New Jacket x 2 and update

Update -I am still not in the best place at the moment but I also know it will take a long time to get back to normal.  Good news - I have sold my Pfaff ! Whoop whoop - so glad it will be going to a good home - to someone who will use it to its full potential.

I have started work on two jackets. One a Steampunk jacket for the museum exhibition and the other a Steampunk/post apocalyptic jacket !!  So far I have made a start on the background fabric - below is a photo of the piece which will be the side panels of the museum piece - it measures 112 cm x 85cm.  The other is a sample which I will use to work out colours for both jackets.

I have also started the background fabric (which will be the same) for the whole of the second jacket but this piece measures 150cm x 2.5 metres - so this is going to be a long project!!

Update - finished the sample piece - measured 35cm x 44cm - cut in half - one piece for each jacket.  The first one then looked like this..

And dipped in this.....

however currently looks a little dark? Hope this idea works! When it's dry I will be stitching into it too.

Steampunk Jacket update

I first mentioned a new project here on Sunday 12 April.  That's when I started making my own background fabric - 2 metres x 150 cm wide.  My usual madness!!  I have completed the first pass of stitching and the fabric as been rolled as I have stitched as I have very little work surface space in my workroom.

Now I am ready for the second pass to stitch the black figures of 8 over the surface, working from the back - so I will be rolling it back the other way.  I know that this will be even harder especially when I get half way!! But, hey that's how madly I work :-).

 
 Here is the first row from the front.  It has only taken 3 weeks for pass 1 so another 3 weeks or so for pass 2 :-) Then I will show you the next step for the background fabric.  Still a while before I cut out the actual jacket !

Hooray - a New project at last

I have spent a lovely weekend with my friends of the Machine Embroidery Group (MEG) . On Wednesday you see I had an idea - another Steam punk jacket for me. So whilst away - I set up - 2 metres x 150 cm purple fabric I had already dyed. Covered with two layers of turquoise net and a layer of Black twinkle nylon.  Then I started stitching figures of eight in matching purple thread.  I got about half way through, so excellent progress - when I have done this I will stitch again in black and then burn back before making the jacket. Pictures of work in progress so far..

This is a sample of the idea....
 Watch this space

Next step - Van Gogh

So  I now have try out yellow sun flower petals (some flat try outs) and some 3D and two blue Iris petals for the 3D flowers:

Back to work

Having spent last weekend tidying up my workspace I did nothing all week (apart from go to work as usual that is) - did a bit of thinking and planning though.

Today it is back to sewing. Did I show you the completed flat Iris: if not here it is...

Next it was time to make up the background of the jacket - thought I would use the blue I had intended to use for the 'Spring' jacket.

And here is the photocopy of the Van Gogh picture I am considering for the Sunflowers - a scale test on the back 

 Next time to consider how I will make the petals.  Appliqué or stitch? Or both..  Hmmmm we will see

Back to work :-)

OK so after the mega tidying session it's time to get back to some art work ;-)

I have dyed some white fabric and lace yellow ready for the sunflowers:

I have now made all the free standing petals for the practice iris - laid down on the desk (pic below) - think it will work.

 

Today it is the day to start the first of the flat Iris flowers - in the right colours - blue

Have you ever.....

Have you ever been to a craft show/exhibition, watched a demonstration and decided you must have a go at that? Or just fallen in love with 'stuff' and had to buy without knowing what to do with it?

Well over the years I have done both and as a consequence have a large stash of wool roving and silk fibres.  This is just a small selection of the bags and boxes of fibres!!...

So yesterday after reading a couple of my new books and surfing the internet I decided to try my hand at scarf making ---- again!! - yes I have tried before but have so much stuff what is the worst that could happen??

I have Nuno felted and wet felted before - to make the Mustard Seed costume, for example.

I cut my bubble wrap - 82 inches by 12, laid out some scrim and the Merino wool roving with silk additions and eventually made the scarf.  The only problem was that when rinsing the scarf the colour was coming out of the scrim so this morning I re-dyed the scarf and it now looks lovely. (see working pictures below...)

 
Not bad - even if I say so myself :-) - so today it was time to start another one using up more of my stash - this one may be finished tomorrow as I am off out later. I presume you can continue day after day, until it is done?? This one hopefully will have a fringe off the scrim and will also be dyed later.

 It has cotton fibres as well as silk tops added

Have a fantastic New Year's Eve and see you in 2015

Happy Christmas to all

As some of you know I have not been too well recently - things are not much better - scan showed some unexpected issues but no main reason for the stomach issues which are getting worse.  Anyway - this has meant that I have not really felt like doing very much - not even wanted to blog!  To make amends - a quick update....
During my weekend away recently (when the Christmas fairies invaded my house - see last blog) I did start a new garment project.  These pics show where I have got to so far - I do have to say that the stamped bits you see in the pics will be covered and the jacket will have sleeves..  I am just using up old over dyed fabrics and bits. The main fabric had been created many many years ago when I was doing the Surface Decorating C&G Course with Val Campbell Harding and had been yardage  for a 'sea' themed roller blind for my bathroom - but I moved house and did not have a big enough window any more - so the stamping and stencilling will be covered up.
Front view

Back view

Close up of godets and the different fabrics used

I hope my enthusiasm will come back in 2014, maybe I need to set myself a creative challenge - any ideas?? For the moment I wish you all:

Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia

i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku

(translated - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year)

White Rabbit Pocket Watch, Klimt etc

I have tried to keep busy this bank holiday. Lots of photos but not much progress as I keep going from one thing to another.You may remember I made a few miles of cord ready for the White Rabit's Pocket watch - (which I lost interest in) so I thought I aught to get on with the watch.


Here is stage one - this is the outer watch case (cover) - I am machining over water soluble fabric and rust dyed twinkle organza (which I may burn away). The design is drawn on the water soluble.

 Stage two - lots of stitching....

 Stage three - the brown stitching done.

Next it was stitching the outline cord.  First centre circle.








Currently on the spokes - this is soooooooooooo time consuming!!

I have also cut out the Klimt Jacket - (fabric laid on the kitchen table) not done much else with it yet...

 I hope to use up these....... on the jacket.

I also cut out another top - trying the pattern once again but this time using a stretchy fabric. Not done much else other than cut it out!