Thursday 4 October 2007

A busy week.

I didn't get round to doing much last week, hence no blog. The reason, however, was because I managed to scratch my eye quite badly trying to retrieve a contact lens that had decided to fold itself up in the corner of my eye. Ended up going to the opticians and seeing two optometrists who both confirmed that by the time I saw them in the afternoon the lens was no longer in my eye! One of them did say though that the eye "looked a bit cross". Understatement of the year in my opinion. Felt very sorry for myself, so as Hubs was away, daughter and I popped out to the local Harvesters for dinner and some comfort food.

Sunday I spent helping friend to turn up The Dress ready for wedding on 20th October. I know all brides look stunning but she really does look stunning. I have known this young lady since she was two (now 24) and felt very privileged to be asked to help. I did make her do the actual sewing though ... I really didn't have the nerve.

This week I have made up for my lack of creation last week. I visited our local church and started drawing gravestones, and carried on bravely despite being given weird looks by the builders on the roof. I really got into the history of those buried. One family had lost three sons under 25.


I am not sure that you can see it clearly in the doorway picture on the right but the second door behind the locked, wrought iron gate says WELCOME. Some welcome indeed.


One of our monthly challenges was to make an ATC in the colour opposite our favourite one, which meant I had to use orange. I raided my stash and came across two orange fabrics from the very first swap I ever did, some years ago now. Thanks to Liz and Sheila. Then using some Supermend and transfer foil, I added some gold bits. Cut some shapes out and stitched them here and there, and hey presto not one but six:


This morning a friend and I spent some time experimenting with Transfer Dyes. I had painted the papers yesterday so just had to iron them off. These are some of the ones I liked best:


Transfer dye on kitchen towel:

Paper scrunched up before ironing and a fabric leaf shape as a resist.

Transfer dye on raised wallpaper:

This is my favourite one. Using a skeleton leaf as a resist, and then printing with the residue on the leaf. The holes on the left are from the iron - unintentional but looks really good.
I can't say I am enamoured of using polyester fabric, so had a go with some thin calico. Worked well I think.

Now to do some work.








1 comment:

Gina said...

Gosh... you really have been busy Lesley. And what fabulous work! Drawings are amazing, wonderful experiments with the transfer paints (must have a go now!) and those ATCs are gorgeous. Must get making mine so I stand a chance of getting one in the swap!