Just a little teaser

I've been busy lately but sadly, most of what I've done is Sekrit Stuff, so I can't put any of it up here. But I thought I'd give you a teaser, so you can see I have been busy and not swanning around the Caribbean on a cruise ship or lying on a beach in Bali, like some lucky friends of mine.

So what are you looking at? OK, one of these 2in virtual strips represents my Kambra Challenge 2009. Remember, I belong to a group that has been meeting for an annual challenge for, can it be a more than a decade? You can see some of our previous challenges here (and yes, most of my unfinished ones are still unfinished). This year, our challenge was to use a pack of 40, 7in 1895 Bali Watercolors in delicious blues and greys and browns and the unveiling date is fast falling upon us. I don't want another unfinished quilt so I have a cunning plan... Another of these shows my piece for a Like Minded Artist challenge that came originally from a Fibrecircle activity. It's coming along nicely and may even make the Mar 30 deadline, after which time you can see it in all its glory. And another image shows a slice of another Fibrecircle activity, which we were challenged to use to make into ATCs. These are due on Apr 8 and then I'll show them, either here or on the Fibrecircle blog. And not only will Fibrecircle members get an ATC, but a couple of people who have set me ATCs might actually get one back. Progress! Of course, along the way I've painted a whole lot more fabric pieces, which at this stage look remarkably like painted fabric so I won't bother to put them here.

Meanwhile I'm also thinking about my Voyages and Passages piece for ATASDA's Palm House exhibition in 2010. So many possibilities!

I haven't been entirely locked in my workroom. Yesterday, I went on an expedition with my friend Carol, to Petlins for some essential weaving supplies, and via an Aladdin's cave of a fabric shop to NSWeave aka NSW Spinners and Weavers Guild. I managed to find some delicious organza and some acrylic felt (everything I have here now is wool felt that doesn't melt, darnit!), some silk tops and yarn for later dyeing with Fibrecircle, a weaving book I couldn't live without and these cute little stamps.

Aren't they fun? Just called out to me to take them home. A most satisfactory excursion.

Happy happy....

Dianne on Like Minded Artist asked us "What's your definition of a perfect day?"
My answer was "Warm and sunny, so I can go out in the garden early.
David home, working in his workshop and calling me to look at what he is making. Then back into my workroom for a few hours of contented pottering with no deadlines.
A visit from another textile artist for an hour or so.
Then back out into the garden in the late afternoon.
Lazy dinner with friends at an Italian or Moroccan or French restaurant, or the local Thai."
I didn't quite achieve all that lately, but I have had some really great days! Yesterday, in particular, was very like my perfect day. New medication is making me a considerably happier camper, and I have been really storming along, in the garden and in the workroom. My veggie patch is almost cleared after a year's disuse due to the water restrictions. I left it a little late in the day to photograph it, sorry!


The quilt for my son Ben and daughter-in-law Lee is to top stage. I'd like to pretend I just whipped this up this week, but to be truthful, it's taken me six years to get it this far! It is a very big quilt! Doesn't it look good on the bed David made for us?

And here is a little teaser of the fabric book pages for the Like Minded Artist swap, which are all almost finished. We had to make 14 pages for the swap, on a flower theme. They are due to be posted on Friday.