Airports & fibre art...

As I write this M & D are sky high winging their way to London... We drove them to the airport this afternoon - D could barely contain his excitement - M was less so, she was more on the nervous side...

Me? Well, while I am concerned that they are travelling to the other side of the world while there is so much unrest - I figure that it is never going to be perfectly calm...

They will be gone for the best part of six weeks... I am sure there will be lots of photos, emails and phone calls...

My January fibre art for '6x4 lives' is finished and posted over on their site... I added a couple of othere bits... I think it would be more 'finished' if the edges had braid... Until I see something which 'catches my eye' it will remain like it is...

Missed deadline - '6 x 4 lives'...

'6X4 lives' I have missed the Jan. deadline - but I have persevered nevertheless.. The gum leaves got the flick - I decided that I was trying to be too perfect... They just 'didn't happen'fast enough for me. Perhaps they will feature in future '6x4' month... But what I did accomplish something. I rummaged around and picked some things at random and made a start. I used some pink through to deep red variegated DMC thread and some pink beads I found in my bits and pieces..

I also had bought this book from the op-shop as it had coloured illustrations of some stitches and while it didn't offer actual projects it did offer lots of ideas. At $3.00 I thought buying it was worth the risk - joking here!!!!

It had chain stitch constructed into a circle so I decide on a whim to do that too... The circle idea probably comes from my doodling - I tend to doodle circles, swans, and heart chains while I talk on the phone. Sometimes these circles 'grow' into other things - snails, shells etc. This circle takes in some elements of my dooling - obviously the circle and the straight lines nearly always feature in my doodles.

That led me to thinking about the beads and how they reminded me of bubbles... What is the connection between the three? LOL - I don't know - perhaps just shows the working of my mind. Don't answer that!!!!

Have you ever noticed how bubbles cling? They free float but also clump together on the edge of things... Now what you are about to see is not finished and you have to use ALL of your imagination...

As I got going it started to 'grow' in front of me... Now while the variegated thread doesn't really thrill me - the beading does... The photo doesn't show it - but I 'stacked' the beads so they would become 3D... I wanted to give the impression of how bubbles sit on top of each other... I wanted some of the beads to 'float' on their own and some to clump together... I wanted to suggest the idea of the bubbles coming up from within something...

The straight stitches from the middle of the circle I created for two reasons (i) to give perspective (ii) to give depth... I don't know if I am talking about the same thing here - but I know what I mean... You probably can't see the few gold beads or the metallic thread - I wanted the eye to 'travel' around the piece and with the pink metallic thread I wanted to give the impression of light touching something that was slippery... The metallic thread is wound lightly around the straight stitches helped me achieve that.

The bits that don't work for me are the deeper coloured 'circles' near the upper edges - they destroy the depth factor...

But - let me get a grip here - I decided to do participate in '6x4' to explore, push and extend my boundaries and that is what I doing - so I guess in a way the piece did work for me as I did all those things in 'little step' ways... But most of all - I really enjoyed 'the doing'!!!!

When I finish it I will 'torment' you with another photo. I have set myself a deadline - otherwise it will join the long line of unfinished.. Besides I want to start Feb's contribution. I seem to have gleaned an idea for that as well by looking at a container of potpourri which is made up of australian seed pots - all wonderful shapes - enough said.

M's block is also coming together in my mind. G from Patra's Place kindly donated some lace from her stash for my project - and a piece of that 'spoke' to me. This has taken me a little away from my original idea but still is in keeping with M's favourite things. I am itching to get started and once I have cut the final thread on the above project M's block is next in line. Busy, busy, busy... :-)}

'6x4 lives', computer woes & 'The Book Thief'...

I am in the process of creating gum leaves for the '6x4 lives' - Very simple - but probably also very boring - but I do like gums leaves. I am afraid the Virgo in me like 'clean' lines but I am hoping with the '6x4 lives' to see 'a journey' through what I create over the next few months. Perhaps a folio of sorts and with a bit of luck it might help me 'extend my horizons' and 'loosen up'...

