Three Tall Trees…..

August 26, 2015August 26, 2015 / Karen Lane / 4 Comments

At long last, after making 3 small quilts for the David Hockney Challenge and promising Mary from LINQS I would make a large one, I have finally made a start on it! It’s going to be a scaled up version of the quilt I made at the Cranwell Group earlier this year with the theme “what Winter means to me” (20″x 15″).

What Winter Means To Me

Last Winter had been all about trees as far as I was concerned. Researching Hockney’s work led to me developing a fascination of my own for trees and woodlands and I began photographing them wherever I went. This quilt is based on a photograph I took while out walking in the woods at Woodhall Spa.

The woods at Woodhall Spa

I began by soda soaking my fabric prior to dyeing with Procion from Artvango. Unfortunately I think I must have used too much soda. Although I covered it before ironing I still managed to burn the entire area of fabric above the tree tops! The dyed area was fine, just the white space above was burnt. I decided, rather than start again, to cut out the trees, back them with Vilene and make a huge piece of appliqué. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it was so much easier to handle under the machine than the whole cloth would have been!

Coloured with Procian and Inktense.....prior to burning!

Coloured with Procion and Inktense…..prior to burning!

I’ve layered organza and netting and machine stitched the background trees in various coloured threads, the same way as I did for the smaller version, but this time using more variety of colours.

Layered organza and netting.

The next step was to add the woodland floor before layering my appliqué woodland, sky fabric and wadding. The foreground trees have now been tacked in position and can be machined once the finer branches have been hand sewn.

Foreground trees tacked in position

I’m not particularly looking forward to quilting the three tall trees in place as the quilt sandwich is already very bulky. With hindsight I should have sewn the three trees on to the “sky” layer before I started quilting……..another lesson learnt!

Flora & Fauna…..

August 23, 2015October 12, 2015 / Karen Lane / 2 Comments

After attending the Eco Dyeing workshop at Artvango I came home all fired up and eager to start my own experiments with plants and dyeing. My first attempt wasn’t a huge success but I did manage to make a few marks and dye some fabric which I then incorporated in a quilt for the Cranwell Contemporary Textiles challenge “Flora & Fauna”. In this challenge we had to include “stamping and printing” so Eco printing was the obvious choice combined with some really nice dragon fly stamps from Papermania which I have had for ages but hardly used.

My two Eco dyed cotton fabrics

The fabric on the left of the photo was covered with eucalyptus leaves, tiny ferns and onion skins before being wrapped around a copper pipe and boiled. When I turned off the heat I added a tiny pinch of ferrous sulphate and left it to cool.

The fabric on the right turned out very grey (very, very grey!) after being tied around a large rusty drill bit before boiling. The leaves included a vine of some sort which grows over from my neighbours garden and some miniature rose leaves. Although the colour was a lot darker than I had envisaged at least some of the leaves can be seen.

Close up of my Eco dyed cotton fabric showing marks left by the leaves

I decided to combine these two fabrics with one of those I dyed at Artvango and these would form the background for the quilt.

Three strips of Eco dyed fabric which form the base of my Flora & Fauna quilt

Three strips of Eco dyed fabric which form the background of my Flora & Fauna quilt

I played around with the layout adding stamped Papermania dragonflies and a selection of leaves which I had dried and preserved with glyserine. I preserved a whole load of these leaves two years ago for an Autumnal workshop I did with adults with special needs. They were so beautiful I couldn’t bare to throw them away and this seemed like the ideal opportunity to use some of them.

Trying different layouts incorporating dried leaves and stamped dragonflies

In keeping with the “natural” theme of this quilt it didn’t feel right to use my machine so I decided to do all the stitching by hand.

The finished quilt

This is the finished Flora & Fauna quilt, complete with frayed edges and wonky stitching.

Eco Dyeing at Artvango…..

July 29, 2015June 12, 2025 / Karen Lane / 2 Comments

Last Friday I spent a wonderful day at Artvango learning the basics of how to Eco Dye with Jenny Leslie. Before the session we were sent a list of certain leaves which we were asked to bring with us as they are known to produce particularly good results with this type of technique. That in itself was a learning curve for me. Prior to this I had no idea what a Walnut tree looked like, and wouldn’t have known that there were so many in close proximity to our house. I had never heard of “Dogwood”, although I did recognise the plant when it was pointed out to me by a member of staff in the garden of The Lincolnshire Wildlfe Trust. Other leaves Jenny suggested included apple, blackberry and eucalyptus.

It was baking hot here last Thursday and by the time I had finished foraging some of the leaves were already beginning to wilt. I did wonder if they would be shrivelled beyond recognition by the time I got to use them as I was travelling down by motorbike and staying overnight at a B&B before the class. I needn’t have worried as it turns out the leaves don’t need to be freshly picked, in fact dried, pressed leaves also work well for Eco Printing.

