Divers of the Dubai Mall

Before I begin my blog about the divers of the Dubai Mall, I have a couple of other pieces to show from my last blog about the speaker pods and the jug.

To finish off the collection of pieces based on the design of the speaker pods around the fountains at the Dubai Mall, I created a vessel. the problem with vessels is that they take up space - they don't store flat. However, it is so nice that it has been given a place to sit on one of my living room units.

iI used the same technique as for the front of the purse and the hanging. I used pelmet vilene for the foundation cutting two wide and two narrow panels. This was covered with a silver lame fabric and overlayed with black voile mache to knock back the silver ( I love this fabric. It is so delicate.). The design was free machined then I cut away part of the design to create a fret at the top of the panel. Each panel was edged with satin stitch and then joined together. It is fairly substantial and can stand very stably on its own. I did, however, save a small coffee jar which fits inside perfetly and is below the fretwork, should I need to use it and to give it even more stability.

This finished - for the moment anyway- my speaker pod selection.

Another small piece adds to the Arabian jug set, which is still ongoing. I was making some bag tags and used the jug design for some of them. They are not all photographed but this one was. I digitised the design so that I can use it as often as I wish and I have plans for other pieces for the jug design.

Now for the divers of the Dubai Mall.

Inside the Mall we followed a sign doe 'The waterfall'. We had no idea what to expect and as we reached the waterfall we just stood there absolutely amazed - 'gobsmacked' would fit better. There were actually two waterfalls which were was three stories high. Jutting out from the falls were huge bigger than mansize, silver divers. We could go onto three different levels to photograph these divers and so get some incredible shots. I took a lot of images and I mean 'A LOT'. I have also created an AV from them and set it to the music 'The ride of the Valkaries'. It took some time to fit all the images to the music - hitting the beat or phrase of music exactly but I love a challenge and it has turned out well. Here are a few of those images.

I used one of the divers to create a pattern.

This pattern was used to create metal shim embossed divers and digitised for machine stitched divers.

This piece is an attempt to create the waterfall with the divers. The divers were created from embossed silver metal shim. The waterfall had silver grey slub silk fabric as a base, overlaid with black tulle and then couched white and silver threads and yarns over the top. Some were threaded through the tulle. I used sticky dots to attach the divers.

I also made a little bag tag using the same silver grey slub silk with some couched yarns and then a machine stitched digitised diver over the top. It awaits its hanging thread.

Next I created a tassel which fitted the subject perfectly. I created several different sized digitised divers and stitched them out on a thin vilene. each was carfully cut out. As I had used silver in both the top and bottom bobbins the divers were the same on both sides so could hang and spin freely. I made the tassel from the same selection of threads and yarns as I had used on the panel. I stitched two of the divers around the header and hung the rest at different levels around the tassel.

Not an easy piece to photograph - all that white and reflective silver!

I have more pieces completed and ready to photograph and hopefully they will be in my next blog.

So until then

Cheers everyone.

More of my Dubai project

Doesn't time fly?

So many time consuming interests and not enough time to do them.

However, I have managed some more textile pieces which have been inspired from my visit to Dubai.

These pieces are all based on the beautifully designed speaker pods which surround the lake area outside the Dubai Mall. When the fountains are on, the music to which these fountains dance, come out of all the speaker pods. Incredible sight and sound.

The first piece is an interpretation of this speaker as it is. I used a silver metallic sheer which sandwhiched a layer of silver angel hair. I created the pattern and free machined the whole thing using silver thread on top and underneath so that it can be viewed from both sides. Once the machining was complete- and I machined it all twice - I cut away the unwanted areas leaving an open fret which is how some of the speakers were on the approach to the Kalifa tower. I couldn't use a soldering iron as the sheer is metallic and wouldn't burn so great care was taken to prevent any fraying.

I intend to use all these small pieces to create a new fabric. Can't possibly waste them can I??

I wanted to set the textile piece into a stainless steel frame as the Dubai speakers were so my OH found some stainless steel rod and tubing and made me a frame to mount the piece into. At the moment it is hanging on a wall but I would love to use it free hanging as a mobile or divider.

Here is a close up of the top secion which on the actual pods were boxes.

As I mentioned, the top section of the pods were boxes so....... I created a box using the same design. The frets were created first but this time, as I didn't have enough sheer, I used black voile mache over silver lame. This time I could use the soldering iron to cut out all the spaces.I used opaque draughtsman paper behind to match the effect of the pod boxes. A pretty good representation.

I used grey felt for the inside of the box and stencilled the design onto the felt with silver paint.

Onto the next two pieces which are related as they are both jewellery, a matching bracelet and necklace.

