of the polyester organza.  I am experimenting with making it into a small book. 

 I'll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile I have done a few tasks in the garden, cutting the the grass always makes such a difference, even if nothing else is done.  I was pleased to see this frog in our little pond guarding her great pile of spawn.  As I was shooting into the sun I used the integral flash to add a little detail and sparkle to her eye.

I was also pleased with this shot of the water iris and its reflection, not looking quite real.

I seem to have yet another busy week coming up, but hopefully I'll manage to fit in a bit of creativity.  I think another week of sunshine is too much to hope for,  but a few more days of fine weather would go down well.

I hope you are having a great weekend, and have a good week.

This week I have...

As so many of you have been  so encouraging in my 'Teach Yourself Textiles" venture I thought I would keep you up to date.  However I am pooped.  Yesterday I helped Mr T spring clean the green house, which involved empying it out, scrubbing it down, and then refilling again.  Mr T did most of the initial work, but I was involved in driving off to Homebase for supplies,  the scrubbing part and putting everything back!  Today I have been switching our e mail address, contacting etsy, paypal, and so on, as well as friends and other contacts. It  has taken hours, so I have nearly had enough of comouters for today.  I did manage a short break hanging out our laundered gardening clothes from yesterday and a quick tidy up on one of the small flower beds. So this is what I have been doing textile wise this week.

On the left are a couple of pieces of couched threads from Pam Watts' book. catching the threads down with sheer fabric and then top stitching and on the right some experiments I did ironing plastic sweet wrappers between sheets of baking parchment - great fun!

These two pages record my last workshop session with Marian Murphy. We concentrated on free embroidery using a zig-zag stitch.  She showed us lots of effects and textures which can be achieved.  We also zig-zaged onto butter muslin which gives a drawn fabric.  This is great fun. The muslin must be stretched in a hoop first and a wide zig-zag is used to make a grid.  The stitch pulls the muslin threads together. You can then 'darn' over the squares giving them texture.  

We also zig-zagged over lengths of knitting cotton and other yarns to create cords,  Marian then showed us how we could join these to make braid and mesh.

Going back to the Kim Thittichai book 'experimental textiles' I took one of her design ideas and played around with it. The theme was Spirals.  I was rather taken with the shapes of spiral galaxies and anticyclone cloud formations. I also stitched a couple of samples

This is black voile on black felt machine stitched with a silver thread on the bobbin and a tight top tension to bring up the silver thread with beads added. 

This one is my favourite french knots on felt.

Not sure what I will do this week - rest?  But I'll let you know.

Have a good week,  and let us hope the news is more hopeful for all of those living through times of revolution and disaster.

Jill

Sketchbook analysis

Lesley at Printed Material has posted some of her sketch book pages as one of her friends has asked how people use theirs.  I have stacks of them as I always have a book by my chair and a few pens and pencils. So I picked half a dozen that were easily accessable - one dates back 15 years - and looked for common subjects running through out. 
Firstly a draw a lot of faces.  There are a lot of them, often done from the television. Occassionally I can even recognise a TV personality, here are a selection with a few close ups.

My favourite drawing tool is a waterproof 0.1 or 0.3 drawing pen.

Another common subject in all my books are cats.  Several of these are of Tess - cat before Marvin, she was a pretty little Siamese cross.

Here is Tess in Karisma colour pencils, sadly no longer available.

I am also fond of drawing flowers and often buy an inexpensive bunch to draw if there are none in the garden.

When you can't find any other subjects there are always body parts - your own hands and feet I mean.  They are always available!

When all else fails I just let my imagination run riot.

These drawing very rarely lead to anything ... but I'm sure they must say something about me.  Perhaps I am just at the bottom of a hole with all my art work trying to get out!

Jill