Print Friday

I love everyday of my creative week sharing the studio and making art.

I often say I would like 'Ground Hog Day',

 so I could teach and share all day and then have the day 

again creating my stuff!

I prep each session, often many months in front so I can grow the

work and session. 

During the last week I have been making my own stamp blocks

from children's building blocks and bits and pieces 

around the studio.

These are now multi surfaced with print possibilities.

I then started printing in a sketchbook and fabric to try 

these out.

I have used knotted string, t-shirt trim, sequin waste, braid, plastic tub

 and ric rac. 

All applied with 'No Nails' as this is a glue which

I have found it sticks anything really well but

also can be washed under the tap to keep the stamp clean.

I love seeing how simple blocks using them in repeat can make

great combination patterns also

in readiness for 'Print City and Guilds'.

I have also started using them on my Banner for outside

the studio, made from nylon stock fabric,

used for kites.

See some of what goes on in 

'Print Friday' HERE

Textile Thursday Fabric Everywhere

I love it when the studio has a lot of creativity going on

and there is lots of wonderful colour and activity.

We all love Rona in the studio.

She travels a long distance to enjoy the atmosphere of the

studi and to learn new things each time.

She has an interesting selection

of fabrics and trimmings many recycled

 and she makes herself at home :)

When I said this she hid her face:)))

Meant in fun because as you can see she spread out on a few tables!

Lovely and inspirational and fun!

Creative Textile Thursday

Chris and Christine took the opportunity to make more

PVA Tissue Fabric last Thursday.

As you can see they are getting lots colour with

spent procion dyes.

See more PVA Tissue
HERE and HERE

The Grommet Bag Workshop was to raise money for  The Linus Project.
Grommet Bag, named because of the large metal rings used to hang the
handles from.

Christine and Chris made their bags out of the

same material which they brought from 

The Old Art Room, we laugh because the material has been 

on the shelf for some time and it was only when they

were choosing something to make their bags from did they see it.

The fabric works great.

See more about The Linus Project in Norfolk

 HERE

and there is a Linus Project Exhibition on this week end at 

Barn Ruche, Watton

See the news paper article HERE

I love the motto,

"A Quilt is a hug you can keep"

Guitar Bag

Christine has made this Bag in the shape of a Guitar

for her Grand Daughter.

So much fun!

Christine has already made a piano bag for another

Grand Daughter.

Love the lining!

Painted Mixed Media Textile

Last month we took fabrics you wouldn't usually use and

painted, dyed them with different paints and dyes and then

stitched and embellished them.

PVA Tissue Fabric Embossed

This is my PVA TIssue Fabric which I have stitched, printed

and embossed.

When this is finished I will coat a layer of acrylic wax

to give it a protective surface for a sketchbook cover.

Patchwork and Quilting Class with Adrienne

On alternate Wednesdays, Adrienne teaches a 

Patchwork and Quilting Class in The Old Art Room,

 specialising on Hand Work.

It's a lovely group and always has lots to share.

Adrienne teaches a technique each time and has lots of tips for 

finishing projects.

See more by clicking the written labels below.

Gill's Elephant

Gill and I went to India last year with Jamie and Colouricious.

A trip of a life time.

See some of our inspiration and videos HERE

Gill has been inspired to make a 'Toran',

an India Celebration Door Hanging.

This is her sample for one of the elephants that will be at the

top of the hanging.

The fabric is dyed, resist dyed, printed and stitched,

then heavily embellished with beading.

Gill is going on to do her 

Diploma in City and Guilds Creative Textiles,

Machine Embroidery.

Metallic Fabric Display

The Art Room has a new inspiration each month and 

I love to change the

display boards in the room.

This one shows off lots of metallic fabrics,

ready for the luscious fabric week. The sessions will

show different ways of using unusual fabrics and 

sewing and using metallic threads.

the displays are constantly being added to throughout the month.

See the 'Monthly Inspiration' HERE

See some of the displays HERE 

China Doll Quilt

Caroline is encouraged to bring 'Show and Tell'.

Caroline is The Old Art Rooms' PA and 

is amazing!

Here, she showed a quilt she is making for her daughter based 

on the China Dolls and it is being bordered by fans.

There are only four blocks here but there are 5 more, 

all different. 

Cream Textile Brooch Cards

There is lots of making and preparing for the Open Studios

Exhibition which starts on the 3rd of June.
These are Cream textile Brooches attached to cards.
They make great gifts.

Kim is making and selling to raise money for

 'fishing boats, for the Philippines'.

