Making slow progress

I have been working on putting the edging on my vessel. It is very slow work!
I found some satin fabric that I got somewhere - probably from the sharing bin at the Embroiderers Guild, Victoria. I am not sure what I thought I would do with it but it has turned out to be the colour I wanted for the edges. I have sewn the right side in, so that the less shiny back is visible.

I now have a new appreciation for anyone who handles silk satin! It is slipper and frays. But it is working so far.

I will have to work out how to sew in the ends of my various shapes so that they attach to the central part of the vessel but I am leaving that till last, possibly the last minute.

Here is the progress so far.
I took apart an old, unsuccessful, machine embroidery and sewed that onto the front and back of the vessel.
You can see the idea so far, with the separate pieces to be attached.

This piece is sewn so that it is now 3D, to be attached to the sides once the other pieces are done.

Today is 18/9/18. Hope they are done in time for the exhibition!

Two nines equal eighteen

Just had to post today - 9/9/18.

I am currently experimenting with making a vessel, based on an art deco vase. I have made a cardboard template.

Then I cut out some bought felt, have sewn some furnishing fabric on the back, to be the interior, and have sewn bits of fabric samples that someone gave me onto the front.

I have had the samples for ages and have decided to use them or get rid of them.

So far, I have made some of the front and back pieces. As the samples are so small, I have no spare fabrics to use on the sides, so will have to come up with some other fabrics that will match to some degree. That problem is for another day.

I have been sewing the tiny pieces on. I pinned them in place and then had to manoeuvre around the pinheads. I discovered that it is essential to have the pins pointed back into the felt so that they do not catch on the sewing machine table and prevent movement of the piece. Fortunately, the felt is think enough to allow this.

Because I decided to post today, and found the image of the template, I have realised that I need to adjust how I am laying out the pieces.

I haven't worked out how to get a flat base so that it will stand up. Neither have I worked out how to attach the side pieces. All very experimental and challenging. Hope I can work it all out.

Date again - 2/9/18

I feel as if I should post today, the date being 2/9/18.

I have been trying to come up with something for my Art Deco Now! theme. It is still not inspiring me hugely. But I have come up with a challenge for myself.

Having done a Kay Khan class a couple of years ago, having someone in our machine embroidery group (Chris Beehag) who does beautiful vessels, in a similar way, and having looked up lots of images, I have decided to see if I can make my own vessel.

So far, all I have is the inspirational image, found on Pinterest. There are so many images on Pinterest that it becomes a little overwhelming.

link here

I have used this image and a combination of others to come up with my template.
It is in pieces as I think I will do it a piece at a time and see how it goes.

I will have to work out how to actually make it stand as the template currently has no stable base - but that is for later.

The idea is to have separate bits for it so that it might be useful as a storage thing - textiles needing to be useful, or so people seem to think, given the question they often ask: What is if for?
That might be totally out of my ability range, hence the decision to start with the central piece only and see if I can make that much.

I have some old samples from furnishing books that someone was throwing out. I think they will be the surface of the central piece. I haven't actually got around to doing any of that detail yet, I am still at the stage of realising I need a front, back and sides design.
Waste not, want not - as they say.

I am finding this a bit daunting as most of the images I am using as inspiration are black and white, which do absolutely nothing to inspire me!! But the left-over bits of fabric are colourful, giving me some inspiration.