This exhibition is showing for the very last time at Moora, a small town about 3 hours north of Perth. It has travelled all around Australia and, I think, New Zealand. The exhibition was the result of a masterclass with Chungie Lee, a Korean artist, and features the work of at least two Western Australians.
WAFTA organised a bus trip to travel there today. Wendy Lugg, who is the curator, was to give a floor talk. I had said I would go - but things happened and I couldn't. I hope everyone had a great time. Maybe I can make the trip while school holidays are on - I think my sister needs a textile fix.
On the other hand, Mundaring is a lot closer. The FeltWest exhibition opens there tonight. I WILL make it there before it closes.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Walking Update
I haven't reported on my efforts for some time.
A week ago today I achieved my best ever result : 12148 steps. Since then I have not exceeded 9000 steps on any one day, though no day has been under 7000. Most have been 8000 plus.
I will beat 10000 today. At the moment the pedometer reads 9939.
The staff at the ABC here in Perth have undertaken a walking challenge for a few weeks until some time in April. I gather, when I listen to the radio, that the stars of the challenge are one of the reporters and the breakfast announcer Eoin Cameron. They are tallying total steps, not daily totals. Maybe I need to do some addition. It could look good?
You can check out the ABC challenge here.
A week ago today I achieved my best ever result : 12148 steps. Since then I have not exceeded 9000 steps on any one day, though no day has been under 7000. Most have been 8000 plus.
I will beat 10000 today. At the moment the pedometer reads 9939.
The staff at the ABC here in Perth have undertaken a walking challenge for a few weeks until some time in April. I gather, when I listen to the radio, that the stars of the challenge are one of the reporters and the breakfast announcer Eoin Cameron. They are tallying total steps, not daily totals. Maybe I need to do some addition. It could look good?
You can check out the ABC challenge here.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Excuses, excuses
It is all to easy to find reasons not to do things, fibre related or not.
A fortnight ago Kevin and I decided to take up an offer of a month's membership of an upmarket health club just down the hill. We paid up, then did nothing about using the facilities. I had thought I would try the water aerobics classes on Tuesday and Thursday, but I had a meeting last Tuesday, and was given free tickets to the movies on Thursday. There was no reason why I couldn't have just gone down there, had a swim, sauna etc, but I didn't.
As I have recounted in previous posts, I decided to enter a quilt in this year's QuiltWest exhibition. I put its construction off time and again.
I am teaching some workshops later this year and I need to make new class samples. I have either sold previous ones or they have been well used and look decidedly tatty.
So, I am making a belated New Year's resolution. Why not? It's only a quarter of the way through the year. I am going to whip procrastination! There, I have made a public declaration.
And I have made a start. I have done 2 water aerobics classes this week. I have sent off my entries to QuiltWest and my quilt is ready to freemotion stitch. And today I made a start on my class samples.
A fortnight ago Kevin and I decided to take up an offer of a month's membership of an upmarket health club just down the hill. We paid up, then did nothing about using the facilities. I had thought I would try the water aerobics classes on Tuesday and Thursday, but I had a meeting last Tuesday, and was given free tickets to the movies on Thursday. There was no reason why I couldn't have just gone down there, had a swim, sauna etc, but I didn't.
As I have recounted in previous posts, I decided to enter a quilt in this year's QuiltWest exhibition. I put its construction off time and again.
I am teaching some workshops later this year and I need to make new class samples. I have either sold previous ones or they have been well used and look decidedly tatty.
So, I am making a belated New Year's resolution. Why not? It's only a quarter of the way through the year. I am going to whip procrastination! There, I have made a public declaration.
And I have made a start. I have done 2 water aerobics classes this week. I have sent off my entries to QuiltWest and my quilt is ready to freemotion stitch. And today I made a start on my class samples.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Homework
Tomorrow is Computer Club so I decided I needed to do my homework. At the last Club day Pam demonstrated how to use the QuickFonts facility in the 3D software to make embroidery designs. You need to download wingding type fonts first and put them in the font folder, then QuickFonts can access them and in place of a letter you get a little design.