I used silver leather covered with the black voile mache to take some of the glare away from the leather surface. It was backed with grey felt. I chose a part of the fret design on the speakers to create two design - one for the necklace and one for the bracelet. They were free machined onto the leather using silver thread. When complete the spare was cut away and the edges satin stitched. I didnt cut away the fret this time. Couldn't decide whether to or not so played safe and didn't. I used a toggle and ring fastener for the bracelet and made a stainless steel ring for the necklace. I also added some silver beads around the edges. Not on the speakers but this was jewellery so some artistic license!

The next piece was an evening purse. Again I used the fret design as the source. I created another square similar to the top of the hanging. This time I used the black volie mache over silver lame and a siffener for the back. I stitched the design twice and removed the excess with a soldering iron which sealed the edges. Much needed for a purse which would be opened and closed a lot. The main body of the purse was made from a silver grey dupion slub silk. Perfect for the job. This was quilted with the design from the main column of the speaker pod. The silver fret square was free machined ontoo the front flap. The lining was gey satin and I used a silver chain for the short purse handle. I also made two bag tags - one being a smaller version of the necklace.

This is the back showing the quilted design.

That is all so far from the 'speaker pod' collection. I have more in progress. Sometimes a design can produce a lot of ideas. It is knowing when to stop!!

One piece which did take a long time was one which used a jug I saw on a shelf through the door of one of the Heretage village builldings. I couldn't get a good image of it so I had to source another one from the net.

I like this one but it was ambitious and took a long time to stitch. It was all stitched by hand.

I decided to create this piece using padded metallic leathers - gold, silver and bronze. The background was a traditional tapestry canvas sprayed with gold paint. The areas not covered with padded leather were stitched with black metallic fingering and cross stitch to give depth to match the padded leather. I also used silver and copper fingering to stitch abstracty jugs over the background. It is stretched over a gold frame and the background it is displayed on shows through. It looks better in reality than this image.

That is it as far as textile work is concernedJust before I started this blog post, I embossed two divers onto silver shim. They are the divers from the waterfalls in the Dubai Mall. More of them in the next post.

I have been doing a lot of photography and last week spent a day at a sculpture park. I am doing a project on sculptures so have a few more visits planned to other sculpture venues. I hope the weather is better than last weeks. We suffered every type of weather in just a few hours including a downpour of very sharp ice chips which really hurt. I think they call it 'sufferring for your art'!!!! Hmmmm. At least my macro photography is inside where it is nice and warm.

I have also created a couple more AVs. I have begun to make my textile projects into AVs and set them to music. At least, this way, I see the work which is sadly stored away in boxes and only seen when I give talks to interested groups. Fitting music to the textiles really works well and enhances showing the projects. I can view the projects whenever I wish and they are much nicer viewed with music that complements the themes of the projects. I am on with the AV for my Egyptian project and found some wonderful music by a lady in America - Gale Revilla - which fits the subject perfectly. My problem is which piece of music to use. I like so many of them.

Must away now and get on with all these things I want to do so cheers for now.

Dubai art quilts galore

I hope everyone's new year is getting off to a good start with lots of creativity. All this cold weather gives us a good reason to stay indoors and do lots of textiling although I did go out Sunday evening to do some blue hour photography andit was bitter cold. So cold I could hardly feel my fingers to set the camera. A few reasonable shots from it and there could have been more but it will have to wait until it is a bit warmer. Having said that - we are planing to go to Whitby this week to do some evening photography!!!!! Gluttens for punishment. It is forecast to be warmer by then - they said!!!!!

We have taken the plunge and made the decision to have the two settees reupholstered. We are waiting for the fabric to arrive and once they are recovered I can get rid of the throws which are a pain to keep straightening.

Now, as I said I would, the art quilts I have created form photographs I took in Dubai. As I alsways do, I openend the photographs in Photoshop and played around with them until I came up with an idea that I liked.

The first photograph was one of the water taxis tied up and parked on the Creekside.

This is the effect which I liked and used for the art quilt.

This was printed on silk then some surface highlighting with metallic paints was applied followed by free machining.

This is the finished art quilt. I haven't actually applied a border yet but when I do, it will be blue as above.

The next photograph was one of the buildings next to the water taxi parking place. I liked the arched windows.

Again, applying different effects on it in Photoshop -

I quite liked this very colourful effect. I made a pattern and traced the design onto cotton, then painted it with acrylic paints. I free machined the painted design and applied some glitter black pen to ouline the windows.

The next image was of the wooden roof of the fabric souk. there were some incredible fabrics for sale in there but I resisted as I have a huge stock of fabrics and need to use them up. The roof was was created from wooden arches with large ornate lights hanging down.

I simply inverted the colours of this and they turned out to be blue and perfect to make an art quilt.

This design was printed onto silk and free machined.

The next image was taken in the Heritage village. In the foreground there is a part of the original old Dubai fortress wall which has been preserved.

As before, I played with it in Photoshop until I found a design and effect that I liked.

I made a pattern and traced the design onto cotton, then painted and sponged the design ready to free machine.

Another potograph from the Heritage village was a close up shop of a decorative ballistrade which I liked.

