V + A dragons

Although I went to the V+A with the fashion students to see the Grace Kelly exhibit, I also personally wanted to see the new medieval galleries.

I went dragon spotting. I may have missed some, but here are the ones I saw. I also took some photos of knights, but there weren't many because most of the artefacts were related to religion in some way or another.

There were 4 of these water dragons round a faux water fountain. Originally they did spew water.

George and the (very small) dragon. Not sure this one really took a lot of courage to slay.

Another George...this time showing the princess he rescued. I think his armour is a bit scale like, myself. But how brave to do it all bare footed! The dragon must be bigger, as there are only portions showing in the scene.

This one is Michael the Archangel defeating the Dragon.

And a very grainy photo of some griffon like dragons way up high so I had to zoom quite a lot.

a roosterish dragon

 

cuddley dragons?

a manticore? any way good wings and claws

and then two strange creatures to round off with

a bit Tolkeinesque

and ?

Love how the carvers used their imagination though!

Sky Princess clouds

I had heat away stabiliser on the bottom of the stitching yesterday. After thinking about it, I realised alot of my problems would be solved if it were on top. and so it worked. It also solved the problem I was having with the machine light bouncing off the silvery fabric so that I couldn't see the outline I had drawn with chalk. I think there will still be a bit of movement, but not as much as before, and should only add an acceptable bit of puffiness to the clouds.

I also put in a metallic needle and added an extra guide for the thread to pass through. Sometimes metallic thread kinks and so breaks when it gets to the tension guide. Sometimes if you are going fast, as with a zigzag, it jumps out of the take up lever. Since making these changes I haven't had a problem with the thread.

Tomorrow I am going with the students from the various fashion courses at college to the V+A. The Quilt exhibit is nearly finished and there is also a Grace Kelly exhibit.

Sky Princess proceeds

Clouds for the Sky Princess -
At present a bit frustrating because the metallic thread seems to be snapping for undue reasons. Maybe a new needle in the morning will help.

Not sure if I will pursue this option. I don't know if the puckering makes better clouds or if I should use a temporary spray to keep it flat as I had envisioned.

Machine Embroidery

For the past few weeks 2 ladies have been coming to my house because they wanted to learn machine embroidery. Today was the last session. It has been very good to have students that are keen and who go away and practice/do homework through the week.
Here are some examples of some of the things they have made. It is interesting to see the progress.

writing/drawing

 

bobbinwork

cords and edges

water soluble

fabric manipulation

Here I am! again

Reading Chronicle from last week...
and there I am at the Big Arts Picnic at the sewing machine!

Today it is Beaded Brooches at the Birch Hill Library. There was a little blurb about that in the Bracknell News...maybe we will have a few more come to the workshop.

Inspiration Monday

Because life is so much more interesting if you use your imagination.

and more exhibition

A couple of photos of dream like art work that caught my eye at the exhibit at New Directions for Reading Arts Week.

I loved the dream like state of these...maybe because we recently watched Alice in Wonderland?

I am not generally drawn to pottery, but I did like this one.

I really like the texture.

I had a good afternoon showing a few more of my various journal quilts from over the past few years and demonstrating machine embroidery. I started another dragon, which will actually be a bit bigger than journal quilt size. At present there isn't enough to photograph.

I got to catch up with my friend and colleague, Caroline Quin who did the teaching qualification with me. We are never teaching in the same centre or even at the same tutor meetings, so I haven't seen her since last summer! I really would like to take her book illustration course. I absolutely and utterly love her work. and her imagination. Click on her name to see her illustrations. She also has a head full of dragons! :D

Click on the photo to make it larger.

Arts WeekExhibition

More adventures today for Reading Arts Week. I am demonstrating Machine Embroidery again at the New Directions - Caversham centre.

Here are the pieces EquilARTeral has entered. (pity about the notice board!)

Last evening at the reception, I made some really good connections with Jenny Kiehn, a lady who stopped by my "tent" on Wednesday right at the end of the day. I really liked the artwork she had entered into the exhibition.

Jenny's "quilt" piece - made of blocks of ephemera embedded in PVA and stitched together

I am thinking that Jenny might fit in with Thames Valley Contemporary Quilt group, perhaps giving insight to installation work and photography.

Jenny's translucent work - glass, photography, and wax

I should be able to get some other photos of paintings today. The lighting wasn't too great last night. However, I really loved the Garden Pot project!

especially the tree!

more alteration

Tonight I went to the reception for the Exhibition at the College, part of Reading Arts Week. I will show you photos of some of the other art work, but for now, here is a photo of the dragons safely ensconced in a glass case.

