Busy Bees Patchwork

Pleating and Gathering have never looked so good!!! City and Guilds Hand and Machine embroidery Busy Bees Patchwork.

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 21:33:00 +0000

Pleating and Gathering have never looked so good!!!

City and Guilds Hand and Machine embroidery

Busy Bees Patchwork

Tutor Beccy Paget

Every Wednesday I walk into class with anticipation, I am overwhelmed each week with the talents of my students. Each week I give them a new technique, and in the weeks to follow they bring the results of their endeavours and I cannot tell you how satisfying it is as a teacher to see the work produced from just playing with a different approach to a traditional method.

We have been looking into using pleating and gathering as texture, as a focal point and to use as a feature within a project, we have used the sewing machine to add decorative stitches built into the machine to utilize the many ways of embellishing a machine has to offer. The students are not keen machine users preferring hand stitching as their "go to" choice of sewing, but I think they are beginning to see the advantages and the beauty that machine stitching can offer.

As an avid machine sewer I love the way in which the machine gives me an expressive way of working, I can be very accurate and precise and in the next moment be free and drawing with the thread as though it were my pencil. I love the sound of the machine making each stitch and the way it trundles along making complicated patterns with no effort at all. I can definitely loose my self in the mesmerizing hum of the motor as I create.

I understand why people say they don't like using the machine, especially when it chews the thread or gets stuck and you have to cut your piece away from the machines feed dogs, but then I also get frustrated when hand sewing and the thread shreds or I can't get a bead over my needle or how often I have to thread my needle and then the thread won't go through the eye of the needle. It's all the same really, without a little struggle or something that irritates us counteracts the wonderful and therapeutic side of this craft. I guess artists of all descriptions have parts of the craft that are tedious and irritating but over all making and creating are what is important and without those little annoying things we wouldn't end up with fantastic results.

Below some of the work that has been done over the past couple of weeks !

I love the way Kay has used the patterns on her machine in this sample especially the isolated satin stitch patterns in variegated threads.

Ann's soft colours reminds me of the patterns made by the sea on the sand when the tide is out, and the sun shining on the sand.

This sample by Ann looks so much like fossils buried in the rock strata.

Mel has used hand dyed fabrics in her sample below, I love the combination of the browns and blues,

gives the feeling of very old worn fabrics

Mel has really used her imagination in this sample, the placement of hand stitches holding down some of the pleats feels as though some these are areas are locked and forbidden places to look under. Her hand dyed fabric is stunning, makes me want do some dying!

Another super sample by Kay above, decorated with her own hand made beads!

You shall have a fishy!!! A stunning book cover made by Kay, I wish you could see it "in the flesh" as it were, my photo does not do this piece justice ! Fabrics painted using the geli plate, Fishy's are stuffed from behind and have been free motion embroidered on the sewing machine.

Sonia has made this wonderful Japanese inspired wave design, the waves are raised and sashiko stitch worked to give the waves life, you can almost feel the spray from the foaming waves!

1,2,3, JUMP

Sonia has used so many techniques in this piece and considering she is one who is not so keen on the machine, I think your quilting at the back of this piece really gives the design to whole picture. The lightly floating stenciled leaves and the flying birds gives this picture movement and the ducks below have been stitched in a method called needle weaving which Sonia has become particularly good at after taking a class with Jen Clements.

A dedicated a beautiful embroidery, each individual flower cut and stitched separately, Such patience and talent!!

Above is a wonderful embroidery by Celia, she has use her own rust dyed fabric to great effect in her pleating and gathering giving the appearance of marbled stone in a church with the printed image of Jesus with his arm around Abbot Mena amongst fragile fabrics. A well thought out composition that is really thought provoking.

Well done to all, in a fortnight I hope to have some pictures from this year's level 1 ladies. I hope you have a positive creative week and even though there is something that will annoy or irritate you it's worth pushing through when the results can be as amazing as those above. You can bet your bottom dollar there were some choice words said in the making of them:)

Best stitches
Beccy

If you are interested in joining us in September 2019 for level 1, please don't hesitate to give me a call, where I can give you more information about the course !

New Year - new and exciting textile possibilities !! Thinking outside the box !

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 01:36:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Tutor - Beccy Paget

We started back last week with new and exciting ways of using the machine technique of gathering and pleating. Generally these two techniques remind you of little girls dresses and Grandma's skirts, but with a little imagination and some rust died fabrics suddenly gathering and pleating can take on whole new lease of life.

This is one of two samples I have been playing with, I have tightly gathered a one inch strip of Moda grunge fabric and pulled up the fabric as much as it would allow, I have sewn on the machine two rows of gathering stitch and again pulled up as tight as the fabric would allow. I have loosely gathered some organza fabric and then instead of gathering through the centre of the fabric strip I have gathered on the edge and then a wavy stitch to create different effects. The background is a rust dyed fabric and the frame is a piece of mount board texture with Galleria texture gel and painted with acrylic paint and Faber Castel Gillatos.

My second trial was very similar but with two apertures cut into the mount board, both pieces represent rock strata and how the rock layers are pushed up through the movement of the earth.

likening fabric and stitch into representing natures textures to me, is an infinite source of inspiration. I have a personal goal this year culminating in an exhibition at the Oriel Crick Gallery with my fellow artists the Naturally Sew group in Crickhowell at the end of May 2019. I am working and sampling towards some pieces that will show how hard life was for the mining community, the people and the strive by these phenomenal men who extracted coal in the most inhumane conditions to scrape a living for their families. Fraught with danger and the risk of all manner of disease through these harsh working conditions, they dug the coal that kept Britain at the fore front of industry throughout the Industrial revolution until the early 20th century. Take a trip through the Welsh valleys now and you will still see evidence of these times but smoothed over by grassy banks and trees breathing fresh air into a world where only a few decades ago the air was full of coal dust and smoke from the iron works. This really hit a chord with me as I remembered my Great Grandfathers brass miners lamp and how my father used to cut timber for the pit props that held up the tunnel roofs, when men were men, strong in arm as in mind to carry out the hard labour it took to earn a living. I used to think my father was Superman because I don't know many men who could work a timber yard on their own with no help and no fancy equipment and still help the farmer next door to bring in the bales of hay from the field and stack them in the barn after work and do the same all over again the following day.
Too easily we take life for granted and sometimes our talents too, until we come to a block where nothing we seem to do is deemed worthy of even trying to attempt. Our good ideas and best intentions don't meet our expectations and all seems lost when we look at others who are succeeding. All is not lost, those who succeed have also worked hard, it has not come easy to them either they have been in that place where everything has not gone as planned and have found their way through sheer determination and trial and error, which is why we should not dismiss their success with saying "well they're just clever" if we only knew their story I'm sure we would see that they have struggled too, to find the path to their success.
We all love to create something truly spectacular and breath taking but we can only do that by working even harder and being like those miners and my Dad, strong in mind to carry out what must be done in order to achieve and reach that goal what ever it may be. So at the moment I've got my head down and every moment I can spend trying out different ways of saying what I want to say in fabric and stitch, drawing on all my knowledge and limiting myself to certain techniques in order to explore their full potential to bring together these pieces for this exhibition.

Below are some trials of the ladies of level 2, the first beginnings of their sampling toward gathering, these first tentative steps I know are going to become great pieces of art!

One of our Level 2 ladies has had some experience of machine gathering and she has made this amazing book cover using this technique, I love the simplicity of just using calico and bringing it to life with the beads and buttons, just beautiful!

Another finished piece for you below, this was from a workshop on bonding fabric scraps. At first it was an abandoned piece but I am so glad Mel continued with it because now it looks incredible!!!
I am sorry that the photo does not do it justice I really must get a better camera or a new phone with a better camera.

Below Year 1 ladies have been taking on the weaving challenge, a little different to last year where I made them weave on a cake rack (as you do) I decided to take pity on the new group and give them a smaller item to weave on, which was just a piece of mount board wrapped with threads or fabric of their choice. I asked them to relate the colours to a picture or item of inspiration to focus their minds on a particular subject. Having inspiration is important it not only helps you to focus on the task but it gives your work a story and reason for being made. It helps the mind to think more widely about the subject and to look at colour in more depth.

Well that's all folks for this week, I am sorry not to have blogged every week, but I am trying to keep up to date with everything, it's like juggling with all the balls in the air at the moment and class get's so busy having two levels in one morning I forget to photograph everyone's work.

Hope this week has inspired you a little and if you do feel like you've hit a brick wall with your creativity at the moment, there are many great groups you can follow on Face book and the net. Textile artists.org is a great one run by Sue Stone and her two sons. They have some great videos and free e books now and again that are really interesting. Also visit some shows or museums and if nothing is inspiring you at the moment just take it back to the beginning and get a sketch book and fill it with all the things you like in no particular order, paint the pages, doodle in it and I am sure the ideas will soon start to flow!

Best stitches
Beccy

A feast for the eyes - City and Guilds Creative Textiles at Busy Bees Patchwork tutor Beccy Paget

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 12:03:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Tutor - Beccy Paget

Much has been happening at the studio here at Busy Bees, creativity abounds as we step forward toward another year. My, how swiftly those hours and minutes go by. I was speaking to a lady in the shop the other day and she banks her sewing time. For every 15 minutes of must do stuff she banks herself 5 minutes of me-time! Which I thought was an extremely good idea otherwise the must do stuff gets in the way of the really important time that we should set aside for ourselves and do something that we love to do instead of what you have to do. So often I hear "I would love to sew, but I don't have the time" my reply is usually oh dear! or never mind, but really I want to say why are you it putting aside, if it is something you would really love to do - just do it! Don't wait you may find that "one day" or "when I retire" will never come for what ever reason. Just have a go and make the time to do things that make you happy, picking up a piece of sewing be it patchwork, embroidery, quilting or cross stitching it has been proven to be very therapeutic and good for the soul!

Here are some finished pieces from the last few weeks:-

Lynne has completed this fab little picture depicting the colour wheel on an umbrella, simple but so very effective!!

Kay has been experimenting with metallic foils and stitching into leaves, this piece has a japanese feel to it which she has been researching for one of her hand embroidery textile artists.

Kay has really blown us away with this piece, again worked from inspiration found in her research towards hand embroidery textile artists.
Very poignant and contemporary!

Mel has created this piece using the Gelli Plate.
Strong and bold, a piece that makes you think!

Sonia has made this amazing evening bag from a workshop we did
creating shapes and then contouring the shape with kantha stitch. Beautifully worked and a real statement on a special evening.

Celia has made a beautiful book cover/folder from the same workshop, glorious colours and a fantastic shape that she has created from our exercise on shape creation. It is so satisfying to bring design into a completed piece.

Another folder made by celia from our Gelli Plate workshop. The one square looks like the sun dancing on sea in the Caribbean and the other looks like frozen water in the Antarctic.
Creates a wonderful sense of movement and stillness at the same time.

This picture doesn't really give justice to Kays evening bag, but again produced from the shape creation workshop and kantha stitch.
Beautifully stitched and executed it would definitely grace any evening occasion!!

Ann's piece below is a culmination of the Gelli plate workshop and the shape workshop, she has used skeleton leaves on a painted background with silk rods trapped under fine organza. Ann has machine stitched this piece and it looks sensational.

Well, a feast for eyes I'm sure you will agree!!!

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

See you in the new year and if you think you would like to study the City and Guilds course yourself then please don't hesitate to call.

Very Best Stitches
Beccy xxx

Ship Shape and City and Guilds Fashion for level 2 - Colour theory for Level 1.

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 13:37:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Tutor - Beccy Paget

I am not normally a naughty person but I have been a bit remiss with my blogging this year! Seeing as I no longer have any one to slap my legs for not doing what I should be doing i'll have to chastise myself and give myself a good talking to. But, you know sometimes it's difficult to keep on top of everything and I don't mind saying that I fail now and again to keep abreast of the written side of my daily work, it's never been my forte!! I love creating with needle. machine and thread rather than words and so, that's what I've been up to! I've been doing some sampling for next year's classes and for this year, and with all the best will in the world I am not a magician as much as I would like to be.

Personally I have also been feeling a bit that I have lost my mojo, which I think every artist understands. Ideas don't come so freely and if they do they don't translate as you might like them to. You spend hours trialing a design and wish you hadn't started. I don't mind admitting to feeling this way as I know my mojo will return and usually the best way is to have a break from it all and come back to it with fresh eyes. I also find getting out my paints and my favourite wooden box of Derwent Inktense water colour pencils that my husband bought me for Christmas the year before last, a lovely water colour pad, some inspirational music and just doodling, nothing serious sometimes just scribbling on the page and colouring in the shapes. It opens up your mind and allows you to think freely with out a specific design in mind, sometimes these little doodles can bring great ideas!
I also had a little boost to my confidence the other day from a student on one of my other classes,
she told me I was Genius for working out a pattern for a pocket on her children's fleece top. Not one to blow my own trumpet, but what seemed perfectly straight forward to me, to her seemed amazing and she was so genuine in her praise, I actually believed her compliment which boosted my mood no end. We all get those days and sometimes all it takes is for someone to appreciate what you have done and tell you so, that makes you feel a whole lot better. Instead of letting low moods set in we should listen more to the compliments we are given and believe in them rather than allow bad thoughts to get us down.

Feeling a whole lot better now and when I look at what the ladies are producing every week it's so inspirational!! We have started to play with the concept of shape as you saw in my last blog a couple of weeks ago. Here are few photos of what they have come with.

Wowee, all these designs from a circle, you really need to have a go!

