Drawing.

I don't often do a drawing as a final piece these days. It's usually as a sketch or design for something else. However, tonight I wanted to do something creative but a sinus headache is making small scale stuff very tiring on the eyes. So I got a big piece of paper and my pencil cases with this as the end result. On Saturday we went to Strawbs concert, and their album Bursting at the Seams has a song called Lady Fuschia. I just had an image of a lady in pinks and purples, with those fuchsia flower shapes in her dress. Of course it's hard to get the image exactly how you wanted, and I think this is a little too neat. I wanted more Gerald Scarfe type lines, and maybe a more elongated figure. I also wanted her to look sadder than she does. I'm very pleased though, considering she's drawn from imagination.

The song is based on a character from Gormanghast, which I haven't read, so she's completely my invention and not based on that character. I didn't want her to be too 'Flower Fairy', but a bit more edgy and punky. Perhaps something to revisit, now I've got a clearer idea of what I like and don't like about this image.

A patchwork denim skirt or how to make life difficult for yourself!

I bought this lovely, very simple skirt pattern - 3 pieces, a side zip, very straightforward. Unless you decide that you want to make a patchwork denim skirt, and that it can't be square patchwork, it has to be crazy patchwork!
I had an old denim skirt, which I had made from a pair of jeans, and had some old jeans of Adrian's. I traced the pattern onto freezer paper, then cut out pieces which I pinned onto the freezer paper. I used yellow thread and a zig zag stitch to sew the patches together. Now that all sounds quite easy, but I forgot to go forward and back when I started and ended my stitching, and then when I tried to pull the paper off the back it didn't come off very easily. So my front panel needed extra patches and some resewing. But, hey, it's all adding to the general worn, hippy style look.
I learnt some lessons for the back piece - by sewing back and forward and by overlapping the pieces more. Pulling the paper off the back still was a pain, and needed tweezers, but it worked.
So here's the finished skirt. Due to my weirded shaped back I had to make the darts much bigger than they were on the pattern, but I'm pleased with the end result. Denim skirts from jeans tend to be all of the 'adding triangle panels to the legs' variety, so it's nice to have done something very different!

USA quilt is underway!

It's taken a while to get going on this, despite my plan to do some each month, and I didn't want to get behind straight away!
I have now planned my embroidered sections, choosing images and then one of four colour ways. The images will be sewn in blue or red on white, and in white on red or blue. Scuppered a little by not having any white thread, I started with a blue on white bald eagle.
I used a photo from the Internet, and, inspired by Adrian's Christmas gift of iPad for Artists, I reduced it to a line drawing using Adobe Ideas. I transferred the image using a water and air soluble pen. I tried using the iPad as a light box, but as it's pressure sensitive that's a little tricky.
But here we are, my first patch ready for my American themed crazy quilt!

Happy New Year!

2013 has started and with it thoughts of what creative projects I want to take on. I had a few things to finish - my final tag for the Tag Tuesday Blog and finishing my Sketchbook Project sketchbook.

It feels good to draw a line under both of these projects, even though they have both been great fun, and kind of a useful link between the very structured creativity that my Foundation Diploma required, and setting out on my own again.

Tag Tuesday gave me the chance to try out new things, and because of the small scale it didn't require a massive investment in time or resources. It was also nice to have the challenge of themes that I wasn't so keen on, that always stretches you as an artist! However, I decided not to continue, as I now have limited creative time and want to do other things. The discipline of a tag a week was good though, and I'm going to apply that to my work this year.

The Sketchbook Project was a good challenge to, and the biggest thing I've learnt is how quickly I lose inspiration and interest in things if I don't get on with them! I chose the Royal Pavilion, Brighton as my theme, but struggled with getting my drawings the way I wanted them, with not being able to take photos in the Pavilion, and with not taking my sketchbook with me. Finally, I spent an afternoon in there, with the sketchbook, in December; a last ditch attempt to actually finish the thing, as I was determined not to miss the completion date. I'm pleased with the final result and intend to scan it before I send it off to the States for it's tour and eventual new home of the Brooklyn Art library. As this is the first piece of art work I've really put out there it feels a little strange, like sending off a child to a new home. I feel very protective but I want to make this step.