And here is a photo of the Solar Optics pieces along with a few of the other pieces donated for the Canvas Project. These are being sold for £25 to raise money for supported learning at the college.

and earlier today:
Along with sorting a bit more of my studio, I finished off the hems of the other pair of linen trousers.

... a little like the turquoise pair, but on an angle.

mending and altering

After such a long day yesterday, today was a bit of conserving strength sort of day, since I have quite a few other things going on in the next week.

So, I mended a hat for a Certain Lad going off on adventures for a couple weeks.

I also shortened some crop trousers to a length more suitable to me. I did this a few weeks ago to a white pair I bought. The resulting length still left it with a rather wide finish, which I wasn't happy with. So, on the white pair, I just tucked out the fullness at the side seam. There was 2 extra buttons which were meant to replace the one at the waist and one of the buttoned pockets (slightly smaller), should they go missing. So, I shortened the buttonhole length, put the small button at the waist, and stitched the 2 larger ones on the tuck at the hem for a feature! They are very comfortable. I have been wearing them alot and have them on now!
So...a photo in a very unclean mirror.

I hadn't got around to shortening two linen pairs, so started that today. This turquoise pair has been taken in slightly at the inner seam near the hem, but it wasn't quite enough. Or at least it looked rather plain. So, I tried a few horizontal tucks. I think they really help make them look alot better. I plan to wear them to the exhibition at College on Saturday (Caversham) when I will be demonstrating Machine Embroidery again.

I still have a natural linen pair which has been chopped now, but needs to be hemmed. I shall have to think what I might do to the hem of those!

Big Art Picnic

Some photos of my stand at the Big Art Picnic at Caversham Court today.

I had a lot of interest from all ages. Little boys who liked the dragon stories, young ladies who loved the Bernina Garments, and men and ladies who were fascinated by the idea of doing work like that!

Some seemed to be very interested in doing the course. I also met a gentleman who came to Reading today from Oxford by boat on the Thames. He saw the event on the banks of the river and found his way over to see what was going on. He repairs sewing machines, does a bit of sewing and was very keen to see how he could set up his machine to do a bit of free work!

Some of the students from various fashion courses also did an informal fashion show. I managed to snap a couple photos.

It was a great day. There were loads of other events, like singing groups, dance groups and so on. A real nice atmosphere as people really did bring their picnic and sit around on the grass listening to what was going on.

Oh,I was visited by the Mayor of Reading and his family as well as having even more photos from the newspaper photographer! It may get into the Bracknell News this time.

chopping and changing

Tomorrow is the big day ...the Big Art Picnic at Caversham Gardens. I am demonstrating all day, so I have been getting ready for it. As I am taking the Bernina Garments to display as well, I had to dig out M'Lady and Mademoiselle.

And since I have been meaning to shuffle all the cupboards on that side of the studio along about 15 inches so I can get to the book case, I decided to make a start. So, the whole desk set got emptied and moved. Things are being sorted and put back. Then next cupboard will be another day, but here is a before photo to tide you over till I get one of the changes.

Well, this is a rather false before, because it is seldom, if ever that tidy! Anyway, imagine a 15 in gap between the desk portion and the cupboard. and a table full of bits and pieces that need sorting.

Yes, I do know I am meant to be working on FOQ entries. =-{

Inspiration Monday

upwards

Sandown again

Today I went to collect my quilts.
I did actually get a bit of work done on Sky Princess on Saturday. I am not sure if I said, but she wants some copperish highlights. So, I kept thinking it really has to be the silk metallic tissue like I am using for the body of the coat.

So, I got to the show about 45 min before closing and went over to Silk Route's stand and found these pieces in the top of the photo. I think there is enough to do what I want.

I also stopped at Simply Sequins and picked up a large reel of copper thread and some interesting copper sequins (and some gold in a colour I am running out of). These varigated pearle cottons caught my eye as well, since I have just been showing my machine embroidery students how to stitch several strands together to make a cord which brings out the colours of your work. So these will be good to add variety in the choice for making cords.

Because there aren't a lot of shops around where I live that have these sorts of things, I have learned to buy up what I will use at shows and create a mini shop of my own at home. Mini Shop, in that I can just go look in the cupboard and select what I need for a project and get on with it rather than driving up and down the country or waiting for it to come in the post. I find it works for me!