Eight Years On

I did write a whole post to celebrate my eight years as a blogger but it seems I haven't learnt all my lessons in these eight years after all so I will have to start again.

It's been a whirlwind week with most of it spent at the Abilmente Fair in Vicenza as the guest of Freudenberg, Mettler Threads and Juki. The concept was co-ordinated by Jennifer Manefield. Three artist would demonstrate with the three products produced by each company. Each artist was given exhibition space and equipment and products with which to demonstrate. The other two artists were Jeanette Knake from Germany and Laura Armiraglio from Italy.Everyone got along incredibly well and we had a fun four days whilst doing a lot of work and really testing and playing with the product. I created my wall of poppies especially for the fair.

I also worked with some products I had not worked with before one of which was Solufix- I am in love with it. It allows you to work with your photos and create embroidered images without the expensive software for digitising and the super duper  sewing machine to do it.The other thing I liked was that it still retained the feel of having been drawn by the hand so that the quirky little things that happen with stitching still happen.I will definitely be building a workshop in using this product so contact me if you are interested!See what you think...

I really love the Solufix and can see myself using it a lot. The image above I have often wondered how to translate into fabric and stitch and it's done! Of course it helped that I had a stand of wonderful silk finish cotton threads from the Mettler right beside me so that I could get just the right  nuances in grey for this image!

There is till time to enrol in my online linocutting class which starts today. This will be the last linocutting class I will do for this year. The methods for creating stamps is both suitable for fabric and paper printing and the exercises are designed to build skills not only with the images but also with designs and cutting skills. The cost is $60AUS so email me if you are interested.

And last but not least . To celebrate eight years of my blog ( who would have thought I would keep it going for this long, but it has become a part of my life and a week without blogging makes me fret) I will give a giveaway- so leave a comment and all those who comment will go into a hat and I will draw a winner this Saturday. Please make sure i can contact you if you leave a comment.

Packing

I have been working and working , getting all the pieces for the display at Abilmente Fieri in Vicenza in Italy quilted and satin stitched. I had hoped to do more, but life intervened and in the end I was pleased with what I did finish.One wall will be poppies.

I did stitch up another 3 Sentinelle panels made with transfer paint and polyester non-woven CS500- so some more sentinelles wining to another part of the world. They are for sale for $100AUS each

I will surely be sleeping on that plane tonight as I am exhausted. had to mow the lawn ( last time I didn't and I came home to a jungle) and do various other things- there's always more to do at the last minute than you think.I also travel with some anxiety as my father will be operated on 22 October-so I hope it all goes well.

Just to remind you of the workshops I am teaching in various parts of Europe:

29 October ;Gypsy Blanket at Au Fil dEmma in Orleans
2 November Applique Poppies/Cocqueclicot at Best of Quilting Marcoussis
3 November Gypsy Blanket at Best of Quilting Marcoussis
7 November Tifaifai at Best of Quilting Marcoussis
9/10 November Form and Variation ( or free machine Applique or Tifaifai) at kalmthout Belgium
14 November Creating your own Linocut and Printing at DIY Textile School Amsterdam

If you are interested in the class in Belgium contact me direct but for all the other classes contact the links I have given you.

Also there is still a chance to book into the linocutting on-line class and create  your own stamps to print on fabric or paper. The cost is $60AUS  and will run over a period of 6 weeks with lessons delivered fortnightly.Simply email me!

Linocutting On-Line Class

I have been ticking boxes on my countdown list and so far it's been going along at an ok pace and I haven't had to ditch too many ideas yet, and the panic has not set in like it sometimes does when I get overwhelmed by what I had planned and what is actually achievable. I am at that place ,where ,what will get done will get done and I can't do a thing more!

So on that note I am starting another Linocutting Class on-line on the 23rd of October of this year. The cost is $60 AUS and can be paid  via Paypal or internet banking within Australia. The delivery includes 4 lessons with a number of exercises to help you build your skills and to think about design for linocutting. It's all about looking at shapes and lines, positive/negative space and contrast and will help you in making your own unique stamps for printing on paper or on fabric. You could even design your own Christmas cards!I use  linocuts I have made a lot in my work, it simply enables you to make your own unique fabric  that can be used as an image in its own right or simply as part of a fabric collage. if you are interested  please email me

The photo above shows some of the linocuts I have made this year and how I have used them in my work.

Exhausted and Miles to go before I Sleep

It's been a very full on week or two these past few weeks. I am trying to get as much sewing done as possible but  life also goes on. My father turned 80 but most of his  80th birthday we spent at the hospital waiting to find out whether they would operate his bowel cancer that was diagnosed the week before last, because he also has a heart condition which  has been  quadruple bypassed some years ago- so anxious waiting time but they have decided to go ahead- the operation happens whilst I am overseas, so that has created it's own problems as my fathers' partner is no longer able to look after herself properly- thankfully a respite assessment had just come in, and their dogs also need looking after.I cannot believe how much time you have to spend waiting at hospitals despite the fact that they make appointments which always seem to run at least 2 hours behind .

Unfortunately i can't afford not to go overseas, because I am living on air at the moment, so it will be with a heavy heart that I go. Then my mother  moaned  I had not seen her in ages ( it's about a 2.5 hour drive there) so i did go and off course the Burnley tunnel was closed and traffic chaos so 2.5 hours turned into more than 4 hours there. I do wish she would come here sometimes, especially as she is still fit and gets into many activities, just not going to the other side of the bay.So four days of my working week were taken up with hospital visits and waiting rooms and visiting- when i could have done so much sewing. Sometimes it is the pits working from home- because basically the rest of the world and my family don't think I work because I am home.I can't remember the last time they asked to see anything I was working on because they just think I don't work.

So in between all that it's been difficult to focus because  there is family calling finding out about my father, family calling to ask arrangements etc, hospital calling with more appointments.And I have kids......who need me as well- I feel like I am being pulled in every direction because there is only me.

Anyway I made myself some promises before all this happened- and I am trying to stay on track , but inevitably some of it has fallen by the wayside. I have been trying to sew a storm, but there is only so much sewing you can do in one day before the back starts to complain.it leaves no time for playing and I think I find the muse again because I allowed myself a little time to play.

 These are all the poppy variations I have been working on ( these type of variations will be the subject matter of my workshops at Kalmthout in Belgium on 9/10 November- see my previous post for details)

And these are a series of work I am calling Queens of Olde- based on an statue I saw in Bayeaux Cathedral. I am still playing around with the eyes a little. Is it too odd to make them colours?