Last weekend, it was a rainy Sunday, so I was able to steal several hours in my sewing room!

I managed to finish two more collars for Son No1 (I will do a proper post on the collars soon, but for now you just need to know that they take a long time!!)

I also found a scrap of fabric with some experimental prints using some commercial Thermofax images printed onto a piece of dyed fabric. It was just a scrap but seemed to call out for a bit of attention. So, I got out the cording foot for my machine which I bought at a quilt show a couple of years ago, rummaged in a bag with some random balls of wool, and low – I had a border. I had not used the foot before, but it was so easy!

I backed the fabric onto a piece of felt, added a couple of lines of embroidery (using a preset stitch from the machine) and there you have it – a very simple hanging.

A great Sunday. Note to self – finish more things. It makes you feel very good inside.

Although progress is a bit sporadic, I am loving my latest sketch book – loosely based on a visit to Seville last September.

I started with a recipe book from a local charity shop. It was a lovely book, but recipes have rather moved on and I needed the paper! I have gradually been gessoing the pages and then using a number of different techniques to create background colour.

For one very successful page I used Procion dye dissolved in water as an ink, then cut a stencil from Freezer paper and used Markal paint sticks to add the design (the shape is very simple and is derived from a tile in a building in Seville).

I then scanned the image into the computer and using Paint.Net just manipulated the image. The results are very satisfying, though I am not sure what to do with them yet.

I am open to suggestions!

Meanwhile, the sketch book continues to develop slowly (and I should add that the bottom photo is the original - the wonder of Paint.Net)