En Plein Air tapestry weaving

As an enjoyable way to finish off our year of tapestry study, we have just spent a weekend at Mansfield, learning how to do en plein air tapestry weaving.  We had good intentions of working away all weekend but took a while to get going, due to being in holiday mode. We eventually got to work and warped up at the Crockett Cottage Studio.

Cresside Collette was leading our group and showed us how to warp up using a stretcher frame or something similar.  It had to be small enough to hold on our laps as we were going to be sitting outdoors.

I know we are all grateful for the rain but did it have to rain all afternoon?  We ended up going to the one of our classmate's house and using the spectacular views from her balcony and lounge to work.

In some ways this was great - we could be dry, have comfortable seats and be near the kettle. Thanks very much to Sally for this hospitality!

As you may have noticed, the King Parrots were not at all put off by the people around.  In fact, one of our group included them in her work.

It was strange to only use the bobbin for beating down and doing the weaving with short pieces of yarn and our fingers.

It did not rain Sunday afternoon but we returned to the same place to continue our weaving.  Of course, the light was different but we managed to make do.  Due to the recent rains, there were a lot of shades of green to work on.  Tonal value became more important than trying to accurately portray the exact shades - not that we had brought enough yarn to even attempt this.  One of the differences with en plein air work, you can't plan too much in advance and have to be flexible.

One of the hazards of en plein air work.

Due to our slow start on Saturday and the earlyish finish - due to the changing light, being indoors and sitting in this unaccustomed position - we did not finish our work.  We are hoping that we have taken good enough photos to complete the work in the next few weeks.

It was an interesting experience, trying to weave what you are looking at and having to cope with changing lighting, not being able to plan your colours in advance, having to adjust the image as you go and trying to balance it all on your lap. We had a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend.  Thanks to Cresside and Sally for their contributions.

Raewyn Penrose felting workshop

I have just returned home from a four day workshop with Raewyn Penrose at Crockett Cottage, Mansfield, working on making a felted jacket.  I posted about this event earlier and have been looking forward to it since she visited previously.
Raewyn demonstrated various techniques to use with the felt that give some beautiful effects.  We made a sampler and then worked hard on making our felted pieces, using the techniques that suited our garments.

This was a very busy few days and we were quite tired by the end.
Some people managed to make complete garments while a few of us have some sewing to do when we get home.
We were all very pleased with the workshop and some very happy campers made their weary ways home at the end of the last day.
I will post a few more pictures of works in progress over the next day or so.

I am not an experienced felter and found that there was a lot to learn. Raewyn was very patient and gave a lot of individual help, so I have come home with lots of knowledge and a garment mostly completed.
She has a tailoring background and was able to assist us greatly with getting our garments to fit well.  She made sure that I know what I have to do and that everything is pinned as it should be so I can complete the garment in the next day or so - if I apply myself.

She also has a different technique for felting, from what I have seen, in that we cut our felt fabric to fit a pattern (and she showed us how to make that pattern) and then she fits it to us and we sew it together, without bulky seams.  Wonderful.

Felting excitement.

Yesterday I attended a talk by Raewyn Penrose at the Brunswick campus of RMIT.  She was talking about her felted clothing and had some samples for us to handle.  I couldn't get over the softness of the felt and its drape.  One of the interesting things about Raewyn's work is that she comes from a tailoring background and likes to make clothes that fit well.  So she is not afraid to cut the felt.  The pieces were lovely.

Raewyn has been invited over from New Zealand to show her work in the Fabricate Invites 2010 exhibition being put on by the Victorian Embroiderers' Guild.  It is opening tdoay at the Malvern Artists' Society, 1297 High St, Malvern, Victoria, and runs till May 2nd.

Raewyn is running a workshop in June, at Crockett Cottage 43 Studio in Mansfield and I have booked to attend.  I am feeling even more excited about it now that I have seen and handled her work in person!

Textile Fibre Forum magazine had an article about Raewyn's work in Issue 4, no 96, 2009.

India Flint dyeing video

One of the ladies in the Aus/NZ art quilt group posted a link to a very interesting India Flint short video.

I have also found a 5 day retreat she is doing later in the year at Crockett Cottage Studio in Mansfield, Victoria.
When we studied dyeing last year in my course, I read India Flint's book and found some very interesting ideas in it. I had fun dyeing and could be doing some now, while the bark is falling off the trees. But it is hot and my setup is in the glasshouse, so that's not an enticing option at the moment.