Distracted

I have to admit to be totally distracted from starting the second year of my intermediate felt course with ArtyBird by playing with my new sewing machine. I started with the idea of getting a new a machine , thanks to Els , when my old one , which was second hand from my mother and about 25 years old , went from only having the one speed of very fast to not going at all. I did mange to get this fixed but my then I was pretty taken with the idea of a new machine.
So my new beauty is electronic , with lots of nifty features. I have discovered A needle threader , the ability to wind a bobbin without un threading the machine , eyelets , button holes, and all kind of fancy stitches, needle up and down buttons , memories , basting "
So first I played just randomly stitching and testing.

Then I have made some Christmas table mats using this lovely cheery fabric. They still need some gold stitching to finish them .

Then I did a bit of uneven stitching on some felt. This needs to get better !

One of the things I love about living in the Netherlands is all the wonderful , fabric , " stoffen" you can easily buy. Next weekend the big stoffen market comes to town , so that should provide me with some more opportunities to be distracted.
Seroiusly I have received my first second year assignments , and I am sharpening my pencils ready for some drawing.

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End of another year

Well all of my wonderful felted bags , sculptures and hats , along with my jewellery and vases are packed up and sent off to Kate for final assessment. What I lot of stuff I have made when I put it all together. So that is the end of my first year intermediate course with Artybird and my second year with Artybird. I have to say I have loved my second year just as much as the first year.

It's quite hard to pick my favorite part. Maybe it's hats !

Maybe it's sculpture ?

 

All I know is I have learned a lot , laughed a lot , really enjoyed talking and sharing thoughts , ideas and progress with my virtual classmate, Paula, and I have made things I am really proud of . So I don't think I can ask for more.

Next year promises to be just as exciting and challenging , with experimental pieces , thread and much more. I can't wait to get started.

 

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Final year 1 assignment : Grey skies

After all the testing it was time to make my final year one assignment a handbag.

To recap it had to be a beautiful but also practical for every day use handbag. I intended to incorporate textured silk and stitching and two handles. It will have a smartphone pocket. After so much testing it becomes increasingly difficult to actually did the real thing for me , which is a bit bizarre.

Getting ready to start , fibre for all layers weighed out!

The pocket

Placing the silk

Attaching the silk

All the cutting for the handles and flap

Finished and thinking about stitching.

 

Close up of stitching just before finishing

Final finished bag

 

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Gotland part 2

Whilst we were away at the wedding having a lot of fun as this photos shows.

 

My big bag was drying beautifully into a lovely shape and a nice mottled effect. It really beautiful the way three distinct layers and colours if fibre meld together in this way.

The question was how to finish off the handle. My plan was to hand stitch and give a kind of top stitch effect on both sides, this was quite difficult to do I found , as trying to get the two sides well stitched together and a reasonably straight top stitch on both sides was very hard. In the end I first did a line of small stitches which were to hold in all together , and then a more decorative top stitch on both sides.

 

I am please with the final result. It will be good for holding knitting , shopping and taking my miniatures felts to a gallery ..... One day .

 

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