So for 2013 here are my list of projects (so far!)
- summer dress from a vintage pattern for my sister
- embroidery of the Amex stadium here in Brighton for our branch book for Embroiderers Guild
- crazy quilt with the theme USA (I intend to do this a bit at a time, maybe a bit a month, to pace myself and help me finish it)
- a puppet a month, need to think of some characters, can't decide whether to go the Punch and Judy route, or something I might actually use!

So I wish everyone a happy and creative new year, and look forward to posting some of my work here.

Frustrations, plans and new friends

In September I started the first full time job that I've had in five years. I love the job but it's been a shock to the system. I expected to have time in the evenings to do the creative things I want to do, and I was determined not to end up just working all day and vegging out in front of the tv all evening. But, of course, I'm exhausted and spend my evenings vegging out in front of the TV!

Thankfully a kind friend told me that it took her a year to adjust from part time to full time work, so I've taken some of the pressure off myself. What's left is frustration; I don't want to waste my evenings or my half terms (I'm working in a school) I don't want to be resting, I want to be making and doing and being creative. (I also had some good advice from Mum who said to do the creative stuff while you have energy because you can always do ironing etc when your brain is fried!)

I've managed to keep going with the Tag Tuesday blog and that's inspired me to make some plans for next year. I've also picked up puppeteering again, so there's an outlet there. I'm probably actually doing more than I realise, just not as much as I want.

So plans! I have in mind to make a crazy patchwork quilt, similar to the Green Knowe one I made. I want to base it on iconic images from the USA, and on the Stars and Stripes flag. I've been feeling the pressure to get on with it, so I've set myself this as a project for next year. Each month I will design and stitch a small panel, then in the school holidays I will assemble the panels that are done. By December 2013 it should be finished!

As for new friends, I've made several puppets. (See what I mean about doing more than I realise!) Excuse the photos, for speed I took them with my iPhone and iPad, and you don't always get the best results.
The old guy is paper mâché and fabric. I made the head ages ago and have finally got round to finishing it off. I've since replaced his hands with some felt that is more akin to his skin colour,and more to scale with the rest of him. I would make a longer sleeve next time.

The camels are adapted from a pattern I got from this website.
http://www.puppetpatterns.com/index.htm
I intend to make a third, what with Christmas coming up!

The little green guy is called Crockford, because of his jumper! He is so cute, aged about 3, and very talkative! He loves crocodiles and now has a big 'brudder' called Brookland. (Brookland looks the same but only talks by whispering to another person. He's about 6 and loves taking photographs. They are both named after places in Surrey!) They are made from the Roly pattern from this website, with Brookland being a 125% version of the pattern.

http://www.projectpuppet.com/servlet/StoreFront

Finally finished!

I finally got round to finishing a project I started ages ago, in fact so long ago I can't quite remember when! I had an idea to make some glove puppets, and made a papier mâché head. This got painted and has been sitting, featureless and bodyless on my study window sill.
Puppets have made a bit if a return into my life, with a puppet show for the kids at Sunday School last weekend. It reminded me how much I love puppets, and I decided to finish off my unfinished fella.
So here he is! I used a John Piper furnishing fabric remnant for his body, felt for his hands (wrong shade really but I couldn't find any the right colour in my stash) and fleece for his scarf. His hair is fur fabric. He ended up an older man, just because that's what he seemed to be!
I think he look better than I do in the photos due to a virus which has wiped me out for the last couple of weeks.! Just need to write a story for him...

Finished bag and dress

Here's two projects that I've recently finished. The bag was seen in progress in my previous 2 posts. It now has its handles attached. The hardest part was working out how to attach the lining, which I just couldn't get my head round. I managed it in the end! I'm pleased with the pleats in the fabric at the handle, and also how much stuff I can fit in it!
The other project is the dress, which I made using a reprinted 1940s pattern. The hem still needs some work, and I needed some advice from Mum on fit, but as it's the first dressmaking I've done for ages I'm really pleased. I'm planning to wear it to a swing jive event, which will give me a chance to try out another newly acquired skill - lindy hop!