Jenny, who has a background in gardening, began by showing us some of her wonderful work and explained how she got into Eco Dying. Obviously there were references to India Flint, the pioneer of Eco Dyeing, and Jenny brought along her copy of India’s book “Eco Colour” for us to look at.

A selection of Jenny’s work

There were twelve students in the class and I think I can speak for all when I say what a fabulous day we had. I did a bit of research before travelling down and I have to admit I wasn’t expecting such good results from a first attempt! We were like excited kids, selecting what we were going to use, dipping our leaves into the iron bath or the copper bath, and carefully wrapping our bundles around twigs, copper pipes or rusty old tins. Once they had been tied securely with string they were dropped into the boiling water or placed in the steamer. All the time we were busy Jenny was feeding us information regarding mordants and “baths” and the different ways we could alter the colours we had achieved, even once the bundles had been boiled. My notes are a complete jumble as I only got back from my 550 mile journey last night (I came home via the Isle of Wight!) but I am looking forward to sorting them out and having a play this weekend, once I have been out and collected more greenary.

Jenny explains how we will be using the murky looking liquids

Jenny recommended Soya Milk as a mordant for cotton while our silk fabrics were simply soaked in a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar. Apparently there are lots of different approaches to Eco Dyeing with some folk recommending mordants while others don’t bother. The final effects can also vary depending on the type of fabric you use, the hardness of your water, humidity, etc, etc. I think the key message I took away was that we need to “experiment” and find what works for us.

Laying out the leaves

Tying the bundles

Fabric wrapped around rusty tin cans

Another students work revealed

Clive got a colourful result using onion skins

The following photos show how my dyed fabrics turned out.

Linen and viscose

My linen and viscose sample started life as a pair of pale grey trousers. After soaking it in soya milk and wringing it out I layed on a selection of leaves including eucalyptus, walnut, sumac and an unknown vine that grows in my neighbours garden. The fabric was doubled over and wrapped around a short length of copper pipe and boiled for an hour. The result is subtle but I love it!

Walnut, sumac,blackberry and unknown wild flower

Eucalyptus, walnut, blackberry and unknown vine

The two silk pieces were soaked for about 30 minutes in vinegar water, leaves laid out, wrapped, tied and boiled for an hour and then iron was added to the water and the fabric remained submerged until the water cooled. Again, I love the results!

I did as Jenny suggested and left my bundles until the next day before I unravelled them. They didn’t look too exciting while they were still wet but once they had dried they looked great! Some of the leaves can be seen while others left an area of colour rather than a distinct shape. I am really happy with results and keen to do more. I bought various fabrics from Artvango including a cotton/silk blend, a spun rayon and cotton Rossglen, all of which I have been told will take colour really well so fingers crossed! It’s not advisable to use your cooking pans for Eco Dyeing so I am nipping out now to see if I can find some old pots and pans in our local junk shop…….

Botanical Blinds…..

July 5, 2015December 20, 2015 / Karen Lane / 5 Comments

I was recently at a friends house and, during the conversation we were having about what colour he should paint the hallway, I mentioned that I thought a pair of Roman blinds with a strong pattern would make a nice feature. Bobs windows overlook the Joseph Banks Centre Garden so it naturally followed that the fabric should have a botanical theme. I found a bold, leafy patterned fabric called “Jakarta” in Dunelm Mill and assumed that my job was done. My friend had other ideas and said he liked the fabric but he wanted me to make the blinds. After much fretting about whether or not I had got them “square” enough, this is the result. It’s the first time I have made Roman blinds but the instructions on the sew-helpful site were very good and I am really pleased with the finished product……and thankfully so is Bob!

Horncastle gets “Yarn Bombed”…..

June 27, 2015June 29, 2015 / Karen Lane / 5 Comments

My morning walk with Maddie today was made even more enjoyable than usual with the discovery that Horncastle had been Yarn Bombed by West Ashby Women’s Institute! What a fabulous start to the day seeing all these wonderful creations decorating the town. No doubt they were installed as part of the SO Festival which premiered in the town this evening and was a HUGE success. Crowds of folk turned out to see the Circus Heros, Sheesham & Lotus & Son, Thingamabob and the grand finale The FlameOz Fire Show. More about the festival to follow but for now here are just a few of the decorations that made me smile earlier today…..

The horses on Jubilee way we’re given checkered blankets and a nose bag.

The trees were decorated with colourful wraps…….

The bollards along the Bull Ring were sporting hats and scarves…..

These “climbing” hedgehogs took me by surprise on North Street…..

As I approached the river on my way to Tesco it was evident that the intrepid WI ladies had also been this way…….

There are lots more installations around the town which I have been told of but haven’t yet seen. I just hope that the ladies of West Ashby WI visit us again with their wonderful creations!

Quilts in the Wolds….

