A reminder of Morocco.

After looking back at my design book on Hawaii, I had a reminder this week of another book I made. My book was all about Moroccan cuisine and, when I saw this M&S ad in the paper, I thought some of the pages of my book were similar to this design, below, made with spices.

As well as the ad in the paper M&S are also running a mouth watering TV ad to promote their Moroccan tagine. Yum!

The circle in the middle of my front cover was made with spices dropped on to PVA glue. It's got a rough feel to it.

And the inspiration for my book came from one of my favourite television chefs, Rick Stein.

I'm very happy that he's back on TV at the moment on a new gastronomic road trip from Venice to Istanbul.

When you open my book you can smell the spices. 

This page was all about the saffron that grows in Morocco.

 I saw star anise in the M&S newspaper ad. I also used a star anise for some artwork on a page of my book and made a little printing block. The chillies were made by a cool iron melting a plastic ribbon, the sort that florists tie round a bouquet. It bubbles up nicely.

Drinking mint tea is a favourite pastime.

This was my favourite page, orange flower and rosewater.

Pomegranates.

Lemons.

Tagines.

Dates.

Aubergines.

Freshly baked bread every day. I did some rust dyeing on muslin.

Fish, of course.

Goats that climb trees.

Cafe tiles.

I had enrollled for my C&G course and was undecided on a country for my main research and design when Rick Stein's programme came on the TV -  'Mediterranean Escapes'.  It must have been 2008, I think, and once I saw him smelling the spices and wandering the souks of Morocco, well I was entranced. My choice of country was decided.

Think I'll  have to go off and buy that M&S Spiced Lamb and Apricot Tagine now!

Say Aloha!

The beginnings of the Stratton compact collection got me thinking about other collections I have.
Like this one...

Who needs expensive diamond rings?  I really treasure this collection of seashells.
The tiny, tiny ones on the left of the photo below come from Hawaii.

My son brought me the shells.  When he was at university he spent a summer on a work placement in Canada, and after all that hard work he met up with friends for a holiday in Hawaii, as you do!

One of the ladies in my old craft group showed me how to make the paper box that I keep them in. 

And I treasure this shiny blue piece of abalone that a college friend gave me.

Having a fresh look at the seashells got me thinking about Hawaii as I chose it as one of my countries for Research & Design when I was doing my City and Guilds diploma.

 I've got a collection of design books too!

I wasn't very confident with the art side of things - much preferring the stitching - but it was a required element of the course.  Now, when I look back, I can remember working on this book mostly at night, as I was looking after my granddaughter part time, and worrying about finishing the course within the two years.

Well, that's enough of that. I'd like to be catching a wave but instead of that I'm catching a plane.

C&G Diploma

DONE!!!

Almost there........

Well, in another week I will be taking my stuff into college for assessment.
No blogging as I have been working at my course any chance I get. Now tidying up the loose ends and what isn't done is just too bad. I am tired.
Then I hope to have time to put some photos of finished quilt onto this blog. I still want to bead the 'water' on the fountains but my tutor says I have done enough for what is required. I can't wait to say goodbye to C & G. Meanwhile this photo is from a panel on the Moroccan lantern I made.

Almost finished

Find I just don't get time to do this blog. Also something called 'lightroom'is on my computer(due to husband messing about)and I dont know how to put my photos up.Good news is I am almost finished this Quilt and hope to get some photos up sometime of the rest of the project, mainly for my own interest. Still got loads to do for rest of course so I'll be back in a while.

I'm back

Anybody who happened upon this blog would soon give up.By writing it I was hoping it would spur me on to work harder. Well not alot of progress due to Christmas - and baby grandchildren mostly, and apathy on my part. At least I have now got the quilt sandwich done and the centrepiece stitched on. Now free machining the fountain border. 3 fountains done--9 to go. What else have I to do?
Just 2 countries, 3 embroiderers, a history of embroidery, 2 design books to sort out, a portfolio of stitch samples and techniques to put together. Quilt to finish. And thats just for starters.
Piece of cake.

Xpandaprint

Progress slow on my mosaic stitching so not much to report. Anyway I have the design for my quilt thought out and I'm working on a fountain border taken from a piece of wallpaper. The first thing I did was a pastel rubbing. That's when I could see it might make a nice border. Then I tried out a fountain tracing on my dyed calico. Painted it with acrylic first then used the xpandaprint to get a 3D effect. I thought it looked like china but it's too heavy.

Free machining mosaic

Been trying to do some machine stitching when I get a minute, but baby grandaughter wakes up as soon as I turn on the sewing machine! The mosaic pattern represents the Zellig tilework of Morocco. This will be the tiling in the fountain and, as my stitching distorts the muslin, I hope they(the tiles) will appear as you would see them as you look into the water. That's the theory anyway. Slow progress and my tutor is telling me to GET ON WITH IT!
I am usually thinking ahead though and I've been working on a rose stencil and a fountain stencil - both taken from wallpaper. Now need to get on with my design book and draw out a proper working design.I do get too involved in design as it's the part I like. Can somebody else make the piece ---- please!
Halloween break already too -- I'm sure the terms are getting shorter.

Procion dyeing

Procion dyed 2 pieces of calico today. Turned out a salmony pink but they will probably change colour when I wash and dry them. Not actuallly sure what shade of pink I was looking for! Also dyed some lace and threads.Nipped out at lunch time to go see an art exhibition. Nice lampshade,looked like lace.

Stencils

Into college and back to my usual Monday class. Only 7 of us, which I like, but there are only 2 of us doing the Diploma - not enough for ideas and inspiration.
We did some stencilling today and I got started on free-machining the piece of muslin.
Also made a start on a sketch book- something I've always shied away from.Started it off with the stencils.
Next week at college...procion dyeing.

Bondaweb on muslin

Been ironing little squares of painted bondaweb onto the muslin... very time consuming! Think I will add some metallic foils onto to some of the bondawebbed squares. I'm trying to get the look of mosaic tiles. Planning to free- machine the squares in between the bondaweb to distort the muslin(like pulled work).Hmmmm..does that make sense?
Went out tonight to husbands camera club as there was a photo show of a club members hols in Morocco. That was right up my street!

Chaos in College

Forgotten how I like/loathe travelling on the bus to Belfast. A chatty Californian couple were heading in to town.
College was busy like it always is at the start and then we had fire drill. Could feel my rebellious side coming out already.
I've painted some bondaweb and today I'm withdrawing threads from a piece of muslin for my new project.

Back to College.

Going in to college tomorrow having had great intentions over the summer hols. to do loads of work. Ha! Didn't do any. My research for design has been on Morocco and, inspired by pictures of the rose petals in the fountains, I think my next piece of work will be to do with that.
So much to do. So little time.