Decision made and box finished

I decided I liked the outside of the box as it is!  It is simple and clear, and I think will be less delicate with no pieces that could be knocked off.  Instead, I attached some of the 3D leaves to the inside of the lid, to complement the applique.

Indecision...

With leaves on top, or without? I can't decide.  I like how simple and uncluttered it looks without any leaves, but I'm really not sure.

A box

I finished putting the box together today.  I really like how the light catches the applique.  The plan was to have a huge spray of wired leaves on top of the box, with the applique as a background, but now I like the applique so much that I don't want to cover it up.  I might put a few leaves on the top? Or maybe leave it as it is? I think I will sleep on it!

Even more leaves

I haven't updated the blog in ages.  I took a break from the big projects and have been working on organising all my work ready to hand in. I've come back to the leaves this week though.  I'm working on the body of the box now.

I'm reasonably happy with it so far, but we'll see how it looks once it's constructed.

More leaves

I've been making more leaves. Not with realistic colours, but they're samples to find out what works and what doesn't so I use whatever I have around.  I've also been playing with some leafy surface patterns on silk covered vilene.  Maybe these would be good for the bottom half of the box, and have a Goldsworthy-ish leaf pattern on the lid?

First leaf samples

One is made with dissolvable fabric, the other made with scraps sandwich between sheers.  I think I need a few more leaf ideas, and also what to do with them to decorate this box.

Thinking about leaves

I've been playing around with leaves today, for my memory box.  I'm not really sure where I'm going with it yet, but I've been playing around with potato printing and done some sketching. Hopefully it will all start to come together!

On the wall

The wallhanging finished and up on the wall! 

Ready to stitch

All the pieces are made and laid out now, ready to stitch on to the quilted background.  Then, I just need to put the hanging bits (technical term), on the back, and bind the edges.  I'm thinking about making a scrappy binding, depending on how much fabric have left.

Layout

I've been playing with the layout of the wallhanging, which at one point was looking rather more tabby than I was aiming for! I still need to make lots of ruffles for the sunrays, and probably some other shapes as well, but I'm going to wait and see how it looks when it comes together.  I think the next job is to get on with quilting the background, then see how it goes.

Cutting and folding

One aeroplane fold, four wing fold and 14 prairire points.  It's a start!

Real colours

I've started making a few samples in the fabrics I will be using on the wallhanging.  There are still a few decisions left to make.

So many samples...

My wallhanging sketchbook hasn't closed properly for a while now.  I think I'm getting close to making the real thing now.

More samples

Today, I've been trying to make triangles go around curves, burning myself on the iron a lot making continuous prairie points, and doing a lot of paper folding.  I used flattened muffin cases to try some folding techniques because that would work out a lot quicker than cutting a lot of fabric circles.

Wallhanging samples

I've been working on samples for the wallhanging. Some have turned out better than others, and I think I've changed my mind about colours.

Finished panel

I think this project is done now.  I'm pretty happy with it. Now I need get back to the wallhanging...

Finished?

The fifth dome is done now.  It took two or three attempts to get right, and I'm still not sure I have the curve right - should the stripes curve inwards towards the top?  Possibly, but I'm not sure how many more unpickings the canvas can take!  All the domes are stylised versions of the original patterns, and I'm pretty happy with how it looks. Now just the mounting to work out.

Not sure about this one

One more done but I'm not sure if I like this one.  I'll sleep on it and see how I feel about it in the morning.

Lots of rhodes

Another dome done. This one is quite 3D, although the picture doesn't show that very well.  I think it might be my favourite so far!

Difficult dome

The third dome took twice as long as it needed to.  I had to unpick a lot because I kept getting the pattern wrong.  Maybe it was just a bad day!  I had hoped to get more done, but after wrestling with this one I thought it wiser to call it a day.

Background and first domes

I think the background is about done - I keep seeing gaps I want to fill though.  The first two domes are filled, just four more to go.  Then just the mounting to worry about...

Dome outlines

It's been a while since I've posted an update and there has been some progress. I've painted the background areas on the canvas, marked the edges of the stitch area, and stitched the outlines of the domes in a florentine-ish stitch.  The outlines took a few attempts to get right - and made me remember why I hate working with metallics...

Background

I have been experimenting with more contemporary canvaswork for the background of the St Basil's panel.  I'm thinking of the domes being very traditional, and the background contemporary, and based on the colours of the rest of the building - mostly orange, green and white, although I may simplify this, I don't want the background to overpower the domes.  

St Basil's

I'm taking a break from the wallhanging project and looking again at the other project I have in progress.  This one is an embroidered panel, based on the domes of St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.  I have already started looking at canvas work stitches that will work for the onion domes, I still have a few more to work out.

More sketching

I've been doing a lot more sketching this week.  I'm playing around with ideas for the wallhanging.  At the moment, I really like the circle designs inspired by Marion Dorn rugs.  I have also been working on some fabric manipulation samples, trying to get an idea of how I'm going to create all of the shapes I'm sketching!

Suffolk puff and felt circles

This is my first sample for the wallhanging, based on the shapes in the Clarice Cliff Red Broth pattern, made with suffolk puffs and felt circles.  The proportions aren't quite right, I think the suffolk puffs should be larger, but I like the overall effect.

Starting again!

I've been thinking for a while about resurrecting my blog to keep track of progress on the projects I'm working on now.  I have two in progress at the moment so now seems as good a time as any!  Today I have been working on the design for an Art Deco inspired wall hanging.  I've been looking at lots of Art Deco, with Clarice Cliff inspiring me the most, so I've been sketching the designs I like the most.  I think the next stage is to try and work out how to create some of the shapes that I like.

Drawing has never been one of my strengths, but I'm learning to enjoy it!! I seem to have put all my round motifs on one page and most of the lines on the other, but it gives me an idea of which designs I like.  I love the circles at the top left, it is based on Clarice Cliff's Red Broth pattern.  I have a vague idea that I could reproduce that using suffolk puffs and felt circles.