Stroudwater textiles

These photos are from the "make do and mend" site which is a display by 7 local artists on the theme of how we used to repair and reuse items of clothing, some of the displays were visually pleasing but it left me wondering what was the point of it all

At the Space they were showing the work of Clare Lane. it was stunning I stood in front of these two with my mouth open. Photos do not unfortunately do them justice, she takes photo of scenes and digitally alters them, changes the perspective and maybe the colour, they are then printed onto canvas and densely machine stitched in certain areas, the effect is fantastic.The seagulls are a small canvas about 12" x 12" for £200.00 the other canvas was big and about 2000.I am very tempted with the seagulls and I am going back next week to see. Clare`s web site is www.urban-fabric.co.uk

Well it is ---------

Well you were both right its the inside of a piece of tree bark I think the white is fungi spores and it is a great texture,So I will send the card to Shirley Anne, and if you would like one Sue let me know I have your address.

What is it?

A challenge to sharpen your wits! the first person to guess what this is ,will receive an embroidered postcard made by me, not a great prize i will admit but then you have to start somewhere!

Dyeing again

Hurrah for Bank holidays, more time to play,dearly beloved was working ,poor soul, so apart from a golf competion , cooking a roast for one offspring & child I had time to play. This dyeing is done by using Joyce Vance`s crackle dying which is done in 3 stages therefore over 3 days the instructions are at www.pburch.net/dyeing/Guest/crackle_dye.shtml it is a great way to get a variation of colours and clear instructions, I just wish I could get away from purples but I do love them.I scanned these pictures in reality the colours are much stronger

Pauline Burbidge

Went to a talk today by Pauline Burbidge she is regarded as the UK`s premier artist on large scale quilted wall hangings.Her work is superb but no photos so if you would like a look visit her website, www.paulineburidge-quilts.com its well worth a visit.The quilts look much better in real life in some the fabric is pleated before being applied to the surface or they have tiny pintucks the tops of which are picked out with paint. A lot of her work is painted after quilting I have been meaning to try this ever since reading the Kempshall`s book, the painted quilt.Pauline is part of Strouds textile festival which runs until the 21 May if you are near enough well worth a visit, website www.stroudwatertextiles.org.uk.Stroud used to be full of woolmills,making green baize red wool for the military and cloth, today we just make the covering for tennis balls

Surprise surprise

This lovely parcel arrived in the post today it is from Sue Blewiss and she sent it as I had won a draw on her blog, it contained a large piece of dyed velvet and all these beautiful laces in the most gorgeous colours, wasn`t that generous. It was quite a surprise as I thought it had got lost in the post it took a month to get here, but well worth waiting for, many thanks Sue

This is my first sight when I wake up in the mornings, we do not pull the curtains as the window looks out onto a field, but the neighbours are having their roof re -tiled and this sign is readable from my bed, the last line is giving my husband an inferiority complex!

challenges

This bird is for the choosedaychallenge the bird is procion dyed calico which was then stamped on a quilted background. The background was made a la Linda Westerman, strips of material PVA `d to a calico base

This is the vase for the Fibre and stitch challenge, made from funky foam with organza & silk with machine embroidery, it is triangular and has a glass inside to hold water