Gum Nuts - SAQA AUCTION DONATION

Today it is my turn to walk through my little SAQA Auction piece called Gum Nuts. In case you aren't in Australia and have not been raised on a steady diet of May Gibbs Stories. The Gumnut fairies feature very prominently in the books.

I searched and searched until I found a gum tree for my garden which had exactly the right blossoms.

They come out in February every year and I am never disappointed. 

 

When the pink fairy dust falls we are left with the gumnuts which change shape until they become the classic bulbous shapes which I love.

 

First thing I did was carve a stamp using a photo taken of the gumnuts. This was carved from EziCarve which cuts like butter.

 

I used it straight onto hand dyed fabrics as well as embossing some velvet with it. This is done by painting the stamp and then laying velvet (pile side down) and pressing with a warm dry iron. Then you peel it off and the design (and the paint) are embossed into the pile.

I also made a thermofax screen of another photo of gumnuts. Then played around with layers of prints.

 

I used my old Print Gocco machine to make the screen but now I have a real Thermofax machine and having so much fun creating screens of everything. It is addictive.

 I also stencilled some fabrics with patterns for more variety.

Using a variety of fabrics cut into strips I started sewing pairs of fabrics together and then stitiching those pairs to more strips. Lots of stitching then cutting and turning and stitching again.

Then I started putting these blocks of strips together until I had the final size required (plus a bit extra)

 

I then quilted it with a sort of gum leaf design highlighting the gumnuts. I used a 12wt Aurifil Cotton. I love using this thread to create rich quilting that shows.

And here is the finished piece. I hope you like it.

I hope you continue to follow our Oceania Blog Hop - here is the link to the schedule.