And still more

And a few other bits and pieces...

Here’s a postcard I made to swap recently.

It’s one of a series I’ve been making on a Forest theme. I mentioned one of this series back here. This one is from the same piece of cloth, but in the centre of the lower half. Here’s how it looked when I cut the cloth apart…

…and here it is, with layers of transparent paint built up on what was there. I didn’t border this one at all, just mounted it on mat board with a fabric backing, slip stitched in place.

I’ve also made some earrings to add to my ever-growing collection. These ones were made with some cute curved floral elements I found in my local bead shop, which were designed for the centre of a necklace.

I liked their curved line for earrings, since I don’t much like earrings that are just a straight line.

The second pair are from a kit I made myself a year or so ago.

I often put together a set of findings and beads that I think will work well together, ready to be made when the right time occurs. I bought the chandelier findings in a pack on special several years ago and I think the blue beads with gold patterning came from Spotlight, in a pack of mixed colours. It’s quite a simple project, but for some reason, it hadn’t reached the top of my pile until now.

The most special thing I’ve made lately is a piece that’s part of a collaborative work for ATASDA’s upcoming exhibition at the Palm House in the Sydney Botanic Gardens, Fragment. We divided an image into sections and each interpreted our section in our own way. The resulting pieces were reassembled into a three-dimensional work.

I really enjoyed making this piece, far more than I usually do. It seemed to be largely devoid of any of the usual anxiety issues I feel when I’m making work for public display. I built up layers of paint and appliqué and stitch, mimicking the layers of plant life in the photo I was given. It was a really fun activity and I’m very happy with the result. If you want to see it with the other works, come and visit the exhibition, from next Thursday, August 16 through until 28th August. It’s open 10-4 every day except for 28th, when it closes at 2pm.

Things I've done this year...

This blog is always way behind, because so much of what I do creatively ends up on the Fibrecircle blog. That's not all I create, of course, but managing two blogs does take rather more time than one.

So what have I done this year? I finished a blouse for my daughter but photos of clothes look nothing much lying flat and she hasn't posed for a photo (nor is likely to, really!) So you'll have to take my word for that one.

I finished all the blocks for my Dutchman's Puzzle quilt, including the half and quarter blocks for the sides, since the blocks will be laid out on point. This may not sound like a huge achievement, until you realise that that these blocks were from a swap with my library co-workers back in the 1990's. I blogged about here about twelve months ago. Here's where I mention that I hand piece my quilts these days, mostly as an end-of-day therapy, and hand quilt them too. I realised that one of the things I enjoy about quilting is the meditative process of putting a needle through cloth and that I wasn't enjoying spending all my time at the sewing machine. I sew clothes by machine, and machine embellish and assemble things I make, and that's plenty of time on the machine. 

My plan with these blocks is to sash them, so I'll make a template for the sashing and contemplate whether I want to use one fabric or many for the sashing. In the meantime, I'm making more 6in Prosperity blocks for my grandson's quilt. I have a nice pile of them but I think they'll be set on the square, so I'll need a lot more yet.

I've also made a pair of earrings  and have two other pairs in the making. I'm a real sucker for earrings and, while I don't yet have a different pair to wear every day of the year, I'm working on it! These ones are inspired by in a book called Making Vintage Accessories, using lace as an element. As I had some genuine elderly lace (if it isn't quite vintage), bought when my daughter was a baby, I thought I'd play with some of it.

I painted the lace elements to suit some feature beads I bought a couple of years ago.

I've assembled one pair and even worn them! Aren't they so girly? The lace is silver, which was hard to photograph well.

I also made a little bag. Helen from Fibrecircle gave each of us a kit of fabric and some instructions. I suspect a sinister plan on her part to be rid of some of her stash, an idea I have stored away myself! It's a cute little bag, with a ring closure.

I've been busy all the time this year, sometimes creatively and much more on administration for the new ATASDA travelling suitcase exhibition, which is now on the road. My friend Maz and I decorated one of the suitcases this time, and here it is drying on the floor.

The design was inspired by a desert flower called Apteranthes europaea, common in Morocco, and other parts of North Africa. It used to be known as Caralluma europaea, so the suitcase is called Cara for short. Both suitcases are now on the road and can be booked on marrakesh@atasda.org.au.

I've also made two postcards and I'm currently painting a couple more, played with transfer printing, done some shaving cream marbling, painted quite a lot of fabric in different ways, dyed fabric and done some serigraphy monotypes, also known as deconstructed screen printing or breakdown screen printing. Most of that is over on the Fibrecircle blog, and you'll have to wait for the rest!