Thursday, May 31, 2012

Creative Space: Isometric Blanket in progress

This blanket has a story... 


I was so excited a couple of weeks ago. I came across these paper 
products, xyz notes, and for the first time saw how this pattern was 
so simple... three diamond shapes in white, grey and black and they 
give the impression of a 3D box! Of course I immediately saw it as 
a crochet project and more specifically a blanket. 


Can I also admit here that I was more than just a bit excited about 
creating something new? So now for part 2... I contemplated calling 
this post 'If it has a name then it's been done before' but well, you 
know, as prophetic as it might be it is a tad wordy ;) So, why is it 
prophetic? Well yes, you guessed it... it's been done before! A third of 
the way through the blanket I came across this image on Pinterest... 


Luckily it was attributed - the fabulous work of Jellina in The 
Netherlands and you can see her post about it here. It looks as if 
the diamonds are smaller on hers and she must have hand sewn 
her diamonds together (rather than crocheted them as I did) 
because the joins look much neater with sharper points.

Isometric blanket with my tea mug, to give a sense of size
Anyway, that's my story. As I said, it's only a third of the way done but 
I'm going to keep going. I really like this blanket and I want to do another 
one too... I'm thinking natural, coral and charcoal for next time.


Ravelled here... I've finally got to updating my Ravelry account which is now 
called Paravent Design. Slowly getting rid of all the 3 Sheets! ;)

Did you have a creative drama this week? Have you made something 
and then found it's all been done before?
Thanks to Kirsty for the Creative Spaces meme... you can see more here.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Something about Sunday...

It looks like Sunday is becoming screenprinting day for me. 
This is a new design plucked from my Atomic Flower motif... I wanted to create 
a pattern that would work specifically for dressmaking and cutting shapes on the bias.


I think it works in either direction, but possibly is more suited to being cut on the bias
in this way so that the design 'falls' the right way too.


The fabric is a beautiful basecloth linen from Yardage Design... so soft with a 
lovely drape and very easy to print :)


The fabric paint colour is one that I mixed up myself. I have an acrylic colour that 
I love called 'Imperial Navy' so I've tried to recreate it here. I think it's pretty close.


Sorry for all the obtrusive branding and labelling... I thought it might be a good idea 
to start doing this. Need to work on some consistent sizing though! ;)

How about you? Do you 'brand' your images? Do you think it's a good idea or not?
Hope you've had a great weekend :)

Congratulations!


 Thank you to everyone who has supported my new blog and 
entered the Welcome to Paravent giveaway


After a rigourously random process, congratulations go to... 


Julie Gibbons who entered via the Paravent facebook page
Hope you enjoy your new teatowel Julie ;)

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Creative Space: Paper Balls

I've been busy for the last couple of weeks getting ready for an event we're 
having tonight in the Mr's shop... it's been a regular paper ball fest around these parts ;) 


They really are very easy to make and the download has three different sizes.
I mostly made the large size for hanging from the ceiling, which involved
printing off the store logo on twelve A4 sheets of card and then printing the
shape on the back before cutting them out and assembling them together in a ball.


If you'd like to make some yourself, I found the downloads via How About Orange
They really are super easy (but be prepared with lots of replacement inks for your 
printer if you're going to print out patterns on the card ;)



The black and white ones I made with 200gsm card and the green ones are 
special card I found at the stationers which was 230gsm. These heavier card ones 
were a lot harder to assemble, so if you're having a go I'd recommend the 200gsm.


Yes, we do have a Hills Hoist in the middle of our shop ;)


Hope you've had a great creative week... see more spaces here.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Sunshine Screenprinting

It's been a beautiful sunny autumn day here today. I don't know why 
but this kind of weather always makes me feel like screenprinting :) 


So, even though I really should have been working on other things 
I've been self-indulgent and printed up some of my Atomic Flower 
design in a fluoro pink on ecru linen/cotton.


Apologies for the photos... I just can't seem to capture the colour 
of the fluoro pink... and the fabric looks a bit grey too I'm afraid.


Anyway, it has been fun but I better get back to other work things now.


