Sashiko with Susan Briscoe

Sashiko by Susan Briscoe

Yesterday my C&G Certificate Class had a great treat as Susan Briscoe came for the day to teach them how to stitch Sashiko.  Sashiko is a Japanese stitching technique, which I have admired for a long time, but hadn’t actually tried.  So rather than quickly teach myself how to stitch Sashiko to share with the class, I got the expert in.  It also meant I spent a very pleasant day learning a technique I’ve admired for a long time!

More examples shared by Susan

Susan showed us how to mark the fabric with a grid – there is a definite technique involved - and got us stitching a rice stitch pattern.  This is my first Sashiko piece, still in progress. 

My attempt at the Rice Stitch Pattern

Susan is a wealth of information and experience and generously shared as much as she could in the space of the day.  In the afternoon we progressed to trying a hemp leaf pattern.  Rather than using the grid to measure the stitch size, it is free stitched.  It took a while to get the rhythm going – I can tell where I started, once you get going, the stitches end up more even. 

My in-progress hemp leaf pattern

As well as teaching us how to stitch these patterns, Susan showed us many examples stitched by her and other people – they were very inspiring. 

More examples shared by Susan

By the end of the day, we had two half stitched patterns, information on how to stitch other designs and heads filled with enthusiasm and ideas.

Lots of examples hanging on my design wall

Susan teaches lots of Sashiko workshops - you can find out more about her classes here.

A vintage book that Susan brought along

Sashiko by Susan Briscoe

Sashiko by Susan Briscoe - not just on indigo coloured fabric

Faux chenille or layer and slash update

Faux chenille after washing and fluffing

It's that time again in the C&G course when I have to demonstrate faux chenille.  I really enjoyed trying it out last time, so was keen to make more samples this time.  You can see instructions on my blog from last time here.  Here I'm going to tell you what new things I discovered this time.

The stitched fabric before cutting

This time, I had some cheap polycotton sheets and used these for four layers.  I got out my scrap bag and put pieces of brighter colours in between the layers, especially under the top one.  

Cut fabric before washing - so much flatter than after washing

For the first sample, I tried using thick thread for the top stitching.  It did look good before I washed it, but to be honest, it was kind of lost when it was all fluffed up, so not worth the extra effort.  

Stitching with the thicker thread, front and back

For the bottom layer of fabric, I used black and the thread on the underside was a variegated one.  It looks good against the black.  On the second one, I used a grey thread for some of it on the bottom and it doesn't look as effective.

The Clover cutter

I timed myself making it, and the first one from start to finished slashing took 4 hours.  It is approximately 20in (50cm) square.  Some of my students were surprised at how long it took, until they tried for themselves!  There is an awful lot of stitching in it and cutting the layers with scissors was hard on the wrists.
After that, I decided I really needed to try a proper chenille cutter and my friend Marjory recommended the Clover one.  It is fabulous.  It just tears through the layers of fabric and it took me half the time.  Wish I had bought one years ago!
For fluffing up, as I still don't have a tumble drier, I used a clean kitchen non-stick scouring sponge.  It seemed to work well.

Clover Slasher in action

Eventually I want to make a quilt using lots of these squares, but given everything else I have to at the moment, it may be sometime.  I really want to try playing with the patterns you can make and not just running diagonally across each square.  So many ideas and so little time! At least with the second C&G Certificate group starting a few weeks ago, I will have the opportunity to demonstrate it again soon.

The second piece

My not a New Year's Resolution: Daily drawing

25 January

23 January

I don’t really do New Year’s Resolutions – they tend to get broken and then I get down at my inability to be superwoman or even normal woman and just keep my resolutions.  So much as I would like to get fitter, lose weight and be a better person, i don’t make resolutions.  

6 January

This year, though I want to try and make a daily drawing.  It’s not a resolution, but something I would like to do and this gives me ‘permission’ to myself to make space to do it, something I enjoy.

1 January

So I started, a bit rockily on 1 January – perhaps a busy day with a mild hangover was not the best time to start and failed to do any on 4&5 January as we were away.  Just as well I didn’t make this a resolution, failed after 4 days!  

2 January

However, I decided this was okay as long as I made up the drawings.  So I have over 31 drawings from January and am really enjoying developing my sketches and trying out different media.  The hardest thing is knowing when to stop!

9 January

So these are some of the 31 drawings.  I thought 31 was too many to share, but you can see the quality of the drawings is variable ( I didn't just choose my favourites).  Obviously, I’m more pleased with some than others.  I had had the idea of the circle drawings floating around my head for ages before the 1^st January, but when I started, they didn’t turn out anything like I was hoping for.  

