Surface, Structure, Stitch at City Lit: Week 2

 It's several weeks ago now , but the second  class with Louise Baldwin  at City Lit was just as  exciting as the first .  The focus was on machine quilting/stitching  and as predicted , my major challenge was getting used to the  machines ( Bernina 1008 )  and  how they worked.  The dedicated  textile studio is very well equiped - I was looking around for where the power sockets were , they descend from the ceiling on pulleys ! 

 The session started with a review seated around a table of what we'd done the previous week  and  any  images or samples  we'd done for homework, a very useful  process. 

 We  then started off drawing shapes  and creating    designs for quilting 

 Louise had a variety of samples  showing the effect of  different  thicknesses  of waddings/ felt, slashing ( faux chenille) ; layering and making holes;  different fabrics.  

In a Powerpoint she showed work by Michael James, Penny Beres, Diana Harrison , Ester Bornemisza , Judith Denito Brown. Tim Harding, Vashali Oak

My first sample I used orange felt as the  wadding  and raided the scrap basket  for pieces of fabric  with colours and textures of shells,  using free motion quilting foot  to stitch lines

 For the 2nd sample  I used both the felt and  a very thick polyester wadding,  with scrim  and  upholstery samples, doing ' twiddles'  in different areas   leaving long threads  between them   

 She  demonstrated for me other properties of scrim - stretching it in a hoop then free machining  causing fabric to distort  like drawn thread work - definately one to try!  Other people were using a cording foot  to make corded lines and  a tailor tacking foot to make interesting large stitches and loops.  Definately  ones to add to my list  (  I've  checked and they  do them for my Bernina Activa 125) 

 I like to combine machine and hand stitching  so prepared a  more traditional sandwich of thin cotton wadding  with a calico backing and   applied some scrap fabric 'limpets'    and did some machine quilting  to secure them .   As I knew  I would miss the class the following week  , I had a chat with  Louise about  how I might  add hand stitching  ( basically try lots and cover the whole thing! )   

Thread and Surface

 

 Just received my copy of the 'Thread and Surface' Limited Edition  Sketchbook  Project   which includes a spread from my 'Distressed Doors' sketchbook.  

 

It's fascinating to see what other people have done with the same theme,  reminding me with pleasure of the evening I spent at Canada Water library looking through sketchbooks and giving me the inspiration to get cracking with my 2013 project which I've left to the last minute as usual!!

 

I think they chose well - the image of the door in a cave at Sougia in Crete  is the strongest composition.





 

 

The pages of my sketchbook were constructed from used 'colour catchers', treated with either inkaid or Golden Digital Ground and inkjet printed photos. I joined them together with connecting strips of non-printed colour catchers using zig-zag and then stitched them by machine using Madeira Polyneon thread.
Above are the 2 sides of the same sheet and below that how it looked once bound.

Distressed Doors - Sketchbook Project Limited Edition Thread and Surface.

 I signed up for the 'Sketchbook Project Limited Edition' a long time ago ( how could I resist the 'Thread and Surface' theme! ) but as usual am only just going to make the deadline of 30 April!
 It was the same Sketchbook as for the Sketchbook 2012 project but I used a rather different approach, constructing complete sheets first ( front and back of same sheet illustrated here) and then  sewing them together into  a book.
Taking 'distressed doors' as my title, it was constructed from used 'colour catchers', treated with either inkaid or Golden Digital Ground and inkjet printed photos. I joined them together with connecting strips of  non-printed colour catchers uisng zig-zag and then stitched them by machine using Madeira Polyneon thread. A different effect to hand stitching paper but still effective.

 I scanned in all the sheets before I sewed the book together so if I wished I could construct a replica - of all the sketchbooks so far this is my favourite. I've also got a few spare sheets that didn't make the final  version. I love the backs almost more than the fronts  and I like how different it looks when bound - unexpected juxtapositions of shapes and colour.

I used this image for my 'textile news' small format quilt ( and it features as 'October' in the Bernina Calendar but it looks quite different in this context.
I might construct another sketchbook on a different theme - this exercise has made no impression on my colour catcher stash!!