Muslin is different in different countries and other news.

Hello everyone,

Didnt update this blog in the last few days as I spent a few days in hospital with a suspected blood clot. Am home and feeling fine now, awaiting further tests.

Celebrating today as I have just finished 2 more Uni modules.Hope I passed ok... they are the
last of level 1. Now I am on to Painting and Textiles.Can't wait to get to the textiles part.
Spent the day sorting out my paints and painting boards and tidying the sewing area ready to go.
I have decided that in between the Uni textile units I will ONLY do ufo's till the end of the year.( Now, don't laugh- I know you are all  rolling on the floor laughing..........).

As part of the requirments for one of the painting modules I had to have 1 metre of hessian and 1 metre of muslin.The hardware stores I rang did not carry any, which surprised me.I spent ages ringing fabric shops who had no idea where I could get it. I found the hessian at a farm supplies store As for the muslin, when I first started patchwork an American magazine said to buy muslin. Of course I went out and bought 3 metres of it. Before I used it, luckily, I found out that what is called muslin in America is called homespun here. It is just a plain woven cotton but much thicker weave than the muslin. Well, I have had it in my "stash" for about 10 years, and it will finally get used....(The muslin and hessian will be glued on to 12mm plywood boards for texture before painting with an undercoat).

I have also found out that muslin is a good base to use for machine needle felting, and in wet felting, which I am dying to try. I purchased a matchstick blind today, on special at Lincraft, was $29.95, today $7.49, so of course I had to add it to the supplies stash at that price. I will definitely have to get to the wet felting one of these days.

I have been reading up on it, and it is much easier to do than I had thought. Basically, you lay out a matchstick blind or a piece of bubble wrap, woollen(you cannot use synthetics) or other natural fibre pieces are laid over the blind (sometimes tulle is placed as the bottom and top layers to seperate the blind from the wool etc ), the blind keeps it all together .It is soaked and rubbed a bit with a very soapy water mix (lux flakes or some other soft soap) and then the blind is rolled up and bashed around, trodden on, rolled etc. It is undone gently several times to check no parts have doubled up and also to rotate the direction of it. I have shortened all the instructions, but you will get the general idea.

I have an embellisher machine that I bought about 3 years ago. I havent actually even turned it on to see if it works and the warranty would have run out by now... Apparently, if you use an embellisher machine,( or one of the sets of needles you can buy now), then you can use synthetic products as well as the natural ones. I have been saving bits of ribbons, tulle,old woollen jumpers,wool etc for a number of years now,just waiting to use it for one of these projects.

I have just finished the 4th "sewing lap cushion",(yes I know they are not a ufo..lol) for friends birthday presents. The one shown in the blog has gone to a lovely lady in Burpengary on the north side of Brisbane.

Well, I think thats all the news for today, so I will sign off. Take care.
Jennine