A Birthday Book for my Daughter

A few weeks ago my friend Janet showed me how to make silk rovings into sheets of silk by layering, soaking with washingup liquid then glueing the silk together using a watered down gel medium. I have made this little book for my Daughter's 50th Birthday, at the end of this month. She loves her garden so I have used a 'wild flower' theme, with the occasional vintage lady. The dried honesty was embedded in the silk when I made it, but the beech leaves have been added since. I started by pressing all the wild flowers I could find, and finished up with a lot more than I had pages for!!

First spread - primrose, inchie and some lace around the lady... (I've just realised, perhaps I should write something on that blank sheet opposite!) I used silk cocoon strippings to adhere the pressed flower, then covered the area with chiffon and stitched around.

Next spread - forget-me-not, dyed old lace and a vintage lady ......

Honesty in flower, another inchie and another lovely lady ....

Pretty lady, feathers and a fuchsia - this one grows wild in Devon .....

Lacey edge, columbine and a piece of fabric paper with painted lace....

Rosebay willow herb with some fabric paper....

and finally some real butterfly wings I found in the garden last year.

I really had fun making this little book, even though it did take me about three weeks - including thinking time of course!

I've been making some fabric paper ....

I had a go with very open weave muslin, doubled, some pva glue, screwed up tissue paper and bits of newspaper, all brushed into the muslin in bits, then painted with primary colours while still wet. It dried like this. I'm quite pleased. Before ditching the empty pot, I added some dried up gold paint (hate throwing anything away!) to parts of it - it shows more on the blue area. I shall add interference or some other medium at some stage, but till then .........

From sketchbook to fabric ....

This month's swap on Unlimited Textiles is themed 'Surprise me', and this Quiltie (5" x 5") is what I have stitched for Pat my partner. A couple of weeks back I doodled in my sketchbook on some painted paper with a white gel pen, so thought I would experiment with painted fabric and white cotton thread. This is the result. I'm quite pleased, and may try a bigger one sometime ...........!

I also joined the gift swap this month, also themed 'Surprise me', and as I had been making a wired doll, thought I would have a go at making a really small one. This is the smallest I could manage - she is about 4" or so. I made her for Chris my swap partner in New Zealand, together with

this little book which is ATC size. It has three double water colour paper pages stitched into it, edged with gold leaf. I thought maybe Chris could stick or stitch a few of her treasures in it, or even paint a tiny masterpiece! I hope both my swap partners will be suitably 'surprised'.

Recent swaps

I'v had some fabulous post lately, and this little beauty (5" x 5") was my swap from Alis that she made for me in the Kandinski style, the theme for the April Unlimited Textiles swap. The scan really doesn't do it justice, as it is very tactile. Alis has felted all sorts of shapes and colours, in the Kandinski manner, then cut them up, stitched them back in block fashion and added metallic stitching to finish. Thankyou Alis - I love it.




This Book Cover was made for me by Jan for the May Unlimited Textiles gift swap under the theme 'Surprise Me'. Well, what a surprise this is. It is so pretty, the colours are so mellow, and the hand stitching and embellishments are just perfect. Jan also sent me the sketchbook to fit inside - a really wonderful gift that I will treasure, and only draw my best stuff inside it!! Do visit Jan's Blog - she describes what she did and how, much better than I can.

Jan also sent me this package of goodies hoping I may be able to make use of them! Well, I thought, I don't know, but I'll try ........! Gorgeous yes, silk and organza and co-ordinating beads, and check out that little angel in the top right of the pic.

She also included this lovely Postcard - soft green organzas and metallic free stitching, with hand seeding.

Well, I don't know about 'Surprise Me' Jan - I was blown away - and thankyou again.

Free machine stitching lace

Last Saturay was South West Quilters AGM and the afternoon Speaker was a delightful lady Claire Muir who, putting it very mildly, makes hats. She had a fantastic collection with her, all made using free machine stitched lace, combining various silks and feathers etc. each one a gem. She also makes Fascinators, and did say she did an article for Stitch Magazine last year sometime, with the complete instructions how to make them. Maybe someone out there has Stitch, and can find the Article. If so - do let me know which Magazine it is in, please?
Anyway, I attended Clair's Workshop the following day to learn the technique.

This is the beginning. Five petals worked free stitching into water soluble film, then wires placed down the middle of each leaf and stitched down, then decoration if required. I did three extra different leaves to use up the space (!) and the 'T' bar is for the construction of the flower.

All the petals are now rinsed out and dried. Clair showed us how to wire and bead the stamens, and make the feathery bits - amazing!

These are the rogue leaves I made - each one different - the middle one has some silk stitched into it.

Voila! All the components put together. You can see the 'T' piece was to cover all the wires, and finish it off nicely.

All I need now is an Alice Band to attach it to and I'm ready for Ascot next year! Seriously though, it would make a lovely brooch, as it is only about 2" or so across.