I was all enthused and came home, searched for, downloaded and installed about eight different free pictorial fonts. I even printed them out so I had a reference. I played with a few of them and made some designs, none of which I stitched out. Then I did nothing with the technique for the next seven weeks.
Today I played with a font called Easter Art. The letter g is an outlined Easter egg. I copied it four times, adjusted the way each egg sloped a little bit and combined the designs into one. The original version I made has four different colours, one for each egg, but I used a multi coloured thread and stitched it out twice without colour stops on a cheap teatowel ($5.99 for 6 at IGA).
I am not completely satisfied with the result, for a number of reasons. I should not have prewashed the towel because that made it fluffy and the stitching sinks into the fabric. I should have used a water soluble stabiliser rather than a tearaway - there is so much small detail that it is almost impossible to get rid of all the paper on the back. I should have taken a bit more time and looked at the stitchout in the editing page. There are unnecessary jump stitches that could have been eliminated and the starting stitches could do with a tidy up.
However, I have learned a useful technique. Plus, I can feel smug at tomorrow's show and tell because I did my homework.
I was all enthused and came home, searched for, downloaded and installed about eight different free pictorial fonts. I even printed them out so I had a reference. I played with a few of them and made some designs, none of which I stitched out. Then I did nothing with the technique for the next seven weeks.
Today I played with a font called Easter Art. The letter g is an outlined Easter egg. I copied it four times, adjusted the way each egg sloped a little bit and combined the designs into one. The original version I made has four different colours, one for each egg, but I used a multi coloured thread and stitched it out twice without colour stops on a cheap teatowel ($5.99 for 6 at IGA).
I am not completely satisfied with the result, for a number of reasons. I should not have prewashed the towel because that made it fluffy and the stitching sinks into the fabric. I should have used a water soluble stabiliser rather than a tearaway - there is so much small detail that it is almost impossible to get rid of all the paper on the back. I should have taken a bit more time and looked at the stitchout in the editing page. There are unnecessary jump stitches that could have been eliminated and the starting stitches could do with a tidy up.
However, I have learned a useful technique. Plus, I can feel smug at tomorrow's show and tell because I did my homework.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Quilt Progress
I didn't manage anything textile over the weekend so I didn't post.
Today I finished fusing the applique pieces to the quilt I am making for QuiltWest in May. It is sufficiently together now for a photograph to show the colours of the top. This is a requirement for entry.
The quilt itself is a long way from finished. First I have to machine embroider the appliques. I estimate about 10 or 12 hours for that. Then I have to sandwich and quilt (probably another 6 to 8 hours) and put on the binding and hanging pocket (maybe 3 hours). So if I did nothing else for a day I could get it finished . . . right? I think I will just take it slowly and try not to have a panicked effort the day it is due.
I am going to enter a couple of bags in the special section they have this year. They will have to be ones I have already made because a photograph of these is needed as well. Tomorrow I will take and print the photos and send off my entry.
Today I finished fusing the applique pieces to the quilt I am making for QuiltWest in May. It is sufficiently together now for a photograph to show the colours of the top. This is a requirement for entry.
The quilt itself is a long way from finished. First I have to machine embroider the appliques. I estimate about 10 or 12 hours for that. Then I have to sandwich and quilt (probably another 6 to 8 hours) and put on the binding and hanging pocket (maybe 3 hours). So if I did nothing else for a day I could get it finished . . . right? I think I will just take it slowly and try not to have a panicked effort the day it is due.
I am going to enter a couple of bags in the special section they have this year. They will have to be ones I have already made because a photograph of these is needed as well. Tomorrow I will take and print the photos and send off my entry.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Lace
I love traditional and antique lace and I have a small collection of it. One day I am going to use some of it to make a collaged textile piece.
I was very happy to get this book in the mail today. There are lots of pictures of lace and as I also enjoy making freeform lace on water soluble I expect this will be a great source of inspiration.
However, I am not interested in using my computerised embroidery machine to stitch out lace designs that someone has digitised. I can admire the results when I see what someone else has done, but the process does not appeal.