Do you find the autumn/winter sunshine inspires you to do things?
I love it because it's less blinding than the summer sun... but of
course it means you cannot get good photos ;)


I have some more bad photos over on Paravent's facebook page 
if you can bear it ;)

Friday, May 18, 2012

Easy F :)

That little something extra I referred to yesterday has actually been a grand 
obsession of mine for ages... I've really REALLY wanted to learn how to 
crochet 3D letters. Thinking this baby blanket was not 'baby' enough was an
excuse I used to have a go at creating my own letters... and luckily it was a 
straightforward one. No 'Easy A' here today, but an 'Easy F' :) ha!


Do you remember a year or more ago there was a photo of some knitted or 
crocheted letters surfing around the blogisphere... a whole alphabet of them? 
I was so in love with that image (still am!)... unfortunately, it's been withdrawn 
now from the Flickr account of the artist so I'm guessing she no longer wishes 
for it to be out there.

I have a plan to create my own set... it's going to be challenging working out 
the rounded letters but I'm excited about it. Anyway, here we are - the first
Paravent Alphatext. What do you think - should I make some for the shop?
Have a great weekend :)

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Creative Space: New blanket

If this blanket looks vaguely familiar to you that's probably because 
you're a Purl Soho fan and saw this gorgeous baby blanket in their 
newsletter a couple of weeks ago. I decided to have a go reinterpreting 
their knitting pattern into crochet.... and this is the result.


I crocheted it as one piece, crocheting in the ends as I changed colours, 
so there's a mottly peek of dischordant colour every so often which I quite
like... it breaks up the starkness of it somehow.


It was intended to be a baby blanket but I'm not so sure now. The greys 
turned out a lot darker and sombre-looking than I thought they would. I'm 
not very good at doing things for boys... I always seem to hit the wrong 
note I think.


I have showed it to a friend (a mother of boys) and she said her boys are 
still using their baby blankets when they watch tv and they'd much prefer 
these manly tones to what they have... so that was comforting ;)


I am working on something else to go with the blanket which I hope will 
be more 'baby'. It's not finished yet, but if you're curious I'm guessing I'll 
be posting it in a couple of days.


Hope you've had a wonderfully creative week? If you'd like to join in or 
see more spaces, Kirsty's My Creative Space meme can now be found here.



Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Mailbox Magic

I've just had some mailbox magic happen here this morning... 
Tomoko Nakamichi's new Pattern Magic Stretch Fabrics book has arrived!


Even better, it's in English :)


I'm still buried in other projects here but I'm sooooo looking forward 
to doing some sewing soon. These fab books are pretty popular 
these days so I'm sure you can buy them all over the place. 
I found mine here.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Sally Smart @ GOMA

I had the opportunity to see the new exhibition at GOMA* the other day...
Contemporary Australia: Women... and it was magnificent. The lovely Christina 
had recommended it and her fine eye for fabulosity was right on target again :)
There were many amazing Australian women artists featured (I was really chuffed 
to see a couple of artists included in the exhibition whose work I had purchased 
when it was more affordable!)... Okay, sorry to brag, but that's never happened 
to me before so a big *gasp* moment for me :)

The piece that really blew me away though was Sally Smart's installation,
Artists Dolls #1 - 10. I love her work and this particular piece with its graphic 
modernist energy had me worshipping at the altar yet again. Constructed mainly 
from wood, fabric, and paint & ink on canvas and cardboard, the forms have playful 
names like Puppen Dada, Puppen Punk Face, Drawing Face / Trickster, and (my 
favourite) Balance...







If you can get to see this exhibition I so hope you do... it's very worth it :)
Contemporary Australia: Women is on at GOMA until 22nd July 2012.

*For those who may not already know... GOMA is the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane... 
quite possibly THE most gorgeous artspace in the world with THE most fascinating and 
wonderous exhibitions ;)

*gasp* artists are Natalya Hughes and Sandra Selig.


All images © Kylie Hunt

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Hello!

Hello there! Welcome to my new blog :) If you know me from 3 Sheets
thank you so much for following me over here.


I love the idea of a folding screen – or 'paravent' -– for its quirky play on words with 
screen printing but also for its imagery of layers and folds. I think it fits right in here
where I intend to focus on textile design, whether that be with screen printing and 
block printing, or with crochet and embroidery.


To celebrate my new name I'm having a giveaway on the Paravent facebook page
but if facebook isn't your thing you can follow this blog to be in the running 
for a hand screen printed Paravent tea towel :)


I'll be running this giveaway until the end of the month. 
The winner will be randomly selected on Sunday 27th May.
Tell your friends and thanks again for popping in :)