I have cloned out the ark lights which light the village up at night. I had to do a lot of work in photoshop in order to create a flat image of just the ballitrade. This too was played with in Photoshop.

I printed this design onto silk and applied some metallic paints and some gold paints.

The final quilt was the largest and so was the most difficult to free machine. It was another image taken in the Heitage village and included a carved wooden camel in a doorway.

I used the same effect as for the old wall art quilt. Red seemed to suit these images and had they not occurred while applying different effects and filters I would not have thought of using these colours. This is one of the main reasons I use these filters. I get colour schemes I would not have dreamt up myself.

Ths design was enlarged with the height being more than a metre. I made a pattern and had to print out several sheets and join them together. the pattern was traced onto white cotton and then I sponged the colour using metallic paints and paper to mask as I sponged. I do not use a long arm quilting machine so it was difficult dealing with such a large quilt.

This quilt was so big I had to photograph it in sections and stitch it together in Photoshop as I had to do with the fabric souk roof art quilt.

That is all six art quilts. I wish I had the wall space to display them all but they are already full with lots of other textile work.

The piece I am working on at the moment is taking a long time as it is all hand stitching. It has turned out to be quite a challenge with a lot of padded leather work so it may be a while before I can blog about it.

So until the next blog

Cheers everyone

A Happy New Year & the start of my Dubai Project

A Happy New Year to everyone and I hope it brings you a satisfying and creative one.

I spent my first day of this new year sorting and storing a cupboard full of completed textile pieces. They are all - as best I could - in their appropriate box or file. All the pieces should be easier to find now. I also sorted the pieces and samples I am going to take to the next workshop I am giving later this month. The first talk is one I have given before so that is ready but the one after that is a talk about the jewellery project which led to my book. I need to plan the order of pieces and create the slide show to accompany it. All the pieces have been photographed so it shouldn't take too long. A good start...

The rest of the day was spent creating the jewelled fabric and tracing all the designs of the Dubai motif jewellery and a motif hanging. I managed to free machine the two sides of the purse and the pendant. Still a lot of pieces to free machine - a necklace and a bracelet - hopefully tomorrow.

I began the Dubai project last month - last year!!!- sounds a long time ago doesn't it? I completed a box, a bag and a folder.

I will begin with the box- which had the starting design source from an image of the lift pod in the hotel we stayed at. We stayed at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel in the old part of Dubai not far from the Creek. (I can hiighly recommend this hotel - very friendly and very very helpful). The lift pod was one of two which ran up and down a central well in the hotel.

I used this image and played with it - as I do - in Photoshop and Paint shop pro. I used a kaleidoscope filter and came up with this design.

I knew immediately what technique I would use so first I made a pattern.

Then I used gold metal shim and embossed the design for the lid. The box was created from a bright red silk fabric and the centre of the design was used for small shim 'flowers' on each of the sides.

I used my usual method which allows the box to be stored flat. I free machined the design on the inside of the lid.

The next piece was designed using the image of one of the buildings on the side of the Creek. We went for a trip on the Creek on an Abra which is a water taxi. We hired the taxi to ourselves for an hours trip up and down each side of the Creek. I was able to take many photos of the life and buildings along the sides of the Creek. This was just one of them.

I zoomed in and took just the green squared windows.

Again, I played with the image in the computer and came up with a design which was ideal for printing onto fabric.

This gave me ideas for more than one piece - I created a folder and a bag from the same design.

First, the folder.

I printed the design onto silk fabric. I cut and dyed and sprayed a piee of pelmet vilene the same size. The silk was mounted onto the vilene with a thin layer of wadding then free machined. I free machined each of the squares then threaded some cord through between each of the squares. the edges were satin stitched and I made a wrapped cord to fasten and stitched small beads around the outer edges.

The square machining created a stitched pattern on the lining to match the outside.

To make the bag, I printed the same design onto cotton. This was made into a quilt sandwhich and again I free machined each of the squares then pulled cord through between the squares. I gave the surface a coat of acrylic wax to waterproof and protect it. Then I stitched tiny seed beads around all the squares. The bag was constructed and a handle made from machine wrapped cord and applied with more tiny sed beads. I made tags to complete the effect. It has a zip to close and a satin lining the colour of the original windows on the building.

So there is the start of the project.

I have created six art quilts too but they have yet to be photographed. Some are very large and the weather and light have not been right for the job. Hopefully I will have done that for the next blog.

The only good thing about all the snow and bad weather is being able to stay indoors and be creative both with my textiles and still life photography of which I have done a lot. However, I do miss the photo shoots so I hope the weather will improve enough to go out and do some outdoor photography other than dashing in and out to take pictures of the snow like this one which I played with afterwards for a bit of fun. These are stones in my garden and with the snow on the top looked like little heads. Half an hour after I took this photo it snowed heavily and they were completely buried under a couple of feet of snow - brrrr.

OK - that's it for this blog so until the next one - cheers everyone.