November and things seem to be rushing in early

 I have found a hollyhock that is not only quite tall but flowering!! 

I'm feeling the pressure to collect the flowers and think about doing some dyeing. 

I was with a couple of friends recently and one had done some sun dyeing - it is definitely getting to the time of year when that will work. 

After the EGV exhibition, I am feeling the need to try something - anything!

I do belong to a paper collage group and have bee experimenting with that. 

I have been doing little doodles every night before I go to bed. I don't complete each one, just do a bit to help me get to sleep. But I have a LOT. So I thought I might play around with them. 

I decided to try some Notan with doodles. Quite liked them. 

I took a couple to the group (melbournecollagemeets) and our leader (Anne Warren) demonstrated a way to take it even further!!

I'll have to try some more - soon. 

Is it art??

 I have been passing a window near the local shopping centre - it has an interesting design. I'm not sure if it is intentional or accidental but it looks like a butterfly to me, it even looks symmetrical. 

It may well be a broken window - but both sides are smooth, no noticeable scratches. 

It is very difficult to get a photo as it is a window! It is beside a walkway to the shops in the arcade, which is at a lower level. I have often walked past it where it is at eye height. 

I asked a worker at nearby and he said he would report it - so I think it is a broken window but is is very interesting. 

    

Notan and collage

 As I was having a go at Black and White as the collage theme, I realised that I have multiple sketch books (of varying sizes, A5 -A4) that I have done over the years. 

I thought some of them might inspire me. And some did!! I came across a few experiments with doodling/Zentangle that I had done in conjunction with some Notan ideas. 

So now I have played around some more! Here are a few attempts - I have yet to conquer a good way to stick the Notan pieces without making a mess - but it is a start. 

I am hoping to produce a few more that will inspire me more. 

Here is a link to a previous post I have done about this sort of thing. I don't seem to be as active on this site as I used to be, but I still find it very useful to look back at what I have been doing - as I say, it is my visual diary. 

Playing around with various techniques

I have been inspired to play!! At last!!!

I go to an informal paper collage group and one of the recent themes was 'black and white'.

It is a group that has a slightly surreal take on collage and that is not really my thing. But I did have a go.

Then I was tidying up a few bits and pieces and came across quite a few books and drawing pads of my doodling/Zentangles. (A lot of my doodling is inspired by quilting patterns also.)

Turns out I have been doing them since, at least, 2012! 

I have been inspired to play around with some images that incorporate some of the doodling, It is very tricky to cut and paste but I have had some fun trying.   

These two are of the same doodle that I found. I turned it around so I could put the two bottom figures over the writing - identifying that it was done in 2020. This piece is only A5, so the people are tiny - and were hard to cut out. 

Embroiderers Guild Victoria Annual Exhibition

 I haven't posted for quite a while - partly because I haven't been all that creative. However, I have done three pieces for the upcoming exhibition.  

The theme was Making Waves and there have been quite interesting interpretations - some about the ocean, waterways, airwaves, sound waves, etc. 

One thing I like about the members' exhibition is that you do not have to do the theme, you can put in any work you have done over the past two years (and they can have been in other exhibitions, just not the EGV one).  There are quite a few beautiful pieces that are not theme-based. 

This week we received entries and have put them up, almost ready for the opening night on Friday. 

It was a great team effort and we are very happy with the look of it. 

The exhibition runs from October 12 -27, 10am till 3 pm daily. Some members have volunteered to demonstrate various techniques each day. I have volunteered but am a bit concerned about what I will demonstrate as my sewing machine has broken down and is in for repairs! I might have to (gasp) do some hand embroidery!!

Experimenting with something slightly new.

 I am finally trying something new. It may not work but I don't really care - at least I am thinking again.

I have a lovely scarf that I bought a few years ago. It was made by Michelle Mischkulnig. I haven't worn scarves much recently but it turned out to be perfect for something I went to recently.

I had a good look at it and I think I know what she did. I have done a workshop with her but this was a totally different technique. 

I think it is made using dyed mulberry silk and sewn heavily to keep it together. 

(I have just looked at my blog and looked at what we did - it may be that I should/could have used silk hankies as that seems to be what I used at the workshop. Oh well.)

I was at the Handweavers and Spinners Guild a couple of weeks ago and just couldn't resist the beautiful colours they had - of the unspun silk. 

I laid a bit out onto some dissolvable fabric and sewed over it rather heavily. 

I didn't really have a good plan, just thought I would see what eventuated. I was influenced by the upcoming Embroiderers Guild of Victoria (Australia) exhibition. The theme is Making Waves. Despite my desire NOT to do the ocean, I have done some experimenting with a variety of blue and white silks and it looks like waves!!

Anyway, I don't know what I will do with the two pieces I have made.

 Tonight I decided to try something different. 

I had a pattern for a hanging Christmas decoration. I've had it for years, have used it to make paper decorations but not fabric. 

I traced the pattern onto the soluble fabric, laid out some silk and sewed over it. 

I could still see the tracing on one so have cut it before dissolving the soluble fabric. I couldn't see the pattern on the other one so have just dissolved it and hope to be able to trace the pattern back on once it has dried.  

I have tried putting a skewer through the piece to see if that helps it to dry in a way that would be helpful. I don't think it will matter if the other one dries flat, I can sew the bits into the shape I want - after I manage to cut it correctly. 

In case you are wondering, I am intending to have the pieces wrapped around a skewer or a piece of warp thread so that they can move freely - air waves making them move, 

Kate Derum and Irene Davies Tapestry weaving award.

 I attended the announcement of the winners of the Kate Derum and Irene Davies tapestry weaving awards tonight at the Australian Tapestry Workshop. 

I am going to have to go again to have a really good look at all the pieces. There was a good crowd and I knew some of them, so we had a good chat. I also met some new (to me) weavers and had some lovely conversations. 

As you can see, it was hard to view all the tapestries and they deserve a better look 

Fortunately, the exhibition is on till mid-October. 

Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/stories/101683088633828/UzpfSVNDOjQwMDM5MjgzOTY1NTAzMTc=/?bucket_count=9&source=story_tray