Work in Progress

I have another work in progress report. I am quietly astounded at this as since we went to Sydney last weekend I have been very busy doing things like washing clothes etc in the evening! That said here is my latest block.

Only one block done but another for my diamond block quilt which if you are wondering how these diamonds are going to laid out I have explained it here . I plan to set them out in a tumbling block pattern. Many of the latest blocks are the ‘darks’ or ‘mids’ in the pattern.

They don’t look much on their own but the whole back story is under the category of  Wips and  Wisps

Since it is such a large project I should possibly make it a category on it’s own but I am not sure many people actually use these. Other than having a nice print out at the end of the project I am not sure how good an idea it is.

Now that I have thought of it, I would love to know if anyone actually uses the categories to navigate back through a topic. Or if anyone has actually traced back a history of a project/challenge etc using the categories.

If you have time leave a comment as I would love to know.

I have cropped off the seam allowances as I found people could ’see’ better what I was doing when I started doing that.

Below is a detail from this block.

The flowers are little crochet motifs that I picked up at the craft fair. They are tiny smaller than a 5 cent piece. At the base of the scallops which are worked in chain stitch is a threaded chain stitch.

On the other seam is a irregular feather stitch worked in hand dyed pearl silk thread. These are topped with little flowers worked using detached chain and straight stitch. I have topped these off with seed beads to add a little zest to the block.

For those intersted in some of the fabrics used in this quilt many of them are mens neck ties and have a paisley pattern on them. In fact if you look back all the patterned fabrics have a paisley design on them.

As usual you can click on the images to go to larger versions and click on the magnify glass icon to see closer details again. 

 

Multiple Choice

Multiple Choice: From Sample to Product is an extremely interesting exhibit for anyone who is interested in samples and the origin of the sample book.

The exhibit and associated site from the collections of Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and Smithsonian Institution Libraries examines sampling formats but in many ways the designers sample book influenced contemporary samplers and even studio journals today.

The link was found with thanks via Meggiecat

 

FontStruct

FontStruct is a Flash-based interface which allows you to build and construct fonts. It is one of those web based design tools that is intuitive and fun to use.

FontStruct generates high-quality TrueType fonts, which can be used on any Mac or Windows application which means you can use it for all sorts of design related activities. Once you have joined the gallery allows members to share their fonts and comment on other people’s fonts.

 

A weekend in Sydney

As I mentioned on Friday, Jerry is recording a CD and we have had a few days in Sydney. Since both Design 08 and Sydney  Biennale is on I was not short of places to visitor things to see.

Between visits to Berkelouw Books which by far got most of our money and  Glebe books, in which  we did some damage and Elizabeth’s bookstore we also made a considerable book haul. I keep threatening Jerry that I will start a book blog but he does not seem to think that this is such a silly idea.

Jerry is a much better travel writer than me but one item I think will be of interest, particularly for anyone who is interested in studio journals is this item I spotted at the Powerhouse. A small display illustrating designs that were introduced to Australia via our migrant populations caught my eye because of the notebook with hand drawn patterns.

I also became interested in Arch formations and started to see them everywhere

This famous landmark was the formation that triggered the idea.

I have about 400 photos on my laptop. Don’t worry I wont show them all to you. In fact normal blogging resumes tomorrow.

 

Time for the letter I

I am actually in Sydney as I write this as Jerry is once again in the recording studio. I will let you know on Monday what I am getting up to.

But since it is the weekend, I thought for my readers it might be time to make a cuppa, settle back and enjoy some blogs from another section of the big blog list as we are now up to the letter I.

I try to choose blogs that are on topic and written reasonably frequently, by textile practitioners and designers who do such things as quilt, stitch, dye, sew, embellish fabric, bead, use visual journals, or are interested in art and design. I hope you enjoy them.

Here are the lists so far of blogs starting with the letters A , B, C , D , E ,  F , G and H

I Sew Blog is about sewing projects which are blogged as they are made.

il Bloggo Hanna does art journalling, craft and thrift shops

Illustrated Life Jeanette Jobson sketches, draws, takes photographs and writes

Illustration Friday is a a challenge blog. Every Friday a topicto illustrate is posted

Imagine This Sally Turlington is a mixed media artist who creates collages and keeps an art journal

Imedagoze s described as a home and lifestyle blog. It covers design and contemporary craft

In my spare time Jan draws, paints and keeps an interesting visual journal.

