Sunshine by The Heathlands Project

Sunshine, 2015 by The Heathlands Project

The Heathlands Project's 2015 quilt is completed and down in Birmingham for this years Festival of Quilts! Despite my best efforts at being organised it was, as usual, a bit of a rush to get it finished in time but we did so all is well and the members are already looking forward to getting it back and hearing the judges comments.

Quilt details

Quilt details

Quilt details

I wrote before about this quilt and why, despite the stresses,  I like doing a big project like this with the group. Seeing everyone's work come together to create a coherent group piece is a really satisfying thing. One of the reasons it's always a bit of a rush to get finished is that I like to give the guys as long as possible to work on their individual patches. This of course means that there's less time for me to put it together but I love seeing all the different patches and how each individuals character shines through.

Laying out the patches

I wanted to create this year's quilt in a slightly different way to previous years. So, once I'd collected all the patches I laid them out on a base cloth, filling any gaps with sunshine coloured fabrics. I wanted to keep the edges if the fabric raw to add a bit more texture.

Quilt sandwich

Quilting on the sewing machine

One of the members of the textile group was really keen to help with the construction so along with one of the members of staff he made a 'quilt sandwich' of the layer with the patches, the wadding in the middle and a plain back cloth. They then worked together on the sewing machine to quilt these layers in place, fixing the patches as they went.

Adding the binding

Once all the quilting was done it was time to finish the edges. I wanted to have a go at binding the edges this year, previously we have worked on more of a bag like construction with the quilting being the final step. One of the comments we've had from some of the judges in the past is that we could do with a bit more quilting, which is why we took the approach mentioned above.

The binding and back of the quilt

By this point we were very short on time so I took the quilt home to finish off, doing the last bits of quilting, the binding and adding a hanging sleeve before parcelling it all up and sending it down to The Festival of Quilts. It was interesting doing the binding. I quite like the look and it's different to how we've normally done it. As usual I am not totally happy with the finished piece as it is not as nicely finished as I would like but I find generally when it comes back I can appreciate the good things about it more!

Quilt Update

Work on 'The Summer'

I wrote in April about the fourth quilt project I am running with my textile group up at The Heathlands Project (a social enterprise supporting adults with disabilities.) The guys are making great progress and the work is coming together really well. The border patches are all finished and I began stitching them together today.

Stitching the border patches together

One of the border patches. Batik and embroidery

The main body of the quilt is also progressing beautifully. Each year I have encouraged the textile group to try something a bit different and this year we have been experimenting with batik and fabric pastels. At the moment the guys are appliquéing organza shapes on top of the patterns they drew with the pastels and embellishing with hand stitch. The group chose the title 'The Summer' for the quilt and as more colours and stitches spread across its surface it is like summer coming into bloom.

Detail of fabric pastel drawing

Pastel and appliqué detail

The quilt project gives the group the chance to enhance and develop the skills they have already learnt as well as being an opportunity to try out new techniques. It also helps build a sense of community as everyone gets involved and we are all working towards a common goal. Knowing that the quilt will be seen by thousands of people (at The Festival of Quilts in August at the N.E.C.) is really exciting for a lot of the group.

Working together

Felt making Adventures

Rolling out the felt

Today was the second session in a block of felt making sessions I'm currently running for the No Borders Art Group. I have worked with the group on several projects before (most recently on an interiors project) and always enjoy their company. The group is now based at one of Carlisle's Day Centres (we used to work down at one of the local community centres) and the group is made up of adults with learning disabilities from the day centre. The programme is organised and run by Prism Arts.

Laying out the fibres

Making 3D felt using a plastic resist

I have done felt making with the group before and the idea of this block of sessions is to take the skills the group have already acquired and really develop them. It was great going in today and hearing their ideas and coming up with some plans. We also had a new member of the group who has taken to the process really quickly and I think will produce some beautiful work.

Making felt beads

Beads and cords from last week

I find it very enjoyable and satisfying working with a group over a period of time, it allows you the chance to develop good relationships where ideas can be expressed and explored together. It is also exciting seeing people grow in skill and confidence and knowing that you are part of that process. It is also very inspiring creatively as people often come up with new ideas and ways of doing things that you might not otherwise come across.