1. Start by cutting some circles out of card, all the same size at first.
2. Draw around the circle and then lay another one on top half way across and draw around.
3. Fold one of the circles in half and draw around that, draw a mirror image.
4. Cut the circle into quarters, draw around them, move them and draw again.

Think of as many ways as you can to manipulate the design and make sure you have the day free, because when you start the ideas can flow so quickly. Keep your designs in a sketch book and colour them in, make collages from old magazines. Truly all designs, shapes are the beginning of some exciting projects, grouping the shapes together makes even more, it's never ending but such good fun.

This week they have been given a task of using one shape and taking it on to an embroidery, using a raised technique similar to that used in gold work, but on a larger scale. Raising the shape gives the piece of work more form and dimension. I have also asked them to use Kantha stitching to accentuate their chosen shape. Kantha stitching has it's origins in Indian embroidery, rows of straight stitching that contour a shape.

This is a piece I have been working on, the shapes were cut from a fabric which I have painted and printed. I have raised them from the back and placed them onto a background fabric. Over the top i have laid strips of organza and finally a whole piece of organza over the top. I have then use a matching silk thread to stitch the Kantha work. When it's finished I hope to make the panel into an evening bag.

I am very much looking forward to see what the ladies come up with next week!!

Level 1 girls are studying colour theory and this week their task has been to make preparations to hand stitch a colour wheel. They have been researching and experimenting with tints and shades
and learning how this effects the original colour. Keeping with the primary and secondary colours to make life easier for the moment they are collating all their new found skills into a colour book. To satisfy the marking criteria for City and Guilds they need to have painted a colour wheel, made a collage of a colour wheel and stitched a colour wheel, here are a few of the photos I took from last week's class.

I asked them to first use Colourcraft pots of acrylic paint, it's not too runny and covers well if used neat. They used colours similar to an electronic printer as this gives the best range of colours and the best purple which is really difficult to obtain from other paint combinations.
I have also asked them to do a primary and secondary colour wheel in their own colours and to
compare them with the colourcraft paint, to see how different they are in the colours and pigments.
Today there is so much variety and paint companies with different names to their colours it is difficult to get the same results. The best thing to do is to choose a company you like and stick with them.

Next week we should see some of the colour wheels stitched I hope if the girls haven't been naughty like me or perhaps I shall be slapping their legs in order for them to finish. I am of course JOKING!

Hope you have a creative week, try out some of our techniques and let me know how you get on i'd would love to see that this blog has inspired you. But know this don't worry if your mojo has lapsed you can always catch it on the way back up!!!
Best stitches
Beccy

The Colour Wheel, Shape and Form - City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:29:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Tutor - Beccy Paget

Half term has come and gone, a distant memory! The clocks have gone back and every evening we are plunged into darkness at some ridiculous hour of the day and mornings are just not long enough, Can you tell it's not my favourite time of the year!! and yet ever the optimist I try to find things to cheer my self up, because if there is one thing I don't like; is hearing myself moan. I have nothing to moan about and if it's only the weather that is getting me down, well I'm not doing so bad.

Before Half term we were discussing how level 1's were getting on. They have made a fantastic start with some wonderful mark making using wet and dry mediums and stitching into some of them using hand embroidery stitches and some using the sewing machine.
It is thoroughly fascinating what designs come from messing around and not giving a great deal of thought to the composition/colour/pattern etc and just letting your mind go free, it relieves the worry of "did i do that correctly" or if your not good at drawing particularly it doesn't mean that you have to be an artist to bring together an interesting and thought provoking image.

These two pieces above were made by Elaine and she has used her machine to great effect here. In sewing these pieces she has learned several things about stitching onto fine fabrics and how to use interfacing to her advantage to help support the stitches, so that they don't pucker the fabric.
We also found that the piece of paper she used with a square aperture to paint the background fabrics would make a wonderful frame.

This week we have been studying the colour wheel, something which can be really confusing, but hopefully after a few sessions of colour theory, it won't seem quite as daunting.
I think they had a lot of fun any way by the state of the table.

Adding colour to a picture is like turning the light on, without light there is no colour! I am not about to tell you the physics of light and colour but it is safe to say that it is only when light shines on a object that it's true colours are revealed. Some colours are stronger than others with high content of pigment and it is those that would change dramatically were sunlight to be less.

To fully understand colour theory would mean taking a University degree, the technology and manufacturing industry is huge. We don't realise how important it is to our lives through advertising and even down to what we wear, colour can have a impact on our social and personal feelings.
We are bombarded everyday by signs, images and video we would be totally and utterly lost with out colour in out lives.

Meanwhile level 2's are beginning to study Shape and Form, in today's task we are discovering that from a circle all other shapes are derived, we did a series of pages on distorting and manipulating the circle shape into other shapes by folding and cutting and then drawing around the shapes to make other patterns.

I just love doing things like this, the more you do, the more it opens your minds to other designs and shapes, it is totally mesmerising and inspiring. When I start, I just can't stop and time flies by!!!!

After the girls have made their decision on a shape to follow, they will then stitch some samples by hand and machine so I can't wait to see what they come up with.

Just a short blog this week as I haven't many pictures yet to show you. Pictures are so much more fun than listening to me waffling on.

Speak to you next week, all being well!!!

Best stitches

Beccy

If you would like any information on the course, please do not hesitate to get in touch!
01633 810801
beccy@busybeespatchwork.com

Let's see how Level 1's are getting on!

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 22:00:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Tutor - Beccy Paget

Last week I spoke about level 2 and the skills that teach us how to begin thinking of ourselves as textile artists rather than just embroiderers. Learning to design and how to develop our own style can take many years and it all starts with level 1. Many centers do not teach this level but I think it is pivotal to that journey that makes us into an artist.

Level 1 as I have written before, way back last September 2017 teaches all the basics, from mark making in dry and wet mediums to understanding the colour wheel and then how to take those basic elements of design further into stitched samples.

Starting off with mark making using all sorts of items from around the home, tops of boxes, an old toothbrush, old store cards, bottle tops and dipping them into paint and just making marks. I find this process fascinating, apart from the fact that it has no known out come the out come is one of wonder and astonishment that such evocative designs come from nothing other than just messing around with paint. paper and bits of rubbish.
The students always have a great time doing this but are not always convinced with the finished piece, well I get that because it just seems too simple, too easy to be thought of as a serious piece of work. Not all of what we do should be serious, there should be that element of play and joy. Often we become upset by the things that we make, they don't go to plan, we expected more of ourselves, we didn't like how it turned out even after spending hours planning, we find fault in it and pick it to death saying it's not good enough or I wish I'd done that better. I hope that City and Guilds will give the students the confidence to say I made that and I am proud of it!!! Learning that not always does it have to be perfect in every detail, but learning to experiment and take joy in the simple as well as the more sophisticated. I love these samples below, they are joyous and full of "let's go for it" after all how could you go wrong!

All the above have been created on lining paper, which has been bonded to a medium iron on interfacing and machine stitching added to embellish further. They will be made into book covers to store their mark making tutorials with wet and dry mediums.
Next week for level 1's will be trying out different embroidery stitches onto printed fabric backgrounds, so I am excited to see how these turn out.

Mean while Level 2's have been embracing a layered background using bondaweb and painted bondaweb to make covers for their books which we will be making next week.
Let loose with a bag of scraps and some Bondaweb and here is what they have come up with!!!

So different in colour and style yet they all started off with the same remit, never ceases to fascinate me and why I love my job so much.

A shorter blog this week but I think sometimes pictures speak louder than words, so I am going to leave it there and see what next week brings.
Best stitches
Beccy xxx

It's all about the texture and Bonding - City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 20:25:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Tutor - Beccy Paget

Level 2 City and Guilds in textiles begins to train you to start thinking more for yourself. A part of the syllabus requires, that you study 3 hand embroidery artists and 3 machine embroidery artists. Also that one should be a contemporary, one historic and one cultural. It is designed to help the student to develop their own style by seeing how other artists work and how they have been influenced by others to create their own unique approach to their work.

Looking at other artists, patterns and trends is not copying, the very first designers of let's say the heart design have long been forgotten, many leaves are heart shaped and those who have designed before us would have been influenced by nature it's self. When a heart appears on a bed quilt or appliqued on a cushion not one person would call that copying, because it is a shape now widely known and yet still we can make that shape our own in the way in which we implement it.
I have often thought a good class would be, to take one shape, one stitch and one type of thread and then see at the end of the day what every one would come up with and I guarantee they would all be different with no perceived idea of an initial design. Everyone can design, it's a just a matter of taste and imagination! Although those who are creative are not afraid of thinking outside of the box, where as some need to build on their confidence and learn to think again as a child, where there are no limits and no right or wrongs. We are conditioned to think that either there is a correct way or a wrong way and forgot that there is room for the middle ground and the WHAT IF way.
May be I will get the group to experiment and see what we can come up with, it would be an interesting experiment.
For the past couple of weeks we have been concentrating on hand embroidery. Using simple stitches in a way we would not normally associate with those stitches, also creating backgrounds for stitch which require thinking outside the box to create pieces of work that are totally unique, with plenty of texture and depth. Here are a few examples from week 3 that have been completed, where we trapped buttons, bottle tops, curtain rings and other items under organza's and scrims. The effects are a textural symphony, creating surfaces that resemble those in nature produced by barnacles on a stone or lichen on bark, not a new technique on the block but certainly a very satisfying and exciting form of embroidery.

This type of work would lends itself to many natural applications, for instance tree bark, rock pools, fungi, cliff face and much more. Depending on the threads, fabrics and items chosen this technique knows no end and certainly a very usable and useful technique to know.

Last week's class was using Bondaweb in a non traditional way. There are many forms of this brand of adhesive attached to a carrier sheet normally used for taking up hems and holding applique designs in place. I only use Bondaweb so I cannot really tell you if other makes work in the same way so experiment and see how your brand works. In this session we painted the Bondaweb with a watered down acrylic paint onto the glue side and let it dry fully before ironing it onto a piece of chosen fabric. Ironing the paint onto fabric gives a wonderful shiney texture almost like the texture of shark skin, creating backgrounds to be stitched on can add authenticity to a project by resembling the texture of a chosen subject.

The variations of using this method are endless, the only drawback for lots of students is the cost of the Bondaweb, but careful planning and testing small pieces will help to create a portfolio of samples that could be used in certain projects. Some of the samples above remind me of that lovely texture of peeling paint on an old door or boat, and the diamond texture on a different make called applique it looks like snake skin. Of course more can be added to these backgrounds to create even more layers of colour and depth, we will also be trying some foiling as this sticks to the Bondaweb to add some luxury which can look like gold or silver plating.

This week we have been using the Bondaweb as a bonding agent for fabric and thread scraps to adhere them to a background for some hand stitching. These pieces will possibly used for book covers for sketch books.

A great way to use up all those scraps from other projects that you just can't bear to throw away. This technique is not easy to plan, you need to feel this one as you go. Adding and removing as it grows and sensing when enough is enough. No two projects like this will ever be the same and I think that's why it's a process I love to do because you just never know what it's going to look like until you've thrown the last piece down, and comes the stitching on such a rich background needs a certain amount of bravery and confidence in your ability. These won't be completed for a while but I am really looking forward to the reveal, I know that much! I will just have to get the girls to see it the same way I do and not to give up half way through, I hope not, it's a technique that instills "Keep calm and do more stitching"

Today as well saw the arrival of the well deserved certificates for last year's Level 1, Rachel from Newport Borough Council brought them along to class and we had a little ceremony to hand them out. I am so proud of them all with Distinctions throughout what more could a tutor ask. Some really exquisite pieces of work were produced and hopefully you will see them again when we exhibit next year at the Busy Bees Programme Launch day and also another venue which is not quite finalised yet.
Well done to all I am so excited to see what this year brings!!!!!

Best stitches
Beccy

Texture, Texture and more Texture !!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 22:02:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Tutor - Beccy Paget

There is nothing quite like Wednesday morning and the chatter among the ladies as they show and tell their embroideries. It is great fun to see pieces of work grow and come together.

The hardest part of an embroidery is the beginning, we are optimistic at first but then doubt sets in, are you doing the right thing, have you chosen the best colours, the right fabrics? You begin with the first stitches and even they feel like you have never picked up a needle before in your life but stitch after stitch soon you find a rhythm and your away. Ideas flow through your mind I could do this and I could do that, what thread shall I use next? I wonder what a bead would look like there and so on. It becomes part of you and your thoughts sometimes you even dream about it, I wonder what compels us to sew the pleasure and the pain when doubt sets in and we can't quite see the woods from the trees.
There is one thing for sure, every creator feels and thinks exactly the same way, we have the best days and the worst days where nothing seems to flow, the ideas have stopped and you think you will never hoop up another piece of work again, but gladly that doesn't last long because deep down it's part of you and you have to create and soon your mojo returns and it's back on track for the next work of art. When a block of creativity comes you have to work through it, try to empty your mind and just accept the fact that not always do things go the way we want them to. Try another approach or maybe new colours or fabrics but most of all don't give up go back to the piece of work with fresh eyes, hang it up for a while, look at it from different angles and if you really don't like it then take it apart and just start again.
New beginnings are always difficult, apprehension and doubt can be dispelled by picking up a pencil and doodling, going back to basics as level 1's have been doing for the past couple of weeks.

Drying on the floor, some of the mark making project using all sorts of items to make marks using acrylic paint.

