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Coral's Showcase

Coral has always been interested in creative art but says that she always just dabbled now and again. Her Mother was a dressmaker and work with top London designers so she made most of Coral’s clothes from a very early age. She claims she was quite spoilt in that respect and it wasn’t until she married and moved away that she realised just how spoilt, as she used to buy fabric on a Friday and the dress was ready to wear on Saturday night! She came down to earth with a bump. So she armed herself with an old Singer hand-sewing machine and set-to to make her children’s clothes. All went swimmingly until her son wanted zips in his trousers (Mum - help!). She made toys, wall hangings and pictures with and for the children until they said “no more please”

 After a long lull, she decided that it was time to sort herself out and, with a lot of support from her husband, she started a Diploma course at Ashford under the excellent tuition of Barbara Inchley. It was a great time, stretching the imagination and mixing with like-minded people who have become great friends. She went on to machine embroidery and felting with lots of day schools in between.

 With the original diploma girls she set up a group and they now meet once a month and exhibit in various places. She also belongs to two other groups apart from TACKS, so she is enjoying herself, immersed in creative art.

Both masks were made using the multi-layering of chiffon on kuono felt, then burning back. It was interesting finding how to	measure the face to get the correct measurements for the masks, as made by the Italian artists. Good ole internet! Coral enjoyed the challenge of these pieces
Medieval Pouches. Using pelmet Vilene as a basis and covering with velvet before marking with Markal and	top stitching. A useful pouch for using as a lovely gift box or a jewellery container.
Silver Necklace. Sourcing the silver of the right weight was quite a challenge as Coral needed it to bend but hold its shape and to be pliable to manipulate. The Nuno felt was made from merino fleece and silk chiffon. The problem of attaching the felt to the silver was difficult, eventually resolved by hand stitch using invisible thread.	Felt beads which Coral found easy to make using fleece and very versatile, as they can be made round, oval or flat and top stitched with threads, beads and coloured wire.
Another necklace which has lots of potential as all sorts of fabrics can be used - chiffons, silks, hand-dyed, plain or printed. Also the “inner” beads can be made of plastic, wood, cotton wool etc. Great fun!	Tear drop bag using calico with Markal. Felt beads and top stitching completes this funky bag
Very similar method to the tear drop bag, using calico which Coral first coloured with Markal sticks, adding hand-embroidery, buttons and beads. The handle was made from a belt, altered, from a charity shop. A great source of materials. This bag was Coral’s own design.	More bags

Another bag	Various books using different techniques, including machine embroidery and needle lace. And Markal, lots of Markal.
Trio of Squares, inspired by a holiday in the canyon area of Utah, and Arizona in America. Coral used lots of layering with hand-dyed chiffon hand-made stamps and machine embroidery.	The boat was inspired whilst on holiday in Cornwall. The background was painted using silk dyes, the sail was hand-dyed and machine embroidered chiffon.

Goldwork. A modern look using an ancient method of rich decoration. The background is cotton velvet with Markal design, with sequin waste and other fabrics applied.	Last is the “non-quilter’s quilt”. Coral claims not to be a quilter but somehow ended up making this quilt, a “convergence” with a group of friends and she got totally hooked, much to her surprise.
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