Children's Workshops & Public Art - Let me Take a Leaf Out of your Book

Most kids seem to take to stitching like a duck to water.  Wendy and I have run a couple of workshops for children (and adults) to involving them in art project involving the Guild and the City of Canada Bay.  This  links with the embroidered letters that Guild members have been doing.

Tree of Knowledge - letters stitched by members of
the Embroiderers' Guild NSW

This aspect of the  Public Art project involves encouraging members  our community to stitch something which reflects something they have read.   Their stitched " leaf"  will be applied to a fabric covered tree form (think of a conical shape like a Christmas Tree) and live at Concord Library

I took a photo of the table set up at for the very first kids workshop but after that was way too busy to take any happy snaps.

I came home tired and happy.  The participants enjoyed themselves.

I am about to create a new page containing more information about how to go about making a leaf for those that have an inkling to have a go themselves.  I will post it shortly.

In the interim email me if you would like instructions in pdf format.

Big Horizons

I spent a few days in the Wimmera in country Victoria a couple of weeks ago. 

I felt the city lift from shoulders as I drive north from Melbourne.  The landscape flattens and the horizons grow larger and lower.  The grain silos stand high in the sky and the roads are long and straight.  My formative years were spent with horizons and vistas such as this and I feel renewed whenever I am in flat open country.

There are a lot of period houses in  Birchip .  (the town I stayed at) .  The gum trees in the street still had flowers on them and I couldn’t resist taking photos of them.  The camera in my mobile phone makes this so very easy to do.  (I am a late comer to grasping this aspect of phone technology and still cling to my camera – albeit a digital one)

I was delighted to get the opportunity to get up close and personal to the gum blossoms as I am still playing with ideas which have come to mind after reading the poem “Pruning Flowering Gums’ by Lesbia Hartford.

 One night soon I will play with some Makins Clay and see what I can do to make a blossom  or two J.

Seed of an Idea - an outdoor fibre tree.

A close up of  motifs

Add cthe tree form I had to wotk with can be clearly seen

Inside looking  out.  It is interesting how different views   give a different look - light from outside drains the colour and makes coverage look sparse.  

I was (and still am) involved in a project at our local Library in a joint project between the Embroiderers' Guild NSW and the City of Canada Bay (my council area) in the creation of 4 tree installations.  The Council created 4 tree forms and sought expressions of interest to fibre artists to create a fibre installation to cover the the forms - one pf which was to live on a first floor balcony.

These are photos of the tree I made to live outside -  it has a western aspect which was challenging - the strong Aussie sun is a cruel mistress when it comes to colour.  The motifs are from  a repurposed table cloth and treated with a water based fabric hardener which is weatherproof.  The colours selected reflect colours used internally.  I used aluminimum wire which is a wonderfully sogft and a breeze to bend.

Thanks to Paverpol Australia for their sponsorship and support in this part of the project.

Hussif Crazy Patchwork Challenge

I have taken up Sharon Boggin's challenge to make a crazy patched hussif for myself. Sharon does exquisite work and is an extremely generous stitcher.  I have enjoyed visiting her blog for a number of years - check it out and see what I mean.

A hussif is a sewing roll in which sewing requisites are stored.   I plan to make a book rather than a roll with a soft front and a stiffened back.

I went with an orange theme as my daughter has been working on a major project for her design course at TAFE and there are many bright scraps around.  I didn't factor in what the other colours would do when I patched them all together but I will keep adding more thread, stitches and whatnot and see what comes of it.  I am enjoying just picking up and adding a line here and there.

  

I will post some  more in about a week and a bit when I have added more stitches and hopefully taken a photo with truer colours.






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Demonstrating at the Show

I had a really interesting day on Monday helping out at the Paverpol display stand at the Sydney Easter Show.  I demonstrated and talked myself silly with all manner of folk.

I had some great discussions with costume designers, set makers and parents of small children about what you could do and came home with some new ideas myself.  In between, I managed to get a start on a small doll so I was able to talk about the process involved when making something using Paverpol.  And I also put together a tiny collage to sit on an easel with the help of a young visitor to the show.  (I think a bit of bling is needed but I haven't quite settled back into my studio space yet).

There were some little dragons on display and it was intriguing to watch  small children's faces light up when they saw them - often they were at eye level with the creatures.

The stand was directly opposite the art show and, at quiet moments,  I managed to duck over and have a look at some of the entries.  I also searched out the embroidery, patchwork and applique exhibits as well.   There are just so many talented people out there and  it was great to see the entries - this is especially so when you know the artist.

And, I think we deserved a commission for our direction giving - high on the list were enquiries as to where the vegetable carving was taking place  ... not in our pavilion.

Collage with lace

I have been playing quite a bit with lace collages of late.   It is very satifying to put the peices down and move them around until  find a composition that satifies me.

I have been trying to declutter and finding all those little lovelies that I thought would be good for something - that something is collage of course and now I am in the mood they have been wonderful to find and revisit.   Sadly the decluttering is not progressing all that well.   I have moved bits and pieces out of my work space and they are now in the lounge - lounging across a couch and its arms whilst I work on a few pieces at the same time.

After a look at the ribbon work catalogue in the Antique patter library and have been inspired to experiment with ribbon flowers,  Now I have graduated to using those men's ties I have been collecting for some time.  I had been wanting to something with a clay face I made some time ago and had been thinking of something Elizabethan in style.  Now I have changed my mind and think that ribbon and fabric flowers will do the trick - along with some embroidery and stamping on the background.

Another Pear

Been struggling to pick a needle of late.  Been busy with other ventures.  I spent 4 days at the Stitches & Craft Show at the Paverpol exhibtion stand and helping out with workshops.  Had a great time meeting lots of like minded makers and people interested in craft generally.  It was a bit of a culture shock being on the other side table but had a great (if exhausting time).   Got to hand out flyers for my workshops too.

Yesterday I spent the day at Marrickville Market as a stall holder - well part of the day.  It thundered, lightening and poured and I packed up and left at 1:30.  The stall haolder next to me said they had been coming for 2 years and it was the first time they had to leave early.  

Anyway - it was a beautiful autumn morning and I got to chat to folk, make a few toadstools and a little lady and listen to reggae.  Can't ask for much more pleasant morning really.

On the stitching side of things, it seems to me the more I should do something (in this case start my part of a joint work for Stitchers Plus group in the upcoming Guild exhibition later this year) the more I procrastinate.  Have done a bit of  crochet and watched quite a few DVD's.  Watched The Artist  a little while ago - an absolute non stitching movie - black and white, no words and a few speech bubbles.  It was good but long - not sure I would have made it through the entire film at the cinema without a few serious wiggles.

Last night I still hadn't prepared any sewing and was not up to crochet so I finally picked up a pencil and drew ... some more pears :-)