Bobbinwork Bag

I went to Husqvarna Club this morning with some Show and Tell. Last month's challenge was to use thick threads in the bobbin, stitching from the wrong side so the thread developed texture on the right side.

I decided to use two different threads - a cream crochet cotton and a variegated brown. I threaded the brown thread through the tension and stitched it on cream.



The cream thread, stitched on brown, was not threaded through the tension. I love the bubbly look, but it took about 20 bobbins to do, all wound by hand.


I made the bits of fabric into a bag. I think I will have to start giving some of the bags I make away - I have so many hanging on the sewing room doorknob (both sides of the door) that they keep falling off.

Play day and a few other things

I fell in love with the thread sketched peacock feather on the cover of the latest issue of Quilting Arts and was determined to replicate it. I don't usually do this - I haven't made anything from a kit since the 70's, and never copy exactly things that appeal to me. But I made an exception in this case.


I found the pattern on the QA website, downloaded it, adjusted the size to fit A4 paper and printed it out. I traced the colour patches and I have now painted the base fabric. Next step is to stitch the ribs of the feather. I think I will fuse the painted fabric to a very thin wadding before I do.


Today I also digitised the tenth block for my heart quilt. I put the names of the contributors inside a heart shape formed of hearts. It looks great, but I had a problem with the stitchout. Several of the hearts don't stitch out properly. Then I broke the lever on the hoop I was using.

Time for some professional help. I took the stitchout and the hoop to Bestway. David fixed the hoop in about 30 seconds (DUH!) and suggested that the stitchout problem might be due to the foot I was using. I hadn't noticed that I had the open toe on, rather than the usual embroidery foot. So I will try another stitchout this evening. While I was there I had a good look at the new Pfaff and Husqvarna overlockers. I covet one that will do a cover stitch, but the variation in price between the different models in both makes is huge. Something to think about.

I haven't blogged about the Contemporary Quilt Group meeting on Friday where there was a great workshop. I didn't take any photos there except this one. Any guesses what it it is? A clue - it is not in the main part part of the hall. Love the texture.

Using the dragon leaves

I have finally used the leaves from the dragon tree. I made a coiled pot from wrapped macrame yarn and stitched the leaves to the outside.


It is supposed to be a bowl, but maybe it is a hat?

Serendipity

Our walk this morning was at North Lake. We haven't been there for months and felt that it is becoming somewhat degraded. Despite the good rains the lake is a long way from being full, and you can already see the weeds poking through the shallow water.

We didn't take any photos, but here is one that Kevin took yesterday by accident. I love the colours and texture. I think it could be translated into a great background fabric. Can you guess what it is?

A dearth of fibre

We have been in Bali 5 days and I haven’t had a fibre fix. I did have a look in the Animale dress shops in both Kuta and Sanur. Some interesting design details as usual. I haven’t managed to get to Nogo Ikat as yet – it is right outside the Griya Santrian which is quite a walk from where we are staying, but I may yet make it.

I am avoiding the market stalls clustered near the hotel.

Today we went to the Bird and Reptile Park which we really enjoyed. Some fabulous birds, including a larrikin sulphur crested cockatoo who put on his own performance while the bird show was on. He stayed in the same tree, but did not show off again. He had obviously wanted to upstage the stars. Kevin made a short video on my camera and has uploaded it to the family blog.

This is perhaps the closest to fibre I have been for days. The skin of these iguanas looks like soft velour and their bodies like a softly stuffed bean bag.


The texture of this riverstone paving is quite wonderful.

Arty Crafty Day

I had never been to the art and craft markets at Kalamunda, held on the first Saturday of the month, though I had heard good reports and had admired things that friends had bought there.

Today I persuaded Kevin that we needed to look at them. It's miles from where we live and we had no idea where they were held so we drove around the town a while, noting that available parking seemed full and that SOMETHING had to be going on. We asked an elderly local lady. She couldn't help: "now I don't drive any more, I can't give directions and the markets are only on the first Saturday anyway". It didn't seem polite to tell her that it WAS the first Saturday, so we drove on. The next local (she had to be, she was walking her dog) we accosted also said "the markets are only on the first Saturday". However, she was quick to recover and gave good directions.

Next problem was parking, but we eventually found a spot under a tree - good thing because it was sunny and the temperature was in the high 20s.


The markets themselves were OK. We didn't buy much: just a jar of pickled onions. I'm not sorry we went, but I won't be marking the date on the calendar either.

Kevin had someone coming to pick up a refurbished computer so we went home for lunch. After they had gone we decided to go into Fremantle to visit a couple of art exhibitions. We went first to the Old George Gallery in East Fremantle. This was originally a pub, but was revamped as an community arts centre in the late 1980s. Since then little money has been spent on it by the local council, and the heritage building needs restoration. The council has apparently done a deal with a developer which will mean the loss to artists of the building and the gallery space in favour of a boutique hotel. The current exhibition is a fund raiser for the group that wishes to retain the building for local artists.

