Pink Daisy - finished

So this is how it ended up - I can see some empty (too empty) spaces so may work on it some more over the summer..... just 1 more show and a big competition till the season ends. Blogging while bacteria leo's paint dries..... more to come!

Pink Daisy - finished detail

1440 plus real Swarovski ss20 crystals - plus more.... hand painted Lycra, free motion and regular appliqued metallic fabric ....

Pink Daisy - finished back

Varicose front in progress

Varicose front in progress

A couple more days passed.....

Varicose front

The front is slightly different to the back in theme, this is like twisted ribbons - or I had the idea of twisted ribbons....

Varicose in progress - Back

This is the later picture of the back with lines......

Homage to varicose veins

I have been making leotards for rhythmic gymnastics of late. This one is for Diana, and the first one I've painted. Back view... Not yet finished ... I recently discovered that an ex found the couple of very small varicose on the back of my knee nauseatingly disgusting. I dedicate this beautiful work to SE. May he get over it!

Great big pile of fluff

I've been working on another skirt, this one white.... like the pink one.... but a little longer - I gathered together some of the pink 'offcuts' and made a hair thingie, only problem is finding a suitable - and small - clip for the back, it's just 3 inches across so I need the little people size.... more hunting....

Art Lottery Challenge

The FAT group I belong to had a Art Lottery Challenge, you handed in 5 numbers then got back 5 techniques that you were to use on a postcard. You could make 3 cards, either with the same numbers or different numbers. It was an interesting concept that I enjoyed..... Piece the background fabric, Add a new shape, Add a printed word, Add a doodle then colour it in, Add something organic. So, I pieced the background (the half square triangles were trimmings from a previous project) - add a new shape, that was the 'brown' rectangle, add a printed word - Aşşk - I doodled as required, then coloured the leaves with chalk.. - I was also asked to add something organic, well that was the doodle, a coneflower..... and the card was made with only cotton..... I traded the cards, which will follow!

Fringe making

First I cut a piece of card, with an opening, wide enough for the presser foot...
then I cut a second identically sized piece of card, holding the cards together I wound the cord onto the two, until it reached the desired size.

I gingerly slid the uncut piece of card out and laid the card with the window onto the base fabric. I sewed through the window - just a simple straight stitch, up and down a couple of times. I then tore the card to release it - ta-da! Super thick fringe....

In the future I would be tempted to sew onto a ribbon then placement wouldn't be an issue - easy! (I trimmed off the stray tails after sewing it all down!)

24 November - Teachers' day - part 2

These were T1's cards, 3 to her English teachers, and one to her home room teacher, all made a similar way - a petal and then another flower cut to make the skirt - very clever..... lots of writing - She is into letters at the moment big time.....

Miss M - another English teacher - 'Happy teachers' day, my special dostum! I like you because you have long, long, long, long hair'

Miss Happy - the regular English teacher - ' Happy teachers' day, I like you because one day you painted my face and it tickled'

Miss I - home room teacher - 'Happy teachers' day, I like you because you always smile in the morning when you see me, you sing nice songs and help me. You give me nice hugs too'

Miss R - T1's English teacher whilst Miss Happy has been sick. 'Happy teachers' day, I love your class and you have very nice brown hair'

I broke out the gel pens, whilst they are a little messy - the effects are great! a lot better than felt-tips...... that's all for this year..... * dostum means friend/pal

24 November - Teachers' day

As Ataturk said 'New generation will be created by teachers'. Since next week is bayram, then our school has brought the day forward to tomorrow. Cookies were suggested, being short of cookie making time this evening we opted for chocolates, and home made cards. I asked the littles what they liked best about their teachers, and which teachers they liked best, they had no choice with their home-room teacher or English teacher, T2 chose the classroom assistant - T1's tomorrow.

Miss Happy (yes it's her real name!) - 'Happy Birthday (he says it was yesterday?) and happy teachers' day - I love to play with you'

For the classroom assistant - Miss S 'Happy teachers day because you are nice'

For Miss C - the home room teacher, 'Happy teachers' day because I like it when you tell stories'

Rosette Making

I cut a circle out of card, then with a compass drew a line about ¼ if an inch from the edge. I set my machine to a zig-zag, then attached the ribbon, making pleats as I went. I have miles of this Genuine Hungarian ribbon (not sure why though!)

I lined up the 2nd row of ribbon with the stripes of the first, but there is no reason you couldn't line another row up with a drawn circle. I attached the 'tails' with this layer.

