Ivy Fence with Ball

The Fence and Ball Piece I worked on the other week has been posted on the Unfini-sheds site.

Scroll down and you will see it - the 8th one down. You can see some of the other work that has been donated. There are a few more works which can be seen if you go to the button on the header which says From Abroad.

They are also going to be raising money at the Festival of Quilts with the Tombola. They are collecting items made with a heart theme. Check it out if you are interested in helping.

'Ivy Fence with Ball' - and Unfini-shed

A while back I did a series of black and white journal quilts which travelled with the Grosvenor shows last year.

When I started trying to make them, I made this 'not black and white' Ivy fence piece.

'Not black and white' because it was too pale and I overdid the 'colour it in a bit'. You can read about it here.

So, fast forward to this year. I was contacted by the Co-ordinator for Region 2 (of the Quilt Guild). They are running the fundraiser for the Guild at the Festival of Quilts this year. People are making heart shaped things to be won at the tombola.
Someone had a great idea of asking well-known UK quilters to donate an A4 piece with unfinished edges which will be matted and sold for £25 to raise even more money. They are calling them Unfini-sheds - because they hope to raise shed loads of money with them! Would I be willing to participate?

Why yes! (especially if suddenly I am a well-known UK quilter!). So, what to make? It doesn't need to be there til end of July, but I thought if I slotted it in now, I wouldn't be fretting about it when I am making all the other stuff I have in my head.

And so, I came across the 'not black and white' piece. Which from here on out will be called Ivy Fence *_____ _____* Blanks will be filled in a minute.

Even though this became a Work in Progress all that time ago, I had actually taken a few more steps for an idea. I took a couple of Pepper's old balls and took a photo of them in a spot that this piece sort of represented in my head.

I settled on the photo with the blue ball. (fill in the blanks above).

So, I found a bit of fabric which had the start of the shade and light amongst the mottled marks.

I fussy cut the ball from the fabric. and after sometime of working into it with coloured pencils, I was very chuffed to find I had managed to make a ball that looks like a ball!

So I fused it to felt and then stitched the felt to the background invisibly. I stitched down the shadow, but I didn't feel like it wanted the edge of the ball stitched down. I like the way it stands out from the background. I got confirmation from my friend who is often my consultant. She thought it would be fine, too.

And then decided the background wanted even more colouring in. So a couple more hours working into it with coloured pencils and Triplus Fineliner felt tip markers.

So, in theory we are meant to send it unfinished. but I thought I needed to tame the threads round the edge. So I made one pass with a satin stitch. and a bit more colouring in.
Actually, when you think of the 'not-stitched-down-round-the-edge' ball.... If who ever purchases it really thinks it wants stitching down, then they can as part of 'finishing' it!

'Ivy Fence with Ball'

Another detail in the instructions had said to send something that would be recognised as yours. Well, I am not sure whether this is 'recognisable' or not. But I am happy with anyone thinking it is mine.

You can see more of the Unfini-sheds on their website.
I hope to get it in the post today.

20 Aprons

Well, while I have been sewing aprons this week, Blogger has gone ahead with their new format. Let's hope I can actually do everything I hoped to do today!

I finished the last apron today.

Altogether

and nicely folded.

10 from the stash and 10 from the teddy baking fabric. Now to parcel them off.

Aprons from my stash

these are the aprons I finished from my stash. The lady has sent me some fabric with teddybears baking, so I will make those and then send them all off.

Aprons

I Belong to an online Sewing Forum. In the last couple days there was a cry for help from the sister of a lady who makes children's and some adult aprons to sell to raise money for prostate and breast cancer charities. She makes up a little baking kit to go with the apron.

However, there have been some family situations which have meant she is quite behind with getting enough aprons for an upcoming event where she hoped to raise money. So, the cry for help from the sister. And why not? I have a few more days before college starts back up.

The sister is sending some teddy fabric she had to those of us who said we'd make some. It is a good idea and also good reasons for selling. If we liked, we could make up some from fabric we have.

So, I thought I would make use of some of the novelty fabric I have which I didn't suit Christmas serviettes or fabric bags in January. The children's size takes a 'fat quarter' and a small adult or teen size takes 1/2 metre of fabric. Here is a completed dragon in the larger size.

and some in progress that might appeal to boys or non-girly girls.

I thought I could use up bias binding scraps as well. But actually, they take longer than you think if you use bias binding. I am tempted to get out the cotton tape which would be easier and take less time. Perhaps by the time the teddy fabric arrives, I will have worked out a quicker system...like rethreading the overlocker?

by the way, the second photo also has the altered suit trousers I mentioned doing for a Certain Lad.

family stuff

a Certain Lad is doing Movember in reverse.

