All I have to do now is post the last remaining pieces.

One of the windows on a building along the Creek side has been the design source for a number of pieces.

I took this image into Paint shop Pro and applied a special effect which resulted in this :-

I pondered over this for a long time trying to think of a technique to use to interpret the image.  The one that kept coming to the fore was a sheer sandwich but finding a way to produce and keep the protruding window effect was the problem.  Eventually I resorted to a technique I used for some of my jewellery – see the link on the right – Embroidered Jewellery.  I used garden mesh.  The mesh was the structure inside the sheer sandwich.

I am not totally happy with it. I think I could have had more success if I had made the piece twice the size.  Even so – it is pretty.

Another multi used design is the wall fret panel.

I took one of these frets and made a fret using Funky foam.  I stuck it to some pelmet vilene and then applied layers of hmmm ‘toilet paper’ using PVA to cover and harden the surface and then a layer of scrunched tissue paper over the whole surface.  This was then painted and made into a keepsake folder.  I had just found some key and lock brads so I created a lock at the side of the fret making it look like a door. I cut off the prongs from the back of the key brad and filed the sharpness off and hung it from the lock.  I used more square brads for effect.  A machine wrapped cord was used to close.

The fret work on the front of the hotel has also been a well used design source and I used it again for some jewellery. I made lots of squares and laid one square over the other to make the star pattern on the fretwork.  I button-hole stitched all around the star and fastened a blue glass rectangle bead in the centre of each star.  They were then joined together to create a necklace, a bracelet and a pair of earrings – the findings yet to be applied.

The next piece was made up of three panels joined together into a hanging.  It was very much a ‘go with the flow’ piece.  I had no idea what would be on each panel until I began to play and try things.  I liked it when it was  finished. I was intending to blast the middle panel and burn away some of the top sheer but I chickened out especially after the disaster of the gold book which turned out even better as a result but I wasn’t prepared to risk it a second time so I played safe.

Talking of disasters.  This next piece was another failure which had to be rescued.  I really liked the colours created by a special effect on an image of the heritage village.

The first attempt to print this out onto transfer paper was a disaster but I managed to rescue it and turn it into a successful purse.  I tried again and this time I ironed it onto a light weight black lutrador so that I could quilt it.  Unfortunately the Lutrador is very ‘webby’ and so the colours did not emerge when ironing.  It lay around for a long time until I decided to attempt a rescue.  I painted the surface with acrylic wax and metallic paints then I stencilled and stamped some of the jug designs I had been using throughout the project. I used transfer foil to make a frame the made it up into a quilt sandwich and free machined it.  It worked.  Another rescue.

So there we have it the Dubai textile project is complete and has been boxed until such time as I am asked to give a talk about it.

I hope I have given some of you some ideas to take from this project and that you will try a technique you may not have tried before.  Remember, it is possible to rescue disasters – the beauty of textiling.

Cheers for now and until my next post.

It has been a long time since my last post and I have noticed that most of us are blogging less frequently these days.

I have had a big backlog of textile pieces to photograph and only managed to do them today.  There were so many that I have decided to leave some for next time when I will have a few more finished pieces to add to them by then.  Hopefully the next four pieces I am on with at the moment, will be the last -  taking the project to about 70+ pieces altogether. However, every time I think this, I find a few more ideas come into my mind and that usually snowballs into even more so we will see…..

At the end of my last post I showed an image which was created in the computer from the facade of the hotel we stayed in.

I did manage to interpret this but it was rather fiddly.  It was a compilation of several different techniques.  The most difficult part was joining the pieces together.

Whenever I create a project from a visit, I always try to use the name of the place in some way.  I have already posted a mobile which used the name of Dubai but separating the letters.  The next two pieces use the name in full.  I chose a font and distorted each of the letters in Photoshop then put them back together again in two different designs.  The two designs were digitised in my machine software, sent to my embroidery machine to be  stitched out using a variegated thread.

I used some dyed silk fibres and made them into a lacy fabric using an acrylic medium.  This was placed onto a circle of the recycled sandy coloured fabric that I have been using throughout this project.  The text design was stitched out over the top of the fibres then outlined with couched gold Japanese thread.  I stencilled part of the Arabic motif around the edges and embellished them with beads.  The remaining area of the fibres was stitched with vermicelli stitch to prevent the fibres being caught or fluffed with wear.  The handle/strap was created from a woven pyjama cord.  I dyed it, then machined a motif pattern along either side to stabilise it – ( must buy another one to replace it!).  The strap was held in place with loops around the gusset.  One of the bag tags used the text design – painted and outlined.

