Last week at the Hunt Club

At the Hunt Club we are working steadily towards an exhibition about Glory Boxes, as apart of the Christian Coptic tradition.  The exhibition will be taking place in February - but as you know when you are hand sewing it always takes a long time to finish a piece.

Below are photos of works in progress for some final patches for our group linen table cloth.  This coming Thursday I hope we will be starting to stitch it all together.

 This design is of a mother and daughter, walking with a puppy and also a weeping willow - I wonder what the story is behind this imagery.  Angi Russi is another artist working on the project.  She is collecting the women's Glory Box stories and compiling transcripts.

 

Other items the women are interested in working on include towels, aprons and also tea towels.  Making my way through the Internet I have found some fantastic tea towel embroidery designs - it looks like we will draw our inspiration from these ones below. These patterns can be found here.

 

I like the idea of using the days of the week and glorifying the montany of running a household, which is what really we are making glory box items for - to make a home with the presence of the woman of the house's handicrafts.

How do I feel about this? I like tradition and sewing - so kind of excited, but also free because it is my choice to make, one time girls were not given many options.  I also feel some urgency to return to this way of making a home for sustainable reasons - making do and enjoying what you have.

 

Cross Stitch sourced from here

I have also been thinking about the journey through life to becoming a woman - stitching or preparing to run a household doesn't really play a role in this any more - rather education and getting a good job. 

Listening to The Book Show this morning (one of my favourite things to do whilst working in the studio) there was a review of  Bossypants by Tina Fey - a chapter is on becoming a woman - a story was retold of a workshop she once attended and all the participant were asked to write about the moment that they identified as a woman - and most described this moment as being abused by a man - which is a stomach curdling thought for a mother with a young daughter.

Glory Box workshop week 6

Last week I posted about my preparation work for Workshop 6 for Glory Box.  This project has been challenging for me to facilitate for a number of reasons - cultural, distance (the project is over 200km away from where I live) and also understanding what is shared between the women who want to make items about Glory Boxes.  

At first I had assumed that the women participating had all made items for their own Glory Box or had access to items from their Mother's or Grandmother's Glory box - but this isn't the case at all - for a number of reasons - including the most tragic; war, and most excitingly; feminism.  It is almost like this project is an opportunity for the women - who are mostly entering the autumn time in their lives to have time, space and support to make beautiful items of hope and joy for a glory box.

As mentioned previously we are working towards making a collaborative table cloth that is exploring the meaning of the table; the items that go on a table and also what the act of sitting around a table can mean. Above is the linen squares cut up and ready to be transformed.

The first hour or so of the session was spent researching imagery  - sourced from books, and google images.  Researching also the stitching and techniques to use to develop up a design.

 Other women are also creating individual works - this work here is a traditional needle work method that I had never come across before called Milon - searching this term in wikipedia I wasn't able to find any more information - so hope to learn more.

 

I apologise for the quality of the photo - but had to include as this image is documenting a very special event - the cutting of the nightie - a very important item for all Glory Boxes!

We meet again next Thursday at the Hunt Club in Deer Park.  The focus of our next session will be working further on our table cloth and individual projects that have started.  As the artist in residence I am to respond to the activities and processes that the project is unravelling.  I have started to do this by making a quilt from baking paper - no images yet - it is still very much in experimentation phase, but I will post about it when the right time comes to share.

Finally I am back in the studio

Well for a moment there I thought I was never going to pick up a needle again - I fluffed about cleaning up my studio, got the sewing machine serviced, cut out material and gathered patterns and put projects together in little bags - and now I have finally finished something!

I has been a very special making year for me with Places and Pieces, The Enlightenment Project, Easter in the Conservatory and some smaller commissions. Not forgetting Knotty Ladies came into being!

Right now I am enjoying making gifts for Christmas and sewing for my daughter.

The skirt above took about 15minutes using a tutorial by Oliver & S dead easy I am pleased to crow.


These are some flags for my nephew - he is turning two early December - easy and satisfying to bring them together. I have finished off some other gifts - but I can't post about just yet!

Young Places & Pieces Artist's new Works!

Here is a proud little post of new art works by the young students I worked with at Bendigo Senior Secondary College whilst on residency there for a project called Places & Pieces.

This one is by Karly - it is called Felt Master Piece 2


A Piece of Lace by Akasha


This lovely ceramic braclet by Simone called Hope and Dreaming


Eve Lace and Night

Recent works on paper

Tired last night and couldn't think what to do with myself (as completed trashy novel the night before) and then I remembered DRAWING!!!

Here is what arrived:




On the peak



Camping in Balance

An embroidery of one of my most favourite drawings

The Story of the Signature Quilt at Kyneton Museum

My role as an artist in the Enlightenment Project is to provide a more lively engagement (through interpretation) with stories triggered by significant objects and collections at the museum - as opposed to the use of text information panels.



Working mostly in textiles at the moment I was immediately attracted to their enmormous textile collection and also inspired by the wonderful show, The Presence of Things: sense, veneer and guise, curated by Stephen Gallenger way back in 2005. (sorry could only find awful links to this show!) In this show fourteen Australian artists and crafts practitioners created new contemporary art works response to the embroidery and lace collections of the Embroiderers Guild, Victoria. Simply new sunning works were made in response to selected pieces from the guild's collection and they were exhibited together - making for a sensory joy of possible links, leaps and relationships.



On my first visit to the Kyneton Museum on my residency I fell in love with the signature quilt - for its age, quality of stitch and it's story. The story of the signature quilt was shared with me by an extraordinary woman called Pat who has volunteered at the Museum for many years and knows the collection very well.



Way back in 1905 women from a local church decided to fund raise for a charity by making a quilt - not only were women involved who had extra ordinary stitching skills but locals were invited to participate through purchasing a quilt section and writing some text to be included on this leaving the donation and the message to be embroidered at the local milk bar. (I like this touch).



So the notion of community quilt is the direction I have taken this project - inviting community members to both donate fabric to be included in the quilts, to donate a patch or their time stitching them together. I will be posting soon the very first collection of fabric and quilt stories that have so far been donated.



Here is the twist in the project the final quilts will be shown on cubby - house like frames referencing the story of the museum how its form documents story of Kyneton. The museum being an icon architectural monument documenting the towns journey from a small settlement to a rich booming town with a large and grand bank being built.



I hope also to touch on an include sampler embroidery works I have recently had the pleasure of viewing at the museum last week - but more about these later in a future post.



More details about the signature quilt is detailed below.



346.00 Object Name : Table - Cloth

"AUTO GRAPHED TABLECLOTH"

Brief Description: Linen cloth embroidered with Kyneton local organisation symbols and the names/autographs/signatures of donors, by the congregational church ladies guild as a fundraiser for a mission to India in 1905. The cloth comprises seventeen sections stitched together with torchen lace insertions and edging. Bought by Mr Albert Young at a Dutch auction. Full list of transcriptions of names from the signature embroider is stored with card.

Length 2220mmm

Width 1610



Donated by the Kyneton Historical Society









The signature quilt









detail : torchen lace insertion







detail : embroidery patch









The resulting works will be on show during September during the annual Kyneton Daffodil Arts Festival. I hope through viewing these new works that the audience appreciate the historical relevance of stitch in community life. Also accessing objects/items from the museum that are rarely shown due to the challenges of showing textiles - their fragility and also sheer space that is required to show them.



Lastly I wanted to acknowledge here an artist who has worked a great deal with museum collections in Victoria Malcolm Mackinon



And from the UK a research project that is within a university, rather than a museum that collects clothing stories from the local project local communities and every day people.



And finally a note about a contemporary community fundraiser quilt project I have just been invited to participate in called Project Patch Work - but more about this later

Washed Up

A little gift for a nice niece's third birthday - instant success and a request from a certain soon to be four year old for her birthday too!
Pattern Inspiration here.
Sustainably harvested wooden cooking set found here

Last night at the studio

Last night at my Tuesday night studio evening I finished off some packaging for a recent commission by the local government - possum costumes!

Then I did a bit of procrastination - from my last post you will see that I am starting a new project and just a bit reluctant to take that first big bite - come on MUMMA you can do it!


But I did turn my procrastination into something productive a little sewing project from a fantastic op shopped tea towel for me - covering my journal and my daily to do list book.

Other side projects I have on the go include sorting my business out and making business cards for my mum - check this fantastic sewing design idea for cards.

Here is my daughter's first sewing project I also mentioned in my last post - she is 3 and half - we did it next to the camp fire whilst camping last week - her brother did one - but his still is a work in progress - I made his a little more complicated. Wish I got some shots of them sewing - but really had to keep them focused and pour all of my attention onto them.

Gearing up for a new commission

This isn't my work - but from rubycrownkinglette, whom I often admire on flickr

I am collecting some images, some works that are propelling me into my next commission - The Enlightenment Project.

What I am liking here is the use of found material, whimsy and joy. I like the out door-i-ness and the collection of material to become.

Other works of mine that are ticking over include this little collection of oddments (which really what a museum is all about is it not - oddments?) Like these lovely little bits of rolled up paper.





When watching Where the Wild Things Are I nearly passed out to see in the little boy's bed room a city structure of some sort made up out of rolled up cardboard - oh to have a still of that scene.

This Friday on my visit to the museum again I need to take some additional shots of the outside collection of machines and sheds - full of inventions for men to make order of agriculture. All rusting and mostly weighing a tonne - but I like the idea of these bits and bobs complementing the shadow houses.

Actually it was a camping boredom distraction activity that I planned for the kids that has also fueled my need to make stuffed things. More about these creatures soon...

Stitching is apart of the stuff we do

Kd is into his second week of school as a Grade One boy & also a new school. One of our "start-of-a-new-year" ritual is sewing key tags together. Here is 2008 and then 2009
This is the orginal image - I nearly passed out when Kd handed it over - as it is so detailed - but I think we did an Ok job! Kd stitched the black line around the outside of the design.

Below is an image my darling brother in law sent through of my sister soon to have her baby in April with her birthday scarf on. Her birthday was in Novemer, and I sent her gift to London via the ocean - I think she got it mid Jan! It includes french lace left over from my wedding gown, placed over some lovely velvet I found.
I have also fallen in love with this amazing paper sculpture that Kd created a few weeks back - completely brilliant

Oh when will I ever be brilliant? Speaking of embroidery brilliance check out these embroidered chairs.

More gifts

Living up to my hand made pledge here is my next gift, placemats, for a certain sister in law - who also happens to be a super star. (can you iron out those wrinkles for me?) - pleased to note all made out of reclaimed fabric - aside from the threads.


Unfortunately this is not my creation - but that ruffle has most certainly stolen my heart - a bit of a fan of frills.

I would happly hand my soul to the devil for this table cloth - especially if it comes with a matching apron.

You can read more about the creative frill girls here.

some stitching artists who I fall over

Miko Sato



Takashi Iwasaski

Sustainable Textiles

I went to talk a few weeks back now, hosted by the local Sustainability Group and presented by an artist who has not long established herself in Bendigo - Vertiy Lougoon.

Opened my eyes up to the long series of processes to making fabrics - let alone making them into a garment or item. Such as the material that the fabric is made from - fibre plant or animal or a synethetic process and the resources that go into growing/making these such as water, land and chemicals - then the process of making the fabric again using engery and often unethical work processes such as child labour, then the dying and the waste, vast amount of chemcials and water used in this process too! Completely NUTS!

Very overwhelming and depressing - making with fabric from the op shop really makes sense or refashioning even better.

here are some businesses in Australia who inspire me greatly:
Bird
http://www.slingfings.com.au/
Maike
Gaye Abandon

Here is a list of green tutorials here from Sew, Mama, Sew

My favourite materials are horse hair fabric and embroidery floss - a good project for me is to sort out how sustainable they are and if there are any alternatives?

The images dont really relate to my post today - however they are off the new decorating activities taking place around our new home!

Lighting my life

Busy day today. It started with a yoga - gee my teacher is brilliant - she is in her mid 60s - vibrant and wonderful got me doing hand stands and backbends and really brought me out of my repetative negative rut xxxx Often I walk away from this class with lots of new insights into myself. Today I reflected on some of my tatics to stay distant from people - such as being a teacher or leader.

Then breakfast with another special woman my nan - she is in her early 80s and is managing at home still without her husband - sad but curageous. Nan tells me is often is shocked at how lonely old age is. Yet she is bright, loving and positive. I left with a lovely warm belly.

Then work for a few hours and ticked 3 things off my to do list. YAY

Then off to a Home Birth luncheon that my darling husband cooked to share; yummy mini pizza squares. Below is a picture of my hyped up children, myself and my darling midwife who, with me and my husband, delivered both our children in our home.



Here is another woman who takes my breath away and leaves me tinged green. Elsa Mora - she is American and some how I stumbled over her flickr then blog site - she is an incredible artist (snipper and crafter) and a shining beam on celebrating ourselves as women. (that is if, dear reader, you are a woman!)

some blogs and web sites that inspire me

Paper Crane

Diem Chau