Christmas Postcards and a try at English Paper Piecing

My last blog post seems like a long time ago, but when I checked it was about two weeks ago. I spent most of that time sick, I had been concerned about getting the ugly bronchial mess my husband had but instead I got a deep sinus viral mess. High fever, terrible headaches, etc for about a week, I'm now almost back to normal.

I took my usual process pictures of what I was working on with my phone camera as usual and then discovered when I went to write a blog post that my phone and my computer have stopped working together. Today I finally found my camera, I had put it in my suitcase when we went to NY and had never taken it out, so I do have a few pictures.

I started to make my Christmas postcards like I've done for the past ten years or so and was finally honest with myself and admitted that I am so tired of making postcards. I made less than half of what I normally do, finally used up the bolt of timtex that I'd had for years and called it done. It felt like such a relief, I have been doing postcards since 2000 and I think I've made my last one.  Even more telling was a day later I read my horoscope (something I rarely do) and it said I'm like a snake shedding my skin to get rid of the old and start new. The postcard photos are on the phone.

Since I finished my daily stitching with a month left in the year I thought I would try something different. Several months ago I saw some English Paper Piecing in a shape that made a cross when four were stitched together. I ordered the pieces and they've been sitting here waiting for me. This summer I ordered some recycled silk sari fat quarters and decided that the two should go together. I thought I could work on them for the whole month, I lasted less than two weeks, But I did get a small piece made.

Once I get the paper pieces off the back I will appliqué it to the piece of purple silk that's underneath it in the top two photos. I've also decided that although I love the results of what I did, it is something I will probably never do again. I took the bottom photo so you could see the scale, they are one inch pieces.

Weekly Stitching
Signs of Life:The five universal shapes
wks 49-50

I'm working on the outer border now.

I'll be linking up to "Off the Wall Friday" and "Slow Sunday Stitching"

More leaf studies and a different type of leaf prints

I enjoyed making the little leaf studies so much last week that I made a few more. I got out a few of my hand carved stamps, some hand dyed fabric and did some prints.

Then pieced some borders and now I've got nine.

I've decided to stop making them and actually finish them. The three on the left now have embroidered leaves, but that's as far as I got.

I got a bit side tracked trying some eco printing/botanical printing. Even though I've dyed fabric for over twenty years, I've always avoided natural dying. My rational was I didn't need to add more chemicals to my studio. I finally succumbed to the allure of natural prints. Right now I'm working mainly on watercolor paper although a piece of silk noil did get tossed in. Here are yesterdays results.

The papers and silk were first soaked in an alum solution, the leaves were dipped in an iron solution and everything was bundled together and steamed for two hours. As I'm writing this I have another bundle steaming, this time the leaves were dipped into a copper solution, and more silk pieces were added. I'll know in about an hour how they turned out.

I keep trying to use up all my fabric and yet I signed up for a monthly mailing of sari silk fat quarters  from Darn Good Yarn. Today I got my first shipment and I'm quite pleased, not only did I get the four fat quarters but included was a sample of some sari yarn. Not that I needed any, I still have leftovers form the daily stitching I did a few years ago that used sari silk.

I have an idea floating around in my mind on how to use these, but it's not fully formed yet.

Weekly Stitching
Signs of Life:The five universal shapes
wk#37
more french knots

2017 Daily Stitching #2 days 94-100

French knots here also and more background

I'll be linking up with "Off the Wall Friday" and "Slow Sunday Stitching"