The Idle Housewife

When was the piece made and how long has it been in your possession? The piece is a "chemin de table" and it has been in my possession for almost one year, I brought with me after my last holidays, it came from my mother's house. Who made it and where was it made? This piece was weaved by my great-grandmother and embroidered by my mother. It was made in Alentejo, a region in the south of Portugal. What is it made of? It is made of linen and embroidered with cotton. Can you identify the techniques that have been used? It was embroidered by hand using satin stitch, cross stitch and a stitch that I cannot identify that looks like a kind of couching mixed with Herringbone stitch that I cannot really identify. The weaving is normal and straight, made with an old wooden weaver. I know the fabric is handmade, the stitches in the embroidery are handmade stitches. Was is made by hand or machine? How are you able to determine this? The weaving is normal and straight, made with an ...

Were you able to mix and match colours accurately? I believe I did mix and match colours accurately. Well, at least I did before they got dried, I remarked a big difference between gouache colours wet and dry. And I had some perfect matches between fabric samples and wet paint that became quite different when the paint dried. Mixing colours was easier with gouache and matching/reproducing colours was easier with watercolour, I felt this with the lemon colour reproducing and not matching fabric colour perfectly. Were you able to use colour expressively? Yes, I think so. Or not really. I was not very much inspired and I have to confess that I am not a painting fan. Mixing colours is a fun experience as the colours change but I feel less skilled than with other things. Can you now see colour rather than accepting what you think you see? Yes, I can see colour differently now, I see colours more accurately and it is so much easier and faster to achieve a certain colour by mixing other colou...

Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery Soluble fabric still on the embroidery hoop Experience using soluble fabric, normal cotton thread for sewing, cotton, wool, silk and steel threads on bobbin, cable stitch and free machining. The base was made with sewing cotton thread on soluble fabric. Before washing the soluble fabric After washing soluble fabric After washing soluble fabric Detail :: the brown thread is the silk and steel yarn I enjoyed this exercise very very much. Until now, it was my favourite one using colour. I liked the effect of the silk and steel yarn and the mixture of green wool and green cotton thread, together they give a beautiful texture to the tree. I also like the effect of two different thread types and colours on the flowers. But the best of all was "weaving" my own piece of 100% cotton fabric with sewing cotton thread with the sewing, the soluble fabric is magical. This is just a small rectangle of 6 cm x 9 cm.  Used materials: wool yarn, cotto...

Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery Experience using soluble fabric, normal cotton thread for sewing and wool thread on bobbin, cable stitch and free machining. Soluble fabric still on the embroidery hoop. Soluble fabric before washing "Mini-tapestry" after washing the soluble fabric Used materials:  wool yarn,  cotton sewing thread,  soluble fabric.

Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery First experience using soluble fabric and polyester embroidery thread Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery Second experience using soluble fabric and polyester embroidery thread before washing Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery Second experience using soluble fabric and polyester embroidery thread after washing Has I expected, I don't like the result. I am not a fan of this kind of thread nor the effect of it. I used because it's so brilliant and perfect for these experiences. And I also have a big amount of embroidery thread to spend. Used materials: Madeira embroidery polyester thread, soluble fabric.

Foggy Winter "depressed" Foggy rainy Winter bored Sunny Winter day hope of Spring approaching  Sunny Winter day joy  Sunny Winter day joy and happiness I am discovering some things about myself such as I am not inspired during long foggy rainy dark Winter days. But now Spring is coming as well as longer days with more sunlight.

For this project I needed some inspiration, some joyful coloured inspiration that I got from these pictures. AURORE – Dawn, Tapestry, Weaver: Hilde Absalon, Vienna, 1968, Hundertwasser Bird Houses And A Swirl Tree Paintin by Karla Gerard Blooming Trees by Karla Gerard Mary Blair

Exercise 4 :: mixing colours from three dimensional objects :: gouache When I did these marks I did not know or did not remark that I was trying to reproduce the colours from the leaves in the photo below. Or I knew I was doing it but not knowing that it would be now, a much better result for a more advanced exercise. Exercise 4 :: mixing colours from three dimensional objects :: watercolour Drawing is not my strongest skill but with aquarelle was I was able to match the colours I saw on this lemon. When I did this, there was no natural light and I didn't take a picture to compare.

Exercise III :: colour matching from a postcard ::  felt tip pen Detail of a postcard :: Hunterwasser "Grass for those who cry"

Exercise III ::  comparing yuzen paper colours with already mixed colours :: gouache  Exercise III ::  comparing yuzen paper colours with already mixed colours :: gouache Exercise III ::  mixing colours to match yuzen paper colours  :: gouache Exercise III ::  mixing colours to match yuzen paper colours  :: gouache

 Exercise 2 :: mixing colours to match fabric colours :: gouache Exercise 2 :: fabric colour matching :: gouache Exercise 2 :: fabric colour matching :: gouache Exercise 2 :: fabric colour matching :: gouache Exercise 2 :: fabric matching colours :: gouache Exercise 2 :: fabric matching colours :: gouache Exercise 2 :: fabric matching colours  :: gouache Exercise 2 :: fabric matching colours :: gouache Exercise 2 :: fabric matching colours :: gouache

Exercise 1 :: colour mixing :: gouache Exercise 1 :: yellow mixed with white and black :: gouache Exercise 1 :: magenta mixed with white and black :: gouache Exercise 1 :: blue mixed with white and black :: gouache   Exercise 1 :: mixed colours :: watercolour Exercise 1 :: mixed colours :: watercolour

Exercise 1 Exercise 1  Exercise 2