Painted Cloth

It's the 25th of the month, so time to take stock and reflect on those New to Me experiences and encourage my fellow bloggers to share their trials and tribulations too!

This month I have been messing about with paints!

Acrylic paint

and thanks to a workshop a couple of months ago with Moira McLennaghan, of the Guild of Silk Painters, silk paints.

After the workshop Moira encouraged us to take away small squares of silk that she had traced a design on with Gutta, to enable us to have a go at home. I picked a design of fish swimming amongst coral with the intention that once painted it would be more wall art for the gorgeous grandson's bedroom.

The silk paints flowed easily on to the silk and filled the areas confined by the Gutta, so I was very pleased with myself.

Then this happened!!

The colour washed over the line of the Gutta and flowed into the next space. I tried diluting the space with water in an attempt to remove the colour but as you can see it wasn't especially successful.

I am debating whether to fill the frame with colour but worry that it will bleed in the other direction into the fish. I haven't set the paint with the iron yet (mainly because the iron blew up the last time I used it!) so don't know if that would help or hinder. If you know the answer I would be delighted to hear :)

I used the Acrylic paint to transform this lace from this

to this

and also this. They don't look so attractive now but trust me they will make more sense when the project I am working on is finished!

Next up is a play with these Metallic Wax Crayons! First though I need to replace that iron :)

So, that is my New to Me attempts this month, now it is your turn to link up and share anything that you have tried out for the first time in July. As you can see we keep it real here, so whether it was a success or not don't be shy, it is always a learning experience. Well that is what I am currently telling myself!

As always the New to Me link party will remain open until the end of the month, so you have time to try that technique or write that post! I look forward to seeing what you have been up to and, hopefully, coming across some helpful tips or techniques too :)

An InLinkz Link-up

A beast of a finish!

Today I am hosting the TGIFF link party, so if you are new to the party welcome I hope you enjoy your visit.

My finish for the party has been a long time in the making, I blogged about it nearly a year ago here when the front was finished but then the project hit the proverbial brick wall. There is nothing like a looming deadline for a completed project to concentrate the mind though is there :)

I am always annoyed with myself when I finally getting around to finishing a project that I have been putting off for a long time and find that the actual finishing is fairly quick and very straightforward. Needless to say that is what happened here!

I used this tutorial by Chris Dodsley for the hidden zipper at the back. I have used this technique on several cushion backs now and really like the clean lines and neat finish that it achieves. I also like the pop of colour that I end up with on the back of my normally plain cushion covers. The front fabric is a grey linen and the back is a light grey quilting cotton with the dark purple band for the hidden zip. I am fairly sure that I kept enough of the purple patchwork pieces used in the reverse applique on the front, to make a hidden zipper band but, of course, couldn't find it when I went to make it. I shall probably find it in the next day or so :)

The cushion was originally intended for our eldest son's wife, who loves purple, but as our youngest son has just recently moved into a new flat and he is a big fan of Stag decor then it only seems right to gift it to him instead. He is not the gentlest of users of a handmade cushion so I am hoping that the reverse applique will stand up to the wear and tear. Having said that he has moved in with his lovely girlfriend so I am keeping my fingers crossed that this and any future cushions will fare a bit better under that much more benign feminine influence :)

So, that's my finish for the TGIFF link party, now it is your turn to link up and share your finishes. As ever a bit of encouragement is always welcome so check out your fellow linkers and share some of the celebrations around. Include the TGIFF blog button in your post if you link up so that your followers can check them out too.

An InLinkz Link-up