Stitching, Reading and Op Shopping

The stitching is on-going as I add little extras to the sea angels; here are a couple of snippets (I have been powering through the romeo for all the metallic lace):

I am into buttons at the moment (after the workshop making some) and I’m currently reading this really interesting and informative book on the history of buttons:

And this one on making all sorts of interesting buttons (some of which may find their way onto the rose sea angel):

Now for some bargains picked up from the local Op Shop, handily opposite the furniture warehouse where I was checking out beds for youngest son. This would have to be my favourite op shop for picking up great stitching supplies. For $14 I scored over a metre of good quality wool gaberdine, 2 metres of a silky polyester (feels very similar to the fabric in my favourite Basque dress and would look sensational printed with a gold motif), a fat quarter of a toning batik cotton (also good quality) – I can see a bag happening here, 4 new zips, 2 silk ties, a chiffon scarf, large piece of red synthetic felt, assorted buttons, a reel of a very nice variegated pink cotton, a spare bobbin case for my Janome (I can now use this for fiddling with the tension), a thin strip of velcro and over a metre of hand crocheted cotton edging.

What a haul!!

Yet again we have missed out on tickets in the Geelong Footy Club ballot so we will be watching from home; at least we won’t get wet!

GO CATS

Cheers

ATC/Postcard swap complete

Just a quick post of the swaps we recently sent, now they have been received in Canberra and North Devon.

For Ebony from Claudia (Doreen emailed this scan for me, thanks Doreen)

Ebony made this gorgeous ATC for Claudia:

And for Val;

Val sent the most beautiful postcard and ATC for me and an ATC for Claudia shown here.

The theme for the swap was spring, and I had a piece of fabric on which I had originally painted four roses (for a spring swap last year with Susan!)

This is the one I worked on for Val as it fitted the postcard size best. It has some pink fibres and some leaf shapes from the scrap bits of painted fabric covered with chiffon scarf and FME’d. It is finished with hand stitching and beading.

I still have the other two roses and am trying to decide whether to cut into ATC size for the Creative fibre arts group swap, or keep them whole and finish as quilties. These two have fragments of silk paper added, then FME over a chiffon scarf (I have a great collection of these scarves from the Op shop).

Progress on the casalguido:

 

I think the casalguido stitch is ideal for the tree, great texture. The thread for the stem stitch over the top is cotton a broder, between a pearl 8 and 12 in thickness. Hopefully I’ll finish this off today and add some needlewoven leaves. 

My sampler is a bit haphazard, unlike Sharon’s fantastic examples!!

I’m hoping to try out some of the needlewoven stitches from Effie’s book (which I have borrowed from the library, but like so much I’ve ordered it from Boomerang Books) in the space next to the tree.

Cheers

Off to stitch!

Time Flies

It has been a long time, over a month, since I’ve blogged here. The only reason I have time today is that I’ve had an eye infection all week and can’t go to work. I have kept up with our textile group blog so you can read about our last meeting (May) here.

It has been a busy month with work and social events as well as all the sport our four children need to be run around to. The AFL footy season is very busy for us with two playing footy,  two training sessions each a week and two playing netball. Add to this swimming, basketball and tennis and it doesn’t leave much time for anything else.

We have been busy the last two weeks with preparation for a close friend’s wedding. A friend was staying with us from up north which meant spending some time spring cleaning. The ceremony blew everyone away with the music and singing (most of the bride’s family are working in music) and the strings trio at the after drinks were wonderful. I made a new outfit for the wedding, a high waisted skirt with tulle at the hem and a tissue taffeta top.Looks much more shapely on!! The skirt fits quite tightly and must have looked okay as daughter no 1 asked me to make her one in a shorter version.

My daughter and her cousin glammed up

I had a foray to the op shops before the wedding, looking for suit coats for the two boys. I managed to pick up one for $10 for son no. 1.

Of course, while there, I had a browse and found a wonderful satin bag minus a strap (added a chain picked up from spotlight for $1) and a sportsgirl clutch with a broken strap (added a bit of chain) for $2 and $1. Also managed to pick up lots of zips and other bits for a couple of dollars. The cream separating zip went into the wedding top. i’m hoping to knit the cardi at some stage.

 

 

Finally got Claudia to sit down and do some stitching when she had a day off school yesterday and she finished off a few ATC’s for swaps.

Val, you’ll be happy to know yours will be in the post today. Also Ebony’s. I’ll post photos next time so we don’t spoil the surprise!

Cheers.

Angels and stuff

A progress report on what’s been happening. I have been working/out/socialising so much there hasn’t been much time to ‘art’.

