Gorgeous Irises

On the Van Gogh theme ...

We have some lovely irises out at the moment. Of course, we have the purple ones but there are also some much more delicate-looking ones too.

I couldn't resist some other floral photos too - it being such a warm (almost hot!) spring day - before the cool change.

Inspired by Van Gogh - again

I have been toying with the idea of doing another piece inspired by Van Gogh.
As it is spring and the fruit trees have been in bloom, I thought I would try to use his Almond Blossom images.

Our trees are a very small almond tree  with white flowers, a nectarine tree with pink flowers and a very small tree with scrumptious flowers - it could also be a nectarine, I am not sure. But they are much more showy than the ordinary nectarine (which has delicious fruit - the possums love them!).

Van Gogh did the almond tree but I am not a fan of white, I really don't like using it much.
However, I have taken my time with thinking and now the trees have dropped their petals and even the little bits of stamens and such-like are falling off. The tree now has green leaves.

I will have to make up my mind soon and get started!

I have also been taking photos of the trees because of a theme that I am going to use for our tapestry group - Transformation (or is it Transition? Suppose I had better get that right!). My tenuous idea is to go from flowers to fruit. But I don't know if I will be able to do justice to the photos and I am not that keen on realistic imagery in my weaving - partly because I am never happy with my attempts at realism.

But those ideas have some time to be developed and I am taking pictures in the meantime.

Back to Van Gogh. I came across an image today of his twig of blossom in a glass, so I am feeling much freer to use part of one of my photos and not try to replicate his work too closely - not that I was feeling capable of that anyway but the tendency is to try to stick to the source.

So the plan, at the moment, is to just do a small part of a fruit tree, based on my photos, which haven't got good views of the trees. Hence the idea that it will be a study of a small part of a branch.

Now I just have to start!!

Taking it a little bit further

Having done the very small curved piecing sample, I decided that I would try some more experimenting.
I also said that I would make a third piece for the upcoming Ebb and Flow exhibition. As there isn't all that much time left, I thought I would use the technique to make something ebbing or flowing.

I had a frame that I bought from Ikea, so that was my standard size. Not inspired by the actual work, just something to fit the frame. As good an inspiration as any at this stage.

The frame comes with a mount board that is quite wide.
At first, I thought to use the whole size of the frame and not have any mount board or to make a shallower one.

I chose some fabrics and laid them out in the colour sequence I thought I would use.

Then I sewed a piece that would fit in the frame.

However, I wasn't that thrilled with the design, so I took a couple of photos to help me decide if it would be better if I cropped the piece to fit the smaller space.

After much to-ing and fro-ing, I chose to do the smaller size.
It still didn't speak to me much. I turned to my favourite container of threads and yarns and got out my silk ropes - not sure what they were originally used for, I got them at some trade show or other. They have been wonderful to use.

It is very hard to photograph something once it is behind glass (or perspex in this case).

The piece is now framed and ready to take to the exhibition.

Inspired by ... Ainslie Roberts

Our latest artist to be inspired by was Ainslie Roberts.
I remember several of his books about Aboriginal legends, illustrated by him. I used them at school years ago.

I found some images online but didn't really want to use most of them, they were too distinctive and I didn't think I would be able to make the inspirations 'mine'. Then I came across a couple of images that appealed to me more. Birth of the Opal.

I used the colours as my inspiration, rather than trying to replicate the image.

I was also inspired by finding a video online that shows how to do curved piecing which has always been a challenge for me.
I am intrigued by the work of Ann Brauer and thought I would start small-time, trying to work out how she might do her work.
I haven't got very far with it but I did manage to combine the A5 challenge for the Machine Embroidery group and trying out the basic technique.

Spring blossom

The blossom on the various fruit trees has been out for a little while. I have taken some photos, most of which are in focus. I just couldn't resist the gorgeous flowers in the garden.

The various trees flower at slightly different times, so I have a variety of just blossoming, full blossom and blossom almost gone.

Actually, this one is the plum tree. 

I am trying to come up with an idea for a couple of my groups and am hoping to be inspired by the blossom.

One is Transition. I am thinking of trying to incorporate the blossom to the fruit. But that is as far as the thinking has gone so far.

Another group is working on being inspired by an artist. I might use my blossom pictures and relate them to a Van Gogh blossom.  I have found pictures of his almond blossom and we have almond growing in the backyard. That is as far as that thinking has gone too.

I suppose I can be glad that some thinking is happening, even if it isn't developing an idea quite yet.

Finishing Off

Finishing off - not my favourite thing!

However, I need to put the hanging sleeve on the back of my banner quilt. I took it with me the other day when I was getting together with a couple of friends - and managed to sew it closed.
Note to self: pull the slack up before pinning.

Then I forgot to take it to my tapestry group meeting today. I haven't got a tapestry on the go at the moment, so thought I would do that instead. I remembered the pins, scissors, thread, etc. But when I went to start, no quilt!

Hopefully, it will get done tonight.

I also have a machine embroidered piece that needs to be mounted. I probably wouldn't have worried about it except that I am going to put it in the Ebb and Flow exhibition at the Embroiderers Guild, Victoria. So it needs to be framed.

I haven't done any of my own framing since Frame Co moved to Carrum Downs - not close to me! Yesterday I took the opportunity of a relatively free afternoon to go down there. They were most helpful, giving me advice on different ways to mount it, what frames would look good, how to put in spacers to hold the glass away from the textured surface, etc.
Now all I have to do is remember how to put the frame together, use the spacers and mount the embroidery properly. Something for another day, not too far in the future.

Then I can give my attention to the next project - of which there are several. One immediate necessity is to tidy the studio again.

Just trying to do the last thing

I was reminded that today's date is one I like: 17/8/17.

I have done my sewing for the quilt top and just have to put on a hanging sleeve. Do you think I can be bothered??
It is always the way when you do the creating, the bothersome finishing off is so much less interesting!

I know I have a very good pattern for making the sleeve. I also know how to do it without the pattern. But I just can't bring myself to do it until I have found the pattern, which isn't anywhere I can think of to look.

Make myself just DO IT, as the famous football coach said. (John Kennedy?)

However ... I have also looked at the image of the piece with a border and noticed it has a major fault! No wonder it was in the UFO drawer.

The upcoming exhibition at the Embroiderers Guild is Ebb and Flow, so I can pretend that the skewif rectangle in the centre is ebbing and/or flowing. Or something.

I THINK I will put it in the exhibition, but I may change my mind.

 I'm still deciding which way up is better. I thought I knew, then I saw the distortion, so that will have an impact.