Experimenting with unusual printing objects, tops of boxes, bottoms of bottles, scraping with forks and old tooth brushes can make shapes and marks that are not managed and the outcome will be a complete surprise. It's like finding shapes in the clouds or the smoke in the fire, it teaches us to look further and beyond and when black and white is used on the opposite background the shapes are clear and crisp which makes the shapes in the background stand out. Positive and negative shapes can be so satisfying and when you don't have to try too hard to get a fantastic result.

I asked the level 2 ladies to put faith into themselves and their power of observation and try sketching with thread and needle instead of pencil and paper, quite a task when we are so used to marking out the fabric first before we sew. I think they surprised themselves!

old habits die hard :) beautiful long and short stitch!

Mel had already had some practice at this, with a wonderful portrait.

Using thread and needle to draw takes a great deal of skill, it's not so easy to rub out mistakes for one thing. Well done to all you did a magnificent job!!!

last weeks little test was to help the ladies to learn to look before they made each stitch, to plan where to place the mark without marking prior to sewing. Marking areas is not always appropriate or easy to do. Some fabrics such as velvets or rough fabrics are notoriously difficult to mark and so sometimes you need to jump in at the deep end and just go for it, heck! you can unpick it (ARGGHHHH)
So was set the following challenge, of filling an area with threads of different weights and sizes to achieve a textured surface.

Making little samples like this tests you to think about how to use simple stitches in a less traditional way. It is great fun seeing how you can manipulate the different threads and pile them on top of each other, twist them, weave them in and out and go hither and thither. Try it out and see what you can come up with.

In today's class we have been trapping, making textures through placing all sorts of things between layers of fabrics and stitching them down with plenty of textured stitches.

Next week we will see how these have grown, it's like planting a seed and waiting for the flowers to bloom!!

Best stitches
Beccy

And we're off level 1 and 2 City and Guilds 7161 Hand and Machine Embroidery.

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 14:06:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Tutor - Beccy Paget

Wonderful news, the registration date for this course has been extended to 2021

Since I spoke to you last, City and Guilds have extended their registration date to December 2021, which means that this wonderful qualification will continue for the next 3 years in it's present form. A diverse and comprehensive course that teaches you how to turn your creative thoughts into reality. The course is accredited which means that you will gain a qualification that is known and respected in the industry the whole world over.

There are not many places now in the Uk and certainly not Wales where you can take this course and I feel as a tutor very privileged to deliver this course to you through my Business who I run with my partner Ann Stuart here at Busy Bees Patchwork in the beautiful grounds of the National Trust property of Tredegar House Newport South Wales.

Ann is on the left and I'm on the right, we run a happy ship, but take our work very seriously,
both of us have had many years experience in the trade but opportunity knocked for both of us in 2014 having not even met each other, we hit it off straight away and have not looked back since!
We keep each other on an even keel and sometimes I wonder how we manage it all, as both of us have such creative minds, but each has their roles to play and we have only to look forward now and grow our business into a center of learning excellence for textile lovers. We offer many courses through our shop, day classes and weekly classs some we teach ourselves and others by talented local and international tutors. Needless to say we are very proud to be an accredited center for City and Guilds, so if you are still thinking of doing this course then there is still time to join in, I am a very giving and generous tutor and will help you to catch up if you decide to take the plunge!!!

The new roundabout layout at Junction 28 is nearing completion and is a big improvement on the old roundabout. Follow the A48 Cardiff road west to the traffic lights and turn left onto Pencarn road, at the roundabout take the first exit and you will arrive at the car park for Tredegar House. Busy Bees shop is located in the row of craft shops in the car park.

We run some of our smaller workshops in the shop itself but we also have a studio where we run larger workshops such as the City and Guilds courses. The studio has all the facilities you would expect plus great disabled access for wheelchair users and disabled toilet facilities too.
To get to our studio from the M4, follow the A48, Cardiff road west towards Tredegar House at the traffic lights turn left onto Pencarn road. Take the second exit on the roundabout and continue to the next roundabout. Take the second exit and travel about a quarter of mile and take the next left Tredegar house drive. Follow this road until you come to a dead end, drive to the right and you will see a news agents, you can park here and walk or you can drive through the metal gates and park directly outside Busy Bees Studio, perfect when you have lots of equipment to bring to class like heavy sewing machines.

Our first meeting of the year for those returning to level 2 and our new level 1's went very well yesterday! Level 2 girls have had a little rest over the summer and are raring to see what level 2 has to offer and those taking part for the first time are probably wondering what on earth they have let themselves in for, but all is calm in the studio after the initial hello's and greetings and we're off to a good start!

Level 2's task this week was thread sketching or making marks with thread and needle instead of pencil and paint. Using only a couple of stitches straight and chain I have asked them to draw a 2 inch square and to fill that square with a stitch, using all kinds of threads and yarns. To layer, distort and generally use the stitches in a completely random way, totally against the grain when you are so used to certain stitches looking or having a function that are not normally for.
Straight stitching for many is a utility stitch, a stitch which holds seams together or if you are a quilter it is used to hold the layers together in a quilt generally in linear form, You also see it on the outside of garments, on jeans pockets or around a collar. In embroidery the use of straight stitch can be seen in many forms, in Kantha work, Japanese sashiko work, quilting and others but if you break it down in to single random elements it becomes a seeding stitch. The act of taking the needle through the back of the fabric to the top and then placing the needle at a new point on the top of the material and then through the back is I suppose a straight stitch. How you combine them from there on is what makes the difference. Also the type of thread and fabric you stitch into also gives this, the most basic of stitches it's appeal. From time and memorial this utilitarian stitch has featured in nearly everything we make from those who first sewed with bone needles to the very latest computerised machine we just love this stitch. No matter who you are, everyone appreciates it's qualities, top fashion designers to fisherman, builders to sailors if you look that straight stitch is in every garment we wear, and it hasn't changed much from when it was first invented way back when!

I have often joked that I could teach a whole day on just straight stitching, but the more I think about it would/could take a week to review the qualities of this fundamental part of our lives.

The chain stitch not to be undermined has also a long history, and perhaps some of you will know this but I am assuming that many don't, that the first mechanical sewing machines invented made a chain stitch and you still see it today on tops of potato bags, carrot sacks and other feeds that come in hessian or net bags. the advantage of this stitch for the industry is that it comes undone very easily if you cut the right end and locks when you don't. A very strong stitch when locked but for garment making as you can imagine not really suitable, seams would be unraveling all over the place and that would not be a good thing at all !!! There are still some domestic machines that do a chain stitch and that is the cover stitch machines that look like an overlocker/serger, also those very cheep hand held machines which break almost when you take them out of the box.

A different story for the embroiderer the chain stitch is held in quite high regard and if you are of a certain age one of the first stitches you would have been taught at school. I remember using chain stitch for a snail shell and trying ever so hard to make the stitches as neat and as uniform as I could to impress my teacher. Although she was impressed, my hard efforts were dashed when I had to unpick all my work as I had stitched it to my skirt as well :( (no laughing please I was bereft) I don't know how much that day affected me, but to this day I detest unpicking anything and do my level best not to. My friend said to me once, you never make any mistakes well I believe in preparation and then I find I don't have to unpick, I am bit like a tortoise slow and steady wins the race!

Here are a few samples of some stitching the ladies did, taking these two lovable stitches out of context and layering them, distorting them and using all sorts of threads too.

I am interested to see what they come up with next week!

Level 1 ladies were set quite a different task of mark making with pencils and marking pens, a little lesson in how different the pencil can make marks when held in a different way eg. at the top, in the middle and near the tip. The amount of pressure and control is very different and consequently makes either light or bold marks on the paper. Using different hardness of pencil again creates unique marks either fine with a very had pencil such as a 4H or thick with a 4B pencil. Did you know that on the graphite scale H stands for hardness and B stands for blackness, well now you do!
Making marks in a random way is very satisfying long, short, dots, all these elements go towards your first lesson in drawing. Horizontal lines, vertical lines and curved lines indicate direction in your design even if they are broken. They help to travel your eye around a picture and lead you to the most important features, the basis of any good picture. Although some students struggle with this part of the process because it seems too simplistic it is good to strip back to the basics to see your design in it's simplest form. Later when choosing a subject to depict in stitches, it is impossible to put in every detail and we need to lose some of the peripheral elements and pair back so that the main parts are shown. It is surprising how our eyes fill in the rest.

Lines are everywhere in our daily lives, learn to look around you and see from where you are sat how many lines you can see! Edge of curtain, the curtain pole or rail, on a t shirt or a garment your wearing, doors, walls, wallpaper every where you look horizontal, vertical and curved lines. They have been used in decoration in different ways since forever!

As we progress the ladies will become more aware of line and how to appreciate it's in importance in design not only the visual lines we can see but the also the suggested line in a picture that helps the viewer to keep focused on the subject.

I think that's enough for this week, I hope they are doing some homework and next week I'll bring you some more pictures of what they're up to. For myself I 'm still working on my miners, I haven't had a great deal of free time but that's how it goes sometimes.

Best stitches
Beccy

Long time, no blog! City and Guilds 7161 Hand and Machine Embroidery Beccy Paget Busy Bees Patchwork

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 14:52:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery

7161
Beccy Paget

Long time, no blog!

Well the summer holidays are over, we've had some wonderful weather quite like old times. I remember wonderful summers as a child, I lived in a beautiful country cottage on the side of a huge Pine forest with a view to die for looking across the Usk valley towards Christchurch and Caerleon. It was idyllic when I look back, my sister and I used to make den's in the forest and ride our bikes and on rainy days we'd make tents out of blankets on the settee and watch telly by the fire.

My parents were always busy so I was glad to have my sister for company but she was 3 years older than me and boy did she assert her authority she was definitely the Boss but I didn't mind she had the most wonderful way of telling stories and I could have listened to her for hours. I have two older sisters who at the time lived at home, it was a squeeze but we all rubbed together along well. My mother would never allow us argue and we were never allowed upstairs in the day, sometimes I wonder how we all managed in that little cottage on the hill.

No one in my family sews, I can remember begging my mum to show me how to use her new sewing machine when she part exchanged my grand mothers old singer (oh how I wish I had that now !) A singer starlet sat behind the sofa for so long I don't think my Mum ever threaded it up. But her talents laid elsewhere, she was an amazing cook and she was a wonderful writer of letters. In fact it was my Mum's letter that got me my job working with sewing machines when I was 22.

That singer starlet bless it's little heart never really had any use and I asked my mum if I could part exchange for a newer model where I worked, from there my passion for machines started. Learning how to use all the different models in the shop was an absolute joy, all their different abilities the higher in price they went, you soon learned why paying that little extra could make your sewing project that little bit easier, you can guess what happened to my little Newhome machine, well it was part exchanged for a reconditioned Newhome 7500 and to me all singing all dancing I thought I was the bees knees. (Little did I know!!) Let's say it didn't end there but hey ho I loved my sewing and with no family at that time my money was my own.

I have to say over the holidays I haven't done a great deal of sewing because my sewing room was so untidy and over flowing it really put me off, so I decided enough was enough and I donned my Apron and began painting the spare room (which my big son vacated in march), ordered a big unit from Ikea and lots of storage boxes, I ordered some kitchen drawer units and spent a whole afternoon in the bedroom with my husband :) putting together this blessed unit, lets say the air was blue he has no patience for flat pack at all !!!!!!! It took at least 2 hours and there's only another 7 to go, well not in this room, the other 7 are going in the new art room downstairs I'm feeling very lucky and blessed at the moment to be able to separate the sewing from the art. I think I'm going to have to call on my son or son-in-law to put up the rest.

Behind this door is such a mess I would be ashamed to show you, but I will keep you up to date with what happens as work progresses. I have moved a lot and found to my horror the biggest spider in the world hiding behind my sewing machine which set me back a few days because my husband won't let me kill them, so I had to pluck up the courage knowing that he was there to decant all my sewing stuff to the new room up stairs. He's still there but as long as I can't see him i'm okay! and any way I couldn't harm him because he's hiding behind the existing units :(

In contrast the new sewing room is taking shape and looking super dooper if I say so myself.

I can't wait until it's all done, but I have to be patient and it will get there and then I hope to be more organised between my time in the sewing room, the art room and hand sewing at the dining room table. You may think my goodness does this woman do anything else but sew and paint? Well yes but when you teach City and Guilds in hand and machine embroidery you need a good space to store and practice new techniques. I'm always trying out something to show the students and keep everything from thread waste to empty cereal packets and for those things, which you think, might just come in handy and that is how the other room got into such a pickle.

We start back in earnest next Wednesday and I am really looking forward to last years ladies moving on to year 2 and the new learners for level 1. Level 2's will be learning more about shape, pattern, form and beginning to put a portfolio together to make an item for a commission. Level 1's will be starting with mark making and basic drawing skills.

For myself among everything else I have decided to give myself a project or a theme and I was shopping in Abergavenny market a few months ago and a stall holder was selling leather pieces and I'm not sure why but into my creative mind popped coal faces and miners, the leather looked for all the will in the world like a coal face and of course I bought it and there it has been sat for quite some time as I mull over what to do with it. There is my inspiration and it may get used and it may not but it has set the ball rolling and so I will spend some time drawing, sketching, painting and deciding what I would like to make a hanging, a sculpture, a picture maybe all three it depends on how I feel about it. I have family connections with the mines so I feel a connection with the subject already. I have made some sketches from pictures I have found on the internet from old photographs.

