Sun, wind but no fibre

The only fibre I have had anything to do with today was the washing! Lovely sunny, windy day so the three loads dried really quickly. Apparently the temperature got to 30 degrees Celsius for the first time in months. I liked it - but I am not really looking forward to summer. When it's cold I put on more clothes. When it's hot I wear the minimum, but I still suffer - I refuse to wear nothing!!

I went to the doctor again - I am no longer coughing but I am still partially deaf. Another script for antibiotics. We have reached the safety net limit for scripts so they will all be free for the rest of the year - pity you have to need so many medications that you end up getting them free.

I had an email from Glenys Mann, with whom we travelled in New Zealand, and from whom I got my cold. She has started a blog, inspired by me and my talk of how easy it is to do. So here is a link to Glenys - I will put her on my list of blogs in a day or so.

Black and white and Zebras

I thoroughly enjoyed today's workshop, which was both software and embroidery.

In the morning we started with a bitmapped picture of a zebra and foal which we cleaned up and turned into an embroidery using the Picture Stitch module in the 4D Embroidery system. Then we played with the original picture, ending up with about eight designs all different, but all derived from the original. I loved doing this and I am planning on making some more designs tomorrow.

After lunch we stitched out two of our designs: one on black fabric in white and one on white with black thread. Pam had made a quilt from her stitchouts which looks really good. I don't know what I will do with mine yet. Obviously I will need more than two.

Struggles with the laptop

I spent hours yesterday trying to connect the PC laptop to the Internet without success. It appears that when a friend configured it to make a wireless connection (this was done after we bought the iBook and I had left for New Zealand) he made some adjustment that prevents it accessing the Internet any other way. Since we do not have a wireless connection at home - no Internet access for the PC.

I was trying to download an update for the 4D Embroidery software. It was recommended to do this with an update feature in the software linked directly to the supplier. I eventually gave up and downloaded the patch onto the Mac, planning to transfer it via flash drive today.

Another bout of frustration. I kept getting an error message and the update wouldn't load. I actually downloaded the whole thing three times from the web site, in case there had been an error in transfer. At 103MB for the file it was a tad time consuming. Eventually I bit the bullet, took the laptop out to Bestway and had Pam load it for me. Pam is an expert, but even she had a little trouble.

So now I have an updated program all ready for tomorrow's workshop. I am looking forward to it, even though I am still not feeling 100%.

A hundred day cough?

That's what the flight attendant said to me on Monday on the plane from Christchurch to Auckland as I was convulsing despite the lollies and eucalyptus sniffing patch I had been given - "I think you have the 100 day cough". EWWW!

I certainly didn't recover well from that flight - ears blocked and persistent cough. Kevin was now feeling very poorly too. We gave a lot of money to a pharmacy in Queen Street with little real relief. Auckland's weather wasn't all that wonderful either - driving rain on Monday night, rainy periods on the Tuesday.


We took the Auckland Explorer bus tour on Tuesday, and would have enjoyed the experience a whole lot more if we had been feeling better. Loved the Pacific artifacts on display at the Auckland Museum though. We know a lot about Papua New Guinea, but not enough about the other Melanesian and Pacific islands. Google - here I come.

We flew home on Wednesday direct to Perth and I was so glad that we had booked business class. I was almost deaf and coughing lots - but bubbly sure helps to relieve the pain. Helen picked us up and took us home. By then I couldn't hear anything much at all.

Yesterday we both went to the doctor and antibiotics were prescribed. He syringed my ears and that helped too.

I admit I am feeling a bit better today. I haven't done anything textile-y for over a fortnight so I would like to start playing again. I hope the dire prediction of a hundred days is wrong!

Exciting News

I was going to blog this at the time, but I didn't have the photos on the laptop.

While I was in New Zealand I received an email that BOTH the quilts I entered in the Australia Wide exhibition were accepted. I am so chuffed! I thought one of them had a good chance, but it is really exciting that both got in. I posted them off today.

This quilt is called On a Summer Beach and has images of vegetation at Woodman Point printed on silk and silk organza then machine stitched.
This one is called Gyre (WB Yeats). It is inspired by the opening lines of his poem titled The Second Coming:
"Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold"
It concerns my reaction to happenings in today's world. I thought of how the circle of bad things was widening, pushing the good things into the centre, where they break up and fall apart.