They are called 'Banka'.

Kim's husband has just visited and seen the rooves

and boats that they have managed to raise money for so far.

Kim will be having a stall at the Exhibition with photographs.

The Old Art Room helps so many great charities.

Pencil Roll

Muriel has made these Pencil Rolls for her Grand Children.

The original pattern was in a Patchwork magazine but we had to 

alter the pattern!

I would have loved one of these!

Muriel has machine embroidered their names on and 

of course they are made in the colours are Norwich City!

(Sorry, as they have just been relegated).

See Muriel's Pink Pencil Roll

HERE

Making Embossed and Dyed Metal

We had a lovely time embossing metal and then colouring them

with alcoholic inks.

PVA Tissue Paper Fabric

This is some more PVA Tissue and Fabric.

I have loved seeing the different variations that have been made,

in the studio.

See more HERE and HERE

Book Cover from Vintage Lace and Linen

I love 'Show and Tell' when we are sharing at the classes.

Carole was given a lot of Lace and Linen by a friend, 

which she gave a donation to a children's charity as a thank you.

When looking through she was inspired to make a book for this friend

and showed it to us. 

She is going to sew pieces inside too onto the pages.

Carole tea dyed some of the pieces before applying them.

What a lovely recycled Linen and Lace.

Go Create Metal and Shimmer Workshop

'Go Create' Children's Art Club was on the Saturday10th of May 

and the inspiration is 'Metal and Shimmer' in the Studio.

They loved all the shiny card, metal, glitter, foils

and embossing metal with the Cuttlebug and drinks cans.

We also made 'Dragon Skin' by melting foil crisp packets and 

colouring them so them look so real!

The embossed and sparkle collages looked great.

The youngest was 4 this month and had a great time,

See more of what goes on at 'Go Create'

and the next dates HEREhttp://theoldartroom.blogspot.co.uk/p/go-create.html 

Velvet Scrap Cushion

I make cushions each month for the sofa in The Art Room.

This one is made from scraps of velvets and

 plush upholstery fabrics.

Remember when patch piecing different fabrics together, 

put the lighter ones onto interfacing or a stabiliser fabric.

So that the fabrics sit side by side each other and

 they become the same weigh when sewn together.

Next month in the studio we will be using these type fabrics

to make several different projects and samples.

See the months Textile Classes HERE

Embroidered Flower

Mary is making a fabric stitched book, inspired by attending 

a Kings Lynn Embroiderers Guild workshop I taught.

She has been coming to The Art Room to learn 

different techniques to put in the book and more besides.

This flower was machine stitched onto calico 

and then the edge dye tipped.

The centre is dyed scrim and then hand embroidered

and beaded.

It is beautiful!

Book Page

Mary is creating an Embroidered Book.

Full of interesting creative techniques.

This page is a piece of dyed velvet, dyed scrim,

embroidery threads and beads.

It is an interesting contemporary drawn thread technique.

Making a stitch and pulling back the threads of the scrim,

stitching it into a circle revealing more of the 

velvet underneath.

French knots and beads are added to give it more detail.

See my piece HERE

Trip Around The World Quilt Finished

Danni has nearly finished her very large quilt.

Her first ever Quilt!

It is made up of six and half inch squares.

The pattern is called 'Trip around the World'.

Danni made it for a Super Kingsized Bed and 

made it in the  'Quilt as You Go Method'.

Taking sections, quilting them and then putting

them altogether.

Danni is putting on the last of the bias binding and she's 

 finished.

Well done Danni!

PVA Tissue Fabric

The first Textile Tuesday and Thursday of May,

we were making PVA Tissue Fabric.

It is a popular method and has been used in Creative Textiles

to make a textured surface.

We used sheeting, muslin and upholstery fabric as a base.

Mix PVA glue, one part glue to two parts water.

Tear the tissue paper into pieces and then

start gluing them onto your base fabric.

Overlap slightly.

When complete add colour,

we used spent procion dyes.

Allow to dry thoroughly and then you can stitch,decorate

and glid.

If you want to cover a book seal with acrylic wax or boot polish.

(Boot polish gives a leather look).

Everyone had so much fun!

Fairy Cot Quilt

Irene has just finished this beautiful Fairy Cot Quilt and Rabbit

for her Grand Daughter's new baby girl, Lucy.

The fairies are cut out and appliqued on.

It is such a beautiful quilt. 

The rabbit was a pattern I designed last month.

It has been made in so many different fabrics.

See the rabbits by clicking the written label below.