A very busy few weeks. Jo has led a number of workshops over the past weeks. I was struggling initially to see how I’d apply some of them. Strange how one thing leads to another. Now they seem very useful, creative. Playing with smocking I find it can be used to suggest secrecy, disappearance, going, goneness, hidden things. Not sure how I may use it yet but I see its potential. Cutwork is familiar, used in embroidery and similar to collage but with fabrics and mixed media. Layering can be very expressive. Tufting methods are also familiar traditional ways to reuse old fabrics – colourful rugs were a feature of my grandmother’s house. They were heavy things often made of old coats. Hard to shake clean. Haven’t tried all techniques but here are a few ideas based on objects or places relating to exploring my parent’s life.
Kitchen corner 
Batik on cotton cloth 
Batik on silk
Heat press collage based on mum’s hat 
Detail – textures are interesting
Heat press images. Mum knitted a lot. This is typical of her creations when we were very young.
I think latterly knitting filled time in her life. I think it filled her mind and was calming.
My father complained of the click clack of the needles. Mum loved
making garments for babies, her young grandchildren and any others.
Heatpress images using sublimation inks based on mum’s hat ribbon. RH image shows colour before heat pressing. It is an amazing process with lots of applications.
Sue makes marks 