Really Essential

I received this book this week and am slowly working through it. I have only studied about 10 pages and already I have learned lots about photo software that I never knew, as well as having my vague ideas about reasons for doing certain things made clear.

If you are into playing with printing photos on fabric or photographing your own work for submission to exhibitions it appears to be an essential reference.

Texture again

Gravel stones and bark in close juxtaposition. At Walliston, where Kevin was collecting computers.

More texture

I love the stripes on this bronze tiger. He was the star of the Bengal Bar on the cruise ship. Each day he was carefully polished so he shone brightly.

On the wall

I am fascinated by texture. I have a large collection of photos of tree bark of various types, some of which I have printed on fabric, as well as other stuff such as sand ripples and cement sandbags.


These are photographs of the walls in the garage of the Balmain apartment block where our friends Albert and Kathy live. Yummy.

After the drought . .

the blogs begin again. Sorry - I have no real excuse for the lack of postings. Haven't been sewing, but have been busy with various things.

Today I went into Perth (AFTER doing water aerobics, so I'm feeling virtuous) to join up with some other members of the Innovative Stitches group from the WA Embroiderers' Guild.

The aim was to experience a few of the wide range of activities on offer from PIAF, and incidentally to look at how various exhibitions were presented prior to our own exhibition in 2010.


Our first stop was some street theatre - the Mobile Sewing Company. The two performers embellish garments provided by the audience. The only cost is that if you wish to have your garment embellished YOU have to provide the power for their sewing machines by pedalling a bike. Great fun, and really interesting results.


Then we went to the Oscar Munoz exhibition. Loved the "Burnt Newspapers", and thought about a translation into textiles. But the highlight was the video projection called "Narcissus" (the image featured in the link). The face is charcoal dust screen printed on to water which then gradually drains away, destroying the face and its shadow

Our last stop was the Art gallery. Some wonderful indigenous art, including the forest of Larrakitj.

So today was a wonderful, art full day.

Hearts

Since it is the first meeting of Designing Women for the year on Saturday and it's also Valentine's Day, we are going to have a heart swap. It is also a Open Day and we expect a number of guests.

I have spent the afternoon making hearts: a brooch and a fridge magnet. Both of these I digitised and stitched out on my SE. I have also used a previous design and made 8 little tags that can be given to guests so they don't feel left out of it. I can fit four in a 10cm by 10cm hoop.
They are cut out with a soldering iron and I haven't yet done the second set so no examples.



If I have time I will make some more tomorrow afternoon, but I have to collect together all the stuff I will be using for the demonstration I am giving on simple stencil making so this may not happen.

Cruise Textile Project

The cruise finished Friday morning. All in all we had a good time. We were very glad we got an upgrade from a cabin with balcony to a minisuite with balcony - the extra space made it so much more comfortable.

I planned a project for the trip. The 2008/2009 issue of Quilting Arts Gifts includes an article by Lois Jarvis on a travel scarf. She rust dyed a silk scarf, then made rubbings with Shiva sticks at every place she visited. What a great idea!

Right - first requirement is a heavily rusted cookie sheet. Search the cupboards, find a scone tray that looks as if it has seen better days, pour vinegar on it and leave in the garden near a sprinkler. Ten days later it looks OK. I find the silk scarf that Linda gave me.

I rusted it. Very happy with the results. Made up a travel pack: scarf, mini Shiva sticks, paper towels, Wet Ones, masking tape to hold fabric in position, all contained in 2 ziplock bags.

Packed it, forgot I had it while we were in Sydney, unpacked it when we got on the ship, forgot about it when we visited Noumea and Port Vila.

Last day of the cruise I decided I really had to do something with it. The balcony had a rubber flooring, I had gold, copper and silver Shiva sticks and a rusted scarf.

This is the result. I still need to iron it to set the paint and remove the fold creases.

Half Way - Mystery Island

I haven't been blogging, but Kevin has. Today we are halfway through the cruise.

I wasn’t all that keen on visiting Mystery Island. It is an uninhabited coral islet, with a bit of vegetation and a surrounding barrier reef. The locals from the neighbouring island set up stalls selling plastic grass skirts, shell and coconut jewellery and cheap garish sarongs.

We went ashore and stayed for about an hour. That was enough.

The most interesting thing I saw was a monstrous spider web, obviously constructed over many weeks or months.



I liked the twisted pandanus roots too.