Fabric Painting

Well I finally found time to try out my new fabric paints that I got from Laura at the Festival of Quilts. For a link to Laura's site see my last post.
They were really easy to use and I had great fun. I didn't do a lot as time was limited but what I did do I'm really pleased with. Especially the fact that when the paints dried the fabric was as soft and easy to handle as if I'd dyed it. In the past when using fabric paints the fabric has always been a tad stiff after painting.
The reverse technique is brilliant and gives an effect very similar to Batik. At the same time as one is printing that one also prints the plain fabric in the normal fashion so that one ends up with two pieces for the price of one! I am so impressed that I can see I will be doing lots more. I have a coffee morning tomorrow with some of my students so I will see what they think of the results.



The two pieces above are of the reverse printing. Below is a larger view. Click on the pictures to see a larger version.




This piece below is the print from the reverse printed piece,with a close up view next to it.





and the piece below that is the print from the leaf reverse print piece, with a close up next to it.







I can't wait to do more. I love the way the colours mix together.

Festival of Quilts

I had a great time at the Festival of Quilts and will surely go again next year and spend two days there instead of one! I didn't buy an awful lot but I was very pleased with what I did buy. I spent most of my money buying fabric paint from Laura who can be found here.I am really looking forward to doing some of this as soon as possible! She had some lovely stamps and printed fabrics on her stand. It was hard not to buy up everything in sight. But I restrained myself and just bought a kit to start with plus a lovely wavy stamp.I also bought a few books. Only three which is very restrained for me but they will be very motivational and inspiring especially the stencilling one which has a lot of African images.


I treated myself to some lovely beads and a collar to hang them on. They came from Totally Beads and there was a fantastic choice. I bought lots of felt for burning and painting and doing all sorts of interesting things with it. Again I want to get started! Plus a really useful gadget for holding down rulers while cutting fabric. Initially meant for pulling dents out of cars it is now a fantastic quilting accessory. I shan't let my husband see it!



I didn't buy very much fabric but I loved this picture strips with gardening images. And I had to buy the strip with the robins as it will make wonderful cards at Christmas.
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Below are some of the quilts I saw and liked. Those which inspired me. There were lots of those but I have only shown a few for now as it is taking an age to upload them. More another day!

Another bag!

I saw the pattern for this bag in one of the patchwork magazines and decided to try it out. I don't think I'll make it again! It is an octagonal bag and will be useful for my crochet but not really the sort of bag I want to use as a bag!




I 've got my pictures all wrong but the one above is of the shell beads which I attached to the flaps. There were four of them in all.


This is the top. The tie goes through the loops and then pulls the bag closed.


This is the bottom of the bag.


And another picture of the bag with the flaps showing in more detail. I also put shell beads around the top. It was an interesting concept but the instructions were bizarre. As they usually are I find. It didn't take long to make. As you can see from the picture below when laid out it looks a bit like a dead jellyfish!

Ribbon work bag

I have been doing some ribbon weaving for the next class and I wanted to make into something rather than just leave it as a sample. A cushion didn't appeal so I decided to make a tote bag which I'm not sure that I like now I've made it. I sewed strips in a log cabin fashion around it to make it up to size and then used a piece of batik that I had to make the back, sides and top. I have no problems with the lining, that worked very well! Perhaps it's the blues which don't work together? Or just that the ribbon woven centre doesn't really go? Whatever it is I'm not sure about it. I am wondering whether I'll dye the whole thing navy and see how it comes out. At least it will make the fabrics all blend together. I put a tab on it for closing the top but haven't yet sewn a button on. Click on the picture to enlarge. It wasn't easy to get a good picture either as it was so floppy! Anyway it will always be useful for storing my library books!

At Last Something to Show!

Click on the picture to enlarge!
The top row in the picture above shows the quilt. I did a simple 9-patch and meander quilted the plain squares. I used my embroidery attachment on the Bernina to add a label on the back and to embroider the baby's name on the front. I hope it will be liked!
The other pictures are of some ribbon weaving that I have done and will be doing in class. The little bag is lined with purple satin and quilted to pick up the pattern of the weaving. The middle piece is to make a notebook cover and the last picture is of a pillow case. I put gathered lace round the edge. This in a smaller edition could be used as a ring pillow. Anyway I am enjoying doing the weaving and as I have lots of ribbon to use up it is a worthwhile occupation! I like mixing ribbon weaving with fabric as I did in the pillow and one can have great fun making patterns.

Garden Inspired Dyeing

Thank you Sue and Shirley for your comments. I have to admit Shirley that it does take up my time! But I have been doing some more much needed dyeing!

And with my addiction to gardening showing no signs of abating I decided to do some dyeing using colours inspired by my garden. I have put a collage of some of them above. The top left above is inspired by my flower beds and flower filled pots. The top right is also of the flower beds but with the green of the overhanging trees and the sky peeking through. Bottom left is the messy area in my garden with twigs and weeds and leaves. And the last one is hydrangea and rhodendron overhanging the bird bath. You have to have a lot of imagination but these are the things I was thinking of as I was dyeing. It was fun and I was pleased with the results!
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I have finished the baby quilt but can't post pictures until it has been received by it's new owner. So in a day or two!

Sidetracked!

I have been sidetracked this week. While looking at other people's gardening blogs I found this site to join. It's called Blotanical and it is possible to view garden blogs from around the world and interact with them making loads of gardening friends and getting help and advice should you need it. It has been so inspiring that I've been mesmerised by it and hours can go by while I surf with the result that nothing is being done.

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I can say however that I have sewn the cot quilt together and bought some Warm and Natural wadding this morning so will be able to put it all together and quilt it. I am not sure how I'm going to quilt it yet. I'm hoping that I'll be inspired when it is layered up. Also I have some ideas in the pipeline for my next project so more of that later unless the garden steals me away again! It's the fault of the weather. It has been so warm and sunny and starting with breakfast in the garden and then gentle pottering I've not felt at all like incarcerating myself inside! They say its going to rain soon! Good in as much as I won't have to water pots and plants and I'll be able to sew and bad in as much as the sun is so envigorating!