A week of #SeptTextileLove Days 4-10

Another week of sharing love for textiles with the Seam Colelctiv'es social media cahllenge #SeptTextileLove....

Day 4: PLAY

Most days , I play with materials , but I do love art and craft play dates with my grandchildren. All four of them and I have enjoyed creative play - these pics are ten years apart(2022-2012), so they suggest I am still playing and fabric dyeing has obviously been a ‘messy’ favourite .

The tie dyeing kits are great for easy play - the squirt bottles can be managed by all ages. and the results are instant!

Day 5 : PATTERN

Over the last couple of years I have been experimenting with a technique which uses the decorative pattern stitches on a sewing machine. Using overlapping and layering different colours and patterns on scraps of fabric, with varying distances between the rows of stitching, a completely different patterned fabric is created. So, in a sense I use various tiny patterns to create a whole pattern . I am using this technique more and more to create unique textured patterned backgrounds.

Day 6 : LOOP 

 One of the first things I think I learnt with wool was to make what I called chains of loops . The idea was to practise until the loops were the same size and the same tension … from the ‘Basics of Crochet’ … ‘every single crochet pattern that you will ever try to follow will include the phrase "draw up a loop" so it is important that you learn what this means and how to do it early on in your crochet journey. ‘ Getting the loops just right seems to help with these quirky birds 

Day 7 : COLOUR  Red has power, the power to change the story 

Day 8  INSPIRATION/INFLUENCE 

‘ What surrounds us is what is within us’ . Most of my work is influenced by my surroundings , where I live … the trees and  plants in my garden and my own beautiful neighbourhood . 

Day 9 : ‘THREAD’ 

Temari  (hand balls, sometimes called thread balls ) … ‘Temari  are a form of folk art that originated in China and were introduced to Japan in the 7th century. Originally, they were made from herbs and leather, and noblewomen of Japan developed theirs from silk and kimono scraps. The temari is a symbol that represents great loyalty or a valued friendship. In modern day Japan, mothers make them for their children as part of New Year's celebrations…’

 Day 10 : DRAWING 

Drawing … I don’t think you need a reason to draw … some days it’s with a pencil and some  days I use my sewing machine to doodle - just for fun. 

Watch this space for further updates as the month rolls by.... Next week Days 11 -17 

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

From my workshop page....

Current Workshops Offerings Thinking of a workshop for your group in 2022? Art Doll Workshops : - Garden Thread Dolls (one day workshop - WoW -(Woman of Wisdom) - embellished stump doll with either cloth head or clay head. This is an a rt doll workshop .... either offered as a series of workshops or 2 full days days! - Message/Story Stick doll - doll made with found objects and upcycled cloth. ( one day) - Elemental totems - stick doll variation , with sculpture ( one or two days, depending on surface decoration of fabric) TEXTILE AND MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOPS Temari - embroidered wrapped balls in traditional style. - Dipping Into Tea - tea and embroidery on canvas with photo transfer on fabric. ( two days) work by Judith Bee, workshop participant. - Tea Bag sculpture : ...

"Temari Or Not Temari?" Tutorial

Background Information: Temari (literally translated “hand ball”) is a Japanese folk craft that is alleged to have originated in China and was introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago. Traditionally, the balls were constructed from wrapped kimono fabric remnants and silk threads. They were made by mothers and grandmothers for children to play with. Nowadays, decorative embroidered temari represent a highly valued and cherished gift symbolizing friendship and loyalty. Recently I've wondered if your don't use traditional techniques whether you should call what you create "temari". That is an ongoing debate but today I share what I do to make a "non-traditional temari".... 1.I start with a polystrene ball ( traditionally the balls were wound silk scraps or other organic materials) and begin to wrap with approx 4 ply wool, turning the ball as I wrap. 2. I then wrap another layer of wool in a similar fashion , this time a 3 or 2 ...

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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