Paper Play

Yesterday I spent the day at Littleheath Barn Studio doing a workshop called Paper Patchwork, Pockets & Pleats taught by Jennifer Collier.

We started by making paper versions of the Cathedral Windows patchwork/origami folded shape.

The centres were stitched down and the paper was scored and turned back on itself.  And finished with a button.

 

I machined stitched two papers together.

 

I also tried pleating with the sewing machine which I added to the papers above, with an added piece of wallpaper.  I had made a brown paper square and added another square to the 3 I had already joined together.

I may do some more hand stitching and possible cover up the green with paper that matches the wallpaper better.  I'll show it you if I do!

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Maps & More update

This year's Textile Explorations at Littleheath Barn Studio has come to an end.  Over the past 9 months I have shared various aspects of Maps & More.  Today I have put most of it together.

Firstly, there's the cover to my sketchbook.

8" square sketchbook

Sketchbook cover using one of the samples I made on the back

Some pages from my sketchbook

Colour mixing dyes

I've included photos of my finished pieces.

And here they are so you can see them

 

The square books aren't finished.  The peach one needs some stitches. The blue one will have small fabric collages and some stitches.

I am going to leave the rectangular book as it is and use it as a sample for a workshop I'm teaching next month.

Thanks for being here today.
Bernice

Book Covers

During this year of attending Maps & More at Littleheath Barn Studio I became somewhat addicted to printing fabric grid patterns.

And then not knowing what to do with the fabric.

But recently I made these book covers:

8x8 inch Maps & More workbook

8x8 inch Venice sketchbook

11x11 inch Australian Connections workbook

A5 Octopus sketchbook from Maps Summer School 2022

Love them!

Thanks for being with me today
Bernice

Maps & More new work

After several sessions at Littleheath Barn trying out techniques and processes for the Maps & More workshop, we are now looking at making final pieces.

One of the things I've wanted to do this year is challenge myself to make different work from my usual cut it up, sew it back together wall hangings.

So this week I tore up fabric I had dyed and printed and bonded the strips to a piece of calico - not really such a different process!

However this time I made a curved piece based on the shape of the Grand Canal on a map of Venice.

I had used breakdown printing to print this large piece of fabric.  Instead of putting thickened dye on the screen I had only used Manutex through a stencil of a map of Venice.  I used a coloured thickened dye to print the screen.

I cut a matching curve from the background fabric and machined the edges together.  (Sorry the photo is a bit blurry).

I had to hand stitch the small inner curve as I couldn't get it under the machine foot.

Then I cut the curve for the other side and machined the pieces together.

I put some felt and a backing fabric and machined down the 'canal'.

I haven't decided how to quilt the rest of the background so I've put it on one side for now and have returned to working on Chaos to Calm.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Studio Day

This week I went to Littleheath Barn Studio for a Studio Day.  This is where you take your own work to do and get the benefit of Liske's advice when you're stuck.

I started work on this new piece by 'painting' the fabric with thickened procion dye.

 

 

This piece is based on verses from Ezekiel 47:1-12 about the river flowing out.

 

I left it rolled up in plastic for longer than I usually do but still lost quite a bit of the green at the bottom and the rust at the top.

 

In the afternoon I made this grid based on the Australian Connections research I've been doing.

And later this week I worked on this sample from the Maps & More workshop the previous week. It's not particularly satisfactory so it will no doubt be put into my sketchbook.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Maps & More

This month I rejoined the Art Textiles monthly group at Littleheath Barn.  This years theme is Maps & More.

We started with a warm up exercise in our sketchbooks.  I'm using a 20cm square Pink Pig sketchbook.

 

 

We had been asked to take a map with us and I took a map of Venice - where else?  It was that or the canals of the UK.

 

The next exercise was to take just part of the map and draw 3 lines then 5 then 7.

 

 

We moved on to A3 paper, drawing with ink and adding watercolour

 

 

I made my second piece of paper square.

And add handmade paper to the piece I had cut off.

The last exercise was to draw with a wax candle and put a wash of colour over the top.

 I folded the square paper into 16 squares and cut them out and put them randomly into my sketchbook.

With the large rectangle I made a book (surprise! surprise!)

 
I made a zine with the added paper piece.

I used little brown paper bags as pockets to keep the books in. I had made a collage using the pattern from the 5 line drawing

 We made a Turkish Mapfold booklet with the wax and watercolour wash paper.

It doesn't help that the writing is upside down but I'm not going to worry about it.

It was a really enjoyable and productive day.

To be honest I think I make a dreadful student and feel really sorry for any tutor who has to cope with me.  I frequently want to be doing my own thing!

But before I went I promised myself that I would be a good student and do what Liske suggested.  And it worked.  I had a lovely time.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice