August Stitch Art and we're looking at lichen ...

 

Yesterday I travelled into Leeds city centre for my monthly Stitch Art group, getting there to find the Art Gallery emptying out as a fire alarm was ringing loudly.  They've got the builders in, so maybe one of 'em inadvertently set it off.  Anyway, after a short delay we settled into the Drawing Room, where these stitchy get-togethers happen, and learnt about our topic for the day.  Lichen!  Yes, we were looking at moss & lichen, and how to represent it in stitch, specifically using water soluble paper and freehand machine embroidery.  

We were shown various examples, including the amazing work of Amanda Cobbett, and her website's definitely worth a browse.  

We began with embroidery hoops and calico, and learnt Turkey stitch, which I can now add to my small repertoire of stitches.  Then it was on to the sewing machines and my first try at using the water soluble paper and at freehand machine embroidery.  Ooooh, I liked doing that.  You're drawing with the needle, and I can see how it can be totally addictive.  

My attempts at vaguely lichen-like shapes wasn't that impressive, but these are really taster sessions, giving you ideas and enough knowledge to start experimenting on your own and developing your skills.  

I carried on with my lichen at home, adding beads and more stitches, colouring the calico with Inktense paint, then padding the piece out and adding a felt backing.  The whole thing's now sewn into my fabric book.  

As a first effort it isn't too bad.  I don't think I'll be rivalling Amanda Cobbett for a good long while though! 

Speaking of my fabric book, it's finished, and I've added a ribbon as a closure.   

Here's the front cover when the ribbon's unwound.  

There are two pockets at the front and back of the book, and this 'Let Cities Grow' banner is folded inside one of them.  

There's the page with my first attempts at sashiko.  

And my introduction to boro.  

There's the page with the Peter Mitchell inspired mini-scarecrow.  Possibly too elegantly dressed to scare many crows.  

I really like this stitching into photo transfers onto fabric.  The faded colours suit the decaying, crumbling building depicted in the image.  

This was based on a large wall hanging by Young In Hong, called 'Burning Love' which had threads purposely hanging down from it.  I tried to capture some of the colours of the original artwork, as well as those stray threads.  

The book's back cover is bare, so I want to add a fabric version of this lino print, from the week when we based our stitching on Angela Carter's retelling of classic fairy tales.  

I also picked up this daft cat zine while I was at Stitch Art too.  It was made by another group to celebrate International Cat Day.  Which is today, 8th August.  (Yes, I know everyday is cat day.  I appreciate our feline overlords as much as the next middle aged crazy cat lady.)  

I had to take a quick photo of this great cat display, and I'm absolutely going to make my own version of this cat stuffed toy.  I mean, why wouldn't I?!!  

Hope you enjoyed those pictures, and if you're interested in learning more about any of the fabric pages, just stick 'stitch art' into the search box and several blog posts will show up.  Meanwhile, I need to rummage around for suitable feline fabric.  

Have fun, and bye for now.