Gone To Earth

Where ’d the summer go?

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!

A charming little bag …

A charming little bag…well I think so.

What do you think? Do you like it? It’s a pattern taken from this book

‘Making vintage bags’ by Emma Brennan.

My husband’s cousin asked me to make her a bag as she was going on a cruise to Norway and this is the one she chose.

She’s been soooo... excited. I can’t think how many new outfits she’s been out and bought and how many she’s taken back ….. well, you know how it is with colours. They often look different in daylight as opposed to the artificial light in shops.

I’ve modified it a bit, o.k. a lot. In the original design the back of the bag is an unpleated flat piece with a zip opening in it. The handle is sewn into the top seam. I made the back of the bag the same as the front and placed the opening in the top. It’s a small bag, making it just right for the Captain's table (apparently). I added a divided pocket inside just to help organise bag contents a little.

The pattern recommends drill cotton with a silk corsage but Ann wanted silk – grey silk which wasn’t that easy to find. I was worried that dupion silk wouldn’t have enough ‘body’ to support the pleats nicely but with a bit of interlining I think it worked well. The handle has a strip of black velvet ribbon sewn down the middle. It really adds a touch of ‘vintage’ charm to it and I’m definitely going to use that idea again.

In the pattern the rose corsage is sewn onto the bag front – I made it as a brooch.

Mostly because the fabric flower and leaves seemed heavy and I was worried about it sitting well on the silk. Probably my fault because I made the flower out of cotton and not silk (I couldn’t find any silk polka dot fabric) I covered the sewing on back of the rose with black felt (I hate the idea of raw edges possibly peeping out – I think I was bitten by one once or something.) and sewed on a brooch back.

The main thing was she was really pleased and that makes it all so worth while. She even rang me in the evening to tell me how much she loved it Ahh! And the details of all the outfits it would match ….. argh!