More Repurposing

Well not really repurposing but redirection.

I have a grab bag collection of threads and button given to me or so irrestable that I had to buy them. Remember I have a penchant for op shops.

Sealable and celephane bags of lovelies end up in an enormous tangle. But I have learnt to live with the fact that I am inspired by the mass (should really write "mess") of tangled colour that calls out to and inspires me.

Recently I have been making brooches.  They will end up for sale at the Tryp(s)tich exhibtion by the Wagga Wagga group in October.

Flyer for Exhibtion

Woven Brooch

Dorset Button Brooch

Repurposing

I have a number of small art quilts from a course I did several years back.  I was quite pleased with them.  But have moved on a bit since then. 

I came across them when I was fossicking around  for fabric to make a couple of small tote type bags for the pop up shop at an exhibition in late October of the Wagga Wagga Group of the Embroiderers’ Guild of NSW (yes a mouthful I know). 

I had put the little quilts carefully away as I couldn’t throw them but have new stuff on my walls.  I suppose I could keep them in a folder them as a record of technique etc but I have photos.

So the long and the short is that one little quilt has become a lovely big feature pocket for a bag.  I recall I had a heap of fun playing with potato printing using acrylic paint.

I also came across a bit of wrapped cord that I hadn’t been able to toss.  I loved the colours and made a fabric pendant out of it.  It was going to go into the pop up shop but I liked it so much I have kept it for myself and made another.  I used some commercial lace which I had thrown into a dye lot ages ago.  It came up a treat.

A day out and Inspiration

 After a visit to the Woolpack Inn Museum at Holbrook last month I came away inspired to create ... something, anything relecting the lines and angles I had seen.
 

The two story heritage listed building is operated by volunteers and contained items collected locally.  Many of the items stories  were written up and made interesting reading.  I was intrigued by the old slab school house which had been moved and reconstructed with the aid of many locals including primary school children.  The origianl ceiling was made of claico dipped in milk.  When the milk soaked fabric dried it became taunt and helped both dust and weatherproof the interior.  (Kept the spiders  and possums in the roof cavity I guess).

The 20 plus rooms in the old hotel were set out in themes.  It goes without saying that the sewing room had a pretty good look over.  It was good as visiters could actually get up close in that room.   I wasn't at all prepared to make notes or quick sketches but managed to get a couple of photos using my phone. It was a beautiful spring day but a bit dark inside.  The outside images had a lot of contrast and the inside images were lost in shadow or behind glass.

The Museum contained lots of interesting items which caught my eye and led me to think  “I could….”.   

Not sure what this implement was but I loved the cogs, angled and arched lines

more cogs and saw tooth edges

wheels and spokes caught my eye here

Rusted iron and high contrast

Detailed edging on this 20's style dress caught my eye.  It was a feature  repeated all over the dress.  And the self covered buttons were a gorgeous feature

 

Edging on dropped waist line

Side slits and skirt 

This button was about the size of my palm!  It was a feature item on a ladies coat that looked like it was circa late 1920's

This sort of follows on from my last post when I talked about filling stitches which were largely couched lines.    I think I wouldlike to try and explore this a little more using some of the lines in  the photos above.   Next step is to get them down in my sketch book and see where it goes from there.

And another visit is called for.  :-)

Cheers all