Tuesday 14 June 2011

Wishing my life away, altered books and what Im stitching at the moment

Its lunacy.
I go to bed sunday night thinking..........oh hell, work again tomorrow and then muddle through the day, banking on it being tuesday next day.
Then I only have to work wednesday and thursday, before I have my own long weekend time again...lol
What  a daft way to live, mentally rushing through the week days, so I can have my weekends to myself again!
I'm wishing my life away and Im in the last quarter of it anyway!
I should just bite the bullit and go down to 3 days a week and manage on what money I have coming in and the hell with it!
lol
Okay some bits here Ive cold water dyed, on bargain 10p each old linens from the sunday car boot sale. I used bicarb as a premordant for these fabrics and the blues are bright and striking.

Saturday last was our monthly stitching groups meeting and we had a visiting speaker who told us about devore, well her style of devore. I have to admit its not a thing I could see myself doing, clever though it is.
I was so uninterested in it all, Im afraid I snook out and went back to a charity shop to buy some things Id seen previously but chose not to buy..... then!
A tiered lamp shade that will become a goth/halloweeny hanging I think and some wool blankets.

The bottom Witney merino blanket has felted beautifully on a 40 degree wash. Just enough to to be firm but not so firm to be harsh. The other two Witney blankets are mohair and merino but being interlock, they havent felted up much at iether 40 or 60 degrees.
I may have to try a higher temperature but having said that they may be useful to weave into, anyone else done that with a holey blanket like this? Did it work okay?
Any other ideas spring to mind folks?
If nothing else they will be good wadding for hangings and they have retained their handle, which is nice.
How much? £8 and all three are doubles and looked, felt and smelt(!) as new. My pal bought another of the beige merino ones too, they must have seen us coming I reckon!


Now this is a book that I'm altering. If I told you I started it some 2 years ago, I might be misleading you...........it could be far longer than that!

I am doing the Shelagh Folgate workshop Follow My Heart........
and we are going to alter a book and also make a fabric version of it too.
Im at the gessoing pages stage of that book just now, but I remembered this long lost book, so have resurected it.
I intend to faff with this too, at the same time.........it may stand a chance of getting finished then!

It was a car boot find, called 'Modern Manners - A Season at Harrogate'
and is full of all manner of impossible twaddle about how one should behave, when 'out' in the spa town of Harrogate.

That picture is from an old advertisement, as you can see I'd lightly coloured the pages way back, then remebered that I ought to have gessoed the pages first DUHH ........so put it down and forgot about it, as you do...
Its now also had the gesso treatment, so will take pics of it as I go along.

Then this hanging sprung to mind after seeing a sunset picture with a pyramid in the foreground. This is nothing at all like the wonderful picture though! This is more an interpretation, from some dark and daft area of my brain I think!

It looks quite good with the table cloth behind it now I see it on here!
 Of course you cant see the horizontal lines of stitching on the pyramid, so I may have to do some more in a noticeable colour maybe.
Rusted fabric on the bottom and a burgundy sky, no more aubergine really. Maybe it needs a camels beady eyed head in the foreground, or Bast herself or a snake even!
Hmm will think about it whilst I gesso more sets for Shelaghs workshop.......
I do wish I could paint or gesso and make less mess on ME!

10 comments:

  1. Looking forward to see how that book develops.
    Deborah

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  2. Looks like you bought some great finds ! I am also doing the follow my heart and i am in the middle of adding gesso seems we have the same problem for getting more on ourselves lol ! Your pyramid quilt is quite striking and i love the cat quilt ! hope your keeping well !

    michelle

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  3. You have been so busy - maybe you do need to cut down on work if you can!

    Pomona x

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  4. Pomona your right! Id have more time to make things, less money to spend, so more chance of using up my stash of treasures!

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  5. Oh, you have such a way with words -- impossible twaddle! Love it.
    The pyramid sunset is so great, I like the pyramid in the foreground like that, perfect. I CAN see the horizontal stitching, now that you mentioned it. Photos just can't do things justice sometimes.
    Going to the post office tomorrow, girlie...

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  6. I love that! Impossible twaddle! I can live with that lolol
    Im stumped now with pyramid........not sure if it should maybe be a minimalist, almost as it is, with one or two odd stars and not much else, so its resting whilst I cogitate a abit.
    So I knitted a head hugger this evening instead ....... waheyyyy one ball less in the stash .......only about 900 or so left to use up........yes, honestly lol

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  7. Lyn, YOU said "impossible twaddle" in your post about the manners book! I wasn't calling your post that. Just so you know. I would never say that about you! xo

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  8. lolol shows how much I remember of what Ive written then! but it pretty well sums up what Im about too ......lol no offence would have been taken had you said it anyway peggy lolol :)

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  9. Blanket, you mentioned weaving...what about loosely crochet into the holes...sort of like a chain stitch...could make it into TARTAN !! Crochet ruffles on one side. Think of the holes like squared paper... cross stitch.... make cushion covers

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  10. thats an idea too.........yes thanks!......grandson used the beige blanket friday, to pad the floor in the pop up wigwam thing I bought for him. So funny. He was so thrilled with it he refused to eat his lunch at the table and sat playing them watching a dvd in it, through the flaps!
    Daft child........
    Now I cant 'un-pop-up' the blessed wigwam and its sat in the dining room, until I fathom the knack out to pack it away! lol All 3 cats are very interested in it too now!

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