Creative Fibre Festival - 2 day workshop part 2

Sections of painted Bondaweb ironed onto black cotton

As I said in the previous post, this a back to front post as we played with the painted Bondaweb on the first afternoon but I hope you will forgive me, it made more sense (to me) to present it in this order. 

Bondaweb is still my favourite product to work with. It so versatile, it can be used for applique, dressmaking, repairs and for putting up hems, and of course, it is wonderful when it is painted. Sometimes you iron off a piece of painted Bondaweb intending to decorate it with all kind of glittery and sparkly things and it is so beautiful you can leave it just as it is and stitch into it just to enhance it's beauty.

 When students begin to paint their Bondaweb I always say " don't paint stripes, let the colours merge, you are making a background" then one of the students paints stripes and it looks FAB!!!!!

It was very interesting working with this particular group as they were mostly either feltmakers or weavers or both, and they had a very considered way of working. Much less 'gung ho' than my usual groups. This sample was just enhanced with a desiccated leaf a small piece of grass and a few flakes of gilding flake.

This sample was decorated with a cobweb cut from a piece of fabric and a few flakes of gilding flake.

 Using dried, pressed flowers, gilding flake and slashes of heat transfer foil

 Painted Bondaweb ironed to newspaper decorated with heat transfer foil and gilding flake

 This sample was decorated with a leaf, a fabric daisy and an 'eyelash' yarn, which usually looks too heavy - but in this case looks great!

 Using grasses gives a light, airy effect. Copper jewel dots and chopped threads added to the effect.

Just painted Bondaweb, grass seeds and few slashes of heat transfer foil.

Sections of painted Bondaweb on calico - simple and quite 'rock like'.

Changing the colour of your background can make a big difference to your work. 

 

 

Large slashes of heat transfer foil can be used to great effect.

 

Bondaweb can be cut as well as torn . . . 

There were fifteen students in the group which is my limit, they were great fun and got stuck in with abandon. The considered use of colour and placing of adornments was of a high standard. I would have liked to work with the group longer - 5 days would have been good. But after such a hectic, exhausting and exhilarating week that would have killed us all off. I believe there was a waiting list, so maybe, when I go back (and I will get there somehow), we can book a longer workshop along with a one or two day workshop.

I was presented with this T shirt from one of the local vineyards. I discovered that Riesling doesn't have to be medium to sweet. There are some delicious dry Rieslings available in Australia and New Zealand.

 This is Wendy one of the organisers who worked her socks off for the whole week of the Festival (not to mention all the months before hand) and then volunteered to be our 'gofor' on the workshop, making all the teas and coffees and making sure I had everything I needed. She then proceeded to help with clearing up and still had a smile on her face - she was a SUPERSTAR!

 

Speaking of SUPERSTARS - this is Christine, a lady who hates her photo being taken, and who was wonderful. She offered to put me up not knowing what on earth was about to arrive at a very stressful and busy time and was the most generous, kind and funny host. She and Bob made the difference between my stay in New Zealand being fine and O.K. to FANTASTIC.

I will have very fond memories of our last evening all together, Bob on the piano pounding out show tunes with great aplomb and Christine, Denise and I dancing and prancing about playing the spoons and singing along at the top of our voices . . . . . Oh we had such fun . . . !

Thank you all so much - I'll be back.

 x

Life is slowly returning to normal - I am off to Winchester on Wednesday to give a lecture to the Winchester Embroiderers Guild at Shawford Parish Hall, Pearson Lane, Shawford, Winchester at 2pm and then a Luscious Lutradur Workshop on Thursday. 

I shall be staying with the divine Susan Chapman on Wednesday, we don't often get a chance to have a good catch up so we should have good fun.

I am very excited that my new course 'Experimental Textiles' is running and I will be starting that on the weekend of the 19th and 20th of May. This course runs for eight months and will culminate with an exhibition at Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch next March - so no pressure there! For more information go to experimentaltextiles.com

 . . .and then there is my favourite course - 'A journey through design, interpretation and inspiration' at Art Van Go on the 24th - 26th of May. We need more bums on seats for this course so if you are interested go to artvango.co.uk/workshops/  This is a fun way to develop original designs and is useful for anyone in any creative field. You will come away with enough designs to keep you going for years to come. Some of the exercises we will working through are featured in my book 'Experimental Textiles'.

That's enough for now - you will be nodding off - I will report back on what we got up to in Winchester over the weekend . . .  I may stop off in the Portsmouth area on the way home - but I won't be reporting back on that . . . !&*$!^&*$%

x