Checking in

I have been very lax in updating this blog, both because of lack of energy and the fact that I have done almost no fibre stuff for weeks.

I did manage to finish off a quilt top I started back in 1996 and it is now with a professional quilter. I promise a photo when I get it back. The quilt started as a nine-patch swap between Scquilters - the Australia-New Zealand online quilting group. There was so much interest that we were broken up into groups according to our favoured colours and I ended up with the mid - to - dark green group. I joined my swap bits up pretty quickly after I got them and produced a top and that is where it has remained for the last 14 years. I decided it needed two more borders and finally finished it off last week. Phew - only 3 more quilt UFOs left. Let's not mention other kinds!

And here's a photo of some fibre related stuff: Amber posing on a cushion next to a stuffed needlepoint tabby.

A good day out

I went to have my blood test this morning, then Juliet and I set off to the Holmes aCourt gallery in East Perth to look at the Stringmakers exhibition with indigenous artists from Warburton in the North West and three others from Perth: Nalda Searles, Holly Story and Bronwyn Goss.

We had omitted to check the address, but eventually found it - largely due to my hazy memories of a previous visit. Then there was the problem of access. The official entrance is down a flight of steps to the boardwalk which I was reluctant to negotiate (no handrail), so we entered the building at street level and found a lift that went to the lower level, but opened into a small hallway with several closed doors. We investigated one (labelled Restaurant Toilets) and found a narrow corridor which led to the restaurant which is next door to the gallery. Boldly we marched in and a helpful young waitress told us where to go next. Unfortunately we were there an hour before opening time.

We decided to fill in the hour with a visit to another gallery (the Old Bakery on 8th) in a neighbouring suburb, and enjoyed ourselves looking at the exhibition there, browsing through the gift shop which has some wonderful objects, including some spectacular knitted and felted scarves, and having a coffee at the attached cafe. Then back to East Perth.

After we negotiated our way through the toilets again we finally got to see the exhibition. It was well worth our effort. Most of the exhibition is huge felted pieces, called "blankets", but not intended for use on beds or as rugs.

There is a most moving paper scroll about 25 feet long which was a collaborative effort by all the artists. Nalda had written about how the paper piece had come about and then screen printed the words on to long silk scarves dyed with native vegetation. They were exquisite, but definitely out of my price range!

Nalda also had a blanket dyed with natural dyes on which she had couched tufts of human hair, then embroidered the words "mangko warntu" on one side and their translation "hair blanket" on the other. It was hung so you could see both sides.

I liked it, and the installations by Bronwyn Goss, but I LOVED Holly Story's pieces. There was a set of four tiny framed scrolls, dyed with plant dyes and imprinted with various leaves from the Warburton region - fabulous. However my favourite was a diptych where she had imprinted tree branches on to woollen blankets, one branch from Warburton and the other from the South West where she lives. This technique is one she was taught by India Flint and she gives credit for it to her. The dyed pieces were then emboidered with red and white silk threads in a design derived from Indian symbolism. Absolutely stunning.
I also loved the string hanging. A piece of string travelled backwards and forwards from Perth to Warburton several times, with every artist adding in bits. The finished length was looped to hang on a wall. You can read more about the process of putting the exhibition together on the Stringmakers blog site.

I had a lovely day. Thank you to my chauffeur Juliet and to the artists whose work I so enjoyed.
Also thank you to the photographer whose images from the catalogue I have used. I cannot find a name to credit.

Sunday at the Craft Fair

Designing Women had a display at the Craft Fair that was held on the weekend - and for once I remembered to take a photo. This is Jan on Sunday morning and the display which was beautifully set up by Liz and Stephanie.

We had an excellent position - right opposite the entry to the display of Jenny Bowker's quilts and in full sight of one of her beautiful quilts. I looked after the stall in the afternoon with Dorothy and then we pulled it all down with Juliet's help - in much less time than I am sure it took to set up!

I spent the morning looking at the stalls, with a break to listen to Jenny Bowker's talk about her quilt journey, which was absolutely fascinating. I met and talked to lots of people, but was extremely restrained about buying, because I need to downsize, rather than accumulate. I did buy some wool to nuno felt a silk shawl that Helen gave me because it has some holes in it. That won't affect the felting, and I will give it back to her when I am done. I also bought an ingenious dish and holder to use for grating garlic - I hate garlic crushers because they are so hard to clean, and chopping with a knife makes your hands so smelly. I haven't used it yet - I still have no appetite.