June 22, 2015 / Karen Lane / 2 Comments

This weekend saw the third “Quilts in the Wolds” show at Ludford Village Hall organised and hosted by the Lindsey Patchworkers and attended by around 300 visitors.

The two day event was a great success with a steady footfall throughout Saturday and Sunday. The four pounds entry included tea/coffee and a choice of delicious home made cakes which proved particularly popular with the male contingency……so much so anyone would have thought they didn’t get cake at home!

The two trade stands appeared to be doing good business.

There was also a sales table brimming over with lovely items made by the group.

The “Inspirations” tombola was very popular – every prize consisted of a small bag containing colour coordinated fabric and notions, perfect for inspiring your next small project.

Throughout both days members also hosted talks, demonstrations and workshops on the stage at the rear of the hall. Pat Cave can be seen here demonstrating various methods of applying lettering to fabric.

The Lindsey Patchworkers exhibits included an interesting mix of traditional, contemporary, miniature, and art quilts, some were machine stitched while others were completely done by hand.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and lovely to see so many people enjoying the show. The following photos show a selection of the quilts that were on display.

Miniature Quilts….

June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 / Karen Lane / Leave a comment

Last month I became a member of another sewing group, the Lindsey Patchworkers, who meet twice a month at the Conoco Rooms in Louth. It’s a very varied group with some ladies preferring the traditional style of patchwork and quilting, while others are keen to work in a much freer and more contemporary style.

At today’s session we got to view an interesting collection of work entitled The Handbag Collection. Created by The Miniature Quilt Group, one of five Specialist Groups that form part of The Quilters Guild, ironically this is smallest of the specialist groups with 140 members nationwide.

The minute detail in these pieces is impossible to appreciate from photos. I couldn’t imagine working on such a minuscule scale and I’m sure tweezers must play an important part! The techniques used in these miniatures are as varied as those for full size quilts but in order to achieve the necessary accuracy at such a small scale members often use foundation piecing or English paper piecing. I believe all of the quilts we saw were no more than 30cm on any one edge, some being much smaller….incredible!

According to the group the most successful fabrics for miniature quilts tend to be the finer cotton fabrics and it naturally follows that fine threads and needles, hand or machine, are also used. For the sandwich layer the group recommend a very low loft wadding or one that can be peeled into thin layers.

Further details about the Miniature Quilt Group can be found on The Quilters Guild website www.quiltersguild.org.uk

Playing with acrylics…..

May 8, 2015May 8, 2015 / Karen Lane / Leave a comment

At today’s session of the Cranwell Contemporary Textile group some of us played around with acrylic paints, applying colour to gelli plates, glass placemats or an acetate sheet before transferring the colour to our fabrics and paper to create backgrounds for stitching onto.

Each quarter we are set a challenge and within that challenge we are asked to use two particular techniques. Our latest challenge is to design and make a quilt with the title Flora and Fauna. The two specified techniques to use are printing and stamping, hence the ‘play day’. Although we were all using a similar technique the results were very different.

I took along a small seam roller which I used to spread the paint onto my glass platemat. Once printed I found that the roller had created texture and, (in my mind, if no-one else’s) two of my pieces have the look of distressed wooden planks similar to those you might see on an old house somewhere in the Mediteranean. I am thinking of adding moss, lichen, wild flowers, etc to create the look of an old door or boarded up window, overgrown and disused. A quick look on Google has confirmed that I can get away with adding insects as my ‘Fauna’ so one of these could be the basis of my challenge quilt sorted!

Why not join us…..

May 6, 2015May 6, 2015 / Karen Lane / Leave a comment

The Lindsey Patchworkers 3rd Exhibition in the Lincolnshire Wolds will be held on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June 2015 at Ludford Village Hall, Playingfield Lane, Ludford, Lincs LN8 6AJ

For textile enthusiasts the weekend will provide lots of inspiration, the chance to meet and chat with like minded crafters and the opportunity for some retail therapy! We will have traders such as Cotton Dreams and White Cottage Country as well as Crafts, Demonstrations, and the now famous “Inspirations Tombola” which could form the start of your next little project!

photo credit: Closet stash via photopin (license)

The event will run from 10am through to 4pm on both days and the entrance fee of £4 includes tea, coffee and home made cake. Entrance for children is free and the hall has Disabled Access. So why not make a day of it, bring your friends, bring your family, bring a picnic and enjoy a day in the heart of the beautiful Lincolnshire Wolds.

These are just a few examples of the work on display at a previous Ludford event.

Group member Pat Cave with her award winning quilt.

Seascape by Sandra Goldsbrough

Stonehaven Harbour by Pat Cave

Group quilt

Top Tip for Storing Bobbins…..

April 26, 2015 / Karen Lane / 1 Comment

I just stumbled across sew4home.com and had to share their very simple solution for storing bobbins tidily….using foam toe separators. Sometimes the solutions are staring us right in the face!