I have signed on for a six week challenge at the local gym. We have bootcamp sessions Monday and Friday at 6am, keep a food diary, are expected to do weights sessions another three times a week and some form of exercise on the other two days!!! To fit this in around work, four children, uni and arting is quite a feat (but I’m working on it). I have managed to do some of this but I’m not at peak capacity yet. It’s a matter of utilising every spare 40 minutes and squeezing it all together. Thus I’ve done a weight session on the way home from work, after dropping children off, prior to picking up etc. Also needing to fit housework and cooking in there somewhere. Luckily the eldest daughter is very good at grabbing a load of washing and hanging it out (thanks Carlz).

Last weekend eldest daughter and I  toodled off to Melbourne with SIL and niece to see the stage show ‘Wicked’, a sensationally beautiful show and a fantasical story. We went to a great Japanese restaurant in Fed Square for tea and then to the Regent Theatre. We all enjoyed it immensely, though I was glad I hadn’t taken Claudia; it was a bit too scary and ‘old’ for an eight year old.

Now to arty progress. This is a mock up of the body for the ’sea angels’ (corn flake packets come in very handy for this sort of thing) standing on my wooden cheese board, which is the size I planned for the wooden base. 

I have cut the triangular pieces from pelmet vilene and have been looking for a source of ‘builder’s scrim’ sometimes called cotton tape by the plastering fraternity. Most plasterers today use fibreglass (ezy tape) which is self adhesive. I assume the cotton tape is used mainly for renovating older homes. I have decided not to use quink ink as it is a little dark, so I’m using a technique from Angie Hughes’ new book, Stitch, Cloth, Paper, Paint, which I borrowed from the library. The clearly displayed process uses tissue paper and scrim PVA’d to the vilene followed by machine stitching, gesso, paint and hand stitching.

Now a couple of photos of some op shop finds. Nikki is about to release a new laptop bag/satchel pattern (for which I have been waiting). Nikki’s bag patterns are sensational, both in style and the detailed notes which amount to a workshop on how to make each bag. At the op shop I picked up two bags, one brand new, for $2.00 each. I will cut them up for the buckles, rings, bag feet, and zippers with gorgeous zipper pulls. The webbing strap with fittings will make a perfect strap for my laptop bag. I also picked up the two macro suede pieces for footstools or cushions and the ribbed fabric for placemats (matches some I already have) for $1 each. The larger book is for Maggie’s workshops and the smaller is an interesting historical look at textiles (c1968): weaving, tapestry, spinning, batik, printing, lace making, embroidery etc. I have been following Helen Cowan’s blog on the history of English embroidery so this will be a good adjunct.

I’m off to prepare for a day in Melbourne. I have to go to uni first and then to the Australasian Quilt Convention. I’m looking forward to a few workshops to try out a variety of sewing and embellisher machines.

Cheers

Hotch Potch

Hold on to your hats as this is a catch up post on a variety of different projects.

Firstly was a last minute stitch up of a carry on bag for our Australia Day weekend to Sydney (north of actually). We had been invited to a friend’s 50th birthday celebration near Gosford, so a friend and I got onto the web whilst also plotting our moves on the phone, to book our flights and plan our trip. There are some ultra cheap flights to be had when travelling ‘light’ (carry on luggage only). Flights booked, train timetables checked, I moved onto measuring bags currently held in various cupboards and rooms in our home. Only one bag was the correct size. Emails to Nikki followed, who suggested adjusting her beach bag pattern to the required size. (Didn’t have it, no time to post down!). Onto the net and found this free tutorial. I adjusted the sizes to suit, used a few of Nikki’s tips in the bag patterns which I did have, searched out the curtain/upholstery fabric sampler books in the garage and came up with a very stylish carry on bag. (I think so anyway).

 

I have also had a little Op shopping, primarily to get supplies for arting. I found a fantastic stainless steel ladle for heating UTEE for Maggie’s on line classes for Textile Translations, A great clear plastic ice cube tray for paints and dyes, a Portman’s skirt for wearing to 50th birthday (teamed perfectly with Brown Sugar top reduced to 19.99 from $80). Also a great Craft and Decorating magazine, some calico (75 cm ready washed for use) and 1.5 m of the lovely stone coloured wool/spandex fabric (will end up a skirt or jacket). All for $7.00!!!

I have also been stitching, on and off, on my sampler 2009, which incorporates stitches from following Sharon B’s sampler documentation, as well as the Stitch Explorer challenge. There are some great examples of the first challenge stitch, chicken scratch, linked from Sharon’s blog. One great link I came across was Emily’s blog freebies link. Check out Emily’s blog, it is a great source of lots of interesting patterns. I’m thinking of  making her mini biscornu to practice the chicken scratch.

I have spent today working on the proposal for the ‘Sea Angels’ for the Johnston Collection, which have been emailed off for approval. The proposal includes many of the techniques that I have discovered while browsing many textile artists sites (thankyou all). I am spending tomorrow trying out Maggie’s techniques from her on-line classes to also incorporate. Will hopefully have some photos to post shortly.

