Pebble coasters completed

I've now finished a couple of sets of the woven/felted coasters that are based on the pebble design.

It takes a number of times through the washing machine to get the felting to the consistency I like (two times through with towels at the warmer setting, or 4-5 times with easy care clothing). A friend suggested that the sets of four should consist of three light and one dark coaster.

Our utility room is finished!

Kitchen

Storage

Loo

Rocks and water -- Kathy

I had this done two weeks ago, while at a cabin in the mountains on a week's holiday. But then I forgot the deadline! I have two pieces, each is a sample of a different technique in preparation for my final project in Textiles I. They are based on designs from water flowing over and around stones.

The green one is a design using fine-tipped fabric pens, with a stencil cut from firm plastic. Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2".
Design idea from a sketch of a cut-glass vase filled with the long white roots of a hyacinth. I love lines, and seem to want to "draw" on most of my projects, either with stitching, couching, or actual paint/ink.

The dark blue sample is taken from various photos/sketches of stones and ripples in a stream.
Size: 7 1/2 x 11"
Background is from a T-shirt with a very slight tie-dye. I first did stamping with actual leaves (poplar, wild rose, and some sort of ash), using a discharge (the VIM, kitchen scrubber under the sink in the cabin!) I was too impatient to leave it overnight, so the images were too faint -- ghost leaves. So I decided to stitch over parts of the images with rusty-golds. I think the actual stones are the weakest part of the whole thing. The leaves and water were the most fun!

My final project is still not resolved, but will likely be a smallish handbag in dark grey/black. Perhaps the design (based on this green sample) will be embossed/raised using felt, still not sure.

The next round

I’ve loved having our challenges, and I have an idea for the next one.

I bought a metre of fabric that I thought was interesting.  I’ve divided it into 4 pieces.  I am planning to send you each one (well, Kathy already has hers because I took it to Calgary in September).  When you get the fabric, you are to decide what you think could go with it and send that to each of the rest of us.  So you might send another bit of fabric, or a few buttons, or a piece of yarn, or a word, or something. 

When we each have all four contributions, then we have to “make something” that uses them .   And we’ll post at the end as always.  I don’t know about the deadline  -- maybe two months after we receive all the items? 

Do you think that will work?  Can you suggest any changes?  I can have envelopes on the way to Ruth and Lesley soon.  But first I need to venture into the disaster zone that is my sewing room and see where I put those pieces of fabric…..

Stones

I was delighted when this challenge was announced.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do – make a random rocky piece with assorted earthy colours and use it for the background behind the bicycle wheels from last time.  Brilliant, I thought!
I looked at lots of rocks and lots of pictures of rocks and pulled a nice pile of rocky looking fabrics.  But nothing much else happened.….

Finally a couple of days ago I grabbed a bin of fabrics and made some little “cobblestones” quilt blocks.  I made 2”, 4”, and 6” blocks.  When I set them all together side by side I realized the 6” one was too big and just took over the piece completely, so I took it out (it might turn into a potholder).  And I realized that I hated the fabrics.  Most of these are cheap (as in inexpensive AND flimsy) fabrics, but they are all fairly new.  Friends gave me fabric for a gift last year, and the only place they had to shop was Walmart


So I put “grout” in between my blocks to give them a bit of space.  The grout fabric looked great when I started to use it, but when morning came I realized the lightest of the stone fabrics just bleeds into it and disappears. 

Piece is about 14” square right now and needs borders, probably a couple of inches of the brown that I pinned it to take the picture.