I was quite pleased with these seeing as I haven't done a lot drawing for a while, but I think when you connect with a subject it always feels better. I am now working on some stitching samples in hand quilting and machine applique. I also want to experiment with some surface fabric treatment. I will let you know how I am getting on as the weeks go by. It may not come together quickly but it will be an ongoing project.

Hope you will join us on this year's journey into hand and machine stitched textiles, let me know if any of the work has inspired you and thank you for reading my blog.

Best stitches

Beccy

Busy Bees Patchwork Workshop Programme Launch 2018/2019

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 11:58:00 +0000

The new Busy Bees Patchwork workshop programme will be out soon!

Saturday 21st July 2018

We have an exciting array of classes to suit all abilities in Patchwork, quilting, mixed media, hand embroidery and much more!

We pride ourselves on finding the very best of local talented tutors to inspire, and help further your creative knowledge without being too expensive! Many of our tutors have been teaching for many years, but we also like to help those who are new to teaching and give them a chance to show what they can do and also inspire them on their journey as teachers too!

Everyone knows how therapeutic making and crafting is, it's also about community and making new friends. It's about being with others who understand how important it is to be creative, we love to purchase our goodies, sit and admire them, plan the next project and generally drool over the lovely fabrics, threads, papers and mixed media products that are out there today. So much at our fingertips but then comes what do i do with them? A class (like no other), a good teacher can help you on your way, and hopefully even complete a project in a day where time allows. Being part of that community of people feels rewarding, our happy place where nothing else in the world matters, you can let your worries fly out the window for a short while and only concentrate on making something beautiful.

It's a feel good thing, putting your brain to good use, we can loose ourselves and dream of what we will attempt next, invisage what it will be like, what fabrics to use, what threads and who will benefit from your craft. A present for Grandma, a gift for the new baby in the family, a big smile on your sisters face when she knows how much love and effort it must have took to make such a wonderful gift. All this and more comes from being creative and taking a class with others means you can share and inspire your fellow class mates, it's like belonging to a secret society.

This year we are thrilled to have Parr's Rulers demonstrating for us on the day, their innovation to help you quilt is being recognised the world over! They have recently teamed up with Create and Craft and had very successful show some weeks ago. They have also agreed to teach for us in the new programme, so if you have purchased rulers and would like some extra tuition, book onto their class and learn how to be more confident in using this amazing system.

I know I am going to have a go for sure!

Looking forward to seeing you on the day, the city and Guilds girls have nearly completed all they need to do for level 1 and will be exhibiting their work for you to see and admire, they have worked so hard as have the Patchwork girls too!

Pop along and see us you can't fail to be inspired by all the lovely work that will be on display.

What will you learn this year at the "Hive of Inspiration"

Best stitches

Beccy x

P.S Now taking names for level 1 City and Guilds 7161 textiles hand and machine embroidery.

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 22:12:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

My word!!!! is it really so long ago since my last blog on the 23rd May, where does the time go. Being busy that's where it goes, I bet you thought we'd fallen off the edge of the world, well not quite. Just coming to the end of a fantastic year of creativity, the ladies have nearly finished all they need to do and now I have the daunting task of marking and giving out their final results for the year. I have not been looking forward to this at all! Although I have to say the standard throughout this year has been remarkable and they should all be very pleased with what they have achieved over the 36 weeks we have been together.

I will say that it has been the most enjoyable year for me, my first year of teaching an accredited course has given me so much pleasure and I am thrilled that all the ladies have expressed an interest to join me next year for level 2, so I couldn't have been that much of a slave driver as they lead me to believe. The ladies will be exhibiting their work at the Busy Bees Programme launch on Saturday 21st July 2018, so if you have an idea that you might like to take part in this year's level 1, starting in September 2018 then this would be the perfect opportunity to come along and chat to me and the ladies, see the work they have produced and be inspired by their creativity. It is a lot of hard work but so rewarding as you will see from the wonderful pieces they have stitched.

I'm afraid I don't have many pictures to show you this week as we have been getting to grips with finishing off loose ends, labelling and cross referencing written work, so that when the lady from EQA lady comes from City and Guilds we will be on track and ready to have the results verified. But we did have a little play the week before last with colouring fabric with wax crayons. Something I have never really explored much, and I have to say I was quite taken with it.
The best attribute for colouring with wax crayons is that the fabric stays soft, using acrylic paint makes the fabric hard and difficult to hand sew into, markals take a while
to dry thoroughly and leaves a strong smell of oil and water colour is difficult to control without a fabric medium, but using wax you can easily control where the colour goes and stays and can be blended to build up the colours to give a lovely shading effect.
We tried two methods, one where you melt the wax and apply with a soft cloth or kitchen towel and the other is applying the wax direct to the fabric and then use baby oil to blend the wax using a cotton wool bud. These techniques work equally well on paper and can then be used to colour sketch book pages, also because it is wax it will act as a resist to water colour paints.

Below are a few pictures of the girls first attempts!

The crayons also give a lovely soft effect, above Sonia took a rubbing from the side of a set of carved wooden shelves and then used the baby oil to soften and blend the rubbing.

The only draw back I think is that the fabric needs to be held down firmly and we tried several ways of doing this, one ironing on freezer paper to the reverse of the fabric a temporary measure that worked quite well. Iron on medium interfacing, again worked well but the interfacing would be a more permanent fixture, good for book covers and the like. Iron on a piece of bondaweb and then it would be great for applique projects. I also tried my sticky mat from my Silhoette cutting machine and that also worked well to hold the fabric in place. A few methods to try if you want to keep the fabric still while drawing or colouring soft fabrics that easily move around.

Ann went home and worked this beautiful piece with butterflies, she used bondaweb on some of the butterflies and only secured half down so that the butter fly wings are
proud of the fabric which makes them look like they are going to take flight.

Like all things, it takes time to play and develop better methods of approaching different techniques, an extra day a week should cover it please!!!!!

Last weeks session was using the sewing machine and free motion stitching to make a bowl from thread and fabric scraps sandwiched between two pieces of soft water soluble fabric. We put this into a hoop, because it is not easy to handle without one. Learning little things like this can be the starting point for so many other projects, from a simple technique you can embellish further with hand sewing or stitching on beads or making larger panels for bigger bowls, so many options when you put your mind to it.
I will post next week some of the results for making the bowls.

I think that's all for this week and because we are winding down, I won't be blogging after the end of july, a little rest for the summer holibobs and then it will be back to it and hopefully a full level1 class and level 2's as well in September.
Hope all well with everyone, if you want to chat to me about the City and Guilds class give me a call on 01633 810801 (Tuesday to Saturday) or email me on
beccy@busybeespatchwork.com
Best stitches
Beccyx

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Fri, 25 May 2018 19:54:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 30 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

Machine Applique and reverse applique
May 23rd 2018

Last week I wrote about machine applique using bondaweb, applying shapes to the right side of the fabric and how to adjust your machine to make the classic satin stitch using the zigzag setting and altering width and length accordingly.
Reverse applique however, is a style of applique that is sewn with a straight stitch from the wrong side which holds the applique shape in place instead of using bondaweb. Bondaweb can sometimes be too firm for the fabrics, okay if you need that stability, but when you want a softer finish it may not be suitable. There are other bonding sheets such as misty fuse which is much softer and finer, but again you may not have all of these products in your stash!

Below are some diagrams of how to apply fabrics from the reverse, there are other variations of this method but this is my method of choice.

Once all the parts of the applique are in place, detail can then be added with satin stitch or decorative stitches on the machine if you have them.

Very detailed designs can be applied in this way, just be careful of the order in which the fabrics are applied, stitch and tear can be applied to the reverse when using the satin stitch to avoid puckering.

Now to some photos of the ladies work from today and the past couple of weeks.

Some lovely colours being worked here, Purple and lime greens my favourite combination!

Popular colour palette!

We're getting there, week by week machine skills are improving, I'm determined they will one day love machine stitching as much as hand stitching!!!!

A couple of weeks ago when we were experimenting with markal paintstiks I gave the ladies a challenge of using different types of materials to work on and how to think of them in a more abstract way. Below Kay has taken some Aida and stencilled Markals in triangular shapes, she has distressed the canvas and used large bold stitching to rejoin the canvas threads. I think this sample has quite a powerful statement to make even in such a small sample.
Order and Chaos comes straight to mind!

You would never guess what Kay used here in this little sample, but I am going to tell you because you'll be straight down to your nearest DIY shop and giving it a go. Blown Vinyl wall paper. Yes, painted with markals and stitched to a stencilled background. I love the way she has used these textured papers in her sample and could really see a bigger piece with these techniques included. City and Guilds really does help you to see the world around you in a different way, stretches our imagination and brings out the very best in us. Well done Kay!

Celia brought in some fabulous embroidered panels for us to drool over. The piece below is called Mola work. Kuna women from the San Blas Archipelago produce most of the work, though some molas are also made by Kuna women from inland Panama and Western Columbia. The designs as with most embroidery have symbolic meanings and stem from necessity rather than for design sake. The work is so finely worked and is a form of reverse applique.

The piece below originates from China, and is so beautifully stitched. Sometimes it difficult to believe that these were made by human hand and not by machine the stitching is so fine.

Beautiful and inspiring work from the other sides of the world, and yet our passion is just as strong as theirs. Embroidery has appeal the world throughout, a true common thread to decorate and make our lives better through art and design. Yet with textiles there is that added softness and comfort that using fabric brings.

No blog next week we are on half term!
Best stitches
Beccy

Don't forget do something creative this week!

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Fri, 18 May 2018 20:39:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 29 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

Machine Applique and reverse applique
May 18th 2018

It has been a busy few weeks here at Busy Bees and the reason I haven't blogged for a while.
The ladies have been very busy catching up with work as we head towards the last few weeks of Level 1, I can't believe how quickly this time has passed and so much wonderful work has been produced, I am really looking forward to the exhibition on our workshop programme open day on Saturday 21st July 2018.

This week and next week we are covering machine applique and reverse applique. Two very exciting techniques that are probably the most used techniques when it comes to textile art. Applique meaning to apply one fabric to another in a decorative way either by applying a shape such as a flower or bird.
Most people when thinking about machine applique will be familiar with the words satin stitch, a close zigzag that firmly holds the shape to be applied in place. To achieve this stitch on your machine as long as it has a swing needle (not a straight stitch machine) you will need to be able to alter the length and width settings to achieve this decorative stitch. Not all machines are able to do this so check your manual first to make sure. The general settings for most machines is to set the pattern dial or from the digital display select the zigzag pattern and then adjust the length 0.5 or close to 0 but not too close because setting the machine to 0 tells the feed dog to sew on the spot, but you need to be fairly close in order for the stitches to sit side by side. Always test first on a scrap of fabric and if the foot moves freely and the stitches are close then you have found the right setting. To set the zigzag either change the numbers to 3.0 or 3.5 or turn your pattern dial so that the bars are set just above the middle position. Most mechanical machines have a width maximum of 5 which relates in size to 5 mm. A computerised machine generally will have a setting of 7 mm.

Always test your settings because things can change when using thicker threads or fine threads, or thicker fabrics etc. Applique is such a useful technique to learn, you can be so creative with it, from your choice of design through to your choice of fabrics and threads. It can be intricate in pattern or cover large areas the possibilities are endless!

Before the invention of wonderful Bondaweb, (a sheet of glue attached to a carrier sheet that bonds through heat application) applying shapes, especially small shapes would take a considerable amount of time and skill. Bondaweb a brand name for this mesh of glue, securely holds the shape in place while stitching, it also prevents fraying on fabrics of that nature so applying any type of fabric now need not cause too much concern. The carrier sheet resembles tracing paper and the design can be traced onto this cut out roughly around the shape and then bond to the reverse or wrong side of the fabric to be applied. Cut out the shape when attached to the fabric, peel away the paper and then place onto the background fabric right side up and iron into place with a medium to hot iron, making sure the glue on the reverse is well and truly adhered to the background.

When you have applied your shape, with machine set correctly and the satin stitch foot on the machine continue to sew around your design making sure that when the needle of the machine falls into to left position that it passes through the applique and the background and that the right fall of the needle only goes through the background material. Covering the raw edges of the applique shape.

When it is time to turn or work your way around a curve if turning clockwise, leave the needle in the fabric on the right fall and pivot back into position rather than dragging the fabric around, this will cause the material to pucker! If your turning anti clockwise then leave the needle in the left fall and pivot for that direction. If you find the material is puckering you can also place a piece of stitch and tear interfacing to the reverse to give more substance to that area. Satin stitch has a tendency to pucker the material especially fine fabrics because of the concentration of stitches, changing the tension to a lower setting can also help with this problem, again testing first will throw up these problems so that when you approach your finished work all problems should be ironed out.

I might go on a bit about testing but unless you give the machine a chance to do a good job by adjusting this and that, then you cannot expect it to know exactly what you want. Too often we blame the poor old machine, but in fact we just haven't given it the right foot, the right needle, the right settings etc to do the job! In industry machines are set up with one job to do eg putting in a zip on denim fabric with a size 50 thread and 100 standard needle, it will do that all day long with no problem at all, now think how it would fare without changing those settings and ask it sew silk chiffon? Food for thought ......

Next week I'll explain a little about reverse applique and how it can help apply fabrics in a more intricate way. Here are some pictures of what the ladies have been up to recently, not so many now as pieces are being finished and we only have a few more techniques to cover.

Some samples of transfer painting.

Stencilled with Markals

Trying out Markals on different surfaces including sticky back plastic, scrim, and lutradur.