Next, I created a book, but this time the text was kept in a line in a different stylised design.  I still had a very small amount of the dyed fibres, so I spread them thinly over the surface of the same fabric as the bag and adhered them in place using a fine bondaweb.  The text was stitched out by my machine using the same variegated thread.  As the fibres were still loose, I used a vermicelli stitch over the surface to prevent fluffing with wear.  I applied some copper transfer foil around the edges of the fibres.  Lastly, I applied clusters of copper beads over the surface, thinning out to single beads towards the edges of the book.  The finished design was stretched and adhered to a card foundation and decorated pages were added inside.  I used large beads – two of which were painted to match – for the book tags.

In the heritage village were a set of painted false windows which I have used many times in this project, mainly for blackwork.  For the next piece, I decided to machine large versions of two of these designs.  They became the sides of a pull tie bag. Some hand stitching was used to outline the designs and sequins and beads were used to embellish the designs.  It was lined with a red silky fabric – a recycled dress.

The heritage village provided much of my design source and the large jug which stood at the entrance of a courtyard provided the next idea.  I cut jugs from a number of different fabrics and materials – sixteen in all.  Some were machine stitched, some were enhanced with transfer foils and some hand embroidered.  They were all then appliqued to the surface of both sides of a tote or as a friend called it – a satchel – made from – you guessed it – the recycled sandy fabric.  Every jug is different so there are eight different jugs on the other side.

I created quite a number of kaleidoscope patterns from the facade of the hotel and the next book uses yet another of these.  I used up the last of some natural coloured Aide fabric for this piece. I chose copper metallic threads and cords with some bronze padded leather in the centre of the design.

Many of the walls were in fact open pattered frets and  have used them for a number of pieces.  I made a stamp from Funky foam for one of these designs.  Using this stamp, I created a number of paper casts which produced the inverse of the design.  I used four of these casts for the four sides of an open vessel.  They were painted then highlighted with gold gilding wax. They were applied to the fabric using my favourite sorbello stitch in three different wights of thread.  I free machined the centre part of the design onto the felt linings.  They were then stitched together and enhanced with beads in amongst the sorbello stitches and along the edges.

I made six of these casts.  One was not detailed enough to use leaving one spare – or not!  I made a bag tag with it!!

I also had a left over model magic jug impression so I made that into a bag tag too.

And while I was into these bag tags, I used up another paper cast of one of the ballistrade designs.  It was well varnished as it was a paper cast.

The next piece was yet another rescued piece.  I was trying out some transfer foiling.  The first part went well – covering the surface with some red foil.  The next part was the disaster.  I tried to create an effect using the heat gun but it ruined areas of the red foil. So, once again, me being me, I began to see what I could do to rescue it.  I painted and foiled and stitched and painted and foiled and all of a sudden I had a fabulous piece of distressed antique surface.  Better than my original idea.  I turned it into a booklet.

Well, I think that is enough for this post.  The rest can wait until the next one.

I hope you all have a happy new year celebration and I look forward to seeing lots of your textiles throughout 2012.

Cheers everyone until the next post.

This file cover was created using a design created from an image of the front facade of our hotel in Dubai.  I put it through a distortion pattern filter to create this design.

You can still see the windows and the decorative fretwork.  I transposed the design with canvas work stitching on a very open weave soft fabric.  It was so soft that I had to treat it with a stiffening agent to work with it.  When the stiching was complete it was mounted onto some furnishing fabric recycled from recovering my sofas.  This was then stitched to make a file cover.

I plan to keep some of the sketches and printouts in it.

Keeping the distortion effect theme, the next three pieces were created from an image of windows on a building alongside The Creek. I liked three of the design so as I usally do, if I can’t decide which one, I do them all.  The designs were printed onto white lawn cotton.  I painted over some of the detail with metallic acrylic paints.

These were then quilt sandwiched and free machine quilted.  I made them all the same size and stretched them over box frames which I made. they work together as a tryptich.

Another piece was created from the same distortion effect but was given a colour change.  I tackled this piece differently.  I traced the design onto tissue paper and free machined it onto a quilt sandwich using a plum coloured cotton fabric. I used some machined satin stitching over the stronger lines of the design.  After the stiching I highlighted areas with paints and guilding waxes.

