Exploring layering & hands ...

I participate in the online Making Zen retreats several times a year for the inspiration & new techniques it offers over the week of the 30 workshops. 

I always look out for the ones I think will be of interest & just glance over the ones that are not my thing. However, there are some techniques I have never tried that are worth watching just for the background on them. You never know if you will like something until you try it.  

Several tutors are regulars on the platform & I have got to know which ones I align more with so I look out for their workshops. 

Last year, I experimented with the reverse applique technique taught by Rebekah Johnston 

Her Making Zen workshop looked at using reverse applique / cut away technique then using hand outline in positive & negative outline. 

The background is made up of layered fabrics on  a  background fabric, stitched in lines through all the layers.

It is then cut between the layers to reveal some of the layers underneath, varying the depth of the cuts gives different effects through the layers of fabrics. 

When laying down the initial layer, you are conscious of the colours that are in the various layers - this is where you can be quite creative.  

As you can see at the bottom, my machine did not like all the layers but that bunching up was cut away so it was of no consequence. 

The initial preparation took longer than I thought because of looking at various fabrics, weights, colours, textures etc until I decided to just get on with it. 

It is too easy to get bogged down in the prep rather than start. I turned the top layer to the reverse because it was fitted in better, the colours were more suited to the overall colours.

These layers were sandwiched under a top layer, pinned, & trimmed to the back layer size. 

I marked sewing lines on the top fabric, I should have made them slightly closer but they worked fine. 

The lines were machine stitched as the holding shape between all the layers. 

Then for the fun part - using an embroidery scissors, I cut between the sewn lines - some through more layers, others just through one to reveal the colours underneath. 

The cut pieces were brushed - I used a bone flattener for paper to brush across the surface to open up the layers. 

My top layer frayed a lot & I had to pull out lots of threads & bits to neaten it up. I trimmed some of the open layers a little to reveal the lower layers better. 

I traced my left hand on some freezer paper that was then ironed on to the fabric I wanted to use for the hand. The benefit being that it was firmer to cut to get a neat positive & negative shape. 

The negative cut out shape was tricky to pin because it was quite wobbly in places but I used the freezer paper of the positive hand to reshape it as I pinned. 

This pinning stage is important if you want a clean outline that is not too distorted. 

Because some of my background layers were greens, florals, purples & yellows, I opted to cut out my hand in a batik  fabric that had those colours too so it worked across the whole piece. 

After pinning, I used tiny bits of hemming web in places on the negative outline to give it a bit more stability - just very little pieces that held the outline firmly in place when ironed. This certainly helped. 

The positive hand was whip stitched along the outside edge, easier to sew this hand because of the good shape. 

The negative - cut out hand shape, was straight stitched in 3 strand embroidery cotton which worked well. The edge of the outline shape also had a row of running stitches, just smaller ones & further apart. 

Once completed, I think it is an interesting use of cut away / reverse applique technique & it has opened up many possibilities to use it again. The background is made up of layered fabrics on  a  background fabric, stitched in lines through all the layers then cut between the layers to reveal some of the layers underneath, varying the depth of the cuts gives different effects through the layers. The effects could be changed by layering horizontally, or by stitching in closer lines, or by having the design drift off the background layers. The possibilities are exciting. 

I rather like having my hand immortalised for posterity. 

As always I am extremely grateful to the Making Zen tutors who inspire us to step out of our comfort zone & try something new. 

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you are inspired to try something different too. 

Dee 

Preparing the honesty for vases at home

 

I mentioned on a blog post earlier this year, that I grow honesty to use as dry branches in various vases around the house. 

Their iridescent, translucent seed pods of lunaria are much prized & they fill spaces nicely over the darker months when they come in to their own when backlit by low lights. 

The large green glass vase in our kitchen window has a generous bunch of these lovely stems. 

At night, the string of lights gives it an ethereal feel, the delicate seed pods let the light through. 

However, don't you love that word, to get the beautiful iridescent pods, you have to rub off the outer pod on each side. 

If they stay outside long enough, the wind will often loosen it, but then the delicate pods are often damaged by the wind. 

Mine were dry with the pods a dirty brown but the hot summer has given us good stems & lots of pods so I cut the stems & brought them in to the conservatory.

It is one of those very time consuming jobs because each pod must have the 2 outer pods gently rubbed or picked off. I lit a candle, put some things on you tube & settled down in the conservatory over several afternoons to do this. 

The seeds are contained in the outer pod disks so I saved those each time I took off the outer shells. Some pods had 2 seeds, others had 5 or more. Any pods that were damaged were cut away to tidy up the stems. 

The effort was worth it because I have a very good stem with lots of pods & some smaller ones from less impressive plants. 

The tiny pods look good in low light, amongst festive greenery & backlit in windowsills. 

I need to plant some seeds in the patio pots because honesty is a biennial plant - they only form the pods in the second year, after their stunning purple blooms. 

Who else grows these for their pretty flowers but more importantly for their seed pods? Thank you for stopping by, you are always welcome. 

Dee 🪴🌺

A delicious apple cinnamon loaf cake ...

 

While browsing some of my regular Instagrammers, I saw a recipe this morning for an apple cake by Claire who is known by @mrs.wilson_iloverecipes. apple cinnamon loaf cake

I decided this would be our Sunday treat. 