Stencils with Markals

Rubbings with Markals from Indian block prints

Below, a rubbing with markals from a Garden seat no less !!!

Inspiration is all around us even where we sit! Keep your eyes and mind open and you will be surprised what comes to mind when looking at an object in a different way. Celia had some old keys and they have come to tell a story about the suffragettes and the emancipation of women. The key in her piece is a representation of the women who chained themselves to railings to fight for the cause, a key was needed to release them from their chains physically and metaphorically! It will be quite a profound piece when finished.

Well I think that's enough for this week, hope you find some time to stitch this week or maybe start a sketchbook of ideas, jot down some ideas or little drawings and scribbles see what come to mind.
Enjoy the sunshine while it's here too!

Best stitches
Beccy

Week 27 Discovering the beauty of Markal Paintstiks Level 1 City and Guilds Textiles @Busy Bees Patchwork Studio

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Wed, 02 May 2018 20:21:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 27 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

Markal Painstiks

May 2nd 2018

First let me apologise for the absence of last weeks blog! We had such a busy session learning about transfer dyes and how to use them by the time I looked at the clock it was time to go home and no time to take pictures. I thought perhaps a blog with no pictures would be pretty boring so I decided not to and make up for it this week.
Although our sessions are 3 hours, time just seems to fly! and yet most people feel that their best work is done at home in the comfort of their own surroundings, where you can take time to think over the process or technique and tailor it to your own design.
We all work in different ways and I always found that I loved going to class, meeting up with my fellow learners, learning the technique for the week and then going home to put that new found knowledge into practice. Meeting up with my fellow enthusiasts gave me a boost, seeing how others approached the same task, mulling over the different fabrics, threads and paints, listening to other ideas and points of view to me was a very important part of the whole journey.
Unlike school I hated missing weeks because of half term, but I suppose my teacher deserved a break but I really missed going to class. Although going to class was the best thing, I could never produce any thing I was happy with in those few hours, my best efforts were always at home in my little sewing room, crammed to the ceiling with all my lovely stuff around me like a bird in a nest! I guess we all work in different ways and some people prefer distance learning and some may not have the luxury of having a centre close by to attend but for me, the camaraderie of class mates really makes the whole experience of learning extra special!

This week we are discovering what effects we can gain from using Markal Paintstiks.
In essence these are oil paints in a crayon form. When you first use them from the packet you have to remove the outer dry skin which forms naturally when the paint is dry. These little bits of dry oil paint can be collected and melted between two sheets of baking parchment to form random splodges of paint or you can blend them with a stencil brush.
Once the dry outer casing is removed you then use the sticks to make rubbings onto paper or fabric. The colours are very solid, not very vibrant but they do look great on a dark fabric or paper, because they are opaque. Dark fabrics are notorioulsy poor for printing on because the ink sinks into the fabric but the Markals seem to sit on the fabric surface and adhere like glue. Within 48 hours the paint is cured or dried and is then permanent and water proof!

They come in a huge variety of colours, and
unlike other paints they last for years, because
they have this self sealing habit, so when
you remove the skin they are ready to go!
The solid colours can be mixed like other paints
so yellow and blue will make green and so on!

They also make an iridescent oil stick,
these are really super and leave a beautiful
shimmer. They can be mixed with the solid
colours too!
If you like a little bling or a subtle shine, these
paints are really fantastic!

Both Paintsticks work well on any fabric type,
once dry they are soft to stitch into and are
permanent and water proof.

They are a considered purchase, but a little paint goes a very long way!
They are definitely worth a try, don't be disappointed with your first attempt, because most techniques need to be tried more than once. Quite often we want something to work first time but unfortunately to get the best out of any skill it needs to be attempted more than once. Can you remember learning how to write as a child, or learning to drive or getting to grips with your first job, we only get better at something when we do it over and over again. That's why I am giving the ladies another week next week to appreciate the paints a little more. There are so many techniques to learn whilst on the City and Guilds course there never seems to be enough time to really explore certain techniques to the full. Hopefully they will use these paints more in Level 2 !

Here are some of the results of our time together today!

Already I can see some wonderful works or art in the making, the one just about is just gorgeous! This could be used as a background for stitching into or if a shape cut from the fabric it could be appliqued as a sea turtle's shell or butterfly wings.

I am sure next week with a little time to themselves they will come up with some amazing ideas. The best results from today's experiments probably came from the rubbings taken from blown vinyl wall paper. It comes nowadays in so many great patterns to make rubbings from but also when we applied the oil paint to it, it was thought that perhaps we could even use the wall paper to stitch into and I am hoping someone will have a go, because I am definitely going to have a go when I get some spare time.

Everyone was impressed with using stencils and a stencil brush, the bristles of a stencil brush are shorter and flat at the top, the paint is applied to the fabric or paper by either stippling or swirling. Stippling gives a speckled effect and swirling gives a lovely blended effect, the paints can be blended to give a lovely depth of colour. Further paint layers can be applied to give a more solid colour.

I think I have covered everything we have done today and if you have bought these in the past from shows I hope this blog inspires you to get them out of the bottom draw and have a go. Find some stencils, wood block stamps or even take a rubbing from the living room wall paper or better still, pop down to your local DIY store for some samples and see what you come up with, feel free to post them on our facebook page I'd loved to see how you get on.

Here are some results from last weeks session on transfer dyes, another week of playing and look what they have come up with!

It's always difficult to learn a new technique, getting your head around something you are not used to is very demanding but I think these are just stunning for just 2 weeks trial. These may not end up as embroideries but future projects will certainly be inspired by them I am sure.

That's all for this week I hope you will have time to be creative and maybe get out those transfer paints or Markals and give them a go.

Level 1 is nearly coming to an end, if you are interested in applying for Level 1 I am taking names now for September 2018. I only have 10 places available and already have 4 people interested so give me a call at the shop to register your interest. We have our exhibition coming up on the 21st July at Duffryn Community Centre, Newport, South Wales, you will be able to see the girls work in the flesh and chat to them about the course as well as me.

Take care and speak to you soon!
Best stitches
Beccy x

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 20:40:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 25 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

Transfer Dyes and Crayons

March 18th 2018

Easter is now a distant memory, children are back in school and true to form the sun has decided to shine! Over the past two weeks I hope, the ladies have been working hard finishing off pieces of work and updating their files because we only have officially 11 weeks left to complete year 1. Yes, two thirds of the way through and we still quite a few techniques to master. Transfer dyes being one of them. Now I have to say when I first tried transfer dyes I wasn't that impressed but having revisited these paints I see more potential the more I play with them.
Basically the paint has the quality to be transferred to fabric in many different ways by using the heat of an iron. They come in powder form or already mixed in liquid and are ideally used on man made fabrics such as polyesters or rayons. When used on Polyester fabrics the colours are vibrant and strong, if you apply them to natural fibres they are duller and more subtle. Recently you can buy a solution called transfix, which you paint onto natural fabrics so that they take on the same bright colours that you gain from man made fabrics. There are so many man made fabrics that are produced to resemble natural fabrics such as silk although nothing can repalce the real thing truly, but they are half the price and easily produced. Some have a very high sheen, some with a slub, some see through, and also different weights which are suitable for different craft applications. Choosing fabrics can be a little daunting, with the choice available to us today. But when you are out and about, check out the fabric stores and get a stash of different types so that you can try and sample them to understand their properties such as the sheen, fluidity and strength so that you can purchase an appropriate fabric for your piece of work. Trying out different materials will help you to make the best decision especially if the piece of work is to have a function, no good choosing a crepe de chine for a shopping bag or a fine georgette for a winter coat. As you get to know different fabric types you will learn how their inherent properties lend themselves to certain projects.

The one thing which is very strange about transfer dyes is their colours, from pot to paper the colour does not resemble it's true hue until it is transferred to the fabric! First you must paint the chosen colour onto a sheet of a4 photocopy paper or similar. Any thicker than this and the paint does not transfer very well. You can use the "dry" painted paper then in many ways.

Painted papers at the bottom, the top row is how they turn out when transferred to a 100% polyester satin fabric.

Doing a little trial before you begin is probably the best advice I can give!

You can experiment with sponging, dribbling, using a brayer, spattering etc on your original paper sheet, this will give you different textures to your backgrounds, the paint is not as smooth as others and can be unpredictable but I think that's part of the excitement you will never get two the same for sure!

Above I have used a stencil which I have made from 190 micron stencil mylar. I have used it as a resist which means I have put my piece of fabric on an ironing surface right side up, placed the stencil on top and then put the painted paper, paint side down and rubbed the iron gently over the paper using quite a high heat. The mylar will withstand the heat and the paint only gets to the areas where the daisies are cut out. You could also use a piece of card board or another piece of paper with a desing cut out. It takes a little while to transfer but keep the iron moving other wise you will get marks from the steam holes in the bottom of the iron transferring as well even though you will be using it as a dry iron NO STEAM ! Keep rubbing the iron over and lifting the paper to see how the transfer is progressing, when you are happy with the depth of colour you can stop.

I have recently designed some stencils and they will be on our our website very soon!

I really like this one, it looks very ethereal, and has been made in the same way as above but using a circle stencil, with 4 layers of coloured paper on top of each other each time moving the stencil so that the circles are not in the same place.

This is fab, I just love it!!!! done in a slightly different way using the positive shapes from the stencil and layered and over lapped, which gives this great depth like looking into a pond.

Below I have cut out a shape from the painted paper, you can see how roughly I painted it from the brush marks. The colour looks like a muddy brown but when transferred to the fabric it completely changes into a vibrant orange.

From yucky to vibrant yellow it's like magic!!!

I painted some abstract tulips very roughly in red, yellow and lime green for the leaves and this is how it transferred to the fabric.

Quite remarkable transformation!

Remember to flip your design, especially when using words!

Next week we can see what the ladies have produced from their transfer dye papers, and hopefully time allowing I will have been trying out some more controlled ways of using these paints.

Now for some eye candy of the stitch variety, some more finished pieces of the ladies work they have been working on over the Easter break.............

Some outstanding pieces of work I think you will agree. For your chance to see these pieces make a date in your diary for Saturday 21st July when Busy Bees has it's workshop open day! All the City and Guilds work will be exhibited at Duffryn Community Centre, where you can view and sign up for City and Guilds level 1, there are limited places so if you are interested you can get in touch before by calling me at the shop 01633 810801 or email me at beccy@busybeespatchwork.com.

The work shop open day is our biggest day of the year where you can sign up for day classes in all aspects of sewing crafts from Patchwork and Quilting to felting and hand embroidery, take the opportunity to come along and chat to some of the tutors who will be teaching over 2018/2019. It's a great day to come and chat to fellow stitchers over a cup of tea and a piece a cake and be inspired by all the lovely work that will be on display.

In the meantime, make some time to sew put a side the washing and ironing for a while and set your self some time to do something creative. The benefits of doing something creative can really be very therapeutic, don't say you don't have the time! you have to make time even if it's only a couple of hours a week.

Best stitches and looking forward to next weeks installment!
Beccy xxx

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 18:32:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 23 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

Machine Quilting

March 21st 2018

We are into our second week of machine quilting, last week we were exploring using the machine with the feed dogs in place and the universal sewing foot. When stitching through many layers i.e. top layer, wadding and backing, holding all the layers together can become quite a chore and something that many a quilt maker would steer well clear of. I know so many people who enjoy the patchwork piecing and yet the quilting or sewing the layers together is far from enjoyable. I'm the other way around I enjoy the quilting but stitching all those tiny pieces together is not my bag at all. I guess, they really are two separate skill sets and some people will enjoy the whole process of making a quilt and some will not, but there's nothing wrong in that you just need to pair up with a quilt buddy so one makes the top and one quilts it. Problem solved except who gets to keep the finished product? now there's a conundrum !!!
As a textile artist rather than quilt maker we are more open to the art quilt where precision doesn't have to play a part, we can think outside the box and experiment with the traditional approach to quilt making. I am not saying that as an artist we are not open to precision I love a neat and exacting finish but I can also appreciate a more open approach. For instance, applique for many was tiny pieces. hand turned and stitched with the most minute needles. A skill that would take many hours of practice to perfect, but now we accept raw edge applique with loosely stitched free motion sewing in a sketched like effect, and so it goes on evolving as new artists bring old traditions to the 21st century. This does not appeal to all and I sort of get that, hand skills are changing and they seem to be changing with our lifestyles. In order to produce art in a traditional way takes many many hours and is not appreciated as it should be. New methods means that for some they can make a living from their artistic ventures, using fabrics, threads and the machine or hand stitching in a freer more painterly way!

Below I used one of my cram jar dyed fabrics and drew out some stylised flowers and leaves with a frixon pen. Frixon pens are a great way of marking designs on to some fabrics (always test first especially on very pale coloured fabrics), once drawn they can be removed with heat such as an iron or hairdryer. (I am sorry this is not the best picture I have ever taken) I have used a gutermann cotton variegated thread with the feed dog up and using a universal foot. I wanted to show that even if you can't or don't like free motion stitching that you can achieve a drawn like effect with the feed dog up. It requires, I think a little more skill and patience than free motion stitching and there will be a lot more thread ends to deal with, but all in all I enjoyed the process. Using the feed dog does mean that my stitches are all the same and I can change the length of the stitch to create different effects. This was a small piece about 18" x 12" a large quilt would have proved a lot more difficult to manipulate, because of the amount of turns needed to make the pattern.