I cut a circle of paper, a circle of felt and a button. With a Glue stick I assembled them and sewed the button on to secure them all. The threads from sewing the button were left on so that I could attach the rosette. Easy - we should all be decorated!

Follow me blindly - day 5

'take your fabulously embellished piece and trim off the excess backing fabric, for those who haven't done this already. now - fuse or glue a final back fabric - to cover up all those embellished threads... then stitch all the way around your piece, to bind it.you will now "sculpt" your piece into a vessel of some sort - a fiber art vase. ;) think out of the BOX!! be creative! roll, wrap over, fold, tuck, pucker... even cut if you want... and sew it into place. the most unusual shapes will lend themselves to a unique form/structure. ;) if you want to add any final embellishments to your sculpture, you can do this once it's complete.'

So today was the last day of the challenge, I was 12 hours late on completing this one I guess, I wracked my brain about turning it into a vessel, I don't need any 'clutter' I am on a slight purge to get the house straight - and the idea of something that catches dust turns me straight off. I do need a folder type thing to keep projects in, but the surface wouldn't stand up to that, I also need a 'change dump' to empty my pockets and keep all the debris in one place, I made simple folds and stitched them down, the felt base has given it a certain substance, the slightly circular shape holds with the design. I may go round and zig-zag a piece of wire into the top edge. I may not. I will probably work on it some more and turn it into something else, It's got a nice motion happening, just not enough of something.....

Follow me blindly - day 4

So today's mission.....

EMBELLISH YOUR PIECE! use hand-stitching, beads, etc... ;)

Due to a total lack of time, the piece just got a few beads.... no stitching, sadly. I may come back and add to it once the challenge is over...

Follow me blindly - day 3

Today's step was
'Take a pair of scissors and carefully CUT UP YOUR PIECE! ;) yes, you read it right. cut it up. you must cut into it AT LEAST 5 times! ;) you can cut strips, circles, puzzle shapes... whatever you want to do... but keep in mind that you are going to be sewing it back together into a NEW shape!...'
So I started with about 5 cuts, then a few more, but wasn't happy because it wouldn't go together without becoming 24 inches square - somehow, so I did this, well there are a few bits left over, but that will have to be..... I FME'd it to black felt with red thread.

Follow me blindly - day 2

Day Two:.... layer your cloth onto a piece of batting, felt, or similar and machine stitch all over with contrasting or complimentary threads. (optional - layer some organza on top first, then machine stitch all over 3 layers with rayon thread... then using your burning tool, melt away the spaces of organza between the stitches.)

I put some net over, since I didn't have a suitably coloured organza, nor a burning tool..... I don't like it, it looks too stiff...... but it's not the end, lets see what happens.....

Follow me blindly - day 1

I take part in some of the FAT stuff, I like the group there is a real cross over between crafters and artists, it's a good environment for me. Leilani set the 5X challenge a while ago, I enjoyed the way it made me think and the kick up the backside to get making stuff..... this is her latest challenge. I have lifted this from her mail to the group.... it started Monday the 9th in real time.... I did it for the following 5 days....

Leilani's Follow Me Blind art quilt challenge:work on one quilt for 5 days straight.
New instructions given each day you must follow through, no matter how painful! ;)Day One -- create a 9" x 7" fabric for the top of your quilt. this must be an altered piece of fabric, i.e. surface designed. you can paint on it, stain it, dye it, rubber stamp on it, color it, applique on it... but you must do something to itThis fabric is from last year (I think!), it's painted with acrylic paint then for the challenge I stenciled and stamped with inks..... will see what 'tomorrow' holds

Even more or less Halloween - Count Dracula

In our quest last week for Halloween costumes T2 went through a phase of wanting to be Count Dracula. We had the cape (from his Zorro phase, dress shirt and trousers) Not possessing a suitable sash I made one, I made the fringe then added the large silvery button. I had fun making the rosettes. T2 came to check my handy work and pronounced he would not be going as the afore mentioned Count..... but.... as an astronaut. Grrrr.....

He then went through a snake related phase before settling on a Doctor. We didn't snag him any tongue depressors but he did manage to loose his stethoscope.... The rosettes were fun to make.

The red/white/green one and fringe are in the tutorial to follow. The tartan ribbon one was super simple, the large green one was a long length of wired ribbon from a box of something I had salvaged, sewn onto felt, the center being a flattened San Pelegrano bottle top..... The square-ish one simply card covered in scraps of paper and an old uniform button. All waiting for a suitable occasion to be used now.....