Author Archives: Teri Berry

Mosaic Quilting

I recently attended a machine embroidery workshop and made this fish which I love to bits.

I reached this stage a few weeks ago and have been mulling over what to do with it. I could add some wool backing and a pin to turn it into a nice brooch? But it has taken over 4 hours to get to this stage, to sell a brooch for £40 would be a stretch. Or I could incorporate it into an underwater scene? I have been toying with the idea of creating a felt background for it and wondering how best to attach it but last week I read a post on mosaic quilting on Terri Stegmiller’s blog, a technique that involves attaching small pieces of fabric to wonderweb sheet and quilting onto batting. I plan to create an underwater quilted back drop and then appliqué my fish on the top.

I made a start on it last night, I am using a piece of fusible interfacing… It’s very fiddly but I think it is coming along nicely.

Planning for The Beach

It’s alright, I haven’t lost my few remaining marbles, sunbathing on British beaches in November really isn’t my cup of tea. I will leave that sort of activity to much hardier souls. The Beach, is a new felt picture I have been mulling over for several months, it is a piece that is quite emotional for me so I want to get it right. About 18 months ago Mr TB lost his mother (Bev) after a long battle with cancer, it was tough for everyone, but especially him being on the other side of the world (he is a Kiwi and most of his family still live there). One of my abiding memories of Bev is that she loved walking and would take their dog, Josie, to the local beach in Otaki almost every day, Josie loved it, always finding the most enormous branch to proudly carry along the beach and into the surf. Ever since I started working with felt, I have had this idea that I would like to depict this idyllic seaside scene in a painting for my father in law as a reminder of those happy times. We are flying back to NZ in Dec so I had better get a move on!

Finally, after much ruminating I have started sketching out some ideas in water colour, what do you think? Do you have a favourite?

Mr TB has already suggested that I choose another silhouette for the dog, although this is a typical Josie pose, head down, tail wagging in that “play with me” posture dog’s have (she always wants you to throw these enormous tree trunks that I can barely lift) I can see his point, it isn’t immediately recognisable as a dog.