Which brings me to the point of why there are no pictures of my gum leaves being created 'blow by blow', so to speak. E's comp has died yet again and with it my scanner which she has 'borrowed'. I am on my old 'T Model Ford' computer and just the thought of having to re-hash the scanner with my comp again leaves me cold. I am not offay enough with P's camera so I will just have to wait to record my progress As I said I am a simple gal - not really that arty - so don't expect too much... But I am determined to participate in this group even if I am a bit of a 'slow coach'...

I am reading a wonderful book called 'The Book Thief' - Markus Zusak. I have been wanting to read it for ages - it has been the kind of book which has 'echoed' through my psyche. The theme of the book has been written about many times before - but not in this way. I have 'lived through' the characters as they have had to deal with their lives in turbulent and heartbreaking times. Even though I have not read any more since last night the 'energy' of the book pervades my senses and in some ways has 'ground me to a halt'. I think I need to re immerse myself in its pages and finish it as I don't think that I will accomplish much more until I do. As I was gathering my bits together for my gum leaf project the characters were 'reaching out' and I kept 'stumbling' over pieces of the passages I had read last night. As I write this I am wondering if it is this I should be exploring as very obviously the story has had some effect on me. But because the subject matter is so vast and overwhelming, where would I start. What would I start with???

Quilt Show...

I went to the Quilt Show in Melbourne yesterday... I came home from it in two minds about what I thought... I really enjoyed it last year and raved about it - but this year it just 'didn't do it' for me... Largely though I think it was me - I loved last years's venue which was at the Convention Centre - this year it was at Jeff's Shed and while it is a lovely venue in itself I just don't think they planned the floor arrangement very well. I went to a couple of those free workshops and while it was only in a small space they backed onto the eating areas which made it noisy and because they hadn't supplied the presenters with mike's none of us could hear... Very frustrating for audience and presenter alike... But they might iron out those problems today - yesterday being the first day...

Of course the quilt exhibition itself was both large and extensive... Such an array and diversity of talent... Anything from a 3D quilt that changed colourways when you looked at it from different angles to beautifully executed and hand stitched quilts... Did I have a favorite??? Too many to single out... There was also an exhibition of very old quilts and the beautiful work that has stood the test of time was remarkable... I wondered if anything that I made will still be around in 100 years...

I was also disapponted that some of the trading stalls which were present last year weren't there this year... I understand though - from what I heard as I walked around that the fact that it is earlier this year also had something to do with it... Because of the Commonwealth Games the Quilt Show had to be moved forward - which of course interplayed with schedules for other interstate shows which apparently must be on soon... Vendors I guess have to weigh up the better option re travel, stock etc..

Not all was lost though - I did finally meet up with some 'faceless names' from the craft forum I belong to. It was lovely to catch up with those who I have only seen as names on the forum. S waving to ted-scout, sewronnieb, lynnebrumby and TrishJ...

We too, stopped traffic, as as luck would have it sewronnieb and myself both had M's CQ blocks so we had a 'show and tell' - a few people stopped and admired them and we explained the history behind the blocks... So there you go M & J your blocks not only are both in Melbourne having travelled seperately around the world but they 'had a day out' together at the quilt show!!!!!

Did I buy anything? Well, as the photo is suggests I did... I bought a little kit featuring poppies, a couple of FQ's, a button, some hand dyed ribbon, and a craft magazine (had a free diary) to read on the way home on the tram (fell asleep!!!)...