Making a felt 'sausage' to slice into beads

First go at felt making

Festival

Detail of one of the felt pieces made

I had a lovely day with my textiles group up at The Heathlands Project yesterday. A few weeks ago I asked them what they'd like to do and two of the things they came up with were more felt making (see the marvellous Jimmy Sparks for other felt making exploits) and more exhibitions and competitions. So, we decided that working together the group could make one or two pieces to enter into the Jersey Textile Showcase 2014.

Cutting out shapes

Cutting out shapes

Cutting out shapes

The theme this year is 'Festival' so we began by talking about festivals; what they were about, what they might sound, smell, look and feel like. The guys then produced some designs and then split into two groups where they combined their ideas and made two gorgeous pieces of felt. We used raw Jacob fleece for the base (as we get it free) and brightly coloured merino tops for the top layer. It was great how much the guys remembered from last time and how well they helped each other and worked together. The felt making was last week and I sadly had no camera to record the work but it was good (if a bit smelly.)

Adding machine stitch

Adding hand stitch

Adding hand stitch

This week they decided to each cut a shape from the felt they had made and work into it and then we will combine the embellished felt pieces to create a piece or two of art that we can enter for the competition. I forgot my camera again this week so the pictures are from my (not very good) 'phone but they give you an idea.

Adding hand stitch and sequins

More hand stitch and sequins

No Borders Applique and Embroidery Workshop

Applique 'sandwich'

Saturday was my first No Borders Workshop at Carlisle Library. It was a small group but a nice atmosphere and some lovely work was produced, I'm really excited to see how the work develops.

Detail of applique 'sandwich' which consists of wool and cut fabric sandwiched between  a layer of purple fabric and a layer of sheer fabric.

Adding stitch

I'd taken a long quite a few samples to give people ideas about techniques and it was great how each person immediately latched onto something they liked and then took the technique and made it their own. It was really inspiring and I came away with a few ideas of my own too.

The gentleman who created this piece is blind so chose his materials by touch. His theme was  garden.

Blue fabrics on green background

Stitch detail

You can find out more about the No Borders workshops over at Prism Arts website.

Appliqued stars

The Woollen Woods

My loom knitted owl

A while ago my textiles group at The Heathlands Project and I took part in one of Eden Arts's Projects called FLOCK. They're now running another project in support of the Campaign for Wool project which we're also getting involved in. It's called Canopy and one element of it is the Woollen Woods; an installation that anyone can get involved with by making creatures from woolen materials to be displayed in the trees.

Loom knitting

So, we've been busy knitting, loom knitting, felting and pom-pom making to create a veritable menagerie of creatures to send to the Woollen Woods.

Loom knitted snake/slow-worm

Knitted and felted bugs and butterflies

Pom-pom chick

Spider web

One of the owls made by my textiles group

Panto Madness!

My favourite backdrop-The Giants Castle

For the past couple of months at Heathlands I've been working on making some props and painting some backdrops with the guys for Hayton village's pantomime. The pantomime 'Jack and the Giant Leek' was performed last week. Unfortunately I couldn't go as I was full of plague (so bored of snot now.) So, I only have a few pictures and I don't have any snaps of the giant leek I made (which really was giant; around 4 m long, I made it so it could 'grow.') I also failed to get any pictures of cloud land or the severed princess' arm but maybe I can see if anyone else has any.

Graffiti-ed Standing stone, made of paper-mache

Detail of Standing Stone

Despite the late nights, lack of space and stress it was mostly a fun project and is something I would like to do more of. This is said a week after the event; last week I was seriously not ever going to do it ever again but a big thank you must go out to my colleagues at Heathlands who got all the backdrops finished off whilst I was working elsewhere. Otherwise there would have been more stress, and probably tears! Maybe next time I'll insist on doing it with a dedicated group rather than having to persuade and cajole my usual art group!

Meat (I enjoyed making this way too much)

Working on the giants castle

Detail

Drawing out and painting the village scene

The house that Mike built; set with functioning door

Grotty Cottage backdrop

Detail

Detail

Village scene backdrop