I took an image in the Heritage villagewhich I put into Photoshop and used a colour effect on it.  It gave a very vibrant coloured image which i liked.  I planned to print this onto transfer printer paper and make a small A4 sized art quilt.

However, part way through the print out the yellow ink ran out and the image was banded. It was useless for the art quilt ,so me being me and not wanting to waste a full sheet of transfer paper or ink, I decided to play with it.  I washed water over it which blended and blurred the colours.  Then I painted squirls and scrolls over it with water and then with white acrylic ink.  I ironed the transfer paper onto some black fabric which enriched the colours as it does when ironed. Then I had the idea if painting over these white squirls and scrolls with gold metallic paint. Liked it even more.  I free machine quilted the piece.

I decided to make it into a purse.  My rescued heritage village image turned out to be a pleasing success.

I made some bag tags from old jewellery and beads.

When I went over to the villa earlier this year, I took some hand stitching with me.  Blackwork is an easy thing to pack and do when away from home.  I managed to finish another one of these pieces since my return.  It is another ipod touch pouch using another of the window patterns from the heritage village. I had to search the web to find and buy some clasps to hang it.

Another image of a patterned wall was the design source for the next few pieces. This image is the result of selecting and pasting the wall pattern to get the design I needed.

I changed the colours using a gradient map and printed this onto printer transfer paper.

I cut a panel from this and ironed it onto black felt and free machined the design to give a gentle quilted effect. I made this panel into the flap of a satin purse.

I used the pattern to free machine quilt the main body of the purse.

With the remaining print out I made some bag tags.  It was ironed onto stained pelmet vilene.  I applied some embossing powder some of them.

Liking the colours and the design I decided to print out another panel.  This one was made into a keepsake folder.

I made a stamp of this pattern using ‘Funky’ foam and stamped the centre part of the design onto each page of the folder pockets.

I have still to fully utilise this stamp and have plans for more pieces.

This next image is the result of yet another distortion filter on the facade of the Arabian Courtyard Hotel in the old town of Dubai.  I have created a hanging of this but it isn’t yet potographed so watch this space.  It was a fiddly piece to make but I got there.

That just about brings me up to date so cheers for now.  Must go and empty the washing machine!!!

We had a very last minute week in Paris.  I treat my family to either a week in New York or a week in Paris.  My grandson chose Paris and what a good decision that turned out to be.  The week we would have been in New York would have been torrential rain, an earthquake and a hurricane with long delays getting home. Instead we had glorious hot weather in Paris.  It was hectic trying to get to all those places we see in all the photos of Paris.  I could have done with a new pair of legs and feet.  I climbed, yes climbed up to the second stage of the Eifel Tower. I still can’t believe that I actually achieved it.  I am now wading through all the images, around 800+ of them. It remains to be seen if I manage to create a project from this visit.  I am still working on my Dubai project and will have lots more inspiration from Dubai when we return in October.

So, back to the Dubai project.

I have used the ornate ballistrade in the heritage village numerous times and here are a couple more pieces using this ballistrade.

I decided to do some printing onto transfer paper and this box was created using this method.  The printed transfer paper panels were ironed onto fabric which were then embellished with embossing powders/crystals.  I also highlighted parts of the image with metallic paints. The four panels were then free machine quilted.  The lid of the box was created by embossing the design onto copper metal shim which was then highlighted with alcohol inks to add more colour to the embossed texturising.  I already had some beads which fitted perfectly to make the corner ties.  The box opens out and can be stored flat.

Using the same ballistrade design I ironed the transfer paper onto felt which was then free machine quilted and highlighted with gold metal powders.  I used air dried clay, model magic, to make a book marker.  I pressed one of the stencils I made into the clay so that it squeezed up through the design.  When dry, it was painted with metallic paints and highlighted with gold guilding wax. 

I colour washed tyvek sheets to line the inside of the book and drew little gold flowers in the corners of each page.  there is also a stencilled motif on the inside cover.

I always use the text from a project to create pieces and so this piece used the letters from the name Dubai.

I digitised each letter and stitched it out on different coloured silks.  Each was made into a small mobile edged with beads.  The header used the Arabic motif from the front of our hotel which I digitised and stitched out twice.  The two sides of the header were pushed apart by stitching two metal rings at the top and bottom.  The very bottom motif was another smaller stitch out of the Arabic motif.

Next I printed lots of small images of Dubai onto acetate sheets.  I used them to create two more pieces. The first was a hanging with little image windows. The body of the hanging was made from painted pelmet vilene covered with a gold mesh fabric.  Small arched window frames were cut and satin edged.  The front and back were stitched together with the acetate images as the windows. Beads and a tassel were added to finish.

