As a proud owner of two guinea pigs, when I brought some pastel pencils and wondered what to draw, the answer was obvious...
This I should point out is not one of my beasts (they wouldn't pose!) but one from a book. The marks of the pastel pencils remind me a little of Quentin Blake (he who illustrated Roald Dahl books).
I have also just finished reading The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier. This is a fictional book based on the The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries. It tells the tale of a rather amorous painter who is asked to design a set of tapestries for a wealthy nobleman, and the Belgian weaver family who set about creating the pieces. The author describes the weaving process perfectly with great attention to period detail.
For my textiles 1 I am at the 'manipulating fabric' project. Before I start this properly, I decided to have a play around experimenting with different techniques on some white cotton. I used the wonderful resource book 'The Art of Manipulating Fabric' by Colette Wolff. I particularly liked the furrowing samples, and how the fabric flows; rather than be constrained by stitches.
During the week I picked up, at a charity shop, the book 'How to make an American Quilt' by Whitney Otto, for the bargain price of 50p. I must be the only person in the world who hasn't seen the film. It was the perfect read for a rainy Saturday afternoon. The book tells the stories of the attendants
of a quilting circle, and each chapter is interspaced
with quilting instructions in the style of one of the attendees
. The story draws on the similarities between quilt making, life and love.
This I should point out is not one of my beasts (they wouldn't pose!) but one from a book. The marks of the pastel pencils remind me a little of Quentin Blake (he who illustrated Roald Dahl books).
