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A thing for roses

Hi again I'm sure I have just died and gone to heaven, somebody pinch me! This blog has everything in it this girl could ever want. Take a peek at my reading list and have a look. It's called 'a thing for roses'. Here is a taster.

As the market is currently on I thought we might be able to nip along to it
but as it is in Portland, Oregon. I'll have to dream on. I would love to be able to pop along to a market like this in the North of England, any body out there seen anything like this in the UK other than at Petersham Nurseries in Surrey?
It reminds me so much of the florist shops in France and Belgium.

Lisa Congdon

I have just checked my e-mails and discovered Kate Usher loves this web site. lisacongdon.com and I do too, her drawings, paintings and patterns are all gorgeous.

Gothic Luxe

It's been a while! Spring is a hectic season at work in the Garden Centre so I'm afraid my blog has suffered a bit, but the flowers are gorgeous. No need for a gym, my shoulders are aching. Mind you there was no need for those snow showers and bitter wind yesterday, poor Geraniums didn't know what had hit them.


Any way I'd like to show you what I did for our last module which was a combination of design and stitch. I chose the trend 'Gothic Luxe' and as usual used purples in my colour story, these were paired with black.
My research took me to the church yard where I was inspired by the carvings on headstones. I looked at things that influence Goths, like Cathederals in Europe, Whitby,and Victoriana. Goth fashion was another port of call, in the U K, Germany and Japan.
An old 'Fantasy Head' postcard I have, looked a bit like an x-ray, so I used some of my own x-rays as you have already seen in one of my other blogs. This was also part of this module.
I really wanted to do a print although it was not required and developed two.
We had to explore fabric manipulation, and as I was born to sew this was a joy. This would result in us creating a piece of wearable art or something for an interior. We were also required to deconstruct a garment and reconstruct it again.
The following photographs are a story of what I produced. Comments would be appreciated.




Fabric manipulation some of my samples.

Here I went on a dying spree, I just love it, how can anyone get so excited by a small bag of Dylon?

I'd sold but never used Shrinkles before, I have now and I love them too.

Print samples

A sketch book page

developed into a repeat

deconstruction/reconstruction.

Without boring you with too many pictures I was given two black camisoles to use. One was devore and the other pleated, this is what I did.

My finished pieces which I submitted were my decon/recon as a wearable piece of art, a cushion cover with my print on the back and I really enjoyed dying so made a skirt garment front.

Cushion front before being made up.

Garment front

Next on the agenda is a wallpaper design for Kate Usher studios, I've chosen Boutique Hotel style. I'm drawing plants, just for a change!

  

Textile Village

When I went to Caldbeck to find some wool tops for felting, I just had to call in at one of my favorite shops, HESTAscene? Gallery. It's quite small but packed full of lovely creations. I bought my friend a clutch bag made of felt, which was embroidered, from there for Christmas. 
There are so many lovely creations and what's really good is that a lot of them are made by textile graduates from Carlisle College. Take a peek inside using my photo's or better still have a trip over there. Info on their web site www.hestascene.co.uk Julie is an expert in felting and runs classes too.

Need some wool tops for felting?

It's been a while! I've been busy working on my Gothic Luxe module which includes some fabric manipulation, print, deconstruction/reconstruction and felting.
I've done a little felting before but a second year student was going to do a workshop with us and we needed to shop for some bits and bobs.
I know of a lovely shop here in Cumbria to pick up a few things and a couple of weeks ago I called in to the Wool Clip, in Caldbeck which is not too far from my home in Carlisle. I would recommend it, and the Woolfest which is associated with it. You can find them both on the internet.Here are some photographs to tempt you to visit.

I went along to a new Vintage Fair at the Methodist Hall on Wigton Road, Carlisle on Saturday 11th February. It wasn't as big as the one I went to in Newcastle arranged by Jayne Turner but still nice. The cakes looked very tasty indeed.
I didn't manage to purchase anything for our deconstuct/reconstruct exercise tomorrow but I did pick up these gorgeous kitten heels. Role on sunny weather!
The organizer of the new Vintage Fairs is Stuart & Co. of www.veryvintageaffairs.com. Check out his web site for a list of more fairs at the same venue.