In Stitches Stephanie is a cross stitcher who blogs her current projects.

In the Bag Sewing, knitting, quilting and crafting are the topics covered in this blog but mainly maiking bags feature.

In the Fold Amy writes about art quilts, ATCs, fabric postcards describing the contemporary textile techniques she uses.

Indie Pretty Perfect Helen reviews indie artists she discovers online

Inkberry Blue is an Aussie blogger who does some wonderful drawing. She is also interested in photography, crochet and beading.

Inky Impressions Jovita writes about her interests in papercrafts, stitching, motorbikes and photography.

Inside Number Twenty Monique is a needlework designer who also blogs

Inspire me Thursday is a challenge run out of a blog. It is a weekly challenge for mised media artists.

Irish Eyes Art Studio Kellys mixed media collage work has been published in magazines like Somerset Studio and Artitude Zine. Her blog covers what she has been doing and often discusses the techniques she uses.

Island Threads Frances is a Scotish textile practioner who blogs about what she is stitching/quilting

 

Fun printables for fiber folks

I thought these Vintage handcrafted product labels are a bit different and you could print them on fabric using bubblejet set and use them in your textile projects. They would be great in a crazy quilt block that revolved around a them of the kitchen, food, cooking etc.
This link was found with thanks via tipnut

I then went on to explore the site further and found these Celtic bookplates and bookmarks and then the quilting section really had me clicking.

Files are PDF which means you need to have Acrobat installed on your computer

 

Tutorials and resources this week

Here are a number of tutorials, tips and useful stuff discovered while surfing this week.

First of all last week Paula Hewitt of The Beauty of Life put together a huge list of stumpwork resources online for the stitchin fingers group. Paula has also added them to a page on her blog.  I know how much this type of thing takes and this is a great list!

Amy of In the Fold has produced a video tutorial of how to make a wired Beaded Leaf which can be also clustered together to make a beaded flower. On her blog there is a diagram that explains the construction

Mary Corbet of Needle’nThread has produced a video tutorial on Trellis stitch a needle lace stitch which is very usful not only in needlelace but stumpwork also

Lisa Lam of U-Handbag blog has written and illustrated a step by step tutorial on How to insert a concealed top edge bag zipper

Alicia of Curiosities 808 has put together a tutorial on how to Sew a Japanese Knot Bag. It is part of a series of tutorials on making bags which are all listed  at the bottom of the article

Over on Craftstylish Mary Ray has been busy writing a tutorial on How to Make Mitered Corners for Bindings on a quilt and Linda Permann has written a tutorial on How to Crochet a Button

Over on TipNut.com a new embroidery pattern series has started a Daily Sunbonnet Gal

Gnomicon has posted a great round up of links on colour, exploration of colour and colour theory

 

Another Work in Progress Report

I have another work in progress report! (I am secretly aiming to write at least one every 10 days but don’t tell anyone)

As you can see another couple of diamonds have been stitched.

Here is a detail from this block. I first stitched a scallop of chain stitches. I used a coin as a template to trace the curve. The flowers are made of cast on stitch and the leaves are created using detached chain stitch.The central stem is a single straight stitch

As usual if you click on the images you can see larger versions.

Below is an embroidery detail from this block. The flower like clusters are created by working three oyster stitches and two straight stitches topped with a bead

The last detail was made by first embroidering two rows of herringbone then lacing them like you do in twisted lattice band. I then topped them with three  detached chain stitches. I completed the row with a line of square metal beads.

As usual you can click on the images to go to larger versions and click on the magnify glass icon to see closer details again. If you are wondering how these diamonds are going to laid out I have explained it here and If you want the whole back story you can see/read  all my work reports file under that category Wips and  Wisps

 

Bg Patterns as a textile design tool

Bg Patterns is a online tool that is aimed at web designers who want to create background patterns easily and quickly but I am sure textile practitioners will see all sorts of ways to use this tool to provoke design ideas.

