JUNE TIF AND OTHER CHALLENGES

I managed to get quite a bit of work done over the last few days as dh is on nightshift and number 2 son has pulled a muscle in his back. Keith has been tired this week and gone off to bed almost straight after breakfast, Sy has been given some strong painkillers that have kept him asleep too. With two-thirds of the household sleeping during the day I've not been able to make a noise - no vaccuming, nothing that was going to wake them. Bliss I've been able to sew to my hearts content.

The first of the two challenges I've completed is the June TIF based on a fabric story. I was wondering what to do for this challenge when I came across the background fabric for the piece above. It had once been my dh's best shirt butafter a while the collar and cuffs became frayed so I turned it into my son's school painting smock. When my son moved into his own home the paint smock came to life crumpled, dirty and covered in paint splots. I asked for it "but its ancient, almost prehistoric" said my son, nevertheless I took it as I liked the paint splots and had something in mind for it. Naturally I forgot all about it until I came across it the other day.


Along with the resurrection of the shirt came my son's prehistoric comment. I looked at the fabric for a bit and thought I saw a primordial forest. So I added a bit more paint, some torn pieces of green sheer fabric, gold painted paper straws, and pelmet vilene fossils plus an insect in amber and some handstitching. My prehistoric/primordial shirt will become the front cover of a photo albumn telling different type of story.

This is the second challenge of the week - TAST 'Take a Stitch Tuesday' on the Stitchinfingers site. It was the second week and the challenge was 'Buttonhole' stitch. I really enjoyed doing this and it is only because week 3 stitch has now been published (chain stitch) that I stopped stitching.
My Orphan Block swap cards for the Surface Design group were made from a much larger piece I'd made for a cushion. Originally I had 16 blocks left from a baby quilt I made. I had intended to make a much largerquilt but but ran out of time. I used four of the 16 leftovers and turned them into a cushion cover and appliqued large flowers in the centre of each block. Howeverver I never got round to actually making it. It is this orphan cushion block that I've turned into my orphan block swaps.
My private swap group theme for June was "Childrens Books". My cards were going to be Rupert the Bear but Christine got there before me. So I had to rethink and finally decided on Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden". I wanted the flowers to appear a bit shabby, hidden, awaiting someone to bring them to life. This week I received from QA 3 workshops on DVD and Leslie Rego's workshop on Floral Wonders had just the approach I wanted. I do hope the recipients like them.
These are two of the cards I've received in the last few days the first is from Jennifer and its her card for the Childrens book swap. Hers card is Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty" and I think it captures the essence of the book beautifully.

The second card is from Kim Montagnese and is her orphan block. I love the bright fabrics she has used and the use of stamped images just adds to the fun of the card.