Saturday 31 August 2019

A new project

Recently I went to a workshop at Clare Bullock's studio where we made some felt and then stencilled on it with acrylic paint.

I really loved this technique and fortunately at home I already had some cream, pale brown and pale orange wool tops.  So I spent 3 happy hours making 9 pieces of felt.  The photos show the front and back of each pair.
Front

Back

Front

Back

Front

Back

Front

Back

Front

Back

I used the various stencils and thermofax screens that I have which make me think of Venice.










I tried several ways of laying these out together.  Here are a couple of arrangements.


I shall handstitch on each small piece and then assemble the whole piece.  The pieces may not be put back together in either formation shown here.  A lot will depend on the stitching.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice


Tuesday 27 August 2019

Indigo & Ice

I spent another lovely day at Littleheath Barn Studio on an Ice-dyeing and Indigo dyeing workshop.

We started with the ice-dyeing.  This is lovely and simple.  The only equipment you need is some plant pots, a cat litter tray and a cooling rack.  Then fabric, some ice, a teaspoon-ish of soda ash, and your choice of procion dyes still in powder form.  The fabrics are under the ice. I used charcoal, rust brown and bottle green.

Whilst the ice was melting and taking the dye through to the fabrics we started preparing fabrics for the indigo bath.  This was the only undyed fabric I used, which I pegged in the way that Laura Kemshall had demonstrated on DesignmattersTV.



 The fabric with all the pegs turned out like this.

This piece of cloth had already been been printed using the breakdown printing method in pinks and purples.  This was the fabric scrunched up around the rope.

And the reverse.

I used a selection of fabrics that had been dyed previously as a colour family.  They weren't colours I felt I would use so over-dyed all of them in the indigo which has made them a more cohesive set.

 
 


Here are some more of the fabrics

 This is the one which had the Duplo bricks.


The results of the ice dyeing wasn't as successful as when I've done it before.  These cotton fabrics were scrunched  up in the pots and are ok.


For a change I thought I would use silk noile and folded it in the ways I used later for the indigo vat.  However the colour only took on the edges.  I have four squares like this.

And one large piece that shows the colour better and was scrunched up in the pot.

I was disappointed at the time, but now the silk is washed out and ironed, I rather like it and think I might use it as it is.  Ideas are fermenting as to how I might use it.   Watch this space!

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice


Saturday 24 August 2019

Q

In our Living Your Word of the Year group we are using a fortnightly (bi-weekly) A-Z challenge throughout the year to help us focus on our word and live it out.

Because of the way I have made my journal it's a case of going with the flow of what background the pages have when I turn to them.

Not the most attractive combination. I really need to consider what journal I might use next year.  This junk journal isn't really my thing!

I was in a quandary as to what word to chose for Q.  I wanted something quick and easy for my pages.  Could I find something quirky?  Should I fill the pages full of quotes?  I had been thinking a lot about quilts but that wasn't going to help!   I was on a quest to find something to do.  The obvious Q is question but I'm not sure that has anything to do with my word: [commit].

I randomly put stickers and washi tape on the pages.  This was definitely random rather than quirky!

I needed to find something of quality over quantity!  And there you have it: Qualities.  As in character.

I found 3 excellent scriptures. 
But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.
Galatians 5:22-23 (TPT)

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
2 Peter 1:5-9 (The Message)

However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 (God’s Word)

I only printed out the first and third of these.

Not one of my favourite layouts.  In fact quite questionable in terms of creativity.  However my word is commit and I am committed to finishing this A-Z challenge.  I cannot quit.

That's probably more than enough Q words for now!

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice


Join Our Inspirational Facebook Group: Living Your Word of the Year
Join Mary Brack, Valerie Sjodin and I in our Facebook group where we are giving participants the opportunity to live out an A-Z of their own word throughout 2019.  Mary explains what we are doing in her blog post.  We don't like a lot of rules, so we will have suggestions and options to spark creativity, and to help in recording and exploring our word’s meaning in visual and fun ways. We will each blog about our experiences and our art.

Hashtags on Instagram:  #livingyourword2019

Check out the other blogs:
Mary: www.foundonbrighton.com
Valerie: www.valeriesjodin.com/blog

To ensure you get updates from Valerie, Mary & I why not subscribe to our blogs.

Tuesday 20 August 2019

Celebrating 70

It's not often that I share photos of me so the last post was a bit of an aberration.  And now there's another post!  What has the world come to!  Mind you only one of me this time.

But I am so very blessed.


A very dear friend, Vicky, said she and her husband Steve, wanted to host a birthday lunch for me on the day after my birthday.   And what a lunch party it was!

I am blessed to have such friends.

Vicky arrange all the invitations, the food and drink.

She roped in other people to help with the catering.  I don't know who did what, but thank you.  I know that Ange went to great lengths to make me a cake with my favourite colour - turquoise - and my favourite chocolate - Cadbury's.

My friends came and blessed me with cards, presents and conversation.  The weather was kind too.


Lots of questions had been asked about my favourite foods and I mention Vicky's chocolate bread & butter pudding. And here it is.  It was totally yummy.

Rosie and Ditch came from London especially to celebrate with me AND made a Florida Salad.  Thank you both.

After a sumptuous lunch, I cut the cake.  It was superb.

And if that wasn't enough blessings, Vicky had arranged for these two to Facetime.

They had stayed up until way past midnight to make the call.  Above and beyond, wouldn't you say!

What a fabulous afternoon to be blessed in such a way by friends and family.  Thank you all.

And you know I can't resist a bit of rust!!!  There was a fire bowl on the patio and there was rust!

How could I resist?

I nearly forgot!  Another blessing!  Several of my friends donated to a Birthday Fundraiser I put on Facebook to raise money for Once, We Were Soldiers.  Thank you to all who donated.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice