New addy...

for sharonb - inaminuteago - http://sharonb.wordpress.com/

No explanation needed...

Yes more knitting - I find that knitting in a plain stitch is very therapeutic - after all how wrong can you go - just row after row after row.... It seems to de-stress me and puts my mind in another place... But really how many scarves can one have????

Pinup's Blocks

Block 1 Block 2

These are the two of three blocks I have remaining from the CQOO06 RR. They are to start the last leg of their journey - home - to New Zealand today. My contribution is the bead work in the last section of the bottom Block2.

Pinup's blocks are so full of life and colour and she has used some interesting fabrics in the makeup of her blocks... When I first received them (quite some months ago now!!) I was bedazzled by the vibrancy of them - the first words I thought of when I looked at them were carnival and fireworks... I must admit it took me a while to 'find my place' amongst the colours to stitch - the section of brown gold embroidered satin caught my eye and stirred my imagination and the tone on tone beads which I found I had a long with the little floral shapes were 'just made' for the job... I wanted to cluster the beads - stitching them on top of each other to create some height - I found I had some gold balls so I added them to 'connect' to the gold embroidery of the fabric and some of the other aspects of the block. That small section took a few mornings work and created some interest from passersby in the food court where I sit and stitch before I start work each morning.

E - I hope you like my 'little bit'. Your blocks will be home soon...

Not my work...

...but I thought you may like to see them... These two blocks have returned home after travelling the world for just over 12 months. They were part of a Crazy Quilt RR06 last year and there were about twelve women worldwide who took part diligently sewing as each person's block passed through their hands. Here is what they looked like 'naked' - scroll down to Sunday May 7th - which was the day they left to go 'touring'.

Whilst I knew the blocks were on their way home but I was totally surprised when a parcel turned up on Thursday night - I was just 'blown away when I opened them to find my finished blocks inside. I must admit I had a less than pleasant week and to find these beautiful blocks really helped me remember what is important in one's life - family and friends which of course included dedicated stitching friends. As I read my journal which accompanied the blocks I thought of each person and reminisced about their blocks which I too had contributed to.

The blue-green block green block I had christened Earth to Sea and I asked that theme could be carried out in what ever way the stitcher thought appropriate. I now have my own underwater scene complete with a mermaid, seahorse, jellyfish and other little nooks and crannies I discover each time I look... I can't stop touching the mangrove tree at the top of the block with the bulrushes beside it and the tiny fish swimming beneath them in the shallows of the tide blowing tiny air bubbles to the surface... There is so much to explore on this block that it has me searching time and time again...

The yellow/red block I had given free reign to - suggesting it could be stitched 'within an inch of its life'. Well, everyone took me at my word and I have an florist shop array of flowers complete with a dragonfly and butterfly darting between the blooms... It amazes me to how balanced the block is considering so many people who are unknown to each other have contributed to it. Incidentally my young niece has just looked at it and has made exactly the same observation.

I was so excited at their return that I took them to work to show my work mates who all said "What are you going to do with them??" At the moment I just want to hold them in my hands and look at them - perhaps a little further down the track I shall frame them for future generations to gaze upon them...

I would just like to thank each person who contributed to them from the bottom of my 'needleturned' heart - I just love them and appreciate all the work that has gone into them...

Yellow Cow

Did you guess who my artist was??? This is what I have chosen for my colour part of Sumptuous Surfaces. It is one of my most favorite images and for some reason I repeatedly refer to it as the Happy Cow - whether it is the colours or the expression on the cow's face I don't quite know. When I first saw this Franz Marc's painting I was delighted and could imagine it as a quilt covering some small child's bed. Over the years it has floated around in the back of my mind as something I would explore someday - well, that someday looks like it has arrived... It was the first thing I thought of when sharonb talked about the colour component of her class. Perhaps 'doing it small' may lead to 'bigger things'. I can already 'feel' the explosion of colour just waiting to be invited and last week I bought a colllection of silk varigated threads to add to my thread palette.. I am so thinking yellow paint and some wonderful flower motifs I bought at a scrapbooking shop quite a few weeks ago - my inner muse must have known - because they are very bright even for me.

Now next weekend...

Rethinking the pear...

