Our little art group are taking a table at a craft fair in a couple of weeks time.  Whilst I'm not hopeful of selling much, or even anything, I am showing willing and spent much of yesterday making some bunting to decorate the stand.

It's made from a bit of blackout lining (which doesn't fray so no hems!) left over from some curtains which I shortened for DD,  a roll of cotton tape which I've had for ever and acrylic paint.  The font is loosely based on the Papyrus font which someone else decided on years ago.  When you enlarge those letters the edges are all jagged and whilst I did try to smooth it out I actually did a pretty good job of keeping those jagged edges!  It isn't easy painting with precision onto fabric

The whole lot is about 2m long plus extra tape for tying if there is anywhere to tie to although I'm donating a couple of quilting safety pins in case it has to go along the front of the table cloth.  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

A week in Somerset; mostly out on the Levels, but I made it my duty to investigate what sewing related shops there might be in that area.

My shopping list:
1, Next month I am leading a workshop at craft club making Christmas tree fairies, so bits of lace and bling needed.
2, Dark side stuff; no project planned and with a very good shop locally nothing needed unless it was really cheap.
3, Light side stuff; again nothing planned, just whatever might take my fancy.
4, A couple of months ago a TSF newby in Australia wrote about freeform knitting (she called it scumbling but to me that a painting technique) and I have started doing bits of it for a long-term project and I need lots of different greens and yellows in 4 ply or not too thick DK.

What I found:
In Glastonbury there's Sew Over the Moon.  There's a fairly good range of knitting yarns but nearly all DK, a modest range of P&Q fabrics, lots of ribbons, laces and blingy bits, a good range of shiny/sparkly fabric (it is Glastonbury) but very little in the way of 'dressmaking' fabric.  I bought a ball of  and a couple of bits of sparkly silver fabric from the remnant bin.

In Cheddar I found Time Out,  a lovely shop with an excellent range of haberdashery including some upholstery bits, embroidery threads, a few bits of cardmaking stuff, buttons in tubes, a smallish range of P&Q fabrics and a good range of knitting yarns.  I bought two more   

In Wells I found Mandy Wools with an excellent range of yarns plus all the habby associated with knitting/crochet including buttons in tubes.  I came away with and a handful of gold and silver pipe cleaners.

Following a recent thread and looking at the wonderful creations of Pearl Red Moon I've been inspired to have a go at something myself.

I opted for the applied patches over a base fabric approach and used the least shaped pattern I could find in stash; McCalls 7664.  Initially I was thinking 'just line it' but now it's come this far I think that it needs a bit more so I'll probably get some lightweight (2oz) polyester wadding and do some sort of quilting.  I think it will be a keep me warm on chilly evenings quilt rather than a wearing out cape.

It's a true scrap quilt combining P&Q stash and left over bits of other fabrics including some bits of silk which have been in the stash since David Evans of Crayford closed 20+ years ago, some poly crepe, a chopped up rayon shirt and a linen skirt.  The base fabric is most of what was left from three duvet cover backs which DD gave me - she'd done a job which required the patterned fronts.

All the fabrics have red in them; in memory of Vege and the Go Red campaign.  I'm sewing it now but it's likely to be September before it's finished!

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Not sure if this belongs in the dark side, the light side, or just the twilight zone.

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At art group last week we had a talk/workshop "Towards Abstraction".  After the initial discussions the tutor set out some randm objects, including a vase of foxgloves, for us to work from.  All I managed were a couple of very rough sketches, but all the time I was seeing it as a textile piece rather than a painting.

A few weeks ago we sadly lost one of our members, and his brother had given all of his paints, brushes and other art stuff to the group to share out.  The stash included some rolls of transfer foil, and as there were only two of us who even knew what it was Kathleen and I took half each.  I also received a hot glue gun and a few marker pens.

I wanted to use some of that foil from Ed in my foxglove picture and this is what I've managed so far; and everything from stash!

Navy blue poly cotton supported by heavy dressmaking interfacing for the background.

The vase is a bit of really shiny holographic metallicy fabric, appliqued and topstitched using Husqvarna 'Vera'

The flowers are pink foil applied to polycotton with bondaweb then cut into small pieces and Pritt stick to keep them in place.

I originally thought to machine applique them down but the test bits were unsuccessful, they kept moving, so a layer of very fine organza over the lot and free motion squiggles over everything except the vase using the Featherweight.

Random straight hand stitches in a variety of greens for the stems.

Seed beads stitched over the petals.

The leaves at the bottom are cut from a layer of green organza fused with bondaweb to another very shiny, metallicy green fabric and machine stitched down just along the centre rib.

I think it's finished except for mounting/faming.  I can't decide whether to fuse a second layer of heavy interfacing to the back and then bind it and finish it as a wall hanging or to stick it to a board and get a wooden picture frame made to fit.  The finished picture will be 24" x 14".

It's not ever so abstract, but it's not particularly realistic either.

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I was sewing the lining into a jacket with my Singer 201 (aluminium body) and the lining fabric was horribly fraying with fibres all over the place.  Almost done and the machine stopped

At first it would move about a quarter of a turn on the handwheel but I tried to force it a bit and now it's not going anwhere.  Motor is OK and with clutch released it runs normally.

On close inspection there is a small piece of thread  sticking out from the shaft where the needle bar goes up and down so I think that is likely to be the cause of the problem though I'm reluctant to try and pull it hard in case it just snaps.

I can't see how to get at it without completely disassembling the machine.  The screw you can see holds the needle clamp on and on the other side is a screw holding the thread guide.

I have just finished making an unlined jacket from poly scuba fabric
https://www.thetextilecentre.co.uk/collections/jersey/products/neon-sketched-splodge-floral-print-poly-scuba-jersey-dress-fabric-material?variant=40013613064

I used New Look 6142 and I am quite pleased with it, though it is quite roomy and feels as though it ought to be a raincoat rather than a light jacket.

So, is it possible to waterproof, or at least make showerproof, this type of fabric?  and if so is it better to use a wash-in or a spray-on product?

Good 2m x 165cm
Heavyweight textured poly jersey
Colour is really a burgandy/claret colour (not pink) with black.
60% widthways stretch, 20% lengthways stretch
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£6.00 to include postage, UK only  PAyPal