The second acetate piece was an image mobile.  Each acetate image was hand edges with buttonhole stitch.  I used the machine to make the equally distanced holes around the edge of each image.  I used kebab sticks to make the hanging frames and hung each image from twisted threads.  This was the tricky bit – getting the positions and lengths right to balance and allow the images to spin.

I used the same images to make the next piece but this time they were printed onto transfer paper and ironed onto fabric.  They were cut out and machined onto four sides of a small duffle bag design.
One, my favourite piece of architecture in Dubai – the Kalifa Tower – was used to make a bag tag.  I used small metal curtain rings, covered with buttonhole stitch to make the pull closers for the bag.  I twisted several yarns of blue wool together to make the draw strings. I managed to hide the joins of the drawstrings inside the large beads.

The final piece for this bblog was created by using the window pattern of a building which I had used previously – see an earlier blog – changed the colours and put it through a kaleidoscope filter in Paint shop pro.  The resulting design was printed onto tee shirt printer paper, ironed onto white fabric and free machine quilted.  I used silver decorative threads and ribbons to hightlight some of the design.  It was edged with a navy blue fabric.  I made a block frame, covered it with canvas, painted it with white gesso then mounted the piece onto it.

That is about it for this blog.  I have a number of other pieces waiting to be mounted and photographed and hope to have them ready for the next post.

This week, while trying to decide what to take with me to Dubai (a bit early I know but it does take up time making these decisions)  I finished up weeding out clothes which I no longer liked/wanted or more to the truth didn’t fit anymore.  I spent a whole day altering what I could to fit again and those which I didn’t want I stripped, giving me some rather nice fabric stashes crying out to be made into bags and books.  I can print on them, over paint them, stamp them, embellish them, quilt them and make some lovely bags, purses and books.

This may just put the Dubai project to one side for a while!! Excuse the repetition but Oh for more hours in the day!!!

Now it is a quick lunch, provided by my OH, and on, I hope, with making some block frames for the three quilted pieces waiting to be mounted.

My grandson is coming to sleep over tonight too.

Cheers for now until the next post.

I have been busy with my photography and of course many more Dubai pieces.

I finished the last post with an image of the butterfly duffle bag which took its design source from the hanging butterflies of one of the Dubai Mall domes.

I created many sheer fabric butterflies some of which were for the duffle bag and the rest were for a mobile and a panel.  The mobile wasn’t an easy piece to photograph.  Not only did I have to contend with shiny sheer fabric, metallic threads and glass beads but it also constantly moved so many of the images were binned.  This was a reasonable success.

The panel is a representation of the dome and used a machine stitch pattern of butterflies.  It could be used as a book cover or box lid.  I am leaving it as a panel for the moment.

Another very rich design source was the Heritage village, just a short walk from our hotel.  One of the buildings had a very distinct ornate ballistrade which I have used for many pieces.

I made a stencil and a stamp using two of the designs.

This design was used for the stencil which I made using an acetate sheet.  The acetate sheet is thick and strong enough to use over and over again – just be vigilant about cleaning the stencil (and stamps) before the paints dry.

I used the stamp and the stencil to create a large tote/bag.  The fabric was a sandy weave and I used red, bronze and gold metallic paints.  The stamped and stencilled motifs were then quilted and outlined with free machining.  The back of the tote mirrored the same design but this time I just free machined the motif designs.  I also made some bag tags to hang from the handle.

Another set of designs were taken from a wall of windows.  The bottom windows were shuttered and the top set were false painted windows. It was the false windows which caught my eye and became the source of many pieces.

I chose two of the designs and created patterns.

I transposed these onto graph paper and created blackwork designs to stitch onto Aida fabric.  These were perfect for taking away on holiday, which I did, so a number of them were stitched sitting by the pool over in Florida.  I still have many more to do but will keep them for the next trip away in October (or before if things go to plan).  They were perfect for bag tags, ipod touch phone pouches etc.

This is a little bag tag and the following image is the ipod touch pouch which will hang from a belt loop or handle of a handbag.  It is lined with a nice soft thin felt.

