Primrose Corner

It’s strange sometimes when you look at fabric and it almost tells you what it wants to be when it’s not longer flat wrapped around a carboard bolt.

That’s the kind of relationship I have with this
Barefoot Roses

It’s a beautiful old fashioned, blousy rose print and to me it always says ‘Grandma’ - my grandma. She used to love this kind of fabric print.

So, with a little bit ot sewing time I’ve made this -

it’s a simple little drawstring pouch. I used both the rosy and the polka dot fabrics, and pieced them together with the a soft pink fabric inbetween the main pieces, highlighting the pinks in the roses.

It’s a bit ot a sewing departure for me. If I make pouches, it is usually the zipped kind. But this is pretty, girly and pink….

It’s simply quilted with a cross-hatch design in a pale pink thread, which I thought would add to the old fashioned/vintage appeal of the fabric and the pink was again to draw attention to the roses.

I used the polka dot fabric as the lining and a narrow burgundy, velvet ribbon for the drawstrings. (Oops! I’ve hidden them a bit with the beads - I think I got a bit carried away.) Again, I thought the velvet has an old fashioned, opulent feel.

There - that’s without the beads

The beads? I raided them from my daughters dressing-up jewellery stash just for the photo. I’m trying to improve my photo’s and this is my attempt at creating a mood! (I need to sneak them back before she gets home from school! or I’ll know what mood means!). They probably were my grandmothers beads …. unintended realism?

What do you think to the bottom?

It’s a pleated, folded arrangement. Quite nice ? I’m thrilled that it turned out as well as it has.

Enjoy your weekend.

Once upon a time when life was simpler and it was possible to just occasionally to attend workshops. I made this;

It’s a quilt…… no honestly…. it is. How do I justify saying that? Well, it’s like this……

Patchwork or piecing and the construction of a quilt has a long history. It has developed in many different places in the world resulting in a rich diversity of styles and approaches. Originally, it probably developed as a method of producing an inexpensive textile using precious fabric remnants at a time when fabric wasn’t easy to obtain. Many astonishingly beautiful examples can be found in museums and stately homes around the world.

A traditional definition of a quilt is that it must consist of three layers; a top layer which can be a whole cloth or a pieced cloth. A middle layer which may be wadding, which comes in a huge variety of types, different thicknesses, made from different materials; wool, silk, polyester and cotton. Then there is a backing fabric which again can be a whole cloth or a pieced or patched cloth.

Wadding, however may be replaced by other fabrics, in India for example, this middle layer may traditionally be composed of old sari’s stitched together. You may encounter quilters muslin or calico being used.

That’s all very well but how does that make my ‘picture’ a quilt?

Well, quilting and patchwork is a very vibrant area. It is both a craft and an art form. This basic definition of a quilt is subject to a huge variety of interpretations. How the contemporary quilter chooses to interpret those three layers required to make a quilt is entirely personal. (Remind you of the little discussion about interlining?)

My quilt picture was made at a workshop run by Ineke Berlyn. You can see some of her work here on her website. Link .

and in her book.

Ineke’s book - a book full of ideas!

To construct these art quilts she combines layers of sheer, organza, net, tulle and muslin along with sympathetic stitching to create pieces of extraordinarily rich, translucent window art.

This fabric window art, when hung where light can shine through it creates dancing light as though through a stained glass window. Different light throughtout the day and throughout the seasons makes these ’sheer art quilts’ pieces that constantly change.

An example of Ineke’s work - a View of the Malvern.

This little one of mine is a worked example set out for the workshop. It has a layer of polyester organza as the backing layer with pieces of sheers in different colours, layered to create even more colour effects. Painted lutrador was used for the trees and some of the more defined leaves (yes, they are leaves! ) and some pieces of dyed calico to create some areas of solid colour, which helps to give the piece depth.

A tempting heap of sheers, tulle and hand dyed calico and time to play - what more could you ask for?

The shapes you cut out for your ‘picture’ are then ‘bondawebbed’ in position onto the backing fabric. It’s suprising how long that can take. It’s a lot of deciding, is that tree at all like a tree? Enough flowers……. you did guess this was supposed to be bluebell wood didn’t you?

I think that’s part of the fascination that patchwork and quilting holds for me. There is so much variation and just when you think that there can’t be any more that folk can achieve with pieces of cloth you come across someone elses work and the fascination deepens. There is always something new, something wonderful just waiting……….

This is a piece depicting Bethlehem, worked in sheers, with stitching in gold and silver threads. Christmas is coming……. give you any ideas?

So, although you can’t snuggle up in it with your cocoa, do you see now why it’s a quilt?

Today I’m sitting with slightly singed fingers and injured dignity/pride/self confidence that sort of thing from a little exploration of selling my bits and pieces through a local shop. I’ll just steam away quietly …. doesn’t seem a positive way to start a Friday before a bank holiday does it? Best do something. I know I’ll get on with some sewing. Just look at what needs finishing….

