Waterfeature

Waterfeature
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

I am back from babysitting, but have been recovering from a cold/fluey thing and still am definitely under the weather. However, one of the first things I did when I got back was to fill my new water feature and then trail a temporary connection to a power point so I could revel in the joy of watching water trickling from the small basin into the larger basin. Background consists of 'pink' iceburg rose, gerbera, bay tree and behind the solar light there is a hibiscus plant. Of course the dog blanket hanging on the line had to get in on the act too!

Baby sitting

I am off to one of Western Australia's prime wine producing areas to baby sit for my son and his wife on their wedding anniversary. Going to be away for a week, hope to see you all when I get back.

hand dyed flannelette

hand dyed flannelette
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

This is the flannelette that has been dyed and overdyed to create a backing for the contemporary quilt I am working on. Overdyeing gives a most interesting depth to the colour you are aiming for. I dyed 5 metres so this is just a small snippet, the colouration is varied over the whole length. I used Procion MX.

Lost link

ok, here
is the link!

Tokyo Quilt Show

Here is a link to this show for those of you who enjoy looking at quilts.

Felting

I have just felted another knitted teacosy. Now I know what I am doing I seem to manage this part of the process much easier. It did not felt too well on the first wash, so was thrown straight into a bucket of very hot water and detergent for a soak, then into the washing machine for a cold water rinse. Worked perfectly. Now it is sitting atop a very expensive teapot I bought in an op shop half price sale to shape it and dry.

I have also been stitching on quilt blocks I started in the Glenys Mann workshop. They might even make the local contemporary quilt show if I get a wiggle on.

Sale wool

Sale wool
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

I need more wool like a hole in the head! This mohair acrylic mix was sooo tempting, just $2 for the four balls. Not a pretty colour, but I am thinking if I knit a scarf and before felting thread some brighter yarns through the stitches it could look quite interesting. Another day for this though!

Message bearers and the environment5

Message bearers and the environment5
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

This one relates to fire and regeneration. I felt so much more comfortable working within my environmental focus.

Now I am trying to decide whether to do a 5-day workshop with Glenys Mann, a live in workshop with accommodation and food, but the cost is so very high........I did enjoy her 2-day workshop though.

Stocktake day

Today I am doing a stocktake of the books in the machine embroidery group. Being librarian has its downside I have knitted another of the teacosies and before felting it I have to sew the ends in, so I thought being a sort of mindless task I would take it with me to do in lulls between stocktaking. We are also having a papermaking workshop first thing, I could do with some more handmade paper, I love to look at it and feel it and have just begun to incorporate it into my work.

I made another postcard yesterday under the message bearers and the environment theme. This time I worked in greens rather than the browns our tutor wanted us to work in. I had problems working in the iron dyed colours, my environment is green, the lovely sagey green lit with sparkles of light which is Perth. The red colours relate to the centre and north of Australia, places I love, but they are holiday places, not my environmental home.

Message Bearers and the Environment 4

Message Bearers and the Environment 4
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

4th postcard from this masterclass. Somehow it does not look so exciting in this picture.

Omiyage

Omiyage
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

As I am librarian I get to buy books for my machine embroidery group (I love this position!). This is one of my latest and it is absolutely scrumptious. All sorts of little bags and small gifts and all quite different from any I have seen before. The book is Omiyage by Kumiko Sudo.

Gorgeous textiles and quilts at this Japanese site, you don't need to read the words to appreciate the work!

Message Bearers and the Environment3

Message Bearers and the Environment3
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

This postcard is the start of my women's work series, discussing the ephemeral nature of such work.

Message Bearers and the Environment1

Message Bearers and the Environment1
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

We dyed paper, fabric and thread and then were required to make 8 postcards on the topic of our response to the environment.

Message Bearers and the Environment2

Message Bearers and the Environment2
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

Here is one of the postcards I made in the Glenys Mann mini masterclass. Rust dyed and shellaced paper, textile, embroidery

Mini Masterclass

It was such fun working yesterday. We dyed paper and fabric, tore, cut, ripped, stapled, glued, and I completed my 8 postcards which turned into a series about the ephemeral nature of women's work. Today we have another project which I suspect will turn us upside down once again! No images today as we show our work sometime tomorrow and then I get to bring them home with me.

Safe Sex Dress

Thanks to my crazy (quilt) friend Cherie, I bring you the Safe Sex Dress for your delectation and information in case of need. You can see it here.

I must be getting old, but never realised condoms came in such a delectable range of colours

Horoscopes

I have been to visit Crazy Aunt Purl's Horoscope page and to my amusement find I am greatly relieved to discover that I am not insane. See this month's horoscope for Virgo. Oh, as well as your own horoscope of course.

Mini masterclass

I have a very strange mix of textile and paint items packed for my workshop with Glenys Mann tomorrow. Was crayons, crayons, acrylic paints, watercolour paints, watercolour paper, sundry leaflets and bought decorative papers, a length of silk fabric, a piece of old woollen blanket, embroidery threads, sewing threads, visual journal, paintbrushes, shellac. I strongly suspect this is going to be a collage class, and am so excited and intrigued by the idea of learning to do this properly.

Mini journal project

I decided to join the mini journal project to which Sharonb drew out attention. The journals are going to be sold for charity. You can read about this project here. My mini journal for January is covered with a collage of beach scenes since January is our major holiday month. February is covered with a leaflet advertising Japanese water features since the sound of trickling water in the garden on hot summer evenings is so delicious. These journals are supposed to take about 5 minutes to make, I think I must be getting more adept since the second one only took 15 minutes and I emerged triumphant but sticky with glue from the project. Here it is:

Postcard from Judy

Postcard from Judy
Originally uploaded by Maureen1.

Yesterday I received this postcard from a friend in Canada. The pink arc shape is plastic and behind it you can see a cut out figure and there are little sequins and glitter which is loose and shift when you look at the postcard. The whole postcard is sewn to a postcard backing which holds it firm, it came through the mail as it is, no envelope. I feel doubly lucky that it wasn't damaged or 'opened' in the mail.

Jeanne Raffer Beck

Has anyone come across this artist before. Jeanne Raffer Beck does the most interesting work. I would love to do a workshop with her.