You can change the colour and transparency while rotating and scaling the motif. This makes Bg Patterns a very versatile tool.

This free online tool takes a motif and creates seamless tiles so you can repeat it across an area. This means it is great for designing needlework fills. Patterns that fill an area using either canvas stitches, cross stitch or techniques like bargello fascinate me.

I spent some time mucking about with this new toy. Then I saved a copy of the image to my computer.

I then opened it in a cross stitch program, more to see what it would do.  It produced an interesting results and I definitely can see a start to a design particularly a pattern.

If this design was going to work it in cross stitch it would have to be cleaned up a little (this is common with all images) but I am sure you will agree there is loads of possibilities here that can be taken in all directions

You can also create a free account and store and share patterns or download them to your desktop. My one thing I would love is if we could upload our own little motif and us that rather than just choosing from the presets.

 

Time for the letter H

Once again take time to make a cuppa settle back and enjoy some blogs from another section of the big blog list as we are now up to the letter H.

Hand Quilting Violette’s blog has a special emphasis on hand work and quilts.

Hand Embroidery Group Projects is a collaborative blog run by the Hand embroidery yahoo group

Hankering for Yarn Noreen writes lots of tutorials on her blog

Happiness Project is a blog is about a “year I spent test-driving every principle, tip, theory, and scientific study I could find, whether from Aristotle or St. Therese or Martin Seligman or Oprah. The Happiness Project will gather these rules for living and report on what works and what doesn’t. On this daily blog, I recount some of my adventures and insights as I grapple with the challenge of being happier. ” The blog became a book by the same title

Haute Nature is by Holly who describes her blog as “Ecologically based creative ideas, art and green products for your children, home and lifestyle”

Have Dogs, Will Travel Robyn describes her blog as “Every time the Australian Labor Party lost an election, my husband threatened to leave the country. In 2005, he made good his threat. Luckily, at the same time, I had decided I wanted a life instead of a career. That’s how we came to live in Italy. Our two dogs, Dermott and Snowy, caring not a jot for either politics or career, only for their dinner, followed two weeks later.” Robyn keeps sketchbooks of her experiences.

Healing Expressions Lani Kent s a mexed media collage artist who tracks her work via her blog.

Heather Smith Jones is a studio artist who paints and draws and uses her blog to share things she finds inspiring.

Heaven & Earth Hanne creates collage pieces using all sorts of recycled materials and she does patch work and quilting.

Heb Art Helen Suzane is a quilter who is interested in contemporary techniques, surface manipulation and surface design

Hello My Name is Heather Heather Bailey is a fabric designer and is developing a line of sewing patterns.

Hermine’s Place Hermine Koster is a Dutch collage and mixed media artist.

High Fiber Content Julie is a quilter with an interest in surface design, dyeing, paper arts and collage and is participating in the Take it Further Challenge.

Historical Embroideress copes with Modern World Robin/Sabrina writes about hand embroidery techniques and the projects she works on.

Hobby Princess notes and writings about design, crafting, and technology from a PhD candidate researching the emerging forms of collaborative design activity

Honey Bee Stephanie is interested in Patchwork, quilting and embroidery

Honey Bee’s Bliss Melissa is a crazy quilter who does lovely silk ribbon work. Don’t miss her blog if you are interested in Crazy quilting as it is sprinkled with tips and the odd tutorial. All her tutorials ae listed in the side bar.

House on Hill Road Erin keeps a craft, sewing and knitting blog

How About Orange Jessica Jones is a graphic designer who enjoys craft

Huffmania Hanna enjoys sewing, knitting and craft

Hugs from Helen Helen Stubbings is a quilter who has published some great projects for non comercial use on her blog.

I try to choose blogs that are on topic and written reasonably frequently, by textile practitioners and designers who do such things as quilt, stitch, dye, sew, embellish fabric, bead, use visual journals, and are interested in art and design. I hope you enjoy them.

Here are the lists so far of blogs starting with the letters A , B, C , D , E ,  F and G !

On another note entiredly I had a lovely day at the Craft and Quilt Fair yesterday and did not blow too much money or come home with too much stuff.