Please don't mow my meadow!

Flower Pounding

Last Saturday Linda Rudkin hosted a workshop on flower pounding. Wow! It was a really simple technique, but the results were astounding! I cant wait to try this out in the summer with my nieces!
You simply tape a petal to the back of the fabric, turn it over and hammer gently. The dye from the flower comes through instantly!

Experiments with Rust Dyeing

I'm not sure whether I'm altogether happy with my first attempts at rust dyeing, and I haven't a clue what I'm going to use the fabric for! I think they look more like rusty bits of rag from the shed that need to be thrown out! I will try to persevere with a more positive, open minded outlook, and an 'ah... interesting' attitude!

soaking in the tin - the black bits are splashes of tannin (tea)

a motled piece of scrim ..... hmmmmmm

I think this might need more work?????

this piece of silk noir might be useful for something ..... any suggestions??? I like the effects created by the rusty nails and washers.

The cake tin gave an interesting result ... I'm trying this one again.

progress...

hardcore 'wackered'!

sand laid

et voila! how goregeous is that?!

FINISHED!

At last! My Elizabethan purse is complete! I messed up the concept of the drawstring so it doesn't actually work, but hopefully nobody's checking for functionality!
Now all I've got to do is tidy up my sewing room (....and everywhere else that I've dropped bits of thread over the last few weeks whilst I've been obsessively stitching!), catch up with a few chores, and wait for Module 3 to arrive.

My new wheels!

...don't think it will do much for my carbon footprint though, lol!

The men have arrived to block-pave the drive. They say it should take about a week. That means I should be able to start planting the borders during my week off work. Yippee!

nearly finished stitching my blackwork Elizabethan sweetie bag. I was hoping to have it completed by the end of July ready to start Module 3 at the beginning of August, but as Module 3 hasn't arrived yet I guess it gives me a few days grace!

My Travels!

Just nearing the end of module 2 at long last!

This module has been based on 'black and white', particularly blackwork and needlelace from the Elizabethan era.

I took a trip to Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire where Mary Queen of Scots lived for 15 years. She and Bess of Hardwick were keen needlewomen and there are many examples of their work to be seen.

It was especially interesting to see the flora, fauna, animals and insects depicted in embroidery as this was an area I was having to study. These images wer inspired by herbal and botanical books and sketches that were popular at the time, such as 'A New Herball' by William Turner, originally published during the second half of the 16th century.

I also visited the Victoria and Albert Museum.

They have an excellent textile study area with row upon row of textiles and embroideries framed and filed in dated order. These frames can be removed (very, very carefully! lol!) and taken to a desk for individual study and photography.

I was inspired by the embroidered coif at the V&A. I liked the wide variety of stitches used and was excited by the use of gilt thread. I was eager to get home and attempt a reproduction!