On our way

We have started our holiday – we are now in Sydney at a brand new hotel on Darling Harbour which I booked on the internet. It’s fairly basic and they charge for Internet access, but it is less than 5 minutes walk to the terminal from which the cruise will leave tomorrow.

We went for a walk to look around and had a very pleasant and cheap meal at a bistro round the corner. Then we walked down to the waterfront. Very pleasant, lots of alfresco bars and restaurants, mostly pricey, but mostly quite well patronised, especially for a Tuesday night. The advantages of a large population – Fremantle can’t match the ambience.

Tomorrow morning I plan to visit the Yinka Shonibare exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Kevin is going to the Maritime Museum. We should both have a good time.

This time tomorrow night we will be at sea.

3D prints

I have been playing with this technique for a while, using photographs of paperbarks (Melaleuca) that I took at Piney Lakes.

I really liked the piece I made for the Designing Women exhibition in November, but I have been toying with some other ideas.

What if I stitched on the organza as well as the base piece? So I did. Here are pics of the stitched base image (yes, the printer ran out of one of the ink colours half way through, but what the ? - this is an experiment)



Then I stitched on the organza as well.



I have completed the assembly, but don't have a picture as yet. Kevin doesn't like it as much as the original piece. I am not sure as yet.

Been so busy

Blogging has fallen by the wayside.

I have almost finished the dressmaking I planned for the cruise we are taking at the end of the month - pity I keep thinking of more pieces to make. I will have to be very selective in packing. So far the tally is 3 slacks and 5 tops. One top to go - though I just bought some more fabric for slacks . . .

I have nearly completed the commission I was given just after Christmas. While working on it I was struck by an idea - what if? I have made a sample which I will post to the blog after I have delivered the pieces which inspired it. Doesn't make much sense at the moment, does it?

Wedding Anniversary

We were married 43 years ago today.

I remember it was a hot day - just like it was today. Wesley Church in Perth was not airconditioned in the 60's. There were fans, but they weren't able to be turned on for some reason. Waiting to walk down the aisle, hot and bothered, I remember my makeup melting.

The reception was at an open air venue - Alfresco Gardens in Kenwick - now long gone. I think everyone was happy that they weren't confined to an indoor hall. I have just looked through the photos and there were lots of smiles.

Here is a pic of the bride and groom leaving the church. We look so young. Wish we knew then what we know now!

Lists

I am always making them: shopping lists (I have a whiteboard inside the pantry door to help with that), things to do before a specific deadline, things to try that I see in books, magazines and on the internet (those lists are getting ginormous!)

What they all have in common is that they are things I am going to do/have to do in the future.

But I have had a road to Damascus moment (figuratively - you wouldn't want to be there literally at the moment), and am overwhelmed by a great light of understanding.

I saw somewhere (probably on one of the blogs I read, and I am sorry that I didn't note exactly where) that lists like the ones I list above are energy draining. All you need to list are those things you have actually done/accomplished.

Our daughter Helen is presenting her CV to a company for possible employment, and she sent it to me for editing (a minor task). In reading it I was impressed by all the accomplishments she could list.

So I will start listing all mine as well. BUT, I think, only what I have finished this year.

The dressmaking is going well - 3 pairs of trousers and three tops. Two tops to go - oops, I am making a list of things TO DO.

I have prepared the silk organza ready for printing for the commission I have, and prepared the digital images. Now I need to . . . oh dear, back to a TO DO list.

It is a nice idea to only list what has been done - but I don't think I am able to survive without my lists of things TO DO - and I can always cross things off!

Hot

Last year (2008) we used the air conditioner maybe a dozen times over summer. This house is quite cool, but when you have several days in a row over 30 degrees (Celsius, which means hot) it heats up and retains the heat.

Today is the third day in a row that we have turned on the cooler. And the forecast is for more.

But it is lovely to be able to sit and sew without dripping with sweat. I just hope the power bill won't cause us to blow up.

2009 Predictors

I read on one of the blogs I follow with Google Reader that whatever you do on New Year's Day will be an indicator of that year's activities.

In that case I can look forward to a year filled with textile activities.

I finished off two of the new garments I am making. I used the 4D software to modify and combine designs for a white on black embroidery I am planning to use to embellish a purchased Tshirt. I played with some images in Photoshop, cropping and enhancing in preparation for printing on fabric for a commission. And I tidied up the laundry after a painting session a couple of days ago.