Books for Christmas

The family was kind to me this Christmas and gave me a few craft related books.  The photo is from a Batik Design Book given to me by my son – it came with a CD of printable images.

I also received two books on doll making – one was crochet dolls and the other more a contemporary mixed media number.  Having poured over the book I have made one crochet doll so far.   My daughter gave me a heap of buttons which I have played with but reached no decision about which ones to sew on : I think I need to make more little dolls J. They will make great broaches. 

Stitchers Plus Challenge Award - Say It With Words

Had our last Stitchers Plus meeting on Saturday.    A small meeting but a busy day.  There is a great exhibition of works by art quilter and embroiderer Caroline Sutherland.

After lunch we adjourned to the Five Dock Library where the winners of the annual challenge were announce.   Sheila Beer, a member of our group, came home with both first prize and Viewers Choice!   Here is her work :Hay Stack.    Sheila couched down straw to create her out of the box embroidery :-)


All of the works can be found here -  you might have to scroll down to find the images.

fabric garden statue and lace for indoors :-)

I had fun creating this little statue for my garden.  She is made with a wire armature and built up with fabric stiffened with a product called paverpol.   

Her components came from Paverpol in a kit form.  

There is sufficient space in her arms to put a small pot and I was thinking of doing this and filling it with babies tears which would grow/flow over the edges.   In the interim her arms are full of dried bouganvillea.

I have been framing the lace collages I have been working on and when I finally get a decent photo I will put them up. :-)

Hello Hello

Working with the embroidered letter project inspired me to play with felt applique for a display at our local Library.  The Concord and Five Dock Libraries have regularly hosted an exhibition of works made by Embroiderers; Guild NSW members to a challenge.  This year the theme was "Say it with Words" and some interesting works were received.  Not many this year but it has been a busy year for many of the members what with the embroidered letter project, many group (and other  exhibitions and the Margaret Oppen Competition.

The original piece that I made for the challenge itself is the first collage I put up in my last post.  I am still exploring this sort of collage - a wonderful reason to play with laces and beads and buttons that I have been squirreling away for that special project.

fabric & mixed media collages and more on embroidered letters

I have been playing with bits of laces and the like I have collected over time.   

Quite some time ago I visited a very tempting shop called Lucello's in the Nicholas Building in Melbourne.   It is the sort of shop you both want to tell every about and keep to yourself at the same time.   When I was there I bought some packets of lace scraps which have been - not quite languishing as I kept playing with them - perhaps waiting on the right project is the better phrase.  

I also had some bits of old lace bought from the Embroiderers' Guild which joined the packets.

Well - I have been pushing these bits of lace about on fabric grounds for  while now and they have finally found a place in some mixed media collages.   I have incorporated  Lucellos' business cards and other items I bought at the time.    

The collage above I made for an challenge put on by Stitchers Plus.  The title of the challenge is "Say it with Words" and the works will go on exhibition at Concord and Five Dock Libraries over October and November 2013.   I will see if I can get permission to post photos of other works made - some were very innovate. 

The collage below is still a work in progress - however - it is starting to talk to me now and is nearly done.

The embroidered letter project is moving along and members of the Embroiderers' Guild NSW have been so very busy - I haven't counted the letters once we got to 700 - we must be close to if not over 1000 at this stage.  The tree form will be up shortly and when it is up I will get some photos up for you to see.

The next major project is a community at large one - will write more on the next  post

Take care all

embroidered letters

I have really caught up in a community art project with the Embroiderers' Guild NSW.   A call was put out to members for embroidered letters to make a giant noticeboard on a conical shaped form.

Over 600 letters and numbers have come in from all over NSW  - they were all wonderful.

I have done some stitching  - practising stitches so I can work out how to explain how to do them in a leaflet.   This little bird (missing an eye) is the result.

travels - Turner Exhibition

I had the pleasure of visiting the Turner Exhibition in Canberra with my friend Grace and her dog Bonnie  (Bonnie just got to visit the Capital - not the Gallery!).  Canberra turned on a beautiful winter day with sky and clouds in a Turneresque style with beautiful reflections in Lake Burly Griffin.  I went not knowing much of Turner - other than he was a Master - and I learnt a lot and have had my eyes upwards rather than down since.

 On the way home we stopped Mulwaree Arts at George Street, Marulan NSW.   They sell lots of hand crafted products from jam and jelllies,  artwork, quilts, glorious knitted items and some quirky  and brightly coloured pottery.  I couldn't resist this little vessel by Lisa Annis.   She was on duty when we came in and I loved her altered T shirt - as well as being covered by lots and lots of colourful marks it bore the words - There are many scary things - colour is not one of them!

I am planning to fill this vessel with lots of yellow bottlebrushes.

I have beem stitching letters and not much else at the moment.  Started a small cotton throw or baby blanket - what it turns into will depend on my enthusiasm