June Journal Quilt.

My Journal Quilt for June is a Paper Lamination. I decided to use the paper side on this occasion, because I liked the texture, and wanted to draw into it with black ink. Again, I have used tribal art as my inspiration, and sketched patterns from cloth, matting and wood carving from the Pacific islands. Using this side also meant that the text was backs to front, but this isn't important, as long as there is text somewhere. This is the criteria for the next four months, to use text somewhere on the quilts. I also cut away some of the paper from the letters, so that the backing fabric showed through. I finished off by quilting with some copper thread.

Unfolding The Quilts

PLEASE VOTE NOW
You can vote for this project between the 31st May and 20th June 2011, and all you have to do is click on the button in the column on the right! Then go to the 'Heritage' link, click, and scroll down to 'Unfolding the Quilts' Easy! To find out what all this is about, just visit http://www.quiltersguild.org.uk/ and all will be revealed. Oh, and Thanks, in anticipation!

Paper Lamination Workshop

 I've just spent four brilliant days on a Paper Lamination Workshop run by Sarah Welsby, at the newly re-furbished, Potters Barn at Bovey, home of Committed to Cloth. It will definitely remain in my mind as four of the most enjoyable days I've spent in a long time, and is to be thoroughly recommended.

The process consists of using papers, preferably laser prints/photocopies of your own photographs, or newsprint. These are arranged under polyester or silk voiles, and then a matt medium acrylic is screen printed over the top, which is dried, and then heat set before being soaked in cold water for five minutes. This allows the paper that has not been treated with the medium to be removed, and you can see from the photo above, a piece of treated voile hanging to dry. After this, the piece can be layered, or not, depending on what end result is desired. The layering can use small pieces of fabric, or just one large single piece, and wadding and backing can also be added, ready for stitch.

The bird images on the left, and the longer striped piece are two polyester voiles that I made during the workshop, and I have plans on how to take them forward. I also laminated two images taken from a photograph that I took of some pebbles and seaweed. I played around with them on photoshop, and then laminated them onto some calico. The results are in black and white, and the hand of the calico gives a stiffer, less floaty result. However, I am looking forward to experimenting with paint and stitch on this piece.

Finally, I did manage to complete a piece of work, and this is the result. I'm very pleased with what I achieved in the four days, and am really looking forward to further experiments with this fascinating technique.

Sampling an idea.

This started out as a sample to try and decide what to do with some fabric I have dyed and dischared, (apart from the black ovals). I still have the majority of it left, but having made this piece, I'm not sure I want to repeat myself. This has turned out to be a bit more substantial than I intended, although it isn't quite finished as yet. I may do some more quilting on the background, and I still haven't decided how to finish off the edges yet. It reminds me of an African design, and also a bit zebra-ish!!

Journal quilt for May 2011

The last of my aboriginal art inspired Journal quilts. I used a cotton and silk mixed fabric that I had previously mono printed. Different areas were then painted in a variety of coloured silk paints, and then embellished with white acrylic painted dots. The blue butterfly has been appliqued onto the background, with further appliqued decoration, free motion machine stitching and more white acrylic paint. I have really enjoyed this technique, and am planning something similar, but on a larger scale. These four JQ's all measure 10"x10". Now I have to start planning my next four for June, July, August and September, and they all have to contain some text. Mmmmmm, I have an idea already, and my last post may be a clue to what that is going to be!