11 January

I was relieved when the stand stones starting developing better!  

12 January

Some of the photos aren’t great as I have been drawing first thing, generally before the sun is up and so my shadow is in some of them. 

28 January

 And I’m pleased that I’ve already made my drawing for today, 1 February!

29 January

19 & 20 January

31 January

30 January

26 January

24 January

17 January

13 January

14 January

How to: Use Markal or Shiva Paintstiks on Fabric

Markal and stitch over a Gelli Plate Print

One of my favourite colouring tools for fabric is Markal paintstiks.  They are oil based and are very opaque, so can be used over any colour, unlike dye or Inktense.  They come in both matte and iridescent which is a bit pearlised or slightly metallic.  Now I don’t do glitz, but for some reason, I love the iridescent Markal – they just bring a bit of a lift to the work.  Note: Markal and Shiva are the exact same things.

Some of my Markals and short stencil brushes

I recently wrote a how to use Markals with stencils, which is in the current edition of Popular Patchwork.  This is an abbreviated version of what is in the magazine.

Markals in Popular Patchwork

You will need fabric, stencil, Markals and a short stencil brush (a toothbrush is perfect).

My Markal Equipment

How to:

1.   Make sure that you have your table covered as Markals are very permanent!

2.   You need your fabric to stay put, so tape in place or use some spray baste, like 505.  You also need to hold your stencil in place over the fabric the same way.

3.   As the paintstik is oil paint, it will form a skin, which you have to remove to get to the paint, either by rubbing with a cloth or cut off with a knife.

4.   Load your brush with paint and apply to the fabric in circular motions.

Adding the Markal through a paper stencil

5.   The colours blend really well and I often add several colours in a piece.  Some people will blend the colours before apply to the fabric, I prefer to mix on the fabric so the blend is not too perfect.

6.   Leave to dry – be patient it takes a long time, like several days.  Once dried, iron the fabric between two layers of baking parchment to make the paint totally permanent.

Hand cut paper stencil

You can use bought stencils or cut your own.  I use both – I like the bought ones when it is something I couldn’t cut myself and The Crafter's Workshop ones have generous use policies, so I don’t need to worry about breaking copyright.  My own, I cut from heavy photocopy paper with a scalpel, normally through two layers so I have a spare version.  I have used freezer paper as it is good for positioning as you can iron it on to the fabric.  However, to my cost, I discovered that it does not peel off wet Markal paint – only use on bare fabric!

Markal on top of hand dyed and pieced silk

There are lots of different ways of using Markals, some more subtle than others, perhaps that will be for another blogpost.  

Stencilling through some sequins waste

Things to do with Gelli Plate Prints - 2 Make Books

Folded Book with pockets and cover

Following on from last month’s post of making sketchbook covers from gelli plate prints (see here), how about making actual books from them? 

I tend to make lots of prints in one go and to be honest, for every print I see potential as an artwork, there are at least two others which, if I can put it politely, are only suitable as backgrounds or to be printed over again.  Many of these are on paper as you need less ink to print on paper compared with fabric, so often my second print is on paper.  Also, if I am demonstrating quickly, the results may be less impressive and on paper.  For how to gelli plate print, see here.

Prints

So as you can see, I have a large pile of paper prints to be used.  Making little books is a great way of using them up.  And it doesn’t need to be difficult.   A sheet of paper cut in two, joined to make a long strip, then concertina folded can be really effective.  

Concertina book

All the books I’ve made are blank so far, but at some point, I will use some as sketchbooks, others may have photos added as special photo albums and some of the simple ones may be turned into fancy birthday cards.

Japanese Stab Bound Book

This one has pages made from prints on copier paper, but the outside is made from slightly thicker card.  I’ve then bound it together using a Japanese stab binding and put little beads on the end of the binding threads.

Inside of Japanese Stab Bound Book

You can make traditional books in sections, like this one.  

Traditional Bound Book

It is four sections (or signatures), each with four sheets folded in half and then stitched together.  At some point, I will add a cover.

No Stitch Book from one sheet of paper

These little ones are made from one sheet, with no stitching required, folding the paper into 8, cutting in the middle and then folding up again.  I’ve also folded up the bottom of the page to make a little pocket-like structure.

Lots of ideas, but this still leaves me with a huge pile of prints – more makes coming soon!

Long Narrow Book on top of Japanese Stab Bound Book