Tuesday 27 February 2018

Wednesday 21 February 2018

Trees and Lace Landscape

It's been a long time since I painted on canvas but I got the urge after seeing the work of Elf2mani on Pinterest. I started by trying to copy it but then went in my own direction so it doesn't look exactly the same [I wouldn't know how to do it the same anyway]. Check out her work, she combines various items and fabrics in her work, there are some lovely pictures with spoons.
Detail showing some of the lace. The other bits of texture were made from a painting brush - the painted outer edge of the handle crumbled away while I was using it so used those bits too.

Wednesday 14 February 2018

Sample Book 2


The second book of samples or the fifth if I count the three Scrap Books. Links to them all are here:
The front cover was a home digital print on fabric, appliqued with the flowers which were also prints.

Inside cover - home digital print with extra bits of black which the printer decided to add. It was quite tricky printing fabric, getting it straight, hoping that it didn't skew on its way thru or get stuck.
The other page is also a digital print - I used lots of photos on the background and the Angel of the North in the foreground. Appliqued fabric post cards [inkjet print on fabric]
[The digital printer was a large A2 printer which I used with special fabric inks, the inkjet is an A4 standard printer used with regular 'paper' inks - I no longer have the A2 printer]
The actual Cretan Stitch sampler wouldn't fit on a two page spread so I chopped it up and stitched them together closer.
Digital prints, inkjet print, discharge printed sample. Two artist trading cards - layered, dyed and manipulated fabrics with embroidery.
Screen prints. Stamped and painted fabric. Marbled fabric. Layered and embroidered scraps.
Chain stitch sampler. Marbled fabric. Screen prints. Paper bag print on fabric.
The bird was a gift.
Painted and stamped fabric. Marbled fabric. Three handmade cords. Two art buttons.
Digital print (colour swatch). Florentine embroidery. Machine and hand embroidery on dyed/painted velvet. Fun foam art button.
Digital print. Screen print. Spoonflower prints. Ribbon embroidery. Stumpwork.
Digital print swatch. Digital print flower and freehand machine embroidery. Spoonflower print.
Digital print. Florentine embroidery. Stamped, painted fabric. Painted velvet, freehand machine embroidery, hand stitched to background.
Discharge print. Cutwork embroidery. Handmade cords - 3
Screen prints, applique, embroidery.
Marbling. Real leaves and layers. Grilon thread with sheer fabrics and gold thread - Grilon thread is a fine, transparent, synthetic thread wich shrinks and contracts when heat is applied. Handmade sunflower brooch, beaded. Found metal brooch. 
Straight stitch sampler.
Vintage tablecloth scraps. Orange handkerchief. Cross stitch bookmark. Backstitch and beads on a small square of aida. Spanish lady with lace dress from a postcard.
Applique cups. Dyed purple net fabric made into a tassel.
Samples of stitches from an old sewing machine.
Silk painted leaves, these were really vibrant colours unless I backed them with bondaweb and ironed them onto the backing fabric. Also machine stitched. Threads melted together with Grilon?, beaded.
Screen print, beaded.
Puff binder, glitter paint, French knots. Digital print. Freehand machine embroidered flower on soluble fabric.
Real leaves trapped between sheer fabric and a background fabric, machine embroidery with metallic thread, hearts [recycled from a Christmas decoration].
Background - hand decorated fabrics.  Screen prints. Wax resist feather design. The house and tree are sewing machine stitches, painted. The purple rectangle - machine stitching with metallic thread over gaps.
Stamped, painted fabrics, Screen prints, beaded. Transfer print. Layered scraps and metallic threads (cut) layered with sheer fabric.
Painted dog on Evolon - this featured on an art quilt, see here. Artist trading card on Vilene coloured with pens and stitching. Layered scraps and metallic threads (cut) layered with sheer fabric.
Stamped and painted fabric. Gelli print. Screen prints, stitched. Digital print. Machine stitching zigzags (purple). Freehand machine stitching (green).
Digital prints layered. The top one was freehand machine stitched and cut (window) -a try out for a picture, I didn't embroider the final result, see here
Bayeux stitch, the image was copied from the tapestry of the same name, burnt edges.
Burnt edge, running stitch. Vintage image inkjet print. Digital print. Blackwork samples. Art button.
Digital print. The leopard (fabric) was from a greetings card which I've kept hold of for years. Cat drawn on Evolon, painted and stitched. Digital print fish, machine stitched.
Wax resist feather print. Layered fabric and threads. Melted plastic bag. Art button.
Bleached velvet, painted and hand embroidered.
Painted, stamped velvet, freehand machine embroidery, decorative sewing machine stitches, hand embroidery. Appliqued flower - layers of yellow fabric petals, machine embroidery.
Rough smocking with decorative machine embroidery. Canvas stitching samples.
Handmade paper, layered and hand embroidered. Art buttons x 3. Handmade cords.
Hand painted fabric, embroidery (poppies). Hand painted fabric, embroidery (heart). Found flowers, beaded.
Made fabric using bondaweb, paints, gold, melted bubble wrap, embroidery.
Transfer print. Hand embroidered leaf. Art button. handmade tassel.
Backpage. Digital prints and Spoonflower prints.

Back cover - Digital print.
To make up I put two pages together, stitched all around, then zig-zagged all around. I joined the pages together similar to a book binding technique with thread and ribbon [folded and stitched fabric strips]. I made it up as I went along as the usual way leaves long pieces of thread over some of the pages and I didn't want that. See here to see what I mean.

Some of the pages look different after being folded in the book so I've included some photos of the pages before they were made into a book. Also some close ups.



Cretan Stitch using different threads layered with beads.
Chain stitch used for couching.

Real bark under the chiffon.


Ribbon embroidery.
Stumpwork.
Screen printed chicken with embroidery.



Cutwork on discharge print.
Back stitch on aida with beads.






Wax relief.

Bayeux tapestry stitch.
 
Art button [see top of page for tutorial]