Making art from re cycled materials

Hello. You will be pleased to know there is no more waiting for the latest art work, it is done. Everything is stitched on in it's place, I just have to tidy the back up by covering the loose ends around the edges. I took the photo's while it was hanging on my living room wall, with the curtains wide open to get some light in. 

Each tree is made out of electric cable, first bound with strips from a light brown teeshirt, then a second coloured layer added. I decided to add some stitching to them. 

The weaving took ages and I found that some types of fabric wasn't suitable due to it easily fraying, and the heavier upholstery fabric didn't work well either, because I cut the strips too wide. This left the warp threads on show, to get rid of that the fabric had to be squashed up really tight.

The dark brown I used in the centre is felt, this didn't lie too well with too many ridges. I got over that problem by stitching over it with the same colour wool. 

I tried to use different types of fabric to give a variety of textures. A lot of it is cut up clothing, some of it is from the Scrapstore.

These pink flowers were given to me. They didn't have holes in them so I made four small holes in each one with a needle heated over a gas flame.

The orange fuzzy stuff in the bottom corner is a mesh fruit bag. There are other coloured mesh bits added as well.

And this is how it started out. I found this towel rack in a car boot sale for £1, and saw a picture in it. I got a friend to cut off the four legs with a hacksaw. 

Then a second one was given to me which is bigger than the first, and I thought it would make an interesting frame for the picture. Not really sure if it needs it, I'll think about it. 

The colours here are quite accurate to the real thing. I like it because it's bold and cheerful. I shall be taking it to the Scrapstore open day in Hull next Saturday, along with the fantasy forest picture I made. I am really getting into textile art, I enjoy the thought processes that go into it, and piecing it all together, then watching how it grows from a little seed into a fully fledged art work.

Tomorrow I am going to the AGM at the Scrapstore, and on Tuesday night I start a six week course at college to learn more about up-cycled textiles. They thought it might not go ahead but I had a phone call saying more people had applied, so I'm pleased about that. I've got more sewing projects here in the pipeline, plenty to get on with. Still not managed to connect the Hudl up the internet here yet, been busy with this. The next job will be to practice taking photo's with it, and finding how it all works. My brain is going to be steaming with all the new things to learn. Anyway, must go, it's barf night, I'm off for a soak. Toodle pip.