Thursday 12 February 2009

Textile artist's mantra - Don't throw anything away!


Out yesterday at a meeting, one of my friends saw my note book and asked how I had made it. Because she does not have a blog, but does read mine, I said I would put it on to my blog today so that she could read how to do it. So here it is:-

I bought the blank note book and then made the cover. The cover itself is just a simple wallet - the outer covering is a piece of batik material, backed with pelmet vilene and then with green felt. What she was interested in was the front decoration. It was simple to make and - as the heading suggests - mostly made up of bits from my scrap bag.

I cut a rectangle of pelmet vilene, scrunched up a bit of old scrim cloth - or it could have been muslin - or bandage and fastened it to the vilene with a good impact glue. When it was completely dry I "dab-painted" it with acrylic and let that dry and then brushed it here and there with "Treasure gold" (I suppose you could use gold spray). The fancy decoration is thin copper wire which I knitted with largish needles, threading beads as I went. Then I sewed the finished piece on to the rectangle. The rectangle needs fitting on to the cover before you put the felt lining in place - otherwise the stitching will show through on the inside. Hope you enjoy making it.

36 comments:

Debra (a/k/a Doris, Mimi) said...

Oh my gosh! That is lovely, Weaver! I would be concerned about carrying such a beautiful piece of art on a notebook. It deserves to be framed. Me make it? Not on your life! Knit? I don't know how. {sigh} I think I'll stay with scrapbooking and making cards. They are much easier. Thanks for sharing :)

Jinksy said...

WOW! What a feast for the eyes - and fingers - I can almost feel the textures as I look at it. Proper work of art.

Dave King said...

That has always been my mantra, too - or one of them. A lovely piece of art.

Leslie said...

Well, I got the first part down--I never throw anything away. Chuckle !
That is beautiful, I have covered notebooks but, knitting well, I have never learned how to knit.
I am going to try some like that using what I have around here.
Hope you have a wonderful day.
Hugs~~~Leslie

Gwil W said...

I have ten thumbs when it comes to anything practical. At the moment I'm using those old Penguin's samplers. I just filled a Roger McGough with my scribble. Today I will start on Dave Eggers. Well, they are mine. And I can do what I want with them. I think of it as a kind of recycling.

Teresa said...

It's lovely... and so unique. Hand made is so warmly personal.

Elizabeth said...

Really attractive.
Yes, we can find new uses for all sorts of things.
You would like my blogging chums Elizabeth Bunsen and Karen at Artsortments, and also Leslie.
They do such super altered art and books.
(on my side bar).
We even had a weekend in Pennsylvania last summer and made things.
( women 39-60)
We called it Blgstock - such fun.

word verification: trife
trivial/trifle? Gosh....

Tess Kincaid said...

Really lovely, Ms. Weaver! I adore batik and actually hand made some way back in my artsy days. I find myself saving all kinds of goodies, just in case a stroke of creativity may hit.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Weaver, that is so beautiful! I must show Nexi ...

Reader Wil said...

It's great! I like the colours very much. You must be very clever.
The poem in my post is indeed written by a new comer , who landed on the beach. I don't know who wrote the poem.

Robin Mac said...

I love the colours and the idea of knitting up the fine copperwire - now I know what I will start on tonight. Thanks for sharing.

The Pink Cowboy said...

Beautiful and so vivid, The Pink Cowboy appreciates all that pink and fuscia. Just lovely. I love projects like this, letting out the colours so to speak.

Crafty Green Poet said...

lovely textures and colours, and you're certainly right with your post title!

Heather said...

I'm good at not throwing anything away, but knitting with wire is another thing altogether. I have tried but it felt as if I was shredding my fingers!! Your book cover is absolutely beautiful - thankyou so much for showing it to us and explaining the techniques involved.

Mary Sharpe said...

I'm not sure I'd ever dare write anything in the book having put so much effort into the cover!

Mary Sharpe
HUGH AND CAMELLIA

Chere said...

What a beauiful notebook. I am sure you enjoy using it. I love to make my books for notes. Love it.

The Weaver of Grass said...

You could use knitted wire to good effect on a home-made card Debra - it is so easy to do and a few beads threaded on look so attractive.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks Jinksy

The Weaver of Grass said...

Oh dear Dave - it is the farmer's mantra too - we needed a door on the utility room to stop the pup chewing the washer's switch (!!) and the farmer disappeared and an hour later came back with a half door made from the original door which he took off about forty years ago!! (he was very smug)

The Weaver of Grass said...

Hope you tried Leslie and were pleased with the result - you can knit almost anything to good effect for mounting on a card.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Interesting what you say, Poet. I have heard of writers who fill a note book using black ink, then turn it through ninety degrees and use it again with red ink. I am afraid I am a sucker when it comes to buying notebooks - I love them.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Glad you like it, Teresa

The Weaver of Grass said...

Your weekend sounds lovely Elizabeth - would love to do something like that but we live in a rather isolated place.

The Weaver of Grass said...

My philosophy exactly willow.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Raph - next time to go to an embroidery show I shall look on the African material stall to see if they do a giraffe print I understand there are several different patterns for giraffes.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I really loved that poem reader wil - glad you like my book cover.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Robin Mac - have you tried knitting with wire yet? Hope so - try threading things on as you knit; it can be very effective.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Pink cowboy - I like your idea of letting out the colours.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Pink cowboy - I like your idea of letting out the colours.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Crafty green poet - are you another one who never throws anything away in case it comes in useful?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Crafty green poet - are you another one who never throws anything away in case it comes in useful?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Heather - the secret of knitting with wire is not to hold it tight and to let it do all the work - it doesn't have to be tight or neat or even - let it take its own shape. Try again.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Hi Mary Sharpe - thanks for visiting. I shall return your call shortly.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the comment Chere - glad you enjoy making books too.

Woman in a Window said...

Very pretty. doesn't look like fabric at all. Looks solid.

BT said...

That is just beautiful Weaver. What size is it? I can't see how you can thread beads onto wool or wire as you knit as you don't have an 'end' to thread it onto. Or do you thread the beads on first??

I save everything unfortunately! I'm into covering old containters at the moment! I can't wait to get into my new studio/playroom which is being built at this very moment.

Weaver, my husband has started a blog which will be mostly about flowers. He's a bit tentative about it but here's the link!

http://livingwithtwistedwillow.blogspot.com/