Creating by seasons

Just a quick, short post to share a lovely blog and some thoughts on how the seasons affect our creative processes (I should really be working on my uni assignments). I have been reading lots of blogs from textilers in the Northern Hemisphere and how they felt during the long dark winter.
I think the effect of the seasons on the way and type of art we produce would be a great topic for research.
I have just made some silk paper for a pentagonal box I’m making for our Embroiderer’s Guild exhibition in October and find I am being drawn to warm autumnal tones (It’s the end of autumn and cool now here in the southern hemisphere). I wonder how many Northern Hemisphere textile artists are using bright spring colours like Jackie.

One of the great things about textile blogging is we can visit sites like Jackie’s to cheer us up when the weather is cold and dark down south.
Cheers

39 Steps

No ‘new’ artwork this week, but I did have a ‘jolly’ time at the theatre on Saturday night. MTC’s production of 39 steps was very clever and extremely funny. The actors: Helen Christinson, Marcus Graham, Grant Piro, Tony Taylor were all brilliant and it was a very enjoyable night out with the girls.

I spent some of my free time this week joining and browsing Sharon B’s new site stitchin fingers. It’s a great forum for discussion and viewing some great stitching and textile art. There are also a few interest groups being set up so head over and take a look.

Joggles newsletter featured a very interesting book this week: The Art of the Family Tree by Jenn Mason. The preview showed quite a few interesting possibilities. I have a photo of my grandmother from when she was a cute little button of about 3 or 4 years, that I would like to present in some way, so I may have to check out the local booksellers for this one for some ideas. My grandmother was/is one of my main inspirations, she was a great embroiderer and taught me to crochet. I have many of her pieces of crochet and embroidery, as well as her lace wedding dress from 1930. I have been looking for an antique mannequin to display the dress so I may make a fabric memory book to accompany it. (There is a fabric memory book group happening at stitchin fingers)

The photo below is of my Mother’s grandparents. When I received this photo it was damaged and the easy access to facilities to touch up and repair was not then available. I decided to embroider and decorate to enhance the photo. My great grandmother RoseAnn was known to be a great seamstress, hence the inclusion of the singer sewing machine.

I’m hoping to do some creating this afternoon. I’m working on my journal for uni. 5,500 words done in five entries. I aim to finish one entry now and then have only one to do to be up to date. (We have 3 uni sessions left this semester).

Cheers

Decisions, decisions

I have been painting fabric this afternoon. I layered some zap cloth over damp cotton so I could paint both at the same time. Using Dye na flow I squirted a few drops, sprayed with water and spread out the colour with a brush. I was trying to get the effect of explosions of colour, aka fireworks. I hung the zap cloth up to dry and continued on the cloth, adding Lumiere in burst and dots. The background (white) was still showing through so I squirted with Moonshadow Mists aqua and turquoise.

I’m planning on using this to make a cover and chapter headings for my journal for uni. I chose the fireworks theme as this is what it feels like going back to study after 20 years, all those sparks going off in the brain.

I also worked on an ATC for Doreen. I tried to iron some painted zap cloth onto painted cotton; not very successful, but did manage to get a bit of texture. I then ironed on some vliesofix instead and used that to adhere silk paper and some tissue paper I had used for paintstiks rubbings. I then FME and will finish the hand stitching tonight. I then decided I couldn’t cut it into ATC’s as it looked so good so now you’re getting a postcard Doreen, hope you don’t mind. I won’t post a picture until I’ve sent off, probably Monday.

I forgot to take a photo of Ebony’s ATC before Claudia sent it off, got caught up in all the enthusiasm, so here is a photo of the ATC’s Doreen sent for Claudia and I.
Claudia’s:

and mine:

Sorry about cutting off the bottom, the scanner was being temperamental.

They are both absolutely gorgeous and Claudia now asks me if the bloggers I read have any grand-daughters!!! If there are any bloggers with children or grandchildren who want to swap feel free to contact us. It is a great way to encourage children’s creativity, a bit of a variation on the penpal concept. Hopefully Doreen will post Claudia’s ATC over on her site when she returns from Melbourne if you want to take a look.

I’m just about to send off my postcard swap to Susan Lenz for CyberFyber. Susan asked me to mention that she has the swaps ready for those who missed out first time around. Head to Cyber Fyber from Sunday if you’d like to swap.

Cheers till next weekend

Word Fun

I can’t resist word games. My favourite board game is Scrabble and I quite enjoy reading the dictionary!!!
When I saw this tag game on Norma’s blog I had to do it.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME

Jo-Anne

4 LETTER WORD

Join ( as in be in it and fabric)

VEHICLE

Jaguar

TV SHOW

Jordan’s Crossing (I’ve never watched it but must have seen the ad somewhere)

CITY

Johannesburg

BOY NAME

Julian

GIRL NAME

Josephine

OCCUPATION

Judge

SOMETHING YOU WEAR

Jodphurs

FOOD

Jelly beans

SOMETHING IN THE BATHROOM

Jungle (what it usually looks like with 4 children)

REASON FOR BEING LATE

jinks (as in high…)

SOMETHING YOU SHOUT
jingo (as in by…)
I tried to give this an Aussie flavour.
I’m off to finish an ATC after I listen to the little one do her reading. This is some background painting I did on cotton, destined to be postcards.

Cheers

The Cats Roar & the Lions Whimper

As the boys were all occupied with local footy and surfing, Claudia and I used the member’s tickets to watch today’s home game; the Cats v Brisbane Lions in the AFL. Once again the Cats showed their dominance with 7/7 for the season so far.
Despite a heavy cold I managed to finally finish off the postcard for Susan’s Cyberfyber swap. I have had this piece on the filing cabinet for quite a while. My niece, who is studying Textiles & Design for her VCE was quite upset that I was going to chop it up for postcards, so I promised her I would keep half to work into a larger piece. I managed to find two interesting bits for the postcard. Originally I was planning on sending the feet as it showed the orange belly of the parrot but I think the head piece is more visually effective.

And the back:

Mmmmmm I’m still not sure which to send!!!!

To finish off here is a lovely autumn picture taken out the little one’s window. Cheers for now.