While we were in Dubai, we stayed at the Arabian Coutyard hotel & Spa.  It is situated in the old part of Dubai just a short walk from the Creek and opposite the Fort museum and a short walk from the Heritage village and lots of shops and souks.  It is very different from the large showy beach hotels but with as high a standard.  We didn’t want to be by the beach although this hotel provides free transport to and from the beach if required.  We wanted to be in a much more interesting area and from where we could go for a stroll.  The Creek is the place to be in the evening with lots of lit up floating restaurants which set sail when all customers are on board and everyone promenades along the side of the Creek.  We enjoyed Dubai so much we are going back for a longer visit in October and staying in this hotel again.

The hotel itself provided me with more ideas and designs.  I posted one at the beginning of this project – an embossed metal shim box.

This is the front of the hotel-

We were on the top floor to the left and were overlooking the museum.  I took a close up of the two centre panels and in Photoshop, applied a filter to give me this special effect.

The two arched columns were done using blackwork. I took this first stage away with me and they were stitched over in Florida. It took a long time – a lot longer than I thought it would.  It was a very small intricate pattern.  The painted, sponged,padded and quilted  overlay was created on my return.  When it was complete I stretched it over a box frame.

I used the Arabic writing motif in the centre of the hotel name for a tassel.  I isolated the motif, digitised it  and sent it to my embroidery machine to stitch out four of them to form the tassel head.

This is the last of the photographed pieces.  I have quite a number of pieces still to photograph so they will be in the next post.

This project just keeps growing as I have many more ideas, sketches and designs in the pipeline so I had better get back to it.

Until the next post, cheers everyone.

We had all our photography gear with us and although we didn’t do a lot of photography this time, we did have a super shoot at a Harley-Davidson outlet which was not far from the villa.  All the bikes were outside – everyone different and a work of art – lots of chrome and reflections.  They all had their keys in them so that anyone could sit on and start one up!!!!  (There was also a burly biker sitting under a tree watching.)  We were free to take as many photographs as we wished.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Here are a few of my images.  I like to take images within images, close ups and unusual angles so not many full bikes.  My OH did those..

Now that I am back – on with my Dubai project.

This next set of pieces is based on a motif which was on a large panel inside one of the very opulent ‘shops’ in the Dubai Mall.

I managed to isolate one of these motifs and created patterns in different sizes.  From these patterns I made stamps and stencils and I digitised the design to stitch out on my embroidery machine.

The first piece I created was a bag tag using the digitised motif.

This was stitched onto black felt and then cut out.

As usual, a set of jewellery using this motif design.  All these pieces use the sheer sandwich technique.

Using the sheer sandwich technique again, this small hanging/mobile.

Having just acquired new glasses so I made myself a case to store them and to wear around my neck.

I used this motif again as the focal point for a book.  I embossed the motif onto gold metal shim.  The background was a fabric which I couldn’t resist and have had in store for some years.

The pages inside were colour washed and a part of the motif stencilled onto the bottom corners.  I also made a little pocket folder for keepsakes which hangs inside.

I made a second book, this time using a stencil and molding paste.  The motif was ‘pasted’ onto pelmet Vilene which was then painted and the raised motifs highlighted with gold gilding wax.

Again, I made the pages for the inside.  They were colour washed and then sprayed with gold mist.

Moving on from the motif but staying in the Dubai Mall.  There are many different area of the mall and each has its own roof or dome.  One of the domes was filled with hanging butterflies – thousands of them.

This butterfly dome is now the desogn source for some more pieces.  The first completed piece is a small, hand bag sized, duffle bag.  The butterflies were made from a white sheer sandwich, free machined, cut out with a soldering iron and beaded.  When applied to the bag fabric the wings were left free.

I made many more sheer butterflies which will be made up into a mobile hanging as they are in the dome ceiling.  Hopefully for the next blog.

That is all for now. Stay tuned as they used to say.

Cheers everyone.

To finish off the collection of pieces based on the design of the speaker pods around the fountains at the Dubai Mall, I created a vessel.  The problem with vessels is that they take up space – they don’t store flat.  However, it is so nice that it has been given a place to sit on one of my living room units.

I used the same technique as for the front of the purse and the hanging.  I used pelmet vilene for the foundation cutting two wide and two narrow panels.  This was covered with a silver lame fabric and overlayed with black voile mache to knock back the silver ( I love this fabric.  It is so delicate.).  The design was free machined then I cut away part of the design to create a fret at the top of the panel.  Each panel was edged with satin stitch and then joined together.  It is fairly substantial and can stand very stably on its own.  I did, however, save a small coffee jar which fits inside perfetly and is below the fretwork, should I need to use it and to give it even more stability.

This finished – for the moment anyway- my speaker pod collection.

