Seeing as its been the school summer holidays, the days have been spent out of the studio, but you know that inspiration is everywhere! I had the pleasure of meeting, and feeding, this amazing creature yesterday, a veiled chameleon. I knew Linda loves chameleons so I tried to take a few photos for reference. It reminded us that we’d never shown you a box that she made, many moons ago, inspired by chameleons.
Here’s the box, as you can see it’s quite large! We’ve cast our minds back and Linda thinks she made this 27 years ago. It’s a mixed media piece and heartening to see that it’s survived studio life for all that time.
It was designed to store threads. The form is a hexagonal pyramid mimicking the shape of the chameleon’s eye. The box is constructed from pieces of heavy card cut to shape and covered with stitched fabric and paper.
Here’s a closer look showing the stitching. It’s worked freehand by machine in a circular pattern referencing the shapes in the scaly skin of the chameleon.
The surface is quite textural as you can see with a combination of fabrics including nets and scrim. There is also paper some of which Linda hand painted.
The central lid has a handle formed of machine wrapped cords twisted into a spiral suggesting the curl at the end of the chameleon’s prehensile tail.
Here’s a look inside. The lid sections flap open to reveal the compartments inside where the threads can be arranged by colour. The inside is lined with hand dyed and painted fabrics.
You might enjoy these workshops...
Using Tonal Value: Scrap Quilt Fade
Join Laura in the studio to explore how important tonal value is in quiltmaking and learn how to piece a tonal fade effect using scrap fabrics. This exciting and contemporary approach to scrap quilting is easier than you might think!
Scrap Quilt Tips
Working with scraps to make your next quilt can be so satisfying, but also a big challenge in terms of design. In this workshop join Laura to take a look at a new scrap quilt Linda’s been sewing as she shares her tips for a successful scrap quilt.
Text on Textiles: Handwriting
Join Laura to see how she uses her own handwriting in sketchbooks and on fabric as a method for mark making. Watch her sampling process and see how to use text at different sizes to suit your own project.
Screenprint, Monoprint and Stitch
Learn how to create one-of-a-kind printed fabrics using a fabulous screen printing method with stencils, then overprint with monoprinting to add graphic marks. Laura will then guide you through planning piecing ideas in your sketchbook before sharing her tips for quilting the results.
Monoprint Landscape
Work with Laura to explore monoprinting methods including how to use paper stencils to print on fabric and paper. She’ll show you how to make a series of sequenced prints. Next work on a landscape design on fabric with a central scene and border design. Add stitching by hand and machine to complete your mini quilt.
Stencilled Iris
Join Linda to use stencilling techniques on fabric to create a beautiful floral wall quilt. She’ll show you how to use paint sticks such as Markal to stencil your design to fabric for a painterly effect. Next she’ll talk you through how to approach the stitching to add detail and interest. There are two workshops in this collection.
Patchwork Portholes and Pockets
Learn how to create a circular opening that can be cleverly sewn into a patchwork project, think funky porthole that enables layering of colour with glimpses through to underneath layers, or a circular feature that can be added to a garment as a decorative or functional pocket. There is lots of creative potential with this fun method. There are three workshops in this collection.
Fast Piecing Techniques
Whether you’re new to patchwork or an avid piecer, we think you’ll find these three fast methods are essential. Learn how to quickly and efficiently sew some of the most useful blocks in patchwork and you’ll speed up your quiltmaking time no end! In this archive collection of three video workshops we’ll show you how to fast piece Half Square Triangles, Flying Geese and Tumbling Blocks with our favourite machine sewn methods.
Stencilling Sampler
In this archive collection of 3 videos Linda demonstrates a wide variety of creative techniques using stencilling to produce beautiful and unique designs. She describes her favourite products and explains every step of the process to make a really attractive wallhanging. Finally she explains the hows and whys of completing the work with machine quilting. Linda proves that you can achieve lots of very different results using just one stencil. All of the techniques she includes could be used in many different projects.
Creative Quilting Techniques
In this collection of four videos you’ll discover some of the techniques Linda and Laura use to introduce fascinating texture, colour and pattern to their quilts. You’ll see how they use basic utility stitches on their sewing machines in innovative and unpredictable ways and how hand worked embroidery stitches can be used to bring exciting, painterly colour effects to an art quilt. Forget free motion machine quilting and simple running stitches for a while – this is an unmissable collection of creative ideas that will increase your repertoire of art quilting techniques!
Still Life- Quick Drawing to Fabric Collage
Start with quick sketches, explore tone and draw with colour. Take what you’ve learnt to create a fabric collage with machine stitching. Linda and Laura will show you step by step how to record your chosen still life objects using graphite pencils. How to introduce colour with water soluble pencils and finally, how to translate the still life arrangement into a small textile piece using appliqué and both hand and machine stitch.
Banjara Inspirations
Linda looks to the traditional textiles of the Banjara for inspiration. Join her to look at some examples and to study the colours, techniques and patterns of these decorative and heavily stitched cloths. Using them as inspiration, Linda demonstrates how you can start your own stitched cloth in the Banjara style.