He is on Mutton Chops now.

Shall I say he is suddenly coming out of his shell, or what?

If you want to know details if you'd like to donate, email me or leave a message making sure I can find your email through your profile.

other things:
I have heard my brother is in hospital again after already spending about a month in there and being home only a couple weeks. Serious pneumonia. He has been in and out of ICU and back and forth from the local hospital to the big one in a town about 60 miles away.

Hopefully it is just complications from meds which should improve now that they are going back to the old ones. He has gone far beyond the average life expectancy for a kidney transplant recipient. So, every day has been a bonus. But when this sort of stuff starts happening, you wonder if it is all beginning to break down again. :( I think it must be about 20 years now since he had a rare kidney disease. I can't remember how long he was on dialysis. He was told the average was 10 years for the first transplant.

Somehow he has to make it through the severe Maine winter which has begun early this year. (I am not keen on going to Maine in the winter again this year! after 2008 and 2010)

more Art in Action

the previous post was getting too full, so I will continue here.

There were some amazing pieces of art on show, as well as fascinating demonstrations of the work being done. I had heard about a project in the textiles tent before I went. The project is called The Unfinishable. A group of textile artists are collecting unfinished work from others and then will do something with them to finish.

I knew just the piece to donate. I started this somewhere around 1977/78! It was for my aunt who was about to have her first at around age 42. Well, the baby has obviously grown and even has recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. He is married and has children!

The reason I never finished is because I couldn't resolve the situation with the baby on the blanket. and eventually I hated the fact that I had used remnants of dress fabrics, including polyester doubleknit/crimplene. I guess the reason why I kept it was because I had been very pleased with the piecing of the chest of drawers and the stitching on the 'pictures'. What I find interesting, after thinking I have only been doing textile art in the last decade or so, is that I had it in me to go that direction way back then!

So, anyway, I have passed it on and hopefully they can chop and change it to be something which will redeem the time and effort of storing and carrying it around all this time!

Another exciting - at least to me - thing going on at the show was the woodcarvers who were working on a 'rocking dragon'.

For a donation you could have your name written on one of the scales. The money raised is going to Help for Heroes. So, how could I pass it up?
I have put a ring round 'my' scale.

The Help for Heros website states: "Ox & Bucks Woodcarvers fundraiser - Art in Action - in July was great fun and a success. They raised £3017 at this event and added to their running total from previous events they have reached a total of approx. £4,500."

Sale!

We went for an out and about today.
along the way we saw this:

I am pretty chuffed with this photo... I took it out the window at 70 odd mph. It is a very vintage BMW.

We parked near this:

Which means nothing to you, but is quite near the spelling of my maiden name.

And went into this while the men walked the dog:

Because they were having a %60/%40 sale as a fund raiser for the National Needlework Archive. I got some nice lengths of wool, and even some hair canvas at extremely reasonable prices. that will be helpful to the students next year when they do their tailored jackets as I can offer them a part of a metre for their sample jacket while they are still deciding what kind they will need to purchase for themselves.

I met one of my students there.

I also donated a couple piles of magazines to the National Needlework Archive which is also at the Textile centre. The college was clearing out last year and I kept the Vogue and the Burda ones to donate, but never got over there.

I also got rid of my large bag of patterns. yes, there were some in there that were special to me. yes, there were some that were vintage and I could have sold on ebay. but on the otherhand, I don't know how nor do I have the time. So, they can either archive them or sell them and then the money will help with the charity.

I might regret it, but I doubt it, as I haven't even looked at them since I started drafting my own. It was almost to the point where I was considering using them as paper layers in artwork. but now someone can use them and if I really need that sort of imagery, I can go pick up one in a charity shop to chop up.

and then we came home, left the dog and went out for a meal to cover a Certain Lad's birthday and Mothering Sunday all together. (and they are doing tomorrow's dinner as well!)

Good day all told.

Fund Raiser Event

Today was the fund raiser for the Thames Valley Hospice. I think Charlie, the girl who organised it, must have made quite a bit of money for the Hospice.

I was a bit disappointed at the results of trying to sell the trees I made. It seemed you had to have tacky kiddy stuff or very glittery stuff to be able to sell anything. However, in the end, I did sell enough to cover the cost of the table. I am going to put the rest of the money towards a collection we are doing at church for the children my friend Karin works with in Ethiopia. Oasis Foundation.