Another small piece adds to the Arabian jug set, which is still ongoing.  I was making some bag tags and used the jug design for some of them.  They are not all photographed but this one was.  I digitised the design so that I can use it as often as I wish and I have plans for other pieces for the jug design.

Now for the divers of the Dubai Mall.

Inside the Mall we followed a sign to ‘The waterfall’.  We had no idea what to expect and as we reached the waterfall we just stood there absolutely amazed – ‘gobsmacked’ would fit better.  There were actually two waterfalls which were was three stories high.  Jutting out from the falls were huge bigger than mansize, silver divers.  We could go onto three different levels to photograph these divers and so get some incredible shots.  I took a lot of images and I mean ‘A LOT’.  I have also created an AV from them and set it to the music ‘The ride of the Valkaries’.  It took some time to fit all the images to the music – hitting the beat or phrase of music exactly but I love a challenge and it has turned out well.  Here are a few of those images.

I used one of the divers to create a pattern.

This pattern was used to create metal shim embossed divers and digitised for machine stitched divers.

This piece is an attempt to create the waterfall with the divers.  The divers were created from embossed silver metal shim.  The waterfall had silver grey slub silk fabric as a base, overlaid with black tulle and then couched white and silver threads and yarns over the top.   Some were threaded through the tulle. I used sticky dots to attach the divers.

I also made a little bag tag using the same silver grey slub silk  with some couched yarns and then a machine stitched digitised diver over the top.  It awaits its hanging thread.

Next I created a tassel which fitted the subject perfectly.  I created several different sized digitised divers and stitched them out on a thin vilene.  each was carfully cut out.  As I had used silver in both the top and bottom bobbins the divers were the same on both sides so could hang and spin freely.  I made the tassel from the same selection of threads and yarns as I had used on the panel.  I stitched two of the divers around the header and hung the rest at different levels around the tassel.

Not an easy piece to photograph – all that white and reflective silver!

I have more pieces completed and ready to photograph and hopefully they will be in my next blog.

So until then

Cheers everyone.

So many time consuming interests and not enough time to do them.

However, I have managed some more textile pieces which have been inspired from my visit to Dubai.

These pieces are all based on the beautifully designed speaker pods which surround the lake area outside the Dubai Mall.  When the fountains are on, the music to which these fountains dance, come out of all the speaker pods. Incredible sight and sound.

The first piece is an interpretation of this speaker as it is.  I used a silver metallic sheer which sandwhiched a layer of silver angel hair.  I created the pattern and free machined the whole thing using silver thread on top and underneath so that it can be viewed from both sides. Once the machining was complete- and I machined it all twice – I cut away the unwanted areas leaving an open fret which is how some of the speakers were on the approach to the Kalifa tower.  I couldn’t use a soldering iron as the sheer is metallic and wouldn’t burn so great care was taken to prevent any fraying.

I intend to use all these small pieces to create a new fabric.  Can’t possibly waste them can I??

I wanted to set the textile piece into a stainless steel frame as the Dubai speakers were so my OH found some stainless steel rod and tubing and made me a frame to mount the piece into.  At the moment it is hanging on a wall but I would love to use it free hanging as a mobile or divider.

Here is a close up of the top secion which on the actual pods were boxes.

As I mentioned, the top section of the pods were boxes so……. I created a box using the same design.  The frets were created first but this time, as I didn’t have enough sheer, I used black voile mache over silver lame.  This time I could use the soldering iron to cut out all the spaces.I used opaque draughtsman paper behind to match the effect of the pod boxes. A pretty good representation.

I used grey felt for the inside of the box and stencilled the design onto the felt with silver paint.

Onto the next two pieces which are related as they are both jewellery, a matching bracelet and necklace.

I used silver leather covered with the black voile mache to take some of the glare away from the leather surface.  It was backed with grey felt.  I chose a part of the fret design on the speakers to create two design – one for the necklace and one for the bracelet. They were free machined onto the leather using silver thread.  When complete the spare was cut away and the edges satin stitched.  I didnt cut away the fret this time.  Couldn’t decide whether to or not so played safe and didn’t.  I used a toggle and ring fastener for the bracelet and made a stainless steel ring for the necklace.  I also added some silver beads around the edges.  Not on the speakers but this was jewellery so some artistic license!

