Thread sketching

I have been sketching again since I started watching DMTV.  Just the other day I was think of turning one of my sketches into a thread sketch. Wasn't I surprised to find one of the talented women whose blogs I follow did just that. Sandra from the Netherlands did some interesting sketches of a boat using three different techniques. I did a thread sketch of a raven (so what's new) and then attempted to paint the sections like Linda Kemshall does. I don't think mine came out very well. I decided to try it again but this time leave just he thread. So here are my two attempts at thread sketching.

The first I traced off my pencil sketch with water soluble pen and washed. The second I traced in pencil but haven't yet removed the pencil. I think I will continue to explore this technique more.

new stuff

I have finally worked out how to proceed with this quilt. I was planning on making a painted sky and when I got all my materials together realized I didn't have the big sea sponge I needed. Plan B: I had some soda soak in a bucket under my kitchen cabinet (you never know when you may need some) and a bit of deep navy MX dye in a bottle.
I did what I refer to as a tray dye of this fabric.

I was very happy with the way these came out. THEN I realized I needed more to be able to make the sky without piecing. I'm now awaiting the second batch of sky...
Here are 2 stamps I made for another quilt. One is fine small grass and the stamp size is 3"X1.5"

This one was made on styrofoam insulation board with self-stickcraft foam. It's larger blades of grass but still quite small. The stamp is 1.5"X2".

The 8" of snow we got over night is almost gone - YEAH!!!  GO SPRING......

The Pencil Case

Today I decided I wanted to make something. I wanted to paint some fabric. On the shelf with the ProFab paint was a piece of painted fabric I had done a few weeks ago. It was pretty. I made it with left over paint from another project that I glomed onto a piece of nice fabric then sprinkled with salt. I later silk screened and stamped and did a fused paint thing in the shape of a woman. I had no idea what to do with it so I chopped it in half to make a pencil case. Well, I should probably mention the back story.

About a month ago I hand sewed a sketch book and covered it in a piece of soft leather. I've taken to sketching in it nightly to sharpen my skills. I've even used watercolors to brighten up the pages. It's been quite fun. Back to the pencils.....
I bought some B's from Dick Blick and they came in a black nylon zip bag - very lame. I decided to make a really lovely pencil case. Sometimes looks are everything. Here is the original piece of fabric which sacrificed half itself to satisfy my desire for beauty.

The half I lobed off isn't pictured here I fused the painted woman then silk screened the large and small goddesses. Then I made a curly stamp for her hair and the cool black snake stamp. I made the small spiral stamp too.

This is the sketch book I made with tissue pages, sketch paper pages and fold out brown craft  paper pages. Makes it fun.

I took the picture of the back indoors and the colors look dim. I used torn strips of masking tape to resist the blue and magenta paint I smeared on with a bit of sponge. I removed the tape, stamped my crow stamp on then stitched a piece of bottle green sea glass near the bottom. I made fabric beads (a bunch) and sewed two onto the case. I used a satin stitch (dense) to bind the edges and sew the case together. I belatedly attached a shell button wrong side out with a gold bead in the floss. I used more hand dyed (by me) embroidery floss with beads attached to make a string closure for the button then covered the place where the floss comes out of the flap with another fabric bead. I LOVE it. Sketch on....