This is a photo of the three generations at my nephew’s wedding.

Cheers

one down, one to go

What a relief!! I spent all day yesterday at the computer and books and finished the first draft of my 4000 word research project submission. It has been emailed to my uni supervisors for comment after which I will polish it for final submission next Thursday. I have a non compulsory assignment (only 1000 words) due this Saturday. I have about 400 words down, so I’m taking a break before finishing it off.

Firstly I’d like to thank the very generous Sharon for sending me the following book. I have been reading about the Bayeux tapestry and she had this one spare.

As I told Sharon, I’m hanging out for the xmas break to get back to some fun stitching. Luckily in Oz it’s 5 weeks and also summer so it’ll be stitching in between visits to the beach. We are very lucky to be only a five minute drive from a beautiful beach and the boys love to get out for a spot of surfing.

The first thing I’ll be doing is starting on Maggie Grey’s workshop. I have bought her latest book “Textile Translations” via the publishers. When you buy the book you can log in on-line for extra fun activities and there is also a yahoo group to show and tell.

Last week I managed to get to our textile group afternoon get together for the first time in several months. A few of the girls had attended the Fibreforum in September at Geelong Grammar. They had stocked up on felt and felting supplies so we played around with hand needle felting. The blue piece with the flower was my first effort. It was an eyes closed lucky dip for the base felt and the flower. I also used some of Dale’s funky felted yarn.

I then decided to try out some felting onto an op shop scarf, needs a little more work but has possibilities. The top piece was onto a very lightweight felt, also has possibilities.

No 2 son loves to pick up old BMX bikes at the op shop. He pulls bits off and puts together new combinations, great fun for him and great learning about mechanical processes (takes after his father who rebuilt his first car engine at 12!)

So he dragged me to the op shops last Saturday. Unfortunately no bikes at all (it was a long weekend for the Melbourne Cup and all the tourists were out op shopping too) however I did find a few good mags and a couple of silk ties. There have been a few good ideas on-line using these. The three hard cover books (circa 1975) are for a future Maggie Grey workshop.

Cheers

I love op shops

Op Shops are the most amazing treasure troves. I have just had a lovely, full of laughs girl’s tennis weekend in Apollo Bay and visited the lovely op shop there. Very well organised and many sewing treasures. I bought a medicine jar of interesting sequins, a large button for covering and the following books. The sewing book has wonderfully clear diagrams for all types of embroidery stitches and I bought the Inspirations for the stumpwork.

I showed a friend and she went over and bought the other Inspirations!

The large King size actil sheet was a great find for $2 in the Geelong West Op Shop in Pakington St. I will use this as a base for machine embroidery. This is the cleanest op shop I have ever been into (a lady washes everything before it goes out for sale) and raises money for McKillop Family Services. Unfortunately the friendly lady behind the counter told me it is closing as they will get more income from selling the property and investing the money. It is a shame as it is my favourite in Geelong. I also bought this cute woollen hand crocheted scarf, looks like it is brand new, somebody didn’t like it once it was made!!

Cheers

Jo

 

Not very creative

I am a bit embarrassed at not having blogged in xxxx days, however it is now Easter and term holidays and I have just finished, tonight, a 1500 word report for my Master of Education studies so I feel justified in taking some time for creative stuff. My report was based on an arts related field trip of our choice so I took daughter number 2 to our local, yearly Arts in the Park event. It was a fun (but very hot) day and she enjoyed being immersed in such a variety of artwork. Her favourite was the art dolls displayed by the Trolley dolly cloth dolls group and she has requested we make a fairy doll just like the one there. I found out it was a Patti Culea Medaris pattern so I have borrowed her books from the library. It will be a good project for us over the holidays. The textile and fibre art displays were wonderful and D2 enjoyed greatly the children’s art marquee activities organised by an Aboriginal cultural group.

The unit I am doing at the moment is called Researching Arts Education and is very interesting, both the content and the interaction with my fellow students. This group encompasses people from a variety of fields and countries, including a music teacher from Taiwan and another from Portugal, performing arts educators, voice teachers, music specialists, community theatre, visual artists, a sound artist and an early childhood arts educator. This makes for very interesting discussion, but the best thing about the class is that we participate in various strategies and activities. My research project is going to relate to drama and literacy. Part of our assessment is to keep a journal so I’m looking forward to making that visual as well as content based.
I read and blog for a fun site called I op therefore I am. When I was doing the Personal Library of Stitches I instigated a discussion about op shops (thrift shops) and the wonderful treasures to be found therein. On a recent visit to find items for my daughter’s cheerleader costume for a party I found these cute, handy little books:

Inside they have clear diagrams illustrating many interesting stitches:

I’m not sure of their age. Any ideas???

Hopefully over the next few days I will have something creative to show

Cheers