Not happy with my design!

 The EGV annual members' exhibition is coming up. The theme is Magical. I have always had a fascination with dragons, so I am trying to come up with a piece that I think is ok. 

So far, I have done one that is using a piece of silk that I painted many years ago, possibly in the 1980s! I'm not certain that it was that long ago but it definitely was a while ago. I haven't done anything spectacular with it, just put some hand sewing on it and mounted it. 

My next idea is also dragon based. I have done a free motion embroidery dragon, with two smaller ones to put on - perhaps. 

But I can't find a background that I like!! It is stopping me in my tracks. 

I made a small quilt based on Ricky Timms' convergence quilt ideas but I think the dragon fades into the background too much. 

I decided that I needed a rock for the dragon to be sitting on but now I think it is too dark and takes the focus away from the dragon.

Note the two much smaller dragons peeking in from the sides. I think I may end up not using them at all. 

I may just put it away and let myself try something different or I may get out lots of differennt  pieces of fabric that I have collected over the years and see if I can be inspired. 

Hopefully, I'll find something that speaks to me. If not, I will have to move on, which I am finding hard to do at the moment. 

Alphington Community Centre art show.

I have just visited the art show at the Alphington Community Centre. It is only on for this weekend, so much work for such a short time! Well done to the organisers!!

I am a newish member of the Melbourne Collage Meets group and we had a room for our works - as well as some space for a few other local artists. It was beautifully presented and fun to see all the works that I have seen in the making at our meetings at a local cafe - we meet there every fortnight. 

I am still trying to develop my own style and am learning from seeing the different styles of other participants. I enjoy it for the creative stimulus as well as the social connection, Collage is not my strength but it is expanding my understanding of art - as well as my enjoyment.  

I really liked this felted tree trunk! 

Some of our collage group pieces as well as a couple of paintings by local artists. 

More collages.

Australian Sheep and Wool Show.

I attended the how last weekend. It was a lovely day, there were lots of people there and we had a good time. 

Despite assuring myself that I did not need anything, of course I bought some yarns and threads. There were largely unusual for my work. I have no idea what I might use them for but I had to buy something!! There was so much lovely yarn, wool and other fibres that I was almost overwhelmed.

We spent the majority of our time looking at the woolcraft sheds. Didn't see any dogs rounding up sheep, or shearing or even fashion parades!

As usual, there were only four entries in the tapestry weaving section! 

They were all different and had interesting takes on the theme - Where the road leads us. 

We are hoping to get some more entries next year!! 

25/6/25

 Not as good as 25/5/25 but still not bad. 

It keeps me posting. I started posting years ago as we were learning how to use a blog as we would need to teach it to our students. I have found that online presence has moved on enormously but I don't much feel like trying to keep up! 

But when people talk about the older generation as being not technologically savvy, I ask who they think taught them about it! I just can't be bothered with some of the new stuff that is totally irrelevant to my life!

However, it is good to have this blog as a visual diary - I have lots of physical visual diaries at home but they are hard to search!! Also, I am trying to downsize some of my stuff - not very successfully. But having the blog means I can search better - if I have remembered to put in the proper labels. 

I have finished the tapestry, have sewn up the loose bits, put on a backing and now only have to take it to the HWSG so that they will take it for me, and bring it back! It is a very helpful and useful thing they offer members. 

I am also trying to come up with an idea for the EGV annual members exhibition - not due till late September but I need to come with an idea that I actually want to do!!

The theme is Magic - it is not speaking to me!

But I am going through some books (that I have resisted giving away) that have quilt ideas, optical illusion  ideas, and some old calendars that I have - I used to get dragon-themed ones each year. Dragons can be magical. 

I am also thinking of my fascination with how colours seem to change depending on the background colours. So more thinking is necessary before I commit to an idea. 

Almost finished!!

 I have finished weaving my tapestry!! It is sitting on the loom with the warp loosened so I can cut it off tomorrow, all being well.

The theme is Where the Road Leads (or something like that). I originally thought that I would have a road leading to a grave - that seemed a bit too depressing. So I had the wonderful idea of putting in a map with all  sorts of directions I could take - that turned out to be beyond me. 

I have done some road signs, not particularly well, and it has turned out to be a bit whimsical. There are roundabouts, slippery roads, etc. I was going to put in a STOP sign but that also seemed a bit final. So now there is a stop sign shape and colour with a question mark. Does it stop here or do I go on??? 

Also, I have a lot of green pastures but they tend to get dryer as we travel further. 

Note that some of the roads do stop at the red sign but some bypass it and life goes on. 

The top has the greener pastures idea - moving on to greener pastures. 

I am going to enter it in the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, coming up in July. I actually have it done in good time!

Autumn leaves

 We have had a much warmer than usual autumn recently but the very recent colder weather has arrived. I may be wrong but I think that the colder weather has given us some lovely reddish and orange leaves. We had a lot of yellowish leaves before this. 

Anyway, I was looking at the fallen leaves on my walks with the dog in the last few days. 

I found a leaf from our pear tree - not that we get many pears, the possums beat us to them. But the leaves are gorgeous. I know that I have posted about them in the past but just had to do so again today.    

I am also trying to get some enthusiasm up for either fabric dyeing or some collage and have collected some nicely shaped leaves from other trees too.

I just realised that I didn't get any fig leaves from the small tree that determinately grows in our garden. It is very small and doesn't give us any figs but it does have lovely shaped leaves. I really love the shapes, so I will go out tomorrow and get some. 

 

Compelling date: 25/5/25

 As the header says, today's date is pushing me to do a post. Not that I  have much to post about! I am still struggling with my tapestry! I am trying to do a bit of weaving every few days - can't seem to get it done every day.

I am working on an incomplete cartoon - mostly because I have made some mistakes and have not bothered to be too fraught about them. Also, I didn't do a coloured background in the cartoon so am making it up as I go. 

The theme seems to be that the longer we go through life, the dryer the surrounds become - a bit negative but that is how it is feeling! We are in drought here despite it not being officially acknowledged- we have had very little rain recently!!

Anyway, I am beavering away at it - sometimes. 

I usually do small tapestries, this one is not big but is bigger than I usually do. So I am finding that the seat and table I use are not that comfortable. I have lowered the table as far as it will go, have lowered the chair as far as it will go. I am trying to keep my arms at the level that is recommended for using a computer, having your elbows at a right angle. At this stage I am managing that but have to spread my legs more than I am used to as they no longer fit under the table. 

Ah, the sufferings we have to put up with. 

Anyway, it is going along and I hope to get it finished in time for the Bendigo Wool Show (also known as the Australian Sheep and Wool Show). I should have time, as long as I can stop myself from pulling out lots of it. 

On another note: there was an article about the textile course I did at RMIT. Not specifically about the course I did but relevant. Here is a link to the article.: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/25/a-new-room-for-a-doomed-loom-and-the-battle-to-save-australias-slowly-dying-crafts

The interesting thing is that it reminded me about the course I did, the changes that happened in the few years I studied and the fact that the Lost Trades Centre in Ballarat is going to take the old loom.