Lots to catch up on.....

I still haven't finished the feather sample (Sample 2), but have done a little more on it. I'm also well on with Sample 3, which is a butterfly and that should be ready to show off very soon. Sample 4 is of bead-weaving and I've done the artwork and the beading chart for that and am looking to getting stuck in with the beads and the loom. In fact, I've got through so many other tasks recently that things seem nice and peaceful and perfect for getting all caught up soon. So, I'm hoping to make several posts over the next week or so.

The one thing I can show you is the first sample I actually got done in class. It's a stitch and slash technique sample and the original source was to be animal fur. Silly me went and left the photo I planned to work from on the sofa instead of putting it in my college bag, but managed to scrounge this lovely pic (which you can see part of here) to work from. We had to make a felt-tip pen design from it, which is here and is not exactly impressive, I know, but my artwork is never really going to set the Thames on fire, is it??=)


The next stage was pressing then pinning together 3 or 4 fabrics in similar colours to the design, then to machine stitch (ordinary sewing foot and straight stitch) the lines on. After that, the fabric is cut away to reveal layers of the underneath colours. Here's the sample so far, (it's supposed to be put through the washing machine cycle to 'fluff' it up a bit - ie fray and wreck it!!!!), and it does look a bit like tiger skin. I confess, this kind of work is not really my thing - bit too large scale and 'rough' for my tastes.



I got some more fabric and silk paints in the post today, along with 3 bottles of silk paint gutta. Haven't much of a clue how to use it, but we'll be starting that in class in about 3 weeks' time.=) Also got some silk habotai, some green beads needed for my beadweaving sample and some beading thread for that.