This is Mels piece of quilting using the feed dog, She has used a piece of silk fabric which has been shibori dyed. I love her design for stitching which emulates the dyed design.
Just Fabulous!!

More pictures to come as the girls finish their work.

Now on to free motion, and I have to say this is one of my favourite things to do. Setting up the machine for free motion can be a chore so I have the perfect answer, one machine set up for normal sewing and one for free motion, problem solved. Well for me it is because I probably do as much without the feed as I do with. I am very lucky to have some lovely machines but I also like using a little 30 year old Jones machine that was very generously given to us to use in our workshops and it doesn't have a drop feed but if you reduce your stitch length to 0 and use a sprung loaded darning foot, you can still achieve very nice stitching as long as the work you are doing is not too thick.

Below Rosie is practicing vermicelli. Sid the Bernina was having a little tension wobbly but we
worked it out in the end. Vermicelli is like riding a bike once you get the rhythm and the movement right, you never forget how to do it. Good luck Rosie I hope the penny drops and you'll be vermicellying everything in sight.

Below Celia is using the machine to draw branches and foliage on a hand dyed background.

Below I have been playing with my cram jar dyed fabric. I was going to use the fabric portrait but when I turned it to landscape it looked so much like a coral reef so I just had to fill it with beautiful tropical fish.

Here are a couple of finished pieces by Sonia and kay.

Sonia has hand sewn these shells in the needle weaving method, she was inspired by a gate made by a local blacksmith. Such a lot of work Sonia it's a beautiful piece of work.

Below Kay has pushed the boundaries with her black and white mark making piece. Each individual square can be moved to a different position meaning that news and media is constantly changing and moving with the times. The background was painstakingly made by cutting up sentences from newspaper and on the back of the canvas is a magnetic sheet. On the reverse of the embroidered squares are also magnets so the pieces can be moved around.
I love the idea of this, to have a piece of work that is interactive is such a great idea. Very well done indeed !!!

Next week we'll be practicing some more free motion, trying out some different techniques, learning to use the tension correctly and generally getting used to the machine with out using the feed dog.

Let's see what next week brings???

Make some time to stitch and don't forget to leave a comment we would love to hear your feed back.
Best stitches
Beccy

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 14:51:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 22 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

Machine Quilting

March 14th 2018

After a couple of weeks of red, blue and yellow hands the dye is starting to wear off!! Going shopping with hands the colour of a smurf is not really what you want to be doing but sometimes we have to suffer for our art. Wearing gloves is preferable but sometimes restricting especially when unwrapping tight threads from bound fabrics.
There were so many examples to photograph there wouldn't be enough space on the blog to show you them all but I can tell you there were some stunning results indeed, some surprising and some, well we don't talk about them we just over dye them!

Needless to say, they have got the dyeing bug and we will soon have to replenish stocks of procion dyes in the class shop. We have listed some of the items on our website but if there is any thing on this blog that you would like to purchase then please call the shop for more information (01633 810801) as stock is changing all the time.
We have been using colourcraft products which is a well known company for dyes, paints and mixed media products and all things arty.

This week we have embarked on our 4 week sewing machine appreciation course, considering most of the ladies are, lets say, less than best friends with their machines it is my intention to break the fear and become more adept at using their machines. Having worked with machines of all makes, from basic to top of the range of computerised embroidery machines for many years now, they all have one simple thing in common............. .....................a needle, without which they would be deemed completely and utterly useless. I have had the privilege of using many a beautiful machines, each having super functions that make sewing so much smoother, easier and those that produce incredibly detailed embroidery which just blows your mind but without a needle they are nothing. A little piece of metal with a hole in it, you wouldn't think was so important and so integral; that we forget the whole purpose of a sewing machine was to replace hand stitching. If you break it down a sewing machine is a motorised needle. It took some time to perfect this process but from that simple beginning to the amazing super dooper machines of today it still bewilders me how important that little needle is and how much we take it for granted.

I run several workshops on learning how to use your sewing machine. I also undertake private tuition as well from basic to professional level, if you are at all interested call Busy Bees Patchwork shop and ask for Beccy.

Here Celia has joined together a batik jelly roll that was lerking in her stash, using the machine with the feed dog in work she is using a traditional style of quilting by sewing straight lines relatively close to each other diagonally across the pieced 2 inch strips.
Making a start that's all you need to do and build up the design as you go along, I am sure this is going to turn out to be a very vibrant piece of machine quilting.

In this shot Sonia is exploring using the machine with the feed dog in place to sew leaves. Learning how to manipulate the fabric around curves without distorting the stitches or pulling on the feed dog. You should always allow the machine to make the stitches without pulling and tugging or forcing it through to go faster, this only results in distorted stitches and in time can break the machines feeding mechanism! If you can handle speed this is the best way to move the fabric in a curve but quite often that can lead to disaster if you are not used to it, so take it slow and if it is a tight curve stop and pivot with the needle in the material as many times as necessary to get you around that curve.
Unnecessary pulling and tugging when your quilting is not a good idea either because this will result in the fabric layers shifting as well again not what you want.

The link below will take you to my quilting course on Saturday 12th May 2018

https://www.busybeespatchwork.com/workshop-machine-quilting-patchwork-Beccy-Paget-classes-lessons-busy-bees-patchwork-wales-craft-Newport-South-Wales

Ann is sampling using straight stitches to create a more free approach to quilting. Ann is very happy to use her machine so I'm looking forward to see what she produces. I have asked them to make the stitching the star of the show, so no layering, applique just the fabric, wadding and stitch. Quite a challenge.

Linda's lovely bright coloured dyed fabric really shows the effect of quilting here. With the darker thread you can see how the stitches flatten the wadding leaving the puffed up area next to it. It's such a comforting look, you just know that't going to you warm and snuggy on a cold wintry night.

I love the effect of the thread on Sonia's other piece, she was only playing around with contouring and yet I can see this depicting a sky or water.

Kay as always likes to take a more scientific approach, a bit like me I like to see what happens if I do this or that, change the length, change the needle position, how could this improve my work, what thread should I use, shiney or matt. I'm sure that Kay's will be thought out.

Well that's all for this week folks to quote old Bug's Bunny, now I am going back in time!
I hope you have enjoyed my blog, please leave a comment below we would love to hear your views on our blog.
If you want any information on City and Guilds textiles then don't hesitate to call!
Best Stitches
Beccy

Shibori and Procion Dyes Beccy Paget City and Guilds Tutor Textile Embroidery at Busy Bees Patchwork

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 23:59:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 21 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

Shibori and Procion Dyes

March 7th 2018

Shibori is the Japanese word for a variety of ways of embellishing textiles by shaping cloth and securing it before dyeing. It is a process of manipulating fabric either by tying, folding, scrunching, wrapping, pleating which provides areas of resist where the dye cannot always reach, creating wonderful patterns sometimes with the most surprising outcomes.

This week we attempted four different styles of Shibori dyeing. Arashi, Nui, Itajime and Miura. Each style has its own unique effect and can be used as a design in it's own right or used as a background for embroidery or cut to piece together as in a patchwork quilt.

Nui shibori

There is a beautiful book available called Stitched Shibori by Jane Callender, which is now in my basket on Amazon waiting for me to push that purchase button. My attempt was a little feeble this week but then I didn't have a great deal of time in class to stitch a master piece and as I say to the girls I am not an expert in every field of craft there is, I would love to be but that is impossible and probably very pretentious.

To demonstrate this beautiful craft I very roughly stitched a spiral with a crochet cotton and pulled it up to gather the stitches, this helps form a resist where the dye cannot always reach creating a paler colour or staying it's original colour if the resist is tight enough. A little disappointing but still a pleasing effect, check out the book it's mind blowing! I just wish there were 48 hours in a day so I can just experiment and experiment!

Arashi Shibori

We had a few titters over this technique in class as it requires a plastic pole! can't see what's funny in that? any way I won't say more this is a serious class!

The larger your pole (stop it !!!) and the more fabric you can wrap around it! Well the better really, but again in class we don't have the luxury of time and so a small piece had to suffice. Wrap your fabric around the pole squashing it down to form ridges rather like Nora Battey's tights or scrunch the fabric and then wrap any old way you can think of really and secure with string or rubber bands. Thanks to Linda! Using a brush add the dye, make sure it soaks in well and truly or like mine the first bit you wrapped won't have much colour. My artistic brain now is telling me to wrap it from the other side now and over dye it hmmmm might be a plan!

Kanoko Shibori

This type of tye dyeing is probably the one that people mostly recognise. It was very popular in the 60's and 70's, probably because it's simple and easy to do. Pull the fabric into peaks and wrap with thread or rubber bands. Small ones, larges ones, thick thread or thin thread and then soaked in dye for a few hours Voila pretty spider web designs or large flower heads. I tie dyed a whole outfit like this in school, and I loved it.

Itajima Shirbori

This is a shape resist technique, I'm afraid I cheated slightly with my sample and just folded the fabric into triangles. Technically the fabric is folded and sandwiched between two pieces of wood and clamped together or bound. But you can use plastic shapes, jam jar lids or old cd's. I like the way mine turned out, but with further experimentation I think you could get some very dramatic patterns. Throughout I have also used one colour and traditionally it should be indigo but I have used a purple just to be different. You could also use multicolour too or over dye the possibilities are endless.

Any one of the above techniques would certainly suit all types of stitching projects. In the next month the class is going to be concentrating on machine embroidery. We are going to be exploring quilting with and without the feed dog in use. Using the machine to draw with and also some water soluble fabric work too! I hope that we will be using these dyed pieces as inspiration for our work.

Here are some of the samples from last weeks cram jar dyeing session Plenty of inspiration here!!

Absolutely Stunning I'm sure you will agree, so I'm hoping they have got the bug and dyeing fabrics isn't as difficult as it seems. You may have blue or purple hands for a week but who cares when your creating amazing works of art in the meantime.
Hope you got to have a go at snow dyeing and I also hope yours turned out better than mine! a complete washout literally when I washed it all the dye came out, not sure where I went wrong but I think it's because I used a poor quality calico that I didn't thoroughly pre wash and some old dyes which I thought I would use up.
Never mind as we always say "we can always over dye it" nothing wasted!!!!
Take care until next week and make some time to stitch the washing up can wait!
Best stitches
Beccy x

Procion Dyes Week 20 Level 1 City and Guilds textiles at Busy Bees Patchwork

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 14:41:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 20 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

Procion Dyes

February 28th 2018

An exciting morning playing with Procion dyes. What are procion dyes, well they are a dye that can be used on fabrics that contain cellulose fibres such as cotton and linen but they also work well on silk, rayon and viscose fibres too. They are also known as fibre reactive dyes and soda ash is used to fix the dye into the fabric to make it permanent. There are many ways of using these dyes and over the course of the City and Guilds levels the students will be learning different techniques for using these versatile dye powders.
In our class we used a very simple method, because we were only dyeing a small amount of fabric, our little 10g pots from Colour craft (which we now stock at Busy Bee Patchwork) would dye approximately 2 metres of dry weight fabric.

I chose to use PFD which is a beautiful quality 100% cotton that has been prepared for dyeing hence PFD, this means there is little or no sizing in the fabric to hamper the strength of colour. The quality is what you would expect from a high end 100% cotton patchwork fabric. Of course when practicing you may not want to go the this expense so you could use old sheets, calico, muslin, scrims, linens or anything you have at home as long as it is not an animal fibre where acid dyes are recommended.

Where new fabric is purchased, it must be washed in a detergent with no softener added to remove any sizing that may be in the material, sizing is like starch it gives the fabric a crisp feel or handle sometimes disguising poor quality fabrics. I expect this has happened to you where you've bought something and then washed it and it turns into something that resembles an old dish cloth, been there, done that, and got the t shirt come to mind!
But that's okay too because we are a resourceful bunch, we textile artists and to me even an old dishcloth could find it's way into an amazing work of art.

In our simple method we used plastic pint glasses to mix our potion; to one teaspoon of dye we added one teaspoon of soda ash, okay what is soda ash? It is the chemical that helps the dye powders to fix to the fibres to make them permanent, again in cheaper made fabrics often the dye runs when washed causing the rest of the wash, to turn a paler shade of the offending item, now who hasn't done that before now? Lastly we added 2 tablespoons of salt, good old fashioned table salt and this helps the fibres to absorb the dye into the fibres. Add a small amount of warm to hot water (not out of the kettle you will melt the plastic, if using glass containers it would be okay) mix thoroughly with a plastic spoon or brush until you form a lovely paste then add 100ml of warm to hot water,
again mix until the salt dissolves.

We mixed up 3 colours Red, Blue and yellow the three primary colours and from this we were then able to mix the 3 secondary colours orange, purple and green. Now, depending on which red, blue and yellow you use will depend on the colour of secondary colour you get and each maker of procion dyes may have their own names so if you are serious about dyeing your own fabrics and want to repeat colours then I suggest you use the same make of dye. Even then there are combinations of the primary colours, for example golden yellow, utramarine and scarlet, lemon yellow, vermillion and navy. It can become a very intense science.

Above is a sample of grading colours and mixing the secondary colours. On the left are 3 primary colours, going from dark to light. I think I might do this again using a longer piece of fabric so I can see more clearly the difference in colour intensity. The three colours on the right are the result of mixing two primary colours again this wasn't as successful as I would like so I think I will try this again on bigger pieces of fabric.

My success came from the cram dyeing technique firstly with two colours and then with 3 colours.

I absolutely love them and will definitely will be using this method again. The random effects of cramming the fabrics causing a resist in the creases and the blending of colours is so satisfying!

