Saturday, January 31, 2009

Embellisher Textile Challenge

Dale at the Thread Studio is having an Embellisher Textile Challenge which will be touring with her this year to places where they will be attending Craft shows in Australia and Alexandra Palace in England.
The theme of the challenge is "Connections" and the entries were not to be bigger than 20cm x 20cm and had to be made on the embellisher.
I have sent in two entries --the first one is called "Rainbow Connections" mainly because of the colours that I have used.
The base is made from "Colour Streams" Silk Fibers from Robin Alexander called Marrakesh (which I have had for a very long time)that I embellished onto felt.
I added 3 slips that I had left over from my Cyber Fyber wall hanging and I connected them with a cord that I had made on my sewing machine and 3 buttons.
I then used running stitch in the same colour silk threads and also some perle cottons to add texture.






The second entry I have called "Broken Threads re-Connected".
The base is wool tops which I lightly embellished onto some flannelette and then added a piece of my own hand dyed scrim which was embellished to the base.
I then placed some fibers over this and embellished them in.
Next I cut the piece into different width strips and rejoined them onto another piece of flannelette-- sometimes I turned the strips upside down.
I wanted the joins to be slightly noticable in keeping with the theme.
Next I used 3 different coloured perle cottons-(green -mauve and raspberry pink) to re-connect the broken thread lines.
I edged the piece in buttonhole stitch but it wasn't until after I had sent the pieces to Dale that I realised that I hadn't taken a photo of the finished piece with the borders done.
So you will just have to imagine the lovely even blanket stitches in green perle cotton around the edge :-}
I quite enjoyed doing these pieces -it made me think about the theme and how I would go about interpreting it.





These pieces will be on tour for 12 months and then they will be returned to me.

15 comments:

Shirley Anne Sherris said...

Hi
I like the first piece best. Love the colours. It is quite wonderful the range of techniques we textile artists have at our fingertips. We can achieve such a wide diverse of effects. I just love it all.
Thanks for dropping by my blog too.
Cheers

Françoise said...

Lovely pieces! The colours of the first one are gorgeous. The second one is very dynamic, love it.
Congrats.

Maureen said...

Lovely Doreen, love the colours in the Rainbow one.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I like both of these, but most especially the first one. I love the addition of the buttons which just seems to pop it up a notch. Nice to have your work going 'on tour' (or is the more proper term 'going walkabout'?).

Paula Hewitt said...

Doreen - these are both lovely. I do love the green and lilac combo. The colourstreams marakesh is a great colour combo - i have some of the perle silk in that. I am glad i am going to be able to see this in real life - as Dale is coming to a textile show in may. I will look not touch - promise!

Pat said...

Beautiful pieces Doreen.

Linda’s Textiles said...

They're both gorgeous Doreen, Well done.

Robin Mac said...

Your pieces are wonderful, especially the first one - they are just the colours I love to use. I am going to the Textile show in Brisbane so I will be lucky enough to see them all, yippee! I was too chicken to enter, the embellisher is not my best tool, I need lots more practice. Cheers, Robin

Doreen K. said...

Fabulous!!! I love the colors in the 1st one, but they are both beautiful works. Great job.

Ro Bruhn said...

These are beautiful pieces, I love the Marrakesh colours, great design too.

hippopip said...

Two lovely pieces Doreen I especially like the first one will have to go to Ally Pally to see it in the flesh

sharon young said...

Fabulous pieces, Doreen I absolutely love the colours in the top one!
Many thanks for dropping in on my blog and leaving your lovely comment.

Dot said...

Gorgeous work Doreen - well done!

Maggi said...

Love your challenge pieces. I look forward to seeing them in real life at Ally Pally in October

neki desu said...

Doreen,
what beauties!!
hard to choose, but i think #2 is my fave

neki desu