There were 76 entries from 53 members for the exhibition. 46 quilts, made by 37 people, were chosen. 10 of those were made by people who belong to the WA Contemporary Quilt group, so I think we have made a significant contribution.

The exhibition will be online at the Ozquilt Network site from the last week in November. I am looking forward to seeing the other successful entries.

On the last leg

We have just had three days in Christchurch. It is a beautiful city and looks its best in springtime with blossoms everywhere. These are rhododendrons.


We did the TranzAlpine train trip over the mountains to the West Coast. It was great and the weather was very kind. This has not often been the case!

Yesterday we tried to go to a big outdoor market/Swap meet, but only lasted about 10 minutes before the skies opened. We spent the afternoon at the Arts Centre and Museum and, when the rain had stopped, spent a bit of time in the Botanic Gardens.


Today we flew to Auckland and plan to take a bus tour tomorrow to catch the highlights. Wednesday afternoon we get on the plane to Perth, a slightly less than 8 hour trip. I think we will both be glad to be home - me particularly because I have come down with a nasty cold.

Forum over, Odyssey begins

I have heaps of photos of the wonderful creations from the Forum, but since I am now on a wireless connection that has to be paid for, I won't post them now. Isn't it always the way? We had free internet at Lindale, but I never had time. Now I have time, I'm a bit concerned about cost.

The Forum finished Sunday with an Open session and display of student work, plus a bazaar with people selling their creations. I bought a lovely nuno scarf. I just hope I wear it - I have been wearing scarves all the time here in NZ, but it's often too hot in WA. In the afternoon we took the train into Wellington and went to the Te Papa, the NZ National Museum. It is a really great place.

I stayed in Wellington at a hotel I had booked on the Internet. It was quite nice, and situated on a street that has heaps of cutting edge fashion shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. I went for a walk when the rain stopped. The shops were closed, but the rest was booming. I felt very safe, more so than I would have in Northbridge.

Kevin's plane came in on time - rather a bumpy landing, though - and he got a taxi to the hotel. Next morning we walked down Cuba Street to find somewhere to have breakfast, then braved the gale and went to Te Papa before we had to meet the others at the ferry for the trip to the South Island.

We are in Blenheim at the moment, going to Kaikoura tomorrow. I hope we can access the net there.

Forum Days 3 and 4

I got up early on Tuesday and took this photo of the sunrise. It was SO cold!

Here is a sample of some of the work that is being produced in the workshop. These are the trifold fans.



I am too tired to write more tonight - will try to put up more pics tomorrow.

I have been trying to ring Kevin in Brisbane, but the number is coming up as engaged. Bit of a bummer really - I want to use up the phone card!

Forum Days One and two

We worked very hard yesterday and today. I am doing a master class with Joan Schulze called Fanning Creativity. We will be doing lots of different techniques, eventually producing items for an exhibition in Brisbane next year.

Tuesday we experimented with at least five techniques: making a folded book, learning the pamphlet stitch, making a random fabric collage by sharing bits with others, photocopying the results and turning them into a glue transfer and making fabric paper.

I am sure there were more things we did, but that kept us really busy.

Today we have worked on our glue transfers, made a trifold fan and prepared fabric packages. We also made transparencies and printed one of our packages on the photocopier.

I did not realise that the trifold fan was actually to go in the exhibition and I treated it as a sample, not taking a lot of time or care on it. BIG mistake! So now I have to find some time to make another one that is of a higher standard.

Tomorrow we are making monoprints and doing other things with paint. I hope to be able to download some photos soon.

WOW

It was a fabulous show, not just a parade of amazing garments. There were comedians, dancers and some excellent aerialists. Like Cirque du Soleil there was so much going on at any one time that you tended to miss things. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We had very good seats in the second row of the balcony so our view was completely unobstructed. Photography was not allowed, but here is a link to an official video of the show

The performance consisted of a number of excellently choreographed scenes, each based on one of the sections of the competition. The first was the Children's section and the theme was a Monsters' Ball. There were some wonderful entries, including one called There's a Bed on My Monster which was really clever, and one which was like a pile of books named Grimm's Furry Tales.

Another memorable section involved a Buster Keaton film being shown on the screen at the back of the stage while a real character extended the action ie the film character climbed a tree which was then blown away, while the real character descended to the stage clinging to a tree which was lowered from the ceiling. Great fun.

There were many other great bits but this post is getting a bit long.