Links to the Past!

The Wheel

Heartlands was a really good choice for our first challenge, it is such a lovely place and deserves to be visiting many times.  Like the rest of us I took several photos in the museum, but was drawn to the rust and metal of the engine wheel.

Designing and recording

I made a square to highlight the area on the photo that I wanted to work on.



I decided to use purchased fabric as the blue of the wheel, and after adding a piece of bondaweb to the whole piece I laid a selection of fibres on top. 

 

Close up of Links to the Past!

The chain is made from dried tea bags that have be applied to scrim.


The rust has been depicted by couching fibres, seed stitching and French knots.

Carolyn

 

Close up and very personal

 I didn't have to think very hard about how to work on the February project. Close up meant one thing - reach for an amazing book I was given (on the recommendation of a textile artist) some years ago. Heaven and Earth -images unseen by the naked eye published by Phaidon. It is truly remarkable and a huge source of inspiration for art work. One or two images are best passed by quite quickly including a scan of varicose veins that should not be available pre-watershed! I chose a micrograph of a butterfly wing which, in close up looks like woven silk ribbon. Having some recycled sari silk in my stash and clutching my rotary cutter and board I was off. I really enjoyed the weaving and have now ironed some bondaweb to the back. Next job is to put some backing fabric on and start to embellish the piece. This is the bit where I get carried away and don't know when to stop. All good fun and games. I am really looking forward to Wednesday when we meet  and try our hand at mono printing.
Margaret

Finished at Last.

At last I have completed the January project. I have been rather poorly with a chest infection and it has wiped me out for a couple of weeks, but back on the go now and ready as Bertie Wooster would say to bite a tiger, albeit a small tiger as yet.
My Heartlands project is based on the two things that struck me most each time I visited the site. The first was the super rich minerals and ore that Cornwall is made of and the second was how we as a people are inextricably tied to that bedrock. There cannot be any doubt that the 3000 years of mining Cornwall's rich treasures has made the county and it's people what they are. So - I painted some Bondaweb with fabric paints in the colours I felt represented the granite and minerals I had seen at Heartlands and hand embroidered some of the many words and numbers I found at the site; on the film, on the displays, on the dog tags and over the speakers. I added a few beads and some space dyed yarn and there you go. I am calling the piece Heritage Heartlands.
Thanks for looking
Margaret

Heartlands Inspiration.............

This was such a super topic for our first challenge. There was so much to use as inspiration I found it a little hard deciding where to begin. The wheel, chains, caged lift, rust and vibrant colours all had to be explored.

I'm working onto 12" papers for my sketch book, which will be added to as we continue through each project. To get me started I used my photos to guide me through my choice of colour palette, then painted some papers and added collage and drawings.

Collaged photos, transfered images

Wheel and chain drawing

Transfered images onto fabric and photo collage

Cut-out holes as in the caged lift

Printing with painted bubble wrap, fabric and stitch sample

This is my final piece, photo transfer using gel medium, hand dyed fabric and scrim, rusted fabric, markel paint stick used to create circles through a stencil, painted bondaweb with chiffon fused over and distressed using a heat gun, machine and hand quilted. 



          The Romance of Mining........A False Image

I found Heartlands a very emotional place to visit, listening to the drawl of the cornish voices (just like my granny) telling their stories, definitely a place to re-visit.
But, for now it's time to think of the next challenge.
Sue

Start of great things!

It was really lovely to have our first real meeting of Textille Maids last Wednesday.  It was a lovely relaxed day and great to meet everyone at last, thank you all for coming and to Eli for being such a good little boy.

I agree with Margaret, all the work and ideas were brilliant, and I am looking forward to getting to grips with this months challenge.  The mind is buzzing at the moment.

In the meantime I will pop a photo of January's challenge and the source of my inspiration onto the blog shortly (just a little finishing to do!!).

See you all shortly.

Carolyn

Off we go!

We kicked off Textile Maids at Fraddon Village Hall this week with our first piece of work based on Heartlands. I was so impressed with everyone's work and ideas, it is so exciting and inspiring working with a group of like-minded people and I cannot wait to get to grips with next month's theme - Close up. However that must wait until I have completed my heartlands piece. I will post a photo as soon as I have removed the 'stitch and tear' and there is something to see. I was concerned I would not be up to the required standard for the group but there is no pressure at all and everyone is very generous with ideas and techniques. All in all, a lovely day with the promise of great  company and fun to come.
Margaret

I really enjoyed the first meeting with the group. It was so interesting seeing what everyone was working on and how different all our pieces were. I am going to use the blog to record my inspirations for the different elements in my Heartlands piece.

I mentioned to some of you about the workshop I did with Lou Gardiner last weekend. Here is the link to the video about her
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/video/2012/may/10/louise-gardiner-collect-2012-embroidery-video

and also her website is http://www.lougardiner.co.uk.

Looking forward to seeing how this blog works out and sharing our thought and ideas as the month goes by!  I will add my finished Heartlands piece once it has its borders on!
Chris Treweek

The winding cable

Stitching based on winding cable

The map of the tin mines under Heartlands

Stitching inspired by underground map of mines

Rusty stains running down a wall inside the winding house

Stitching inspired by rusty marks

Rusty old tank

Stitching inspired by the rusty tank. I was pleased to incorporate anew technique on tis piece, that I was introduced to by Lou Gardiner at a workshop the previous weekend.

Close up of the metal cage that used to take miners down into the mine

I used the structure of the cage to create a piece that I could drop the other images into