All about my textile projects and some other stuff about life, the universe and everything!
Monday, 10 December 2007
So that was that!
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Paint shop pro and other distractions!
Monday, 22 October 2007
Never let it be said!
Friday, 19 October 2007
It's art Jim, but not as we know it!
Well, it's sort of finished, but a bit ragged at the edges. It's a bit tricky keeping the postcard square and to get it to size after stitching.In a rush to finish as usual but it was valuable experience. More practice needed in getting the images to blend and a bit more thought about how to highlight the main features of both. Roll on R day, which is now only 7 weeks away and 30 actual days in the office!
I think I'll try the embellisher for the next one, but it may have to wait until the dgd's trousers and sweater are finished. The shrug is completed and was much admired. Photo to follow when I can find my camera!
Looking forward to a rugby fest tomorrow. Can we bear to watch? Just in case it's needed, I see the BBC website has published the rules in what they describe as "simplified form". If you have a week or two spare check out the link at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/rules_and_equipment/default.stm
It's all very interesting I'm sure, but simple it ain't! What I want to know is, is it essential not to have a neck in order to play good rugby? I've noticed that not many of the players have them, so I imagine there's a factory somewhere churning them out as in Lord of the Rings!
And on that note, back to the sewing machine tutorial!
Monday, 15 October 2007
And another thing!
I chose these two photos from my existing folders, but without much thought except that they were both images I was particularly fond of.
This is the combined image waiting for me to start stitching. So watch this space.
In the meantime, I overcame my fear of the new machine and completed the embroidery I started at a workshop back in September. This was based on Alison Holt's methods and I thoroughly enjoyed the day. The new machine is taking a while to get used to, but now I have mastered the threading process, I am managing to make progress and no more broken threads. It occurrred to me that I had read somewhere that the machine embroidery threads deteriorate with age and I have had some of them a while. Anyway, here is the result. It's not as finished as I would have liked because the stitching was so dense, I was in danger of breaking even more needles, but on the principle of "less is more" here it is!!!
Monday, 8 October 2007
Too much information!
Monday, 3 September 2007
It's been a while
Monday, 16 April 2007
Global warming
Wednesday, 4 April 2007
Guess where I'm going!
I don't know what made my dd decide that living in the middle of nowhere was a good idea, but on a day like this with the sun shining and the birds singing, she has a point.
One morning early, standing outside her back door, I was intoxicated by the sound of skylarks overhead. Last week, driving past the pig farm, just out of shot, I noticed that the road verge was covered in cowslips! What a pity my dd is oblivious to nature, especially when she can take a photo like this!
Looking at this photo, I felt the frustration of a weekend trying to spin from cotton sliver melt away. This was the result which, as you see, resembles bird's nesting material and not a nicely spun yarn! Oh the agony of watching the leader wizzing away from me through the orifice, then finally getting some twist in only for the yarn to break as it wound on to the bobbin.
I finally did what I should have done first and googled handspinning cotton. I found a tutorial that had the asnwer. The URL is http://www.cottonspinning.com and it's worth a visit. At last I have managed to set my wheel up to make it suitable for cotton spinning. I changed the drive band to a much lighter one and have reduced the tension so the flyer only just goes round when the wheel turns. I have also raided my old Ashford scotch tension for it's tension spring so now my Lendrum only just pulls the yarn onto the bobbin instead of yanking it out of my hand. Now all I need is the coordination and a bit of time to practice. Dare I suggest taking my wheel on holiday to Cornwall tomorrow?
Anyway, even if I can't squeeze it in the car, I can dream about changing this into a lovely yarn that will be strong enough to use as a warp so I can weave with it. Watch this space!
Thursday, 29 March 2007
Is it summer yet?
The last few days have seen us bathed in lovely warm sunshine and we have been getting out the t shirts and dusting down the barbie. Today though it's grey skies and rain so winter appears to be back.
Yesterday I took advantage of the sunshine and took daughter and grandaughter to Temple Newsam House to see the new lambs and other fluffy feathered creatures. GD was not overly inpressed with the animals but was in her element in the playgound especially on the swings. Note the look of concentration! That means she is enjoying herself!
When D and I had had enough , we decided to get an ice cream but lo and behold Leeds City Council, in their wisdom, have decided that they are only going to sell ice cream at weekends. So we had to make do with tea. Not the same at all on a hot day. We live in crazy times!
Back to the spinning now and I am plying my Alpaca and silk yarn. I am very pleased with the way it's turned out. Even though some of it is very fine, it is very strong and I can't break it easily with my hands. I hope to use it to weave, so the stronger the better. Will take a photo for posting next time.
Next project is to spin some cotton sliver using the fastest ratio! Will I be able to keep up?
Monday, 26 March 2007
Busy days out
There were some real gems but my favourite bit of all was the basket of samples that you could pick up. Oh that indigo smell! It's better than chocolate!
Ideas to follow up were making a warp to dye and try IKAT weaving on my new loom, and to find out about aqua leaf indigo dyeing that gives a beautiful turquoise colour. I'm also going to try using starch paste as a resist to dye some fabric for a quilted cushion.
I resisted buying Jenny Balfour-Paul's book, but it will go on my birthday and Christmas wish list.
Saturday was York, once around the walls and then to the City Screen to see the live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Juan Diego Florez may be short, but he has a lovely voice!
So Sunday was resting the sore feet and getting to grips with spinning some Alpaca/silk blend tops I've had for a while. I decided to use the fast flier on my Lendrum wheel to make a fine yarn, but with a high twist. Not easy, but I did get the rhythm going after a while. The secret appears to be to get the fibre prepared so that drafting is kept to a minimum, almost like threading the fibre onto the bobbin. I found that trying to draft was frustrating and the yarn was very uneven. I'm not sure Mabel Ross would approve of my methods.
Another mental note, plan before you start and work out exactly what you need to do. Is it too late to change after a lifetime of, oh it will be alright.
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Just the start
One thing I have done is learn to hand spin and weave and over the last few years these skills have done wonders for my self esteem and have kept me sane.
This is my first post on this blog and I hope to keep it up to date with details of my work and some of the other stuff I get up to from time to time.
My latest spinning project is making a reasonably robust yarn from a commercially died wool roving in order to knit a shawl. I was attracted to the colours, described as Caribean Skies, a range of beautiful blues, through blue green to lilac. See the photo above.