If I had to sum the day up I guess it wasn't too bad - even though I don't think it was as good as last years ( I am sure most people thought it was better!!!) - perhaps I am just a little jaded... What I did learn from it though was that I wanted to come home and create... Yeah, sure I have other years too but this year was I think more than anything I gathered lots of ideas and perhaps having spent that time with G a couple of days it compounded a different way of viewing and considering what was possible.. I can't adequately explain how I feel - just that I know it is different... Perhaps if I were to know - I want to 'play' and create from scratch and explore, have a posible outcome or an unexpected one ... It is becoming more about 'the jorney' rather than the destination... That still doesn't explain it - but it is 'a splinter' of what I am feeling...

Lunch with Gabrielle Swain...

Flannel Flowers 1928 - Margaret Preston

I had the pleasure of spending some time with Gabrielle Swain yesterday. Many of you will know her through her blog handmaiden Gabrielle is currently in Australia as she is teaching at th Quilt Convention which starts tomorrow Friday and runs until Sunday at Jeff's Shed... I have followed Gabrielle's blog since before I began to blog and have always found it to be both interesting and informative plus of course, an insight into someone else's creative life...

I was delighted to see that she was once again coming 'down under' to teach her 'magic'... I had been reading her blog since she arrived here and I decided to email her to see if she had some free time on Wednesday and we could meet for a coffee... Gabrielle took me up on my offer and we decided to do lunch plus a excursion to the Ian Potter Gallery at Federation Square to see the Margaret Preston exhibition that she had been told about... As Margaret Preston is one of my favorite artists this wasn't hard to do...

Fish 1949 - Margaret Preston

Yes, to those who are involved in the Art Challenge Quilt - I even managed to find fish!!!!!!

Rather than me tell you about our day I shall direct you to Gabrielle's blog (click on handmaiden link) for her report... One thing I will say though it was interesting see my hometown through a new pair of eyes and realising how much I knew about various bits and pieces... While I gave Gabrielle a more 'gossipy version' rather than time and date version of our history I was pleased I remembered as much as I did... I really enjoyed being 'a tourist' in my own city... Things which I have walked passed a million times Gabrielle stopped to either comment on or take photos of... Even one of our fruit street barrows didn't escape her appreciation...

To sum the day up I had a great time in the company of someone who is warm, open, and generous ... And to echo and endorse what Gabrielle says on her blog - good food, wonderful art, great conversations and great companionship...

Thanks again Gabrielle...

Tomorrow I am off to the Quilt Convention itself for a look see...

Another journey...

This is what partly started my journey into the world of quilts and CQ... It is the page of a calendar that 'caught' my attention... It theme is the differing aspects of Australia if I were to guess at it... More later...

M's block

This block belongs to M... She is J's daughter and has taken an interest in CQ... M created a block which has then embarked on a round world trip... It has come to Australia - to two states - Victoria and South Australia. After I have added my bits it will go on to New Zealand and then back home to England... I wish I could pack myself up with it and go with too...

I always amazed at these connections... I may not ever meet J and M - but I have a little piece of them here with me in my lounge room... The friendship that binds and bonds people with this craft is mind blowing... It is also a great way to see other peoples work up 'close and personal' - the old adage 'one picture is worth a thousand words' - is certainly very true here... Except in this case I can actually hold 'the picture' in my hands...

M has also included a 'record book' - each person who contributes to the block also makes a entry to the book as well...

There is a map as well which we pinpoint where we live... In years to come this block and its bits will be lovely to look back on and remember not only the experience of doing it but the memories that will have 'attached themselves' to this period of time in M's life... The writer in me is always fasinated by journeys - whether they be physical journeys or otherwise. This CQ block's journey is no different as I start to ask myself questions of 'what if', 'could it' and ' would it be possible'. Hmmm... More food for thought...

I am very excited to do this for M as I have never really done anything like this before... It has given me permission to 'have a play and lighten up' so to speak and being able to do it for someone else has made it that more special... So in lots of ways it is a first - not only for M - but for me too... I hope you like what I add M... At this stage I intend to use the yellow space for my contribution...

Hopefully by next week - all being well- the block will be ready to continue on its journey - one more stop - before finally home...