The next piece was an evening purse.  Again I used the fret design as the source.  I created another square  similar  to the top of the hanging.  This time I used the black volie mache over silver lame and a siffener for the back.  I stitched the design twice and removed the excess with a soldering iron which sealed the edges.  Much needed for a purse which would be opened and closed a lot.  The main body of the purse was made from a silver grey dupion slub silk.  Perfect for the job. This was quilted with the design from the main column of the speaker pod.  The silver fret square was free machined ontoo the front flap.  The lining was gey satin and I used a silver chain for the short purse handle.  I also made two bag tags – one being a smaller version of the necklace.

This is the back showing the quilted design.

That is all so far from the ‘speaker pod’ collection.  I have more in progress.  Sometimes a design can produce a lot of ideas.  It is knowing when to stop!!

One piece which did take a long time was one which used a jug I saw on a shelf through the door of one of the Heretage village builldings.  I couldn’t get a good image of it so I had to source another one from the net.

I like this one but it was ambitious and took a long time to stitch.  It was all stitched by hand.

I decided to create this piece using padded metallic leathers – gold, silver and bronze. The background was a traditional tapestry canvas sprayed with gold paint.  The areas not covered with padded leather were stitched with black metallic fingering and cross stitch to give depth to match the padded leather.  I also used silver and copper fingering to stitch abstracty jugs over the background. It is stretched over a gold frame and the background it is displayed on shows through. It looks better in reality than this image.

That is it as far as textile work is concernedJust before I started this blog post, I embossed two divers onto silver shim.  They are the divers from the waterfalls in the Dubai Mall.  More of them in the next post.

I have been doing a lot of photography and last week spent a day at a sculpture park.  I am doing a project on sculptures so have a few more visits planned to other sculpture venues.  I hope the weather is better than last weeks.  We suffered every type of weather in just a few hours including a downpour of very sharp ice chips which really hurt.  I think they call it ‘sufferring for your art’!!!! Hmmmm.  At least my macro photography is inside where it is nice and warm.

I have also created a couple more AVs.  I have begun to make my textile projects into AVs and set them to music.  At least, this way, I see the work which is sadly stored away in boxes and only seen when I give talks to interested groups.  Fitting music to the textiles really works well and enhances showing the projects.  I can view the projects whenever I wish and they are much nicer viewed with music that complements the themes of the projects. I am on with the AV for my Egyptian project and found some wonderful music by a lady in America – Gale Revilla – which fits the subject perfectly.  My problem is which piece of music to use.  I like so many of them.

Must away now and get on with all these things I want to do so cheers for now.

We have taken the plunge and made the decision to have the two settees reupholstered.  We are waiting for the fabric to arrive and once they are recovered I can get rid of the throws which are a pain to keep straightening.

Now, as I said I would, the art quilts I have created form photographs I took in Dubai. As I alsways do, I openend the photographs in Photoshop and played around with them until I came up with an idea that I liked.

The first photograph was one of the water taxis tied up and parked on the Creekside.

This is the effect which I liked and used for the art quilt.

This was printed on silk then some surface highlighting with metallic paints was applied followed by free machining.

This is the finished art quilt.  I haven’t actually applied a border yet but when I do, it will be blue as above.

The next photograph was one of the buildings next to the water taxi parking place.  I liked the arched windows.

Again, applying different effects on it in Photoshop -

I quite liked this very colourful effect.  I made a pattern and traced the design onto cotton, then painted it with acrylic paints. I free machined the painted design and applied some glitter black pen to ouline the windows.

The next image was of the wooden roof of the fabric souk.  there were some incredible fabrics for sale in there but I resisted as I have a huge stock of fabrics and need to use them up.  The roof was was created from wooden arches with large ornate lights hanging down.

I simply inverted the colours of this and they turned out to be blue and perfect to make an art quilt.

This design was printed onto silk and free machined.

The next image was taken in the heritage village.  In the foreground there is a part of the original old Dubai fortress wall which has been preserved.

As before, I played with it in Photoshop until I found a design and effect that I liked.

I made a pattern and traced the design onto cotton, then painted and sponged the design ready to free machine.

Another potograph from the Heritage village was a close up shop of a decorative ballistrade which I liked.

I have cloned out the ark lights which light the village up at night.   I had to do a lot of work in photoshop in order to create a flat image of just the ballitrade.  This too was played with in Photoshop.

I printed this design onto silk and applied some metallic paints and some gold paints.

The final quilt was the largest and so was the most difficult to free machine. It was another image taken in the Heitage village and included a carved wooden camel in a doorway.

