Mystics Dance

detail

I have been fortunate enough over the past few months to have been part of the organizing group for an upcoming show called “Fibre Content” and also lucky enough to have my own piece “Mystics Dance” juried in! I have had the opportunity to work with a wonderful group of artists that are passionate about fibre art.
I have been working on this piece for a while on this (among others) … Mystics Dance is watercolour on muslin with hand-stitch and free-motion, … I was so thrilled to have it accepted.

If you would like to read more about the show please go to the fibrations website and we are on facebook as well thanks to the hard work of one of our committee members.

So, click here to go to the website - fibrations.org - and click here to go to the facebook page for the Fibre Content Show.

This is a two day show at the end of October hanging at the beautiful Burlington Performing Arts Centre!

Have wonderful weekend,

Barbara

this bunny is in stitches

Good evening ... and I hope that a wonderful weekend is in store!

Apparently, this piece turned into a bunny somewhere along the way, it is watercolour on cotton muslin and some acrylic on sheers ~ with hand stitching.

It was only when a family member said ~ "it looks like a bunny", that it took on new life.

Wishing you Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

A New Layer

A new layer has been designed and applied, although still needing to be stitched. I am hoping you can see more of the form through this sheer ~ I have stitched the sheer as well but I am thinking it is as hard to tell as it was to do.

This has been a lot of fun and a great design experience, and that with the next post it will be finished. So, wish me no stray stitches that I have to take out.

~ have a wonderful weekend ~

new work ~ progress

Hello ~ on this snowy evening, the winds are up and the snow is blowing, who knows what it will look like in the morning. Beautiful, I am sure ...

I am so excited about where this is going, it is a slow process but I love every twist and turn and stitch. My debate was if I should take it to my machine or keep working by hand ... for now I am keeping my hand to my work. I find I have more control by hand ... so I worked on a similiar piece strictly by machine ... I love it too but they have different personalities.

This piece will have a final sheer vintage fabric over the top that will let the image peek through, it may not be that far away!

New Fibre Work

I am thinking to myself ... what have I been doing, and then I remember that Christmas is almost upon us. The handknits to finish, the packages to post and the unwrapping of those decorations that have been around forever but come back every year as old friends. There are stories to read, cards and cookies to make ... it never all gets done as one might envision but that is perfectly fine by me. I find it is the small things that make it special ~ the walks at night, the music and more time by the fireplace ... I think those are the things I cherish the most.

And of course, starting a new piece (which has no name or final goal yet) but will eventually have layers of sheers, some vintage fabric and perhaps the addition of watercolours. I am looking forward just working on this in which ever direction it might take me.

I wish you time to linger!

where to work on a pretty day

Today is one of those days where my work inside beckons me and the work outside calls ... it is a beautiful fall day, with crisp air and plenty of sunshine. I will head outside shortly to plant a few hydrangeas for next year and move a few things around ...

Lilies 2 is coming to an end very soon, I am finishing up the last few places of thread sketch

I will post them post very soon, to see them together ... then the presentation of the pieces which always leaves me a little wondering ...

A new piece is on the drawing books for a juried show after Christmas which will include some reclaimed and vintage fabrics that I have stumbled upon ... I am still developing the images but it is always exciting to have new thoughts racing around, the fabrics are soft and delicate as well as some of them being a bit more on the sturdy side ~ a great contrast.

The sketches have started and then will come the watercolours ~ lots of options and direction

Have a great week!

Lilies 1 of 2

and some detail work below

I showed this as a work in progress a while ago ... so here it is finished (with some details) and the second piece of "Lilies" is well underway. I have been reading about everyone working in their gardens, collecting,and harvesting. It has been the same here ... I love this time of year and find it so hard to come inside.

This is watercolour on muslin, with wool rovings and hand stitch

New work ~ getting started

Details ~ (and pardon my basting stitches)

OK ~ I think I am back, this is a piece I have started in the last week or so, inspired by lilies in the garden. This is the first of two ... also watercolour on muslin, wool rovings and hand-stitch. I have discovered for myself that hand-stitiching is so very calming, methodical and quiet. I love my machine but find that I have to walk away after awhile as the sound can become too much.

I hope to do a good mix of both over the next few months ...

Will post the finished piece when it is done!

The Sedum Series

This is the second in the series ... of sedum heads from last fall. I hope you like the colours and the stitches, and the bits and pieces of stitch left behind. The second piece seemed softer that the first ... maybe not so controlled or anticipated.

This is watercolour on muslin, with rovings and handstitch.

June's Roses

I love doing small watercolours ... and now that my first bloom of roses has faded ~ I will wait patiently for a second flush in a few weeks. In the meantime, I have this small watercolour to remind me of the quiet peace of a quick sketch and a beautiful pitcher full from the garden. Maybe a small quilt in the future ...

Sedum heads I ~ first of two

This was inspired by a huge bed of sedum that I found last fall ... the colours were stunning in that light.

So, I had started this series over the winter and then put them aside to work on a couple of other pieces that had become important. While digging through my colour searches, I came across the little water colour I used to determine my colour palette for the work. The goal at the time was to only set the pigments that I was looking for in the finished piece.

I find the process of colour searching so very helpful ~ the pieces started up again and with

this little watercolour to drive me on ~ the second is almost completed.

This is watercolour on muslin, rovings and hand-stitch

Red Threads

Another small weekend piece, taking a little break from the larger bits but still working on them non-the-less. I enjoyed the stray red threads and bit of wool that almost turned themselves into a heart (or a juggler with very long arms).

This is water colour on muslin woven strips, wool, threads and ribbon trapped beneath a layer of sheer (also water coloured) and then all stitched by hand.

Felt for stitch (detail)

a close up of a wet-felted piece which is ready for stitch ~ creamy white and pink rovings, a bit of watercolour, a few stray threads, wool and angelina fibres ~ about 14"x 12"

slow at finishing

these three peices are small ... and as expected, they go quickly at first, the paint and then the rovings, it all seems to progress well. and then they slow down a bit ... each stitch must be so deliberate and hopefully well placed. i sometimes get stuck on finishing somethings but these seem to be no trouble, just time.

watercolour, muslin, rovings and stitch

second of three

this is the second of three small art quilts (will have the third soon!). This piece also felt of the ocean as well as a being a bit cosmic ~ i could almost see the tidepools filling and emptying and smell the salt air ...



watercolour on muslin, with wool rovings and stitch

starting

trying to get started can be tricky ~ sharing what is not normally shared

this is part of a grouping which has a very cosmic feel to me ~ it is about finding my voice and finding my place ~ where i might just maybe fit in

muslin, watercolour, rovings and stitch