I sympathise with the artists who will no longer have studios, but there is no doubt that something needs to be done to revive the building. I am unhappy at the loss of yet another exhibition space (Designing Women held their exhibition there in 2006) and I wonder whether all avenues have been explored by the council. Certainly a quality bar or restaurant would add to the ambience.

We then went to the Fremantle Arts Centre. One of Kevin's ex-students, Rebecca Baumann, was exhibiting and we went to look at that and the other exhibitions. The exhibition by Simon Pericich was very confronting. The most disturbing part was the two walls festooned with "weapons made from household detritus and bling (comes with hooks)".

We needed a coffee after that. The cafe courtyard is a lovely spot and I found a great bit of wall texture right next to our table.


We finished the afternoon with a visit to the museum (in the same building). The Light and Sound exhibit is really excellent. And the Dockers won the Derby - yay for Fremantle!

A little play

I made this small textured piece today to go with the red one from yesterday. It is swirls of embroidery thread vliesofixed onto a painted silk background left over from another project and covered with organza. I then stitched freemotion leaves all over and zapped it with the heatgun.

Nothing Much - Ordinary Extraordinary

Yesterday afternoon we picked up our friend Graham, who lives in Sydney, at the airport. We checked the plane arrival time (1.56) and arrived at the airport environs just after two to await a mobile call from him that he had collected his bags and was ready to be picked up. We parked in a neighbouring street, next to a stand of these towering eucalypts, and waited and waited and waited. Eventually we collected him at nearly 3pm.


After a short respite at home we went to Cottesloe to see the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. I was not as impressed by the exhibits as I have been in the last two years, but did enjoy our time there. I really liked the Andy Warhol piece and the emus. This one won the Viewer's Award.



I didn't take a photo of Tania Spencer's work unfortunately, but here's a scan from the catalogue. The scan does not show clearly that the piece is made from knitted galvanised wire (almost a textile!) There were several small children crawling in and out and looking like they were having enormous fun doing it.


Today I have been to the eye specialist. Good news. He has given me some steroid eyedrops to clean up the problem with my left eye, and reassured me that the cataracts I am starting to develop are not going to cause a problem for a few years yet. BUT I can't wear my lenses for at least another week, boo-hoo.

Textures

I have just downloaded a great freebie: 160 Textures from Ar-Bent-ing. You are free to use these high definition images in any way for your own work and even commercially. I think this is a fabulous offer. Here is a sample image (I have had to reduce it in size: the original is 1 MB).


I discovered the offer on Linda M's blog. They're called "160 Natural, Industrial, Grunge and Fabric Textures". If you download them, be sure to add a comment on the site.

I am still having problems with my eye and I don't think the cold Kevin generously gave me helps at all. My GP managed to get me an appointment with an eye specialist (for next week! WOW) so I hope there will be better news soon. I HATE wearing glasses!

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.

Actually some fibre today

We have been rather busy organising stuff for Martin and his move to the new unit. I did manage 3 sessions of aquarobics during the week, but the only walking has been around shops. Keep forgetting to put on the pedometer in the morning as well. Today it wouldn't have registered much, but I am still really tired.


These are the batiks that I bought to use for the SCQuilters' signature swap. This will happen in May and I think there will be about 100 people in the swap so I really need to get started. Today I washed and ironed them, plus I ironed half the cream homespun I bought for the base square. I also tackled the ironing basket and reduced its contents by at least half. Feel a bit smug about that!

While the fabric (and lots of other, more boring, stuff) was drying I worked on a piece I have had hanging around for at least a year. It is scraps of synthetic fabric layered between a cotton base and a polyester top with a grid stitched to hold it in place. Then I used a soldering iron to melt the layers of synthetics so different bits were revealed. While I quite liked it, I felt it was a bit crusty and needed something else. I talked about it here.

I tried putting red tulle over the whole piece and liked the effect. I had already decided to do some bobbin work on it, so today I wound bobbin after bobbin with some gorgeous hand dyed silk threads I have had for at least 5 years. I stitched the grid again and this is the result.




I am tempted to try just a little heat gunning now to make some of the shiny bits a bit more visible.

Play Day

I spent some time today with Angelina (fibres) and my iron. I have signed up for a 1-inch fabric charm swap that uses blue. Blue is not a colour I use a lot so I decided to make some Angelina sheets for possible use in developing the base fabric. I had two Hot Fix colours: a deep blue with quite coarse fibres and a much finer paler blue.