I know this isn't exactly a stitched pear - but at least it's finished. I have found of late that knitting (very simple things) has helped me when I become a little stressed over things that aren't working - like pears for example. I bought this wool about a fortnight ago and I have knitted up into a simple scarf for my eldest daughter. As you can see it was also varigated and it knitted up into amazing stripes. The photo doesn't do it justice as the colours were really lovely and quite deep shades in places. It was the greatest wool and it knitted up like a dream -the stitches slipped from one needle to another without the slightest drag.

Stay tuned for E's red scarf - it just needs the fringe to finish it...

But what of the pears I hear you say??? Well I have backed right away from them - after writing the previous post it dawned on me what I was trying to achieve is not exactly what the Sumptuous Surfaces course was about. I think I was trying to recreate the pears into 'still life' whereby now thinking about what I would like to do is explore shape and colour or rather monotones in relationship to what they can offer a shape I have had a rethink and I am clearer in what I want - it may have to wait until after the course is finished - but it won't beat me. Sometimes I guess you have to come to a full stop in order to go on - if you know what I mean. I may go away and have a draw this time as using pencils (crayon, paint or whatever) helps with the thinking process - helping translate the idea onto the page and ultimately on to the fabric. I want to have a 'play' with the pear shape in a more abstract medium rather than trying to reproduce a 'real' version. By George, I think I am finally on the right track... I feel worn out mentally but least now I know (sort of) what I am about...

Update...

A quick update on my progress.... Firstly I changed fabric from the piece I was going to use - this fabric holds the stitches better plus it has a tiny self slub which makes the piece more 'rustic'. I bought a metre of it from the local op-shop ages ago - I think it may have started its life as dress fabric as it is a polyester mix but over time I have used pieces of it for other stitching and it has worked well... There is a definite weft and warp thread so I have guidelines to work with...

This has been harder to do than I thought - you know how you see the finished piece in your mind's eye- never the steps to get there - yes, I'm sure that's what a visual journal is for!!! I knew what I wanted - and now as I write this I am even more sure - what I don't want is a still life of pears in thread... At midnight last night that is where I was heading... As I lay in bed this morning I started to think light and shade in a different way so I leapt - well, swung my legs over the side of the bed in one action - and headed for my stitching... I used the light creamy colour thread in an vague satin stitch to give the impression of light hitting the pear - I also unpicked the outline stitch from around the darker side to lessen and soften the boundaries so to speak... I want the eye to go around the pear not be halted at the outline...

Hmmm... just reading all this back - I think maybe I am in a different online class to everyone else -I am trying to create a still life - and I so much wanted it to be abstract and obsure. Why can't I think outside of the square!!!!

Back to the drawing board - such an old term - but in this case says it all...

The (very late!!!) Next Step...

Last weekend I made another attempt at my pears - real life had intervened for awhile so it has made me way behind but I was determined I was still in the race - so to speak... So here is

an update on my progress...

I cut out the pear shapes to use as templates and stickytaped them together to form groups - I photocopied each group as it gave me a better perspective to the overall design. As you can see this (above) was one arrangement...

And another...

I did about 6 different arrangements and photocopies - yes, sharonb they are recorded in my visual journal - but these three which I have blogged are my 'narrowed down' choice...

But then again this one...

This one is the winner... It was a variation on the pear3 but with the extra half wedged in between the full pear and the front half. This variation satisfies me for some reason - the overall design feels more complete. I like how one core leans back onto the darker area but also how they cross just to the side. For me that crossed area catches my eye and makes me look in a circular motion taking in the whole group rather than focusing on just the centre pear...

While I am running way behind I felt that leaving them awhile has helped me make some descisions about placement and what I want to see stitched. As late as one of the photocopies coming off the machine did I think 'that's the area I want to see heavily stitched.. Now some decisions on stitches to use.

This piece will be a work in progress as the class has moved on considerably - to the use of colour... I have already made my choice for the colour class - a piece by one of my favorite artists who uses colour to the maximum... I have always loved his work and when I saw this piece a number of years ago I thought how well it could cross over to a 'textile treatment'... Who??? Now that would be telling... But let us not stray now - back to the task at hand...

Onto the fabric...

...I traced an outline around the shapes. Even as I was doing this part of the process I was becoming more clear as to the the stitched areas. I am on a roll here... Let the stitching begin...