Tuesday, 18 May 2021

'Slow' Stitches.....

 

Like the other Textile Maids I have really enjoyed sewing these eight inch square pages for each other. I kept it simple and used the same format for the pieces just changing the colour to the individual's choice. I had great pleasure covering the fabric in a variety of 'slow' stitches. I have always felt there is a wonderful element in hand stitching that links all sewers through time and I love the simplicity of using a running stitch - surely the first stitch we learn and the stitch that all others develop from. 

It will be such a joy to meet up and exchange pages sometime in the summer, maybe in a garden- with tea and cake involved!




Back soon

Margaret

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Rusty Memories.....

 

Here is the picture of the fabrics I chose a while back for Sue’s rusty page.


This is the one fabric that really struck a chord, it kept rising up to the surface! It was one of a pair of sleeves removed from a dress of my mother’s from circa 1965-70!


 
The colour wasn’t quite right, for rust, but I felt inspired by the pattern, the juxtaposition of circles and squares/rectangles.
All my pages for the Maids have circles and squares overlaid! Something about round peg square hole?? And also reminiscent of my first quilt I made, that Sue kindly offered advice on how to hand quilt it.

Then the rusty fabrics just sorted themselves into their own order....bits and bobs of velvet, felt, woollen, and silks as well as luscious prints from Tim Holtz.



I wanted to keep the lines clear and simple, so rather than hand stitching, I chose to machine embroider the circles, as well as the grid of all the straight lines......it was a delight to return to my machine after a long absence.  A variegated thread of rusty, brown and jade complemented the colour palette. Then of course I had to include a flash of turquoise satin!



And that original inspirational fabric was not forgotten but used as the page  back.....


Hope you can keep on enjoying your stitching, or whichever creative outlet you pursue, it’s certainly been good for my soul!

Thanks for reading once again,
Debbie




About Me

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‘Textile Maids’ is a group of like-minded Contemporary Textitle Artist in Cornwall, providing encouragement; creative direction and the enhancement of techniques, with a view to collaborating in exhibitions.