Liz, at the table next to mine had done some lovely beadwork jewellery. She is just getting started with a little business. She did quite well for the occasion. I bought one of her beaded ornaments to take home. They sold very well. In the photo you can see there aren't many left!
Liz's mum Jane took some photos of my table for me.
A lot of people expected the trees to be scented. I could have added Pine scent, but you can never tell if people will like a scent or if they might be allergic. So, in the end, I put a sign to say you could add scent if you wanted! Other remarks were about them being pin cushions. After several comments like that, Jane bought one for Liz for parking her beading needles!

So, I have nearly 60 left. (I made about 71). Guess what though, I won't have to think of something for a little gift for my various students!

But besides that, I made some nice friends. Both Liz and Jane work with the Rainbow Guides. I generally save my little bits and pieces of fabric scraps, so I said I'd save them for their group next. They are fun to use for collage and other sticking and gluing activities.

Fund Raiser - 6

Most of the Christmas Trees are all full of wadding. All I have to do is sew across the bottom of the opening and attach sparkly string to the tops for hanging them. I will probably do some sort of tag with info as well.

Obviously the above is just for temporary storage! Takes up less room than all nicely laid in several plastic boxes.

Fund Raiser - 5

Another paperwork day,

But a bit of time for some Christmas trees tonight.The top ones have a light green pearl colour. the blue ones have bright white spots on the printed snowflakes.

I will have time next week to put the toy wadding inside.

Fund Raiser - 4

A bit more work on decorations for the fund raiser. Instead of beads, I am using dots of gold paint. Nice mindless work to do whilst listening to an audio book.

Fund Raiser - 3

I am trying out a few ideas of things to make for the charity Christmas Boutique.

Here are a few tree decorations. The thing is, if I am going to make enough for the day and with my current schedule, they can't be complicated.

The middle one is turned... too fiddley.

You may not be able to tell from the photo, but all are stitched with beads, etc. Elegant, but really too time consuming. I have started a few more with thoughts of using dimensional fabric paint. If it were some high class Christmas fair, I would do the beads. But as it is a charity event, the people who come are not likely to be expecting to pay prices that would reimburse your time. It is the small coins that go to make up the amounts in these instances.

I will show you the next lot when I have them done. Because I am just pinking the edges, I am drawing round my template onto doubled fabric with chalk, leaving a little bit of a gap between. Then I am stitching round each tree on the piece of fabric, and cutting them out with the pinking shears. I leave the bottom of the base open for stuffing.

I am not a great one for making loads of one thing, but I have a selection of quilting cottons, some in not-to-predictable greens and reds and golds. It gives a bit of interest and somewhat of a reason to buy because they are different...I hope.

fund raiser - 1

"Reflections" And here is the finished postcard for the fund raiser for the Thames Hospice Care in Windsor.
I am showing you 2 versions. one shows it more shiny, but the other lets you see a bit more detail because there is not so much glare.

It was made from little strips like selvedge edges and frayed edges and leftover bits that were too special to throw away!

I think it will be for the tombola.

fund raiser

The other day I had a phone call from a lady who plans to do a fund raiser Christmas Boutique at the Community Centre. Vendors will pay for a table and can sell items for Christmas. There will also be a tombola. The money raised in the tombola and from the hire of the tables will go to support the Thames Hospice Care in Windsor. It is a lovely respite for those going through difficult times with cancer.

The lady asked if I would like a table or if I'd be willing to donate anything to the tombola. She had been given my name from someone I know locally. Normally I don't do fundraisers. However, in the summer, I did donate several Journal Quilts to the Little Gems project which helped to raise just over £10,000 for the Quilt Museum and Gallery in York.

I decided the least I could do for a cancer charity is to donate something (s) to the tombola.

So, anyway, the above postcard was started well over a year ago. But after making about 2 others, I decided I am not really into doing small postcards. They take as much time as something bigger, so I may as well make something bigger! But, I can finish this one. So, I hope to do that tomorrow.

I am not sure I have enough items to sell on a table. But I intend to have a think. The date is early December, and I don't have time to make loads of things, but there may be something I can do.

Oh, so, why would I do this, which is not my norm?
Well, I lost one sister to cancer last Christmas. My brother has been having problems with skin cancer due to side affects from a kidney transplant 18 years ago, and just finished radiation treatment after having a large lump removed under his arm. And another relative is going through similar problems at present. I also had an aunt who died of cancer when I was small...So, yes, I will do this. I hope she raises quite a bit of money.