Fibre and Stitch

It has been such an exciting week, the first issue of our Fibre & Stitch - An Online Mixed Media Zine was released, not only that we also have a new Yahoo Group to which everyone who has subscribed for the whole year has been invited to join for that period of time. This means that we at Fibre and Stitch get a chance to get to know our readers and they in turn will have a chance to ask questions and share ideas with us and with each other. If you have subscribed and haven't yet had an invite, then please get in touch with Sue at (sue@fibreandstitch.com)


I was also lucky enough to get this postcard beautifully made by Carol(Clasper)of A Stitch in Time yesterday morning. I love those cheeky faces. I look forward to Carol's article in the next issue of Fibre & Stitch


This is what I've been playing with tonight, and you will all understand how one thing leads to another. It was such a pity to waste the leftovers from last night's work, so I slapped some on some fabric and this was the result. More experiments with this I think.

SerenTex

We had a very enjoyable SerenTex meeting yesterday. Miriam demonstrated and we all sat there quite happily willing her to go on and on. Then came our turn and every one of us enjoyed having a bit of a play. You can see I had lots of fun making mine. It's not half finished yet though and I'm not sure what it will be when I have finished it, but it's going to be fun. I know that, and for me that's what it's all about, having fun! I have updated SerenTex. This image is a little blurred and I think it's a first for me. These are not my normal colours. My GD who loves the colour blue always says, I don't have any blue fabric or threads in my stash when she wants to make something.


Here is the lovely Embellishment with Layering PC that Phyllis of Senior Moments sent me. It has 4 layers of tissue lame embellished on canvas fabric, then FME with layers of Tinzel, Angelina and fine tulle. It's wonderful. Thank you Phyllis.

A favourite motif

Some of you may remember I have a favourite motif from Plas Tan y Bwlch. Each time I visit I search for this little motif. One has been lost already, it was carved in stone in a room that used to be the bar, but alterations were made and the carved stone in the wall has disappeared and I seem to be the only one who has missed it.


This is one of the pillars that held up the veranda, but has been used as part of the new conservatory.


I was sitting having a cup of coffee in a cafe in Chester and I noticed my little motif on the black and white wall of the building opposite. There is a slight difference but I have a feeling it came from the same source, I believe they had design books in the 19th Century and people chose the motifs they wanted on their buildings.


These are samples I've made over the years using this motif. I hasten to add that these were unsuccessful attempts and are in the UFO pile!

Unlimited Textiles

I have just finished my "Getting to know you" quiltie for the Unlimited Textile Yahoo Group. This is for Susan of Random Blethers and I do hope she doesn't look at my blog before it arrives with her. Im quite pleased with this one based on Egypt and I found it really enjoyable, so I will be making more of them.


This is a postcard I received this morning and I love it. It was made by Patsy of Threads ~ n ~ Fibers . I'm in an Embellisher layered postcard swap on the Surface Design Yahoo Group. I know there is a lot of work and commitment when you join a swap, but I find it makes me do things I would not otherwise dream of doing. It makes me think outside the box and experiment far more than I normally would.

Goodies

This is the lovely Quiltie made for me by Sue of Travel, Fibre and Thread, it's a swap we have going on the Unlimited Textiles Yahoo group. Mine is not quite finished yet, but it's a Quiltie inspired by Egypt using the fabrics I hand dyed with my friend Janine a couple of weeks ago.


These ATC's are a way getting to know each other on the Unlimited Textiles group. The ATC on the left was made by SuZ and her blog is here SuZ Stuff-all painted fabrics and the one on the right was made for me by Fiona and this is her blog Fi's spot!. This is a wonderful way to get to know each other.

More Tissue Paper

These are 4 more Tissue Postcards I have made. the stitching is far from perfect, but they were fun to do and I am going to play a little more this afternoon. I'm also hoping to start my quiltie for Unlimited Textiles Getting to Know You swap.


Yesterday there were a lot of people on Conwy Quay as there was a river festival. I could have stood in the window all day taking photos, but I didn't as the weather was not too good this year. I loved the colours of these three yachts sailing slowly down the river as it was rather calm. They looked very graceful.


I don't know if my photo is clear enough for you to see all the people standing on the quayside?

Fabric Page

Here is the lovely Fabric Page I received from Emmy this morning. It is really lovely and I'm looking forward to putting all my pages together to complete the book very soon now. You should have your shortly Emmy it's in the post, so is my page for Sarah and all the postcards I finished. On to the next lot now.