This is one of those work in progress things(WIP’s). This one speaks for itself. It’s a quilt top, log cabin (you knew that didn’t you) and I’m absolutely in love with the way the colours have worked out. It’s a bit of a departure from the normal designs I make but you have to try different things sometimes. It was quite therapeutic; cutting out so many little bits, (Oh! the back ache.) stitching them all together (that needed a lot of organisation. ), to make the blocks. Stitching the blocks together to get to this…..

The decision and if you’ve any suggestions they just might help, is what to do with the borders? I can’t decide whether to have one fairly wide border, 3 inches or so (sorry, I always think in inches when I’m quilting) of dark red and quilt into that. Or have two borders; a narrower dark blue one and a slightly wider dark red one. I’d love to see it finished…… it’s making the decision that’s hard.

Coming next is ……

‘Apparently these blocks are called ‘a flying geese variation!’ I’ve used some Amy Butler fabrics and a gorgeous flowery blousy print designed by Kaffe Fassett and the spotty one from Anna Maria Horner All lovely Rowan fabrics!

It’s quite bright isn’t it? When I began these blocks of blousy floweryness, I was looking out at my garden. The resemblance is quite uncanny. (No! it isn’t a magic garden that grows fabric, I’m referring to the colours.) Really though, I was experimenting with using large fabric designs. It intrigues me the number of different looks you can achieve from one fabric, just by the way you cut it out, isolate bits of pattern motifs creating something which is sometimes, brighter and more complex than the original fabric. That’ll probably be a continued fascination/ exploration for me - I hope so.

It is quite LOUD, but I love it’s brightness. I’m sure it won’t end up being put in a cupboard to protect our eyes! What stands in the way of it’s ‘completeness’ is that I need to decide whether or not to use the two sets of four blocks to make one cushion cover and button it through the centre? That centre square just cries out for something doesn’t it? Or whether to applique a flower in the middle and make two cushion covers with an envelope back? (Two cushions is probably best, the children will be more fairly/equally armed for those cushion fights they swear they do not have! Like I believe them!)

My third sewing project on the go…. (or maybe it isn’t quite…. is this. Can you work out why it’s quite brown…russet like…. bark cloth? No! Well, it’s going to be, when I haul my sorry self back in front of the sewing machine an Amy Butler messenger bag and it’s for Mr Primrose. (He chose the fabric :)) He’s getting a little wary and weary or those rucksack for laptop type things which shout ‘Hello, I’m a laptop come steal me…..’ and he wanted something quite … well different. So, I’m about to begin stitching it together. It’s like all of Amy’s patterns lots of fantastically clear instructions, more unusually it has lots of pieces, heaps of them actually.

I’m going to use interlining instead of cotton canvas that is recommended on the pattern sleeve but I’m confident (!) that it’ll support the bark cloth better. I’ll report back how I get on - at the moment I can’t quite fathom the pencil pocket but It’ll probably become clearer when I start assembly.

Let me have your thoughts on the borders! Pretty please! Have a wonderful bank holiday weekend and may the sun shine bright!

The weather is absolutely awful here (East Midlands) so I thought I’d post these sunnier photos just to make us all feel better. (Well, it helped me.)

or this little chap

Did it help? Do you feel sunnier inside now? (Just stay away from the window – reality is hard and who needs it anyway.)

I’ve never written about my visit to the Bramble Patch to see the Thr3fold live exhibition/demonstration day with Laura and Linda Kemshall and Catherine Nicholls. Wow!

There was so much to see and so much more to take in. It was quite informal so you were able to talk to Laura, Linda and Catherine about the quilts that were hanging on the walls. There were ‘samples’ – maybe examples is a better word of the bags and cushion covers that are demonstrated in their thr3fold journals.

There were some gorgeous quilts being beautiful and thought provoking hanging on the walls. There were various samples showing different stitching/quilting approaches. Throughout, there were demonstrations of methods for painting fabric and and examples and demonstrations of screen painting approaches. It was a completely fluid, apparently unchoreographed day with people who are clearly very comfortable with each other. I was sorry to have to come away early but I had to be back to pick the children up from school, you know how it is.

The ‘thr3fold journals’ are amazing. They’re called ‘thr3fold – the journal of creative vision’, and that describes them very well. They’re a work of art in themselves with beautifully detailed pictures and explanations. The latest issue, 3 (I couldn’t not could I?), explores screen printing onto fabric, talks about design and transfer printing onto fabric and there are some lovely projects to do and video demonstrations of techniques on the accompanying CD and templates to use. They have a website for the journal here. (Sorry! this is beginning to sound like an advert, but they’re just so lovely.)

What I really love is that the three of them clearly have an amazing amount of talent but all of the techniques they demonstrate appear quite accessible to mere mortals (me!) at one level or another. You could imagine (I’ve a good imagination.) all the different ways to use the stitching, painting techniques, screen printing and endless other approaches to create something truly magical even if like me your drawing ability doesn’t extend much beyond leaves.

It was a totally inspiring day and I’ve carried part of it home with me in this journal. One happy bunny!