There are a few good apple trees on the local golf course that hubby plays at & the chaps pick up a few apples when passing so they don't go to waste.

Hubby brought home 3 nice ones, I do not know the variety but they were unblemished & unbruised so it was sensible to put them to good use. 

Preheat oven to 160 fan, the loaf will bake for about 55 min.

175g soft butter 

160g light brown sugar, 

3 egg200g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp vanilla

2tbs milk

2 -3 apples - about 200-250g (I did not weigh mine)

Beat butter & sugar till pale, mix in the eggs one at a time, beating between each one.

Fold in the flour, bp, cinnamon, allspice, & vanilla. I used bourbon vanilla gifted by my friend Liz. 

I did not add in the milk as the mixture did not seem to need it. 

3 apples peeled & cubed - I did not weigh it. I do not know what apples they were as they were from a tree on the golf course & contributed by hubby.

Put the mixture in a lined loaf tin, sprinkle some demerara sugar on top (I did 2 tsp).

Bake at 160 until a knife comes out clean. Mine baked for 50 min in a fan oven.

Cool on a wire rack & enjoy. 

We had ours with Greek yoghurt while the cake was still warm. It was absolutely delicious. 

I will definitely make it again, especially as hubby says there are loads more apples on the golf course.

Thank you for stopping by, do visit Claires Instagram. Her recipes are varied & very useful.

Dee 

Light & darkness meet evenly at the Autumn Equinox

Yesterday was our Autumn Equinox, the time when day & night shared equal lengths & from now, the night takes over & the light retreats each day, bringing with it shorter days & longer nights.

The equinox is a barely discernible difference in light but it soon will be noticeable. The air is cooler, you suddenly notice your breath in the morning air & scarves come of of the cupboard to wrap around the neck. 

The light is softer, more gentle, especially when seen against the vibrant colours of the changing leaves. 

After our hot summer, we will have impressive autumn colours of russet, chocolate brown, oxblood red, rich gold, burnt orange, soft plum, fern green, golden honey, buttery tones, muted earth, and rich jewel tones in the hedgerows - they all sit quite happily together. 

I love raking up the maple leaves from our tree. They are raked under the hedge where they breakdown to rich leaf mould but they also give homes to many over wintering creatures. Blackbirds love scattering them for bugs to eat & the visiting hedgehogs will gather them for nests.

I love walking the local woods in autumn, picking up pine cones, noticing the wonderful light through the tree canopy, finding a few conkers from horse chestnut trees. 

Spiders are supposed to avoid conkers.  I pop some in  corners at home but our spiders seem to happily ignore this & appear anyhow which is not welcome.  

I wish the spiders would find someone else to ambush & terrify. 

It is the time when cobwebs are persistent in corners of the house & garden, most evident outside with morning dew shining on them. 

My long duster is never far away in autumn, clearing the cobwebs so the house doesn't look like a Halloween  prop ... 

I notice that the shortening days brings a settling too when you want to be more cosy, have candles & books about, a fleece at hand on the sofa to tuck your feet under. Hot chocolate becomes more welcome, a warm mug to wrap your hands around while reading. 

We are busy in the garden, tidying up, final moving of any plants while the ground is still warm, cutting back & staking plants before the winds pick up and of course cutting the long stems of our honesty plants before the winds damage the much prized seed pods. More on that in another post ... 

It is also the time my thoughts turn to some crafts & indoor activities. I like to do some little sewn gifts to go in my Christmas cards & this is the time to start because they are labour intensive. 

Autumn also brings a subtle change in foods - richer foods, more root vegetables, hearty soups & generous baked puddings start making the menu. 

It is a different rhythm of life that we settle in to, preserving energy to appreciate nature more so we can tune in to the changing season. 

We hold on to the summer but gently give way to autumn to enjoy the change, the coolness, the different pace of life. 

Autumn invites us to gather our thoughts too, to be aware of what has changed - relationships, friendships, situations, experiences. We can gently release the ones that no longer serve us or match our energy. 

The change is part of life & we are part of the rhythm of nature, we just need to follow its lead. Have a blessed start to Autumn, 

Dee 🥮🍂🍁🪾🌲

The Tolpuddle Martyrs connection ...

 

During our trip around Scotland in 2024, we stopped at the New Lanark World Heritage site near Glasgow & were surprised to see reference to the Tolpuddle Martyrs. 

They were connected to Robert Owen whose mills these were. 

The site referenced his efforts to uplift his workforce through education, better working conditions & rights to be treated well. 

Hubby is connected ancestrally to the leader of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, George Loveless. Three of the six men were Wesleyan preachers  and were guided by their faith to be fair in all they say & do. 

While showing visiting family around the Dorset places of the ancestors, we stopped at the little Museum (unfortunately closed on the day we visited) and then at the Wesleyan chapel nearby set up in their memory. 

The booklet gives a really good summary of their convictions to their cause & the punishment they received. 

Their actions was the start of the Trade Union movement, fair rights for workers. 

They were all transported - taken by ship to the far flung corners of the empire, mainly Van Diemens land. 

However, they were later pardoned & returned to England. However, several then left for the Americas. 

It is an interesting story, worth researching & remembering that the rights workers enjoy today were a hard struggle & a huge cost paid to stand up. It is worth respecting the memory of those who fought for the rights.

I hope this has given you food for thought, thank you for stopping by. It is always appreciated. 

Dee