This is a postcard I made using tissue paper and a piece of broderie anglaise. I'm very pleased with how this one has turned out. Playing with tissue paper is fun. My first attempt was not highly successful as I did not add enough water to the PVA glue and there was far too much shine on the finished work. I'm now thinning it out with more water and it works so much better and it has a lovely matt finish.



I added some stitching to this one and the result is quite pleasing. They were so much fun to do I have made a few more than I needed for my swap, but I have promised a couple of friends I would send them something and I will send one of these I think.

Tissue paper

I had every intention of getting my Tissue experiment postcards done last night, but got side-tracked and got on with other things instead. This evening I experimented some more with Tissue Paper, I will have to wait until morning and they have dried before I know if I like the results or not! The top photo shows what I played with last night.



Some of you may remember I played with some black and white printing a few weeks ago. I took those out tonight as well and had a further bit of play with them and I'm quite pleased with these, but I don't know what use I can put them to just yet.





These two yachts were racing by today and I took loads of photos. I like the one with the boat and two swans, just happily ignoring them.

A creative mood

Here are 3 of the transfer painted postcards I made today, I have also nearly finished another 3 for a Tissue Paper study swap. I was up very early and started working on these this morning and continued this evening. They will all be finished before I go to bed hopefully. Next will be the ATC's, 3 more postcards using the Embellisher for layering and a Quiltie.

I am behind with my Challenges for the Textile Challenge group as well. These are not swaps, just challenges, but I do enjoy doing these when I get the time.

Fabric Page

I'm getting there slowly. Today I finished Emmy's Fabric Book Page for the FAF group. I really enjoyed making this one and I hope you like it Emmy. Have a look at Cramzy(Emmy's Blog) to see the Sumptuous Surfaces she is making just now. As you might have guessed the topic for this page was 'Green and Blue'. The fabric I had dyed last Saturday with my friend Janine were ideal for this project. I might use some of these colours to make a couple of ATC's I need to make and a Quilty 5"x5" which I have never done before.

I have 2 birthday cards to make, 11 postcards, one of these is for Lynda in exchange for one she sent me a while back, 2 ATC's and a Quiltie, plus a couple of other things waiting. It won't be long now Lynda!
I am looking forward to the first issue of Fibre & Stitch which will be out on August 29th, I love the idea of it having been put to bed. We are all busy now with the next issue, full of ideas and suggestions. It's very exciting.

Catching up

Carol of A Stitch in Time was kind enough to present me with this award. It's a new friendship award started by Bella Enchanted. This award is for those bloggers who are nice people, good blogging friends and those who inspire warm friendships and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. I am very proud to have had this award. Thanks Carol.
In return I extend the award to the community of textile bloggers who share ideas and inspiration and I am happy to be a part of this wonderful community.


On Tuesday some of the members of SerenTex went out for a meal. I did take some photos, but I was obviously not in the mood for taking good photos and I don't think my friends would appreciate seeing those photos here. But my cousin Gwyneth took this photo of me about to eat a spoonful of warm pecan pie and ice cream and I promised them all I would blog it. That pecan pie really was delicious!


I have at last finished my page for Sarah of And Sew On . . ..


Sara wanted her page to be in greens if possible with the topic of 'If you want it done, ask a woman!' In other words a woman's work is never done. I found this topic rather difficult to decide on until I saw a woman pushing a wheelbarrow on the beach in front of our house. I still haven't found out what she was doing there, but she did give me this idea for the page.


I thought you would like to see this lovely flower, I don't know what it's called but the plant flowers for me like this every year and I love it.

Dyeing Session

Janine was kind enough to let me join her class on Saturday. She is a City and Guilds Quilting tutor and she sometimes holds an extra class for her students at the Treborth Botanic Garden near Bangor, North Wales. It is on the shore of the Menai Straits, just a short distance from the Menai Suspension Bridge, which connects the isle of Anglesey to the rest of Wales.


Here is Janine and she is a member of SerenTex.


Can you imagine working in this setting? We are amongst hot house plants here in the lab which we are able to hire for the day.


I sometimes go to a class having no idea what I want from it, but this time I knew exactly what I wanted. These colours are my new favourites! Orange and purple. I had picked up a leaflet somewhere using these colours and I knew I was going to love them and use them often, at least for a while.


these colours are not favourites of mine, but I need them to make a green-blue page for a friend. so watch this space.

I'm also making a page with the topic 'If you want it done, ask a woman' and I have already started on that one, it was supposed to be the page for the month of July.