I tried the stamping technique where you put Angelina fibres on top of a textured surface and iron. The technique worked well with the paler finer fibre, but was not successful with the coarser one.

I also decided to try ironing velvet over a wooden stamp and had some success. I don't think I will use these pieces for the charms, but they might be useful for ATCs.

While I was pulling out fibres I found some yummy rainbow ones and some previously made Angelina sheets so I also made a couple of TBE (to be embellished) pieces by ironing the fibres and Angelina onto vliesofix.

I have ironed one onto Vilene 541 ready for machine stitching.

I think I will lay this second one on felt and use the embellisher.

Nappy liners

One of the Designing Women group achieved a major coup last week. Loraine was shopping in a small local supermarket when she spied six or so packets of 100 Black and Gold nappy liners in the "Reduced to Clear" trolley. Though she couldn't remember offhand exactly why they are desirable objects for textile artists she grabbed a packet and rang me when she got home. I went there the next morning and there were still 3 packets left so I bought them for the princely sum of $1.99 each.

When I offered them to the group on Saturday there was an immediate fight for possession, so each packet had to be shared between two or more. I let them work it out - I bought a packet of 100 a few years back and I probably still have about 75 left. Should last me a while.

So why are nappy liners a desirable addition to one's stash? Especially Black and Gold brand?

First - they can be painted, stamped, rubbed with Shiva sticks and other mediums then ironed on to fabric or paper with a very hot iron (or zapped with a heat gun). The heat adheres the liner to the base and also causes parts of the liner to disintegrate with very interesting textural results.

Second - they are no longer made. Disposable nappies have won out in the battle to cover babies' bums. Their name reflects their use - I remember washing the ones that just got wet and flushing others when my children wore nappies back in the 70s of the last century.

Third - the white cheaper ones (Black and Gold) work for heat distortion. The upmarket blue ones don't.

There are substitutes. Dale sells Zap Cloth which apparently does the same thing. I bought some to try but haven't used it yet. I have promised myself that I will get painting and zapping soon.

And obviously one needs to look in every clearance bin. Well done, Loraine.

Steps and Stamps

Our walk today was around North Lake. The lake is now almost completely dry. All the water that is left is a largish puddle of about half an acre or so. The odd thing is that, unlike the other local lakes that have dried out as greyish mud flats, the entire bed of the lake is covered in bright green vegetation. Kevin has a fantastical theory about why this is so.

I just missed the 10,000 yesterday - 9564. Today is much better - 11658 already and I still have to get the washing in and prepare dinner.

One of the reasons for the high tally is that I went into Fremantle this afternoon. I needed some lens solution and I still have a book voucher from Christmas. Didn't use the voucher, but I spied some lovely little metal batik stamps in the Oxfam shop in Queen Street. They were only $3.95 each so I bought 4 of them. They are quite small - the biggest one is no longer than 6cm. Made in India.


I placed them under a bit of fabric that I had previously rubbed with oil pastels and a texture sheet. I used a blue metallic oil pastel and made a quick rubbing of each stamp. The rubbings are very rough - I didn't take any care at all and the bird is legless. I am thinking that I might try them with Shiva sticks as well as for their original purpose. They might be interesting stamped into Angelina fibre and paper pulp too and they could probably be used for foiling . . . I have plenty of ideas - I just need to make the time to try them all out.

Fibre is found in strange places

While I was looking for the photo I posted yesterday I came across a folder with a collection of pictures I took a couple of years ago at the last remaining ammunition dump at Woodmams Point. During World War II they were partially underground bunkers surrounded with high walls of cement filled sandbags, two metres or more tall, used for storing ammunition.
There used to be several of these buildings, but they are now all gone but one. The building is in very poor condition and covered in grafitti, but somehow the walls have survived without defacement.

And the fibre connection? The original sandbags have long ago rotted away, but have left their textural marks on the cement. You can clearly see the weave of the cloth, the seams of the bags and the stitching that closed them. And even, though not in this photo, frayed holes where sand spilled out.

The things that you see

When we went for our walk at the lake this morning we remembered to take a camera with us. We could see this blue spot from quite a distance. I wondered if it were a flower that had grown up through the old stump. The reality was more amusing.
Isn't this seedpod marvellous? I have been thinking of a way to suggest it in fabric or fibre and I have an idea . . .
I don't know what the bush is called, but the sequence it follows in its flowering is amazing. Before the flowers come it has protruding fat fingers (where the spikes are now) like an outspread hand. Then they split and the flower emerges. The long fine flower filaments look like a bunch of tassels. The flowers die and the seedpods dry out and lose their colour and eventually fall to the ground.
I look for the bush every time we walk this way, just so I can see what stage it is at. This is what it had to offer today.