My favourite part of the Fair is always the Art to Wear section. There were some great creations this year, but the piece I liked best in the Adult section was a felted jacket by Carole Redlich.

The student section was absolutely fabulous - especially the garments from Penrhos College. The girls had to use nothing but plain calico with a theme of geometric and there were some wonderful interpretations and some superb fabric manipulation. I loved this one, but I failed to take photos of some of the other spectacular creations. What a dill!

Australia Wide

The Australia Wide exhibition travels throughout Australia for two years. The quilts are a uniform size (40 cm square) and are supposed to be representative of contemporary art quilting in Australia. I was fortunate enough to have two quilts accepted for the first exhibition which travelled from late 2007 to early this year. The quilts are still to be seen on the Ozquilt Network site. Click on Quilt Exhibitions, then the Australia Wide Online Exhibition.

I had been toying with the idea of entering the second competition and had collected some bits of fabric together. It took me a long time to get going, but last week I completed two pieces and sent off my entries (digital photos, not the actual quilts). They got to Sydney by yesterday's deadline, so now I just have to wait until the selectors' decisions are announced in September. I hope I get in again.

I can't show any part of the quilts yet, but I promise I will show them in full later.

A mushroom harvest

Some weeks ago I decided that I would like to try growing mushrooms again. My first effort (years ago) was notably unsuccessful - something to do with not watering the compost regularly, I think.

So I bought a mushroom farm from Bunnings. I chose the Portobello one because I believe that variety of mushrooms has more flavour than the white buttons. I followed the instructions carefully and a week ago discovered some itsy bitsy buttons coming up.

Today we harvested three enormous ones and I actually ate almost all of one - quite a feat in view of my present aversion to food. Kevin ate the other one and enjoyed it, which is another plus. He is not really a mushroom fan.

Here is a photo of what is growing today. The big one at the back is actually one that we had already picked - it just got put back to show how big they are. Looks like a pretty good harvest tomorrow, too.

Recycling Workshop

I went to Jody Pearl's first Open Studio yesterday. It is a great studio and just down the road for me. Jody's "filing system" is to die for! You can read all about it here, and see lots more pictures. After a demonstration of some of Jody's more popular refashioned garments we moved outside for morning tea under the jacaranda.

We did have to fish the odd fallen leaf out of our tea mugs, but it was a lovely setting and will be fabulous in November when the tree is in bloom. Then we had a workshop on fashioning men's ties from the op shop and recycled zips into accessories. These are the two I made - there were several more exciting ones.

Friday Flowers

I have wanted a new car for awhile, and was determined that it should be red - which my first car was. We looked at several makes and models and eventually decided the Ford Fiesta was the most attractive option. The salesman told us there was a red one (I insisted on an automatic) on its way from Germany, and it would be here in six weeks. Very good. But then it was discovered that the red one had been sold, and the wait time for a red automatic would probably be six months. This is not a viable option for me, so I opted for a silver one, on which there was immediate delivery.

We picked it up yesterday, and to my surprise I was presented with this red flower arrangement as a small consolation.

700th Post

Who would have thought it? I know lots of people do giveaways at major milestones, but I haven't got anything, so I won't. Maybe at 750?

I have just finished my ATCs for the latest Aus-NZ Art Quilters swap. This is a theme swap every two months and this time the theme is AIR. Once I remembered (and finally found) the balloon fabric I have had for years, they were really quick to make. I also found some sky fabric (blue with little bits of white) while I was looking, so it all went together very well.


I will post them off to Diana in NZ tomorrow.

I am progressing well with the art quilts I plan to enter in Australia Wide 2. I was fortunate to have both my entries accepted last time, so I will keep my fingers crossed. No pictures yet, of course. The deadline is July 30, but because the entry form and images need to be in Sydney by then, the actual deadline for me is Monday 26th. I think I will make it.

A new book

I preordered this from the Book Depository and it arrived this morning. I haven't even flipped through it yet, I am waiting till I have a bit of uninterrupted time (diarrhea today, yuck!).

I was fortunate to do a 5 day workshop with Jane at FibresWest at Bunbury in 2008 and learned so much about surface design. I have had her first book, Complex Cloth, since 1997 and it has been probably the most used textile book I own - and I own lots.

So I am looking forward to this one.

Friday Flowers

No fibre again this week, but my roses are putting on their final flush. Soon be pruning time.

This was last week.

This is this week.