I used the same effect as for the old wall art quilt.  Red seemed to suit these images and had they not occurred while applying different effects and filters I would not have thought of using these colours.  This is one of the main reasons I use these filters. I get colour schemes I would not have dreamt up myself.

Ths design was enlarged with the height being more than a metre.  I made a pattern and had to print out several sheets and join them together. the pattern was traced onto white cotton and then I sponged the colour using metallic paints and paper to mask as I sponged. I do not use a long arm quilting machine so it was difficult dealing with such a large quilt.

This quilt was so big I had to photograph it in sections and stitch it together in Photoshop as I had to do with the fabric souk roof art quilt.

That is all six art quilts.  I wish I had the wall space to display them all but they are already full with lots of other textile work.

The piece I am working on at the moment is taking a long time as it is all hand stitching. It has turned out to be quite a challenge with a lot of padded leather work so it may be a while before I can blog about it.

So until the next blog

Cheers everyone

I spent my first day of this new year sorting and storing a cupboard full of completed textile pieces.  They are all – as best I could – in their appropriate box or file. All the pieces should be easier to find now.   I also sorted the pieces and samples I am going to take to the next workshop I am giving later this month.  The first talk is one I have given before so that is ready but the one after that is a talk about the jewellery project which led to my book.  I need to plan the order of pieces and create the slide show to accompany it.  All the pieces have been photographed so it shouldn’t take too long. A good start…

The rest of the day was spent creating the jewelled fabric and tracing all the designs of the Dubai motif jewellery and a motif hanging.  I managed to free machine the two sides of the purse and the pendant.  Still a lot of pieces to free machine – a necklace and a bracelet – hopefully tomorrow.

I began the Dubai project last month – last year!!!- sounds a long time ago doesn’t it?  I completed a box, a bag and a folder.

I will begin with the box-  which had the starting design source from an image of the lift pod in the hotel we stayed at.  We stayed at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel in the old part of Dubai not far from the Creek. (I can hiighly recommend this hotel – very friendly and very very helpful).  The lift pod was one of two which  ran up and down a central well in the hotel.

I used this image and played with it – as I do – in Photoshop and Paint shop pro. I used a kaleidoscope filter and came up with this design.

I knew immediately what technique I would use so first I made a pattern.

Then I used gold metal shim and embossed the design for the lid.  The box was created from a bright red silk fabric and the centre of the design was used for small shim ‘flowers’ on each of the sides.

I used my usual method which allows the box to be stored flat.  I free machined the design on the inside of the lid.

The next piece was designed using the image of one of the buildings on the side of the Creek.  We went for a trip on the Creek on an Abra which is a water taxi. We hired the taxi to ourselves for an hours trip up and down each side of the Creek.  I was able to take many photos of the life and buildings along the sides of the Creek.  This was just one of them.

I zoomed in and took just the green squared windows.

Again, I played with the image in the computer and came up with a design which was ideal for printing onto fabric.

This gave me ideas for more than one piece – I created a folder and a bag from the same design.

First, the folder.

I printed the design onto silk fabric.  I cut and dyed and sprayed a piee of pelmet vilene the same size.  The silk was mounted onto the vilene with a thin layer of wadding then free machined.  I free machined each of the squares then threaded some cord through between each of the squares.  the edges were satin stitched and I made a wrapped cord to fasten and stitched small beads around the outer edges.

The square machining created a stitched pattern on the lining to match the outside.

To make the bag, I printed the same design onto cotton.  This was made into a quilt sandwhich and again I free machined each of the squares then pulled cord through between the squares.  I gave the surface a coat of acrylic wax to waterproof and protect it.  Then I stitched tiny seed beads around all the squares.  The bag was constructed and a handle made from machine wrapped cord and applied with more tiny sed beads.  I made tags to complete the effect. It has a zip to close and a satin lining the colour of the original windows on the building.

So there is the start of the project.

I have created six art quilts too but they have yet to be photographed.  Some are very large and the weather and light have not been right for the job.  Hopefully I will have done that for the next blog.

The only good thing about all the snow and bad weather is being able to stay indoors and be creative both with my textiles and still life photography of  which I have done a lot.  However, I do miss the photo shoots so I hope the weather will improve enough to go out and do some outdoor photography other than dashing in and out to take pictures of the snow like this one which I played with afterwards for a bit of fun.  These are stones in my garden and with the snow on the top looked like little heads.  Half an hour after I took this photo  it snowed heavily and they were completely buried under a couple of feet of snow – brrrr.

OK – that’s it for this blog so until the next one – cheers everyone.