Back To The Bee

It's feeling a little mundane working on this. 

I am back to it after Christmas, I haven't touched it since about November. There's so much background to do.

Rather than put fusible web behind every piece of fabric (Which would cost me about $300), I cut strips and put around the perimeter of each background shape. This will keep the centre of the shape soft without the stiffness of the glue.

It's starting to become clear.

After these big pieces, I need to add words and small details and layer effects.

I don't think you really understand  how big this bee is.

 

Bee Challenged

 I know in my heart I will regret putting this away for a while, because I know it will turn into one of those UFOs in the cupboard. But it's almost Christmas and I want to finish some Christmas UFOs.

First glances though....

It's a bee collage. The pattern was very expensive at about $50 for something that is really just like one block of a quilt, only larger. 

There's a lot for the quilt maker to work out. It's not like all the instructions are completely arrayed. I don't think many beginner quilters will start a collage like this. And a lot of it depends on the fabrics you can find. 

This is why I chose the bee pattern, because I felt I could find a few fabrics with bee motifs and references.

The pattern says it requires over 10 metres of special stick and move fusible web. At about $30 a metre that would be $300 just for the gluey stuff on the back!

I decided to use regular fusible web behind the bee, then cut it into strips to use around the chunks of background fabric.

For a project that measures only about 100cm x 150cm, there is a lot of work and expense.

Do I sound positive yet? Sorry about that. I tried it for the challenge (even though I laybyed the fabrics at Olive Branch so that I wouldn't notice all the expense at once).

And it's a growth experience! Anyway, it's going away for a while to work on Christmas projects. I hope it doesn't stay away for too long!

Maybe I can border it with pieced blocks to make it into something bigger with pizazz and interest. Maybe some big hexagons?

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I will think about it.

Vibration: honeybees and sacred geometry

Tuesday sewing group is back at the Olive Branch, although they are now in new premises after being flooded out last January. 

I was going two days a week, not that my son is at kindergarden, and wanted to use that time to work on something for myself, as I've been creating so much for my small business, which just took off like a helicopter! I am so grateful!

But I've had to cut it back to one day a week: Tuesdays. This is what I started with today. I bought some delightful fabric to start a honeybee collage. It's actually huge and will take up about 100-150 centimetres or about 1.5 yards square.

It's a different technique than I've used before. The idea is to iron the fusible web onto the back of the fabric, then trace the shape onto the paper before removing it from the fabric completely. 

It took a bit to get my head around, and I wasn't really prepared to buy 7 metres of fusible web at $30 a metre (the usual fusible web is out of stock of course, with these national supply problems, so the restickable one was there, but it's only 30cm wide instead of a metre wide, and it's $30 a metre. So I feel this will go on hold for a little while.

I also don't want the entire thing to be stiff with fusible web, so a the moment I am thinking about piecing the background instead of layering into a collage.

First we make the honeybee, then we add the background.

Those eyes are from some Anna Maria Horner fabric, and the fruity details on the wings are cut out from a Tula Pink fabric that had little monkeys on it. I will share photos of the fabric next time.

Another one of these Winter Solstice altar cloths is complete.

And this is a very special Metatron sacred geometry altar cloth. Great for an intention grid, and again, commands a lot of attention while stitching. Holding the vibration of the piece.

Everything has a vibration. Sounds can be seen. Take a look here for a start. If the link doesn't work Search for "Cymatics" and "Chladni plate" to see what I mean. 

How interesting that the same day I share my honeybee progress (who is vibrating and making sounds) is the time I start talking about the vibration and frequency of sound!!

You can find my stitching pieces on facebook at Sew Rainey Sew.

 

The Arty Broom Broom

Anyone that knows me, sees that I am into colour, not just plain white. So when the beloved found preloved car that fit the bill for me, and it was plain white, he wanted to pep it up a bit for me.

This is my Broom Broom. Get it? 

I can easily see my car in the car park, and that brings me a lot of joy!

Even though it's cold, and we were rugged up, we decided to test drive the green car to the beachfront ice cream shop.

This is about the third time my little fella has worn long sleeves since he was a baby.

I found this pattern at the Olive Branch local quilting shop, and decided to get it, and slowly collect the fabric. Isn't that how we justify buying anything and not making it for a while?