Sunday Share 24. 5.15

Well flicking through another Sketchbook, and thought, how utterly boring, lacking in colour on almost every page.  Put that one back, and fished out another.

Instead I found this, dated August 2002.

True, may be to you this is also boring, but to me its a pivotal sample.

I know exactly where I was when this was shown to me, and who shared it..  Post City & Guilds a group of us met once a month to continue our stitching together.  We became known as EsTA - Estuary Textile Artists,  in the main the companionship and sharing was our essence of existence.
The group lasted over 10 years, until numbers came down to just three, with our founder moving away.

So on one of the monthly meetings this technique was demonstrated, and I had a go and thought, wow this has so much potential.

Indeed it has, I've done so many variations of this, and continue to find others all the time.

This is just one of those.

I never expected to find something that interests me long term, and actually quite thought that those who stuck with the same old same old, were lacking in imagination!  However, from this original sample play, I still find new things in it and am still wanting to explore.  So I find its a technique I return to and always enjoy.
I've no idea of its proper name, but I have seen it in the quilting world, so I guess it comes from there, especially as the person who demonstrated it to me, is primarily a quilter.

There may be more of this, coming soon.....

Beverley

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Blinging the Beige

Well I have lots of things to do... and as usual I've designed and redesigned in my head a zillion times, but nothing is giving that "ta daaahhh" moment.

Sometimes I do wonder though about the drip feed of info into the back of the mind.  For a while I've been looking at a loopy stitch pattern, thinking I must do that... then as part of my research I'm looking at a document with this same loopy line.... duh brain taking ages to connect the dots,loops!!

Wednesday was the monthly EG meeting, where we stitch and chat, actually chat a lot, laugh even more.  We take along our stitching, I wondered what to take, I never like to take anything being made for another organisation, or for exhibition, and with so much chatter its impossible to concentrate, so nothing precious.  I had a look in things put aside.
Amongst them, I found this.... oh look it has loops - sigh.

Actually I think it looks quite good in retrospect, for the person who cannot do anything remotely realistic, at least looks like flowers.  I do have bigger versions, painted with watercolour.

However, instead I decided to take this.

Its one of three, where I was attempting something brilliant and failed.

It didn't improve after adding ink to it.

The colour is "old paper" but looks a dull green beige.

So consigned to the pile of Why, and that's where its stayed.

Until the EG meeting.

It now has some deep burgundy crosses on it.  Not exactly screaming gorgeousness at me - but now it has a purpose, it comes under that dreaded word so oft used in college by my P1 tutor - it has  potential.  The other two which go with this, are still in the "why on earth did you bother" pile.

In the meantime I need to get back to the main task in hand... I want to revisit some of this.  It wasn't right for the project I was doing at the time...wonder if it has potential now?  Ha

PPL

Last week I paid a visit to Chelmsford Embroiderers' Guild, not been for a while, but went specifically to hear the talk by Jill Flower.  See her website.  Lovely to catch up with people too, as I know many from that area, from initially studying City & Guilds Embroidery in Chelmsford.
Also watch this space, the Eastern Region of the Embroiderers' Guild is about to get its own website - so I've been busy supplying the information needed for that, as I'm our Branch IT Rep.  When it goes live I'll let you know.

The ERTF Owen Jones toruing exhibition has finished at Chelmsford now.  Thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoyed it, and it now moves on to Letchworth.  Do try to see it, because the accompanying sketchbooks are very informative, to see how everyone has the same subject matter but interprets it differently.

In the meantime I have a new business... well... decided I need to run a PPL (not to be muddled with VPL - visible pantie line, oooo errr) PPL - Postcard Production Line. Ha, did you think it was something else?  I am going to need some postcards for many projects and decided I needed some kidology - ie that it feels better to achieve lots of little tasks, than the long struggle with the big ones!  So below is a pic of one in production - I have 4 of these, not at all cost effective, as after stitching they will be painted, may be even gilded, a few surface embellishments - this technique usually involves 7 layers of paint or more, so really really a bargain for a purchaser.  Oh I can't show you the rest, himself has gone to France for 8 days and taken my best camera only just managed to rescue this pic before he waltzed off!

Oh, excitement ONE person has looked at my Sketchbook in the US - yipeee - I know, one, but hey its a start and I did have visions of it harbouring dust and never being touched.  So I count that as meeting the remit of the project - hopefully more will take a look, its very early on into that tour.



Sneaky Peek

Here's a little taster of a piece which will be on display at the Burnham Art Trail.

I enjoyed making this, so intend to do more... and yes its all stitching on paper.