Such excitement!

For more than two years Laura and I have been so busy writing new courses that it's been hard to make time for our own work. Sounds like a long time just to plan a couple of courses I know but the latest one, Creative Sketchbooks, involved 48 videos as well as step by step pictures and written information. It's not that I'm complaining though - writing the courses has been as stimulating for us as I hope it is for the students who sign up to take them!

We make all the examples to illustrate the modules and sometimes that takes us along a path we might not have trodden otherwise. I used a vase of paper tulips as inspiration for the pencil drawing with monoprint shown above. It's been a while since I've made monoprints but this reminds me how much I love the technique. I will be doing more!

You may remember I showed a photograph of a lovely carpet I bought at auction a while ago. I can justify buying almost anything if I use it as inspiration in my work! Here I've taken a motif from the carpet and used a similar print block to make a patterned page that frames another tulip drawing.

Some leftover prints were cut out and collaged around this pencil drawing with acrylic wash.

Now you may wonder why I have such a focus on sketchbooks at the moment. It's true I have neglected my quilting in order to finish the sketchbook course but there is another reason for all this drawing and painting - we are shortly to take delivery of a wide format digital printer. We'll be able to print on fabric up to 1.6 metres wide and any length we want. Can you believe how exciting that will be? The digital print quality will be able to capture every detail of a tonal drawing, every exciting nuance of a watercolour wash. I have painted my quilts for many years but paint acts differently onto an absorbent fabric surface than it does onto paper. Soon I'll be able to create exactly what I want in my sketchbook and see it printed out really big on cloth. I sense a whole new series of quilts coming on!!

The machine is being delivered in mid December and there will be a 3 day installation and training process. After that the sky's the limit - I think the Christmas holidays will be very creative this year!

Once we've mastered the technology we'll be producing a range of limited edition prints for sale and Laura will also be offering a print service to anyone who would like to see their own designs on fabric. Such exciting times!!

Bye for now - Linda