Printing ready for Christmas Open Studios

I've been printing fabric to make cushions for my Christmas Open Studio weekends.



First the cutting fabric from the roll and marking up where I want my central images.

This time I was printing hares in black, grey and red. 

Here on tea towels and here are the cushion pieces. 

I've also been cutting a new lino block, a hare in the summer to complete my hare series. 

Now finished and ready to print along with a small lino block of Hare and Moon. 

 

I cut a stencil to screen print some backgrounds for the hare print. 

Screen printing in progress

and the results 

I can never decide which process I like best, so I often combine screen printing and lino cutting.

I hope to have time to print the block on top of the screen printed background soon.

Meanwhile I've been hand colouring my other hare print. The original edition is sold out. It's fun to be painting again and I enjoy mixing and playing with different colours. 

Now to make up the cushions!

More screenprinting

I thought August was going to be a 'quiet' month but it was really busy with lots of printing, both on paper and fabric, a few days out, seeing friends, a great birthday and time spent with family; all very good. I also acquired another press but more of that another time! I spent 2 days at the Curwen having fun screenprinting. Here are the results drying, lots to be over printed...

...and some finished...

I'm loving working on fabrics, my washing line is good for drying (on a still day!)

    I've put another table up and my studio is fairly chaotic!! 

A fun diversion was a day with friends Annie and Pippa at the Festival of Quilts, always inspiring to admire the truly wonderful work on display.

I liked the new layout once I'd worked it out! There was plenty of space in the food area which was good, so much to see that we'll need 2 days next year as I certainly didn't see everything.

 I was only going to buy some backing fabric for my 1970's log cabin patchwork but as I saw all the fabulous modern fabrics a new idea took shape.... I decided to make the back a 2012 patchwork, keeping the yellow and brown theme using fabrics with spots/stripes/lines. So, the following week I carefully planned a modern log cabin, the same size as the 1970's one, unfinished for 30+ years until earlier this year. Here it is, ready to join the blocks together after lots of moving around.

I'm machine quilting it at the moment, wavy lines in yellow and brown and going round on the squares. It's lovely to be sewing again!

I also had a stand at Ashwell Show on August Bank Holiday; better weather this year and quite good sales at what is mainly a horse show! It was the first showing for my textiles; cushions, tea towels, aprons and shopping bags.

I was demonstrating lino printing all day which generated a lot of interest.

I've seen a lot of my grandson Barney, being a Granny brings a delightful dimension to my life. He calls me Nanny or Gaga!

How cute.   

This week I will be getting ready to open my studio with Herts Open Studios, if you are anywhere near, do come along! I'm open on the 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd from 11 to 5.

 I've updated my website and written a blog today, phew!