How much can you fit into a day?
Every day on tour is an adventure, full of surprises and unexpected moments. It's like living in a sitcom, where anything can happen. Although the tour is well-planned, we always keep an open mind and embrace the wonderful opportunities that come our way.
On the road.
Traveling is a unique experience that requires planning and dedication, and it's a lifelong dream for many.
“plans & prep”
When we share photos and videos of our travels, we invite our audience to participate by asking questions in the comments.
From the studio.
Another day of Bayeux work, then on to the portraits, I'm doing three different genres at once, and I want to get them completed so that I can create another cheesecloth portrait. I drew this on very fine Indian fabric. It's so fine, you can see through it. I used prisma pencils because they are waxy and soft. It's not easy to draw on, but it gives such a beautiful effect.I have to stabilize it with my hand by forming a stretched section so I can use the pencil. I have added a thin cotton batting and the same fabric on the back, and I'm stitching through the three layers.Now I'm stitching an outline with 50 weight Aurifil cotton. I want it to look as fine as possible. I will draw it again and just keep the pencil drawing to put into a frame. I could possibly use the 80 weight thread.I'm doing a class on lips with Textile Art Stitch and the call was to create lips. I think I will add cream cheesecloth across the base of the quilt, similar to the eye below. The other two are the ones I shared in the last post, but I have managed to get a bit further.
What are you doing at home?
This week I've turned the corner in a way, and I'm preparing for a long time home.What does 'long time' mean?Who knows, but I need to plan and get on with what I love doing best—working with Textiles. Hopefully, sometime in the future I can travel and teach again, but I can assure you I will have a large bank of new ideas in the cases.That said, I'm exploring new ideas, and I'm going to share them with you as I do them.Doing something different.Click on the arrows to enlarge the video. you may have to click on the three dots on the side to download it to your computer.This is what I've been working on for a week or so now.I took a photo of a lady in India, it's my personal photo.I changed the photo into a sketch by using an app on the iPad called Sketchmee 2. I can manipulate it to get the effect I require.I printed two images onto very fine cream fabric bought in India and I think the video will explain it all. The iPad image. Inspiration in the downstairs room.
“Roaming with wishes”
As my passion for textile art grew, I began teaching others at home first, and by unusual circumstances, I was asked to share my creative ideas with the world.
Textile styles in the making.
It’s taken me a while to write this story. Most of you on my blog, are quilters or love the art of Textiles. We have a textile advantage that we take for granted so today I share a story of art and experimental reinvention. Dena Crain a quilter from Kenya, taught the local ladies a technique called “Siddi” quilting. "What on earth is Siddi Quilting" you say? Basically its a style of quilt known as a Kawandi and it is made by the generations of Siddi people taken to India some 400 years ago as indentured workers
Its the detail you need to see. Red Fort.
It's the beauty, the detail, the patterns and the history we all need to see.
Influence of India – the quilt.
I've had a busy few days and I've finished two quilts this week. "Edna" the Elephant.The idea of the elephant was on a poster on a wall in India. I can't find the picture, it was just in my mind somehow.I began with fabric from India, the green fabric and the orange is Cotton Rubia fabric.Of course the Taj Mahal is real and drawn with pigment ink on the rubia before it was sandwiched. This is one of my own photos.Th ink worked well on the Rubia fabric.Kaffe Fassett fabric worked well for the blanket.I colored the orange with white ink and the tusks are white fabric that I have illustrated.The ink is pigment and permanent.In beginning to quilt it, I first stitched around the pattern on the blanket in black thread. then the elephant was quilted the same way. I freehand drew a continuum of the pattern of the blanket onto the body of the elephant, it reminds me of the henna patterns we all have done on our tourist arms when visiting.I was going to do a pattern on her ears, but decided to just freehand stitch in lines
Plant Creative seeds today – to harvest tomorrow.
[vimeo 138302652 w=640 h=360] Plant creative seeds to capture tomorrow. from Iampamholland on Vimeo.