I don't profess to be well adversed in the techiniques of dyeing, it is a whole qualification in it's own right and I take my hat off to those who do this craft every day, but this quick little method will certainly go a long way to making some gorgeous fabrics for all sorts of applications. I really like the creased effect as well.

Over half term the ladies have been producing some gorgeous things!!

Celia's super amoebic stencils and machine stitched detail is going to be turned into an evening bag!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!!

How effective is this, Kay has stencilled the lion onto a woven background which I may say at it's conception she hated ! Printed onto the background and has machine stitched detail into the lions mane with satin stitch and free motion stitching. A quilted background also breaks up the original woven fabric. Now it's one of her favourite pieces.

Mel has been working her little socks off and has produced this wonderful piece inspired by Klimt.
Focusing on the colourful cloak and the patterns that adorn it. She has applied cut fabrics and machine stitched the background, this piece has leant itself very well to the woven fabrics, it is so surprising how all these pieces have turned out so different and diverse.

Above Mel has taken inspiration from a picture of a garden in Morocco and my word ! you just want to be there amongst the tropical plants and sat by the cooling fountain, just wonderful. Raw edge applique and free motion detail make up this colourful work of art.

Another beautiful piece from Mel, she has been putting in the hours at home. The layered watery organzas give the appearance of a clear stream, home to this little fish happily swimming around his part of the water. Hand stitched detail Just beautiful!!

I love Linda's sunset, I hope you don't mind Linda but I photoshoped a silhoette to show the picture off at it's best. Linda has painted the background fabric and freemotioned stitched the sea over small snippits of oranges, ochres, yellows and oranges and used lighter colours in the centre to show the sun setting over the sea in Kefalonia. A wonderful reminder of a lovely holiday Well done Linda a really super piece of machine stitching!!!

I think that's it for this week, if the snow continues I'm going to be trying some snow dyeing as opposed to ice dyeing. Here's what to do if you fancy a go too.

Wash some fabric in detergent no added softner!

Soak in soda Ash or soda crystal for 10 minutes prior to dyeing. 2 tbs to 2 gallons of water.

Get a bowl or cat litter tray and place on top a wire rack (old cake cooling rack)

You will not be able to use these again for food preparation!

Scrunch up fabric, fold fabric, pleat fabric and pack with snow or crushed ice, cover completely and sprinkle procion dye onto the snow. Do not use too many colours and a small amount of dye goes a long way, but not enough will result in a very wishy washy pattern. You will have to judge this.

If you have problems with breathing such as asthma then wear a mask over your face and use throw away spoons such as coffee sticks to sprinkle powder.

Cover your area well so as not to get dye over work surfaces, wear plastic gloves and leave the snow or ice to melt over night, the patterns can be quite amazing. Good luck if you have a go and let me know how you get on.

Keep warm, Keep safe and take advantage of the bad weather to do some stitching!!

Best stitches

Beccy

Why take level 1 in City and Guilds Textiles

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 21:56:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 19 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

February 14th 2018

Catching up week

We are just over half way through year 1 and the ladies have made remarkable progress in the past few months. The energy in the group is very encouraging and it shows in the work they have produced so far.

I had an enquiry today about participating in City and Guilds and she asked me what was involved and how long was the course. Well the second part was easy, Level 1 is spread over 1 year, following the scholastic school year there are 36 weekly sessions, each session being 3 hours. Level 2 is the same and level 3 is spread over 2 years.
Each level is divided into units which can be passed separately. The first part of her question wasn't so easy to answer, as the course involves a great deal.

I thought about this a great deal when she left and while sat in a traffic jam trying to get onto junction 28 of the M4 where the road works are causing absolute mayhem, it occurred to me that level 1, not only teaches you textile techniques and finishes, hand embroidery stitches, machine embroidery techniques, the basics of design, mark making,
using different mediums, cutting, shaping, collaging, layering. Learning the basics of fabric identification, fabric choices, thread choices, tools and equipment and so much more. It teaches you most importantly time management, how to think about your work as an artist. I try to encourage the students to think of themselves as a designer, to encourage their confidence and bring worth to the items they are making.

Unfortunately the art world still finds it difficult to accept art made with textiles is an actual piece of art, I don't know how they can make this assumption when embroidery on garments, furnishings and tapestries in history were so expensive that one garment could cost an embroiderers whole years wages. May be it is simply because these wonderful items have not survived as paintings and sculptures have, but to say the skills involved in embellishing fabrics with intricate stitching is less skillful than painting or sculpting to me is absolute nonsense! To be very sexist, if the task of embroidery was solely a man's labour as it was in Opus Anglicanum times and kept as a man's craft such as painting or sculpting then may be the story would be different. There is a very enlightening documentary "The Story of Women and Art" by Professor Amanda Vickery on how women have been shunned from the art world in the very early years and how some women fought to be recognised as artists equal to their male counterparts, of course these days there is less of that but it still goes on and some day hopefully textile art will be revered as much as paint upon a canvas.

In essence then, Level 1 gives you a great grounding for level 2 and 3, it's where you begin to learn the basic skills and the confidence to bring value to your talents. It encourages growth of ideas to design in culmination to a finished product that encapsulates your interpretation of a given subject, be that an abstraction, an impression or a realistic view.

This week we were catching up, I think since Christmas we have learned quite a lot of techniques, so as not to be labelled a slave driver I am giving them a rest from anything new until after half term.

Although Ann, I have to say you are a Wiz, I am not entirely sure how you manage it but time management is not something you need any help with it seems. I wish I had your sense of work ethic. Below is a wonderful machine embroidered panel that Ann has adapted from another pattern and put her own spin on it. Beautifully sewn and executed with lots of techniques in one piece. Applique, shadow applique, decorative machine stitches, lace application to name a few. This will form 1 of the 6 finished machine pieces required for level 1. Ann has produced a sample that is over and above the size that is required, but shows her enthusiasm for the work she produces.

Ann has also made this lovely cover for ipad

Ann has a computerised embroidery machine where by she can take a drawn pattern and digitize into an embroidery. Many people feel that using these machines is cheating but there is another level of skill involved when making your own digitised patterns. Computer skills and knowledge of stitch infills, and line design is not something that is easily achieved with the wave of a magic wand.

Well done Ann I love your little froggy I think he's gorgeous and well done for bringing computer embroidery into your ipad cover.

Below we have one of Kay's finished machine stitched pieces. She has used the weaving strip method as her background and highlighted some of the areas with satin stitch, printed on quavers and semi quavers and then overlaid on the top appliqued notes from a piece of music that reminds Kay of her father. The stave is satin stitched and then outlined with a row of silver straight stitch and unfortunately the picture doesn't show this off nearly as well as it looks in real life.

A wonderfully simple but evocative piece of work Kay stunning !!!

Way back we did a workshop on couching and printing. Kay has made this most wonderful tote for her hairdryer. The fish have been printed from an indian wood block and embellished with beautiful hand embroidered satin stitch in a chevron pattern and the cords around the tote that help the give it structure have been hand couched. This piece will be one of three of Kay's finished hand embroidered samples required for level 1.
Super work !

A work in progress now from Celia who used last weeks stenciling session to embellish her woven background. Celia has named this piece "Early Marine Life" the amoebic like patterns have been taken from the pattern on one of the fabrics used in the woven piece. Celia is now going to use her machine to embellish the piece further. Celia will admit that machining is not her favourite method of stitching but I am hoping to change her mind in the coming weeks as she has already nearly completed all three of her hand embroidered samples required to complete level 1.
Can't wait to see the completed work.

This is Linda's work in progress, she has woven these lovely lavender grey and damson colours together and now embellishing with a super variety of hand stitching in tonal threads, She has printed flowers onto the background and used her machine to satin stitch some of the fabrics to highlight certain areas. Well done Linda keep adding the stitching and make it even more scrummy!

No blog next week, we're having a break for half term! If you want to know more about the course please pop into Busy Bees Patchwork and I will be happy to explain the contents of the course. Better still keep Saturday 21st July 2018 free and come and see our exhibition at Duffryn Community Centre and be inspired by all the wonderful work the ladies have crafted over the year.
Back on the 28th February!
Best stitches
Beccy

Designing with Stencils Week 18 City and Guilds Level 1

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 00:59:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 18 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

February 7th 2018

Designing with Stencils

Golly February already and we're still feeling that wintry cold weather. Still nothing like being cwtched up at home with a piece of embroidery in your hand watching Dancing on Ice.

The Girls have been very busy this week obviously doing just that!!!

Ann's lovely woven piece has taken on a new lease of life, she has added shells, pebbles, applique fish and a gorgeous little seagull flying above the sea. Ann always surprises me at how much work she can produce in a week, here is another piece of work she has been beavering away on.

There is so much hand embroidery on this piece, she has covered every inch in sumptuous stitching. Lazy Daisy, pistol stitch, french knots, finger rings, Brazillian embroidery and beading to mention a few. Superb !!!

If you remember from last week Ann was dedicating this piece to her Grandma who taught her how to sew, I think she will have made her Grandma very proud indeed with this wonderful picture machine stitched with a little bit of computer embroidery too with the Singer brand name, something that I'm sure Ann's Grandma would have loved.

Celia's piece has advanced from last week with lots of hand embroidery, embellishing these gorgeous fabrics which she has rust dyed herself.

I love to see the progression every week of each piece of work, everyone encourages each other, take ideas from each other, offers of advice and sharing of skills. I love the colours in Celia'a work, the orangey, yellow with the black seems to go so well.

Sonia has taken her woven piece and take inspiration from the fabric to complete her embroidery which she is going to make into a book cover.

If you remember from last week she had printed on some clouds and over last week she has hand stitched them to highlight the clouds and has made a castle from felt embellished with hand stitches which will be a focal point for the front of her book cover.

Sonia has also completed a piece on needle weaving, she started this a couple of weeks ago if you remember, and she has added more pebbles in graduating size and has coloured the background so that the pebbles feel like they are under water. The needle weaving is beautifully stitched and the colour combination is wonderful.

This week we studied the options of stenciling a design rather than printing, it caused a little confusion because designing a stencil is much more difficult than it looks. In printing a design any design that protrudes from the holding block will print but with a stencil what is cut away forms the design.

This has to be thought out quite carefully when you want a more intricate pattern.

The whole design cannot be cut away other wise you are left with a solid outline of a design, so the design has to be drawn as separate shapes that still connect to reveal the desired pattern as in the samples below.

So we had a go and this is what we came up with .............

Who's a pretty boy then ?

You can use many things to make a stencil, Mylar is a plastic sheet that most stencils are made of, it is very durable, water resistant and will last many years if you look after it. But to buy it is very expensive. We can substitute Mylar with card board or strong paper covered in PVA glue, Manilla card which is coated with a waxey substance, laminate sheets, clear plastic from gift boxes or in our case we used Freezer paper it's not very strong but you can iron it onto fabric and therefore it doesn't move around and helps to stop the paint from seeping under the stencil giving smudged edges. With care you can reuse the stencil several times.

We also use acrylic paint for our trial pieces but fabric paint can also be used if the piece you are working on needs to washed.

Why don't you have a play and see what you can come up with, it's not that difficult and who knows we may start another stenciling revolution like the early 90's when every wall and piece of furniture was stenciled within an inch of it's life. I like it, it's great fun and you can achieve some great designs for stitch!

Don't forget make some time to create! and speak to you again next week.

Best stitches

Beccy

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 23:51:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 17 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

January 31st 2018

It has been a hectic week at the shop, we had a flash sale when we realised we have so much fabric that has been around a while and quite a lot of new lines coming in we needed to make some room for the new. When the fabric reps come around it so easy to get carried away with all the gorgeous new lines for the following year. That's right, we order 6 months, sometimes 12 months in advance when it comes to Christmas fabrics.
Making choices from hundreds of designers is not an easy thing to do, luckily Ann and I are very similar in taste so we tend to choose the same things. Sometimes we wonder how some designs even make it on to the fabric, but most of the time saying no! is just the hardest thing to do. A shop full of batiks would be my absolute heaven, I don't know what it is but the designs and colours are just moorish, if you have a chance to see batik fabric being made it's well worth a look, the stages and processes that the skilled men and women put into these glorious materials it's no wonder they can be so expensive, they truly are works of art in their own right.

here is a link to a you tube video showing the processes of making batik fabric. Just copy and paste the link into your search bar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nsMFIZfBiE

Any way back to our seventeenth week and our progression with woven backgrounds.
My piece has moved on slightly, having decided to finish it with hand stitching highlighting the boxes and rectangles stitched in with satin stitch on the machine.
As I was stitching the running stitch in a perle 5 variegated thread from Stef Francis threads I was reminded how sometimes when life has thrown some of it's down times at me I tend to put those thoughts and feelings into an imaginary box and store them away in the back of mind, I find this helps my coping mechanism when life gets me down and I want to move on from those experiences and forget about them for a while. Of course they are always with you and part of your life and part of what shapes you as a person, but to dwell on those times is not a good thing so packing them up and posting them away to the back of your mind helps me to move on and look forward.
I found as I was stitching this piece how calm I felt, only thinking of the needle and thread passing through the layers in an orderly way making sure the length was the same and the distance from guiding edge were parallel, all this kept my mind focused on the job in hand far from other worries of home and work just happily sewing for the shear enjoyment of making those stitches as perfect as I could.
The boxes seem to be connecting together, some small, some bigger, some joined together and all the while the lovely bright colours help to put a smile on my face, because not only bad thoughts can be kept, but good ones too lovely memories of holidays and Christmas' of family and my children and now grandchildren. My daughter is 21 on Friday, she was the prettiest baby (well she would be) and from the day she was born she has been such a loving child, generous and kind hearted, a real joy! on this piece of work the memories of her growing up will occupy a very big box indeed.