One of the ladies at sewing club on Wednesday showed off a lace table centre she had made. It had 16 different lace squares all joined together. Someone asked her how long it took and she said she didn't really know, but one of the squares had taken 81 minutes to stitch out. 81 minutes times 16! I know you can do other things while the machine stitches away, but you really need to be fairly close by in case something fouls up. I cannot imagine spending that much time listening to a stitch out. It was a lovely piece of work though.
I was very happy to get this book in the mail today. There are lots of pictures of lace and as I also enjoy making freeform lace on water soluble I expect this will be a great source of inspiration.
However, I am not interested in using my computerised embroidery machine to stitch out lace designs that someone has digitised. I can admire the results when I see what someone else has done, but the process does not appeal.One of the ladies at sewing club on Wednesday showed off a lace table centre she had made. It had 16 different lace squares all joined together. Someone asked her how long it took and she said she didn't really know, but one of the squares had taken 81 minutes to stitch out. 81 minutes times 16! I know you can do other things while the machine stitches away, but you really need to be fairly close by in case something fouls up. I cannot imagine spending that much time listening to a stitch out. It was a lovely piece of work though.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Life Cycle
I have written about this bush and its flower before.
On our walk yesterday we spotted several of the "finger" stage of the blossom.
The tassels will come soon.
There were still quite a few seedpods, but most of them had burst and were black and empty.
On our walk yesterday we spotted several of the "finger" stage of the blossom.
The tassels will come soon.
There were still quite a few seedpods, but most of them had burst and were black and empty.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Boring bits today . . .
but necessary tasks. Iris and I spent a couple of hours going through the proposed changes to the law governing incorporated associations in Western Australia. The group we belong to is incorporated so we needed to become familiar with what is proposed so that we can prepare for changes that we may have to make in our constitution. We think that the only change that will affect us is the necessity to appoint a public officer to be the contact person person between Consumer Affairs and the group. Apparently WA is the only State or Territory in Australia not to have this requirement. We will report to the group at the next meeting. The Bill will not be introduced in Parliament until late this year so it will be 2008 or later before we have to look at our constitution again. Iris and I did a revision in 2005, so I can't say either of us is looking forward to tackling it again.
Then I collected the last bits of paper for my appointment with the tax accountant tomorrow, read my mail and sent off a swag of emails.
We did quite a long walk this morning so, even though I spent a lot of time sitting, I have racked up 9939 steps as of this minute. Should easily crack the 10000 today.
Then I collected the last bits of paper for my appointment with the tax accountant tomorrow, read my mail and sent off a swag of emails.
We did quite a long walk this morning so, even though I spent a lot of time sitting, I have racked up 9939 steps as of this minute. Should easily crack the 10000 today.
Monday, March 19, 2007
New Book
The new needle felting book by Valerie Campbell-Harding and Maggie Grey arrived late this afternoon. I haven't had time to even open it. A treat to look forward to.
I am also eagerly awaiting Dale's book. One can never have too much inspiration - even people who just fiddle.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Some progress
I have finished the black and white convergence style top that will be the base for my WAQA quilt. No photos as yet - I am not sure whether an entry is permitted to be published before exhibition, so I am playing safe.
Today I put the borders on, then used basting spray to attach some tearaway stabiliser to the back in preparation for the applique. I will complete the applique before I sandwich and quilt, because I expect the back to be rather messy.
I haven't reported on the walking for a while. Last week wasn't all that good - I didn't manage 10,000 steps on any day, though I did not have one day under 8000. Yesterday I did 10901 but today won't be so good. I wish the pedometer could measure effort as well as the steps. Today's walk was quite short, only about one and a half kilometres, but it was up and down hills and at a good pace, so I really felt I had worked at it.
Today I put the borders on, then used basting spray to attach some tearaway stabiliser to the back in preparation for the applique. I will complete the applique before I sandwich and quilt, because I expect the back to be rather messy.
I haven't reported on the walking for a while. Last week wasn't all that good - I didn't manage 10,000 steps on any day, though I did not have one day under 8000. Yesterday I did 10901 but today won't be so good. I wish the pedometer could measure effort as well as the steps. Today's walk was quite short, only about one and a half kilometres, but it was up and down hills and at a good pace, so I really felt I had worked at it.
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