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