There are sections where I have stitched bands of needle weaving, below you can see where I have bordered a set of boxes with lazy daisy stitch and then an overall view below of the running stitches. I am enjoying this piece and hope to cover it in a mass of stitches, I will post more pictures as I go along.

Below Rosie has woven lots of sari waste ribbons, sumptuous hues in all colours of the rainbow. In this weeks class we were supposed to be printing on top of the woven fabrics but in this case there wasn't a colour that would have shown up enough to make an impression, Rosie decided she would print her indian wood block print onto another fabric, embellish and stitch it and then applique onto the background. I am looking forward to seeing this finished. The block is amazing!

Kay is not in love with this piece at the moment, but that happens and often can end up as the best thing you have ever done, we'll see next week when we try some stenciling on it. Trying new things can take us out of our comfort zones, Kay admits these are not her colours but she wanted to push the boundries a bit, good for you I say being brave can be very rewarding!

These are Kay's colours, and this piece she is hoping to dedicate
to her father. Music and Choir played a large part of his life and
she is going to add a design that is symbolic of his passion for
music.
Giving an embroidery a story gives it a sense of place and worth,
although abstracted we engage more with the work and look further
into the reasons for its being. From a jumble of harmonious non
related fabrics, to the interweaving of random weaving, speaks
volumes of our connections with family and life. Dipping in and
out, playing a large part or small part all seams represented by
the shapes made crossing over and under and being reconnected
with thread and design.
I think this will be a wonderful tribute when it's completed.

To the left Linda has used lovely warm colours, the oranges, deep
reds against the blue have a Mediterranean feel about them.
Linda also had some gorgeous indian block prints and if you
look closely you will see a beautiful leaf shape.
It looks quite shadowy in the background!

A work in progress Linda has made a start and used her
sewing machine to stitch into some of the boxes, highlighting
areas with the same colour blue onto the deep red fabric.
I can see this embellished with sequins and scrummy colourful
stitches.

In complete contrast, Linda has used 3 fabrics from the Makower range called Into the Woods
and cut them up and reformed them into a collage, next week we are going to make a stencil to
compliment the back ground, maybe taking an element of design from the fabric itself to make
a stencil. She hasn't quite decided what to do but sometimes work grows as we try different
approaches. Artists work in different ways, some have to plan, some can see in their minds
straight away what they want to achieve and others let the piece grow. Linda I think your a
gardener letting it speak to you as it grows. Me too !!!!

Ann's piece of woven fabric is dedicated to her Grandma. The reason that Ann loves sewing
so much is her memories of her Grandma teaching her to sew. I think this is wonderful because boy! did those ladies know how to sew.
They were taught from a young age,through necessity none of your throw away society in that era!
Ann's grandma would have been amazed at what the new machine's are capable of these days and Ann has shown this by the stitching of the cotton reels and scissors which she has chosen from her sewing machines bank of decorative stitches, a real juxtaposition of the old in her recycled vintage fabrics and the new in the use of her Janome computerised sewing machine.
Kinda blows your mind in a way!

Mel too, has gone down the vintage route, with the use of these vintage fabrics and beautiful vintage lace. She finds them in charity shops and boot sales. Mel had a clear thought as to what she wanted to print onto the woven layers and we were all on tender hooks preprint but it turned out better than we could all imagine. Poor Mel we were all watching as she printed her beautiful home made stamp.

This is the first stamp.

And then the second, Fabulous !!!
Can't wait to see what else comes.

Sonia's first piece is all about the fabric, there are tiny little castles on one of the woven strips, she has drawn out a picture of the castle which she intends to applique onto the background. She has also made her own cloud stamp and printed onto the piece.
I am in awe of everyone's abilities and energy, every week I give them something new and they surprise me every time with what they have achieved in just a couple of weeks.
Again I am so looking forward to the finished articles.

Another piece from Sonia bet you can't guess what this is going to be?

Last but not least Celia has worked this very striking colour palette, using her own rust dyed fabrics mixed with purchased printed black fabrics. Each piece of fabric has a meaning. I must apologise that I can't quite remember them all so I will tell you more about it when it's completed rather than get it wrong. She has used indian block prints to print on the background and also tree onto the black fabric as a focal point, again this is growing allowing the work to guide the next process.

Seeing everyone's work each week is so exciting it's like having a birthday every week, I'm in awe well done everyone you have certainly stepped up to the challenge.

Well it's nearly 11.30 pm and I am just about pooped, but I can go off to bed with a smile on my face, my daughter will be 21 tomorrow and I just can't believe where the time has gone. My big boy will soon be leaving the nest too and my little lad, is off on his first adventure away from home with a school trip to Talybont on Usk. Our lives I feel are just like the weaving in and out of the fabrics above and as we experience more we add more to that fabric another mark, another stitch, making us who we are.

Make some time to sew, have a go at weaving and make your memory in print and stitch, use things that have significance a button from a favourite shirt, a photo, piece of jewellery and if you do let me know I would love to see it. You can contact me through face book at busybeespatchwork or email me beccy@busybeespatchwork.com.

Best stitches

Beccy xxx

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:25:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 16 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

January 24th 2018

Our endeavours this week have take us to another form of weaving, creating an interesting surface on which to apply stitch either by hand by machine or both!
I had a really great time at home in my sewing room creating some backgrounds in first a complementary colour scheme, a triad colour scheme and a harmonious colour scheme using fabrics from my stash.

The strips of fabric were cut using a rotary cutter in different widths and then woven in a random fashion eg. over two, under one, over one, under three and the next row again in a different layout.
This gave me a completely random pattern of blocks and rectangles. This is a work in progress and I have begun to outline some of the blocks in a close satin stitch on the machine, then outlined the blocks in a straight stitch which I wasn't entirely thrilled with I have to say. I have started to stitch some rows of Kantha work which I much happier with and I think that's where I am going go with this piece, it may be my project to take to Paris to while a way the long train Journey when I go in March for my big 5 0 birthday arghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

This next one is my complimentary colour scheme Red and Green again I have no real idea where these pieces are going at the moment I'm just having fun with the colours and the process, experimenting to see what happens and how the layers build.

After the initial weaving I fired up the machine, threw on the
free motion foot and spent a happy hour stitching listening to Rod Stewart in concert on youtube. I can't really say he influenced my
work in any way except I think my bubbles look quite sexy!

In this piece I wanted to try and obliterate the lines formed by the
weaving and make the edges more blurred. I applied some organza
with free motion bubbles in long strips to break up the edges a bit.
To further knock back the clarity of the edges I got out some stamps
I had made from another project and printed randomly across the
fabric in different tones of green. Then another layer with the end
of toilet roll tube making the leaf shape and then with some round
sponge in red and a bit of white pearl, which has a lovely
shimmer to it.

Although you can still see the weaving it is now very much
pushed to the background and no longer the first thing you see.
This piece is going to have a large appliqued flower on it at some
point in the future, so I wanted the background to be defused as though it were out of focus, well
that's the plan we'll have to see if it works when I get round to finishing it.

Every week in class I do a demonstration on the process we are about to embark on and this week I was inspired about the story of the Foundling Children, a fascinating story of Thomas Corum who was the first person to open a children's home for mothers who could not look after their babies because of poverty or social exclusion. The mothers would bring with their babies a token of identification with which they could identify their child if they were able to come back in better circumstances and be reunited with their baby. This token could be part of a blanket, a babies cap, a scrap of fabric from their dress, an embroidery and so on, and these tokens were kept in ledgers which still survive today in the Foundling Museum. So this little piece will be my tribute to those mums who had to give up their children, another work in progress but I think this is one I will definitely finish and may be as I read more about it, it may inspire other pieces of work too.

Vintage fabric scraps from serviettes and dress fabrics. A start towards some pieces on the foundling children and the Hospital of Thomas Corum.

Here are some pictures now of the ladies work in progress, next week we are going to some printing on the weaving and the following week we are going try some stenciling.

Looking forward to seeing how these develop over the next few weeks !

Stop Press !!!! Kay has turned her weaving into a bag and it's Gorgeous!!!

Well done I tell you it's like Christmas every week when the girls bring in their work,
Two weeks ago this was on a cake rack being sworn at and now a very classy adornment to a
lovely shoulder bag.

I spy a bit of cake rack there! Look at this one, Sonia has done so well considering how poorly she's been but still putting her time to good use with this wonderful piece of weaving, I think she said it was going to live on the window sill and has inspired her to do second one for another project GO GIRL !!!

Another work in progress for Sonia, who is a
real dab hand at needle weaving, Sonia has done
some really beautiful work in this method and
I am sure when this is finished will be just
amazing. These pebbles look so real you could
just pick them off the fabric.

Well another week over, don't forget to make time to sew and see what you can come up with.
If you are inspired and would like to know more about the course which will be starting again in September this year email me at beccy@busybeespatchwork.com, call me at Busy Bees Patchwork 01633 810801 or pop in and see us at the studio Duffryn shopping centre NP10 8TE on a Wednesday morning. Leave us a comment below if your enjoying the work we would love to hear your feedback.

Best stithces
Beccy x

noreply@blogger.com (busy bees patchwork) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 22:19:00 +0000

Busy Bees Patchwork

Your centre for City and Guilds Textiles and Patchwork

in South Wales

Week 15 City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Textiles 7161

January 17th 2018

The second week of weaving is going pretty well, not everyone's cup of tea but you can't please all the people all of the time. There are so many disciplines to learn on the City and Guilds course, so many methods and techniques to challenge your artistic minds so don't give up on the first attempt. When you try something new for the first time and it doesn't quite give you that buzz or every thing you do seems to go wrong, the colours aren't right, the things you have chosen don't seem to match. In fact it all looks like one big mess, well, then you have learned the most valuable lesson of all, how to evaluate your work.
It wasn't that you didn't like it, it's just because the choices you made weren't well planned. Planning your work through sketching, collaging, painting and drawing can help you make good decisions and choices instead of uncalculated ones which leaves you with disappointment and a dislike for that particular method.
Allow your mind to evaluate, always in the back of your mind say to yourself what if ? what would happen if I did this, how can I make this work for me. Jot down ideas, colours and sketches, it doesn't have to be a masterpiece just something to jog your imagination.
There are obviously techniques that will really inspire you and those that you will excel at and those that don't hit the spot and that's okay! to me that's what City and Guilds teaches the best, finding the methods and techniques that suit you and the way you want to interpret the things that inspire you most through fabric and stitch.

Below is a picture of my piece of weaving, we all agreed that using a proper frame would be far more suitable than using a cake rack but hey! when needs must why not use items you can find around the house instead of purchasing something you may never use again. It was a little awkward to remove from the cake rack but with a little gentle pursuasion it served it's purpose quite well I thought. In the abscence of very strong card or a proper frame I was very pleased with the result.
I am now in the process of turning it into a baskety type receptacle thingy! to hold my embroidery in. Picture to follow when I get around to finishing it along with all the other projects You know what I'm talking about.........

I took my weaving to another level then by using a method called needle weaving, quite the other end of the scale where size is concerned. Below my lines or rows of straight stitches will be interwoven with different embroidery and knitting yarns to create wave shapes on this sea scape. I first printed the background with a home made stamp in different colours overlapping the layers onto a background that was painted with Kohinoor dye based paint. I have outlined some of the waves with a half feather stitch and then used the needle weaving to highlight some of the waves, another work in progress towards some pieces I am stitching towards this years Swansea Festival of stitch.

A close up of the needle weaving
The colours in this did't transfer too well from camera for some unknown annoying reason they are much more blue, but I haven't had time to mess around with them.
I have really enjoyed this piece and the needle weaving, I will experiment more with this particular method of stitching, there seems to be great potential for other projects
and manipulating the basic technique.

This weaving belongs to Ann, my camera behaved this time Gorgeous colours, Ann's is going to live with this for a while, which means she hasn't quite decided how to resolve this piece whether it looks good enough in it's own right or to add something to it.
She thought may be a sea gull or two?

Our new student Mel wasn't sure about this method at all, but I think this is a very strong piece with that amazing splash of vivid pink amongst the darker browns and blues. It has an African feel to it and could easily be a beautiful hanging.

Below Kay has chosen Blues and slate greys to wondrous effect, the strong turquoise of the warp thread really plays it's part in the weaving and is no shrinking violet. Kay is yet to complete her weaving and I hope she doesn't have too much trouble removing it from the confines of the cake rack.

Celia's weaving is going to make a real statement! We decided that the gorgeous piece of wood Celia aquirred from a nice wood man, looks like part of shipwreck and that the piece when finished should hang horizontally rather than vertically as below. She has a bit of a way to go to finish but Wowee it's going to be amazing!

Some samples of today's needle weaving workshop

And last but certainly not least Sonia has finished over Christmas and New Year her embroidery on a a 1930's holiday poster for Kent. A remarkable piece of work which has been carefully thought about and planned to maximum effect. You really get the sense of holiday with the gorgeous strong colours and the simplicity of the original poster's painting lends itself very well to applique.
Sonia has further embellished with hand and machine stitching.
Just wonderful.

Fab week all in all.
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See you next week with some more inspirational work!
Best stitches
Beccy

And don't forget make some time to be creative!!!