The Date - again!

 It's been so long since I posted that I almost forgot how to log in!!

Today is 22/4/26. 

I haven't been all that creative recently but am working on a tapestry. It has taken me weeks and is not that big but who cares?? I am doing something. 

The tapestry is, hopefully, for the Bendigo Wool Show later this year. The theme is something about Echoes from the Past (not sure that is it exactly) and I have been visiting Darebin Parklands for many, many years. So I have used a photo of a small bridge over Darebin Creek. It reminds me of the many times I have visited the park - it is at the bottom of my street, not a big excursion. 

                                           

Anyway, I have used a recent photo of the bridge and am trying to come up with a tapestry. There are problems with the interpretation but I am happy to just be weaving again, not that bothered by exactitude.

I have been taking photos when I have actually given it some time - to let me see that I am making progress. 

The photos have come in reverse order - something to do with Google not being able to upload - I am sooo over technology!

I have used a photo but am making up the last bit - I am prone to to that, just make it up. I realised that the cartoon is not accurate so am using the actual photo instead. The big disadvantage of this is that you can't really see the differentiation between areas as clearly. But I have decided not to worry about it - I am not going to provide the image with the finished piece, so no-one will be aware of the differences. I hope.

Hot weather!

 We had a very hot day recently. Fortunately for us, the weather has changed and is not so horrendous. Other parts of the state are still suffering extreme heat and some bushfires. So I will try not to dwell too much on the awful heat. It is much worse around the state and other states as well.

We have had some plants suffer greatly in the heat and some have survived, seemingly ok. 

Despite almost being burnt, this hardy plant is still flowering!

I had hoped to get on with some cleaning out of old notes from various classes, or do some hand sewing or even finish off my very small sample from a recent tapestry workshop. 

So far, the only thing that has happened is a very small bit of weaving. I have been spending much time in trying to keep plants alive - with some success. 

The notes for the class were to bring colours that are opposite on the colour wheel. I had no idea of what image we were going to try. Turns out it was based on a work of Joy Smith's (the tutor) so I put in waste yarn afterwards and then cardboard for stability and have started. It is based on a bowl, a bottle and another clear bottle. I hope it works out but am not too bothered, I will try to come up with a design of my own - someday. 

The date!

 I met someone this morning who was excited about the date, it being 26/1/26 tomorrow! We had a lovely discussion about our mutual interest. 

So now I have to post something, even though the interesting date is tomorrow. 

We are having some very changeable weather - extremely hot, a couple of cooler days, extremely hot. Bushfires, flash floods also - fortunately, these events have not been in my immediate vicinity but they are very disturbing anyway. 

I have planted some sunflowers again, being part of a Facebook group that shares the interest. I planted them a bit later than some of the others but they are going to be looking good soon! If they survive the extreme heat forecast for Tuesday. 

It has been interesting to watch which way they face as they grow - east to west. The first flower was more east-oriented but I think a couple of the others will be more west-facing. 

We also have some day lilies and it has been fascinating to see the different flowers each day. I think they may have finished flowering now. 

As you may have noticed, there is very little mention of textile work!! I have attended two workshops in January, one was a two day one about using the element of line in designing a stitched piece. I really enjoyed the drawing exercises but have struggled with the hand sewing. 

Then I attended a tapestry weaving workshop. I enjoyed that greatly too - I knew most of the attendees and everyone knew at least one other person, so it was relaxed and friendly. 

I have tried to do a bit more since and am hoping to hunker down in the heat and get more done - trying to avoid having to venture outside (except to water various plants and put beach umbrellas over some of the more exposed plants).

Post Christmas - and some hot weather

 It has been sunny and hot for a few days, is forecast for a few more, then some relief again. But it appears that summer is definitely here!

I thought I'd take advantage of the sunshine and do a bit of sundying. I haven't done any for ages so I decided just to try a few small pieces of fabric to see what I would get. 

Not great results! The fabric has dyed - not that I have washed it yet test the fastness. 

I just grabbed a small stash of little bits of cotton, some of them quilting cotton with designs in white on them. 

This is the back of one of the pieces seen above.

I have just remembered that I tried dyeing some white fabric years ago, with different designs on them, using the same dye (not sundye, from memory). It gave me a great selection of different colours - I think I had made a block using the log cabin design, the pieces were all white and I dyed it all together. It gave me in interesting outcome. As usual, I saw that it would work and then did no more! I tend to do that, see if something will work, or how to do it, then not doing any more. 

Anyway - I have some coloured fabric pieces. I put some of them under bushes that were throwing down beautiful shadows. Nothing was visible on the fabric - I'm not sure if that is because the shadows were above the fabric, rather than touching it or if I just used too many colours so that the sun effect isn't clear. 

I did one slightly larger piece (I think it is some calico rescued from a plum pudding from a couple years ago). I put the leaves on the fabric this time and there are some barely visible designs. 

                                                     

I have no idea what I will use them for, if anything. But I can now go into summer with some hope to achieve something creative. 

Christmas!!

 I nearly missed the date! 25/12/25.

I haven't done much textile work lately but I am hoping to do a couple of workshops in the summer school for the EGV and the HWSG. It is an attempt to make me try something slightly different - not totally different as that would be too daunting. 

The hollyhocks are flowering again - I am still collecting them - just need to actually use them!! I have a few days coming up with no appointments so, perhaps, I'll give it a go. 

It was overcast a lot today and cool for Christmas Day. It's supposed to warm up next week, so I'll see if I can get myself organised. 

I am also thinking about doing some sun dyeing. I saw a gorgeous plant in the garden a day or so ago. It is actually a weed and has thorns but it has beautiful, fragile-looking leaves.  So I rescued a piece from the green bin and it is waiting for me to get myself organised. 

I love thy way the stems  grow horizontally.

That time of the year

 It is coming to the end of the year - Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year, the summer holidays.

It's a strange time - trying to catch up with people. finishing off some regular things, getting ready for the big events, getting ready for a quieter time of year!

I have finished a small tapestry - not needed till February but I am going to do a tapestry workshop in January and will need to the loom, so it is done already.

The theme was From Above. 

My thoughts were first about messages from Above - thou shalt not kill, love thy neighbour as you would love yourself, etc. But, given the state of the world, I decided that I would get too depressed. 

So I have worked on a piece inspired by a photo taken while walking through the Fitzroy Gardens recently.

The water is coming from above - not very much above, it is not a very big waterfall.

It was good to be working on it as it takes all my concentration. But it is rather small, given the size restriction of the challenge. 

It is done and looks much better from a distance. The photos are more close-up than I would like but it is not too bad. Maybe stand back from your computer/iPad/etc and it might work better. 

                                                       

It isn't wonderful in itself but it did give me focus and purpose. 

Working on a small tapestry

 Thank goodness for groups that set themes and have due dates!!

I'm working on a small tapestry (no bigger than 20cm square) and I have set myself the task of doing at least half an hour every day. It usually goes to an hour but my body doesn't like it much - ahh the joys of getting older. 

Admittedly, I could do half an hour, do something else and then do another half, or even an  hour! But the impetus seems to leave me after about an hour. 

However, I am getting there. 

The theme is From Above. I had all sorts of ideas, many to do with messages from 'above' (love thy neighbour, thou shalt not kill, etc) but I found I was getting too depressed about the state of the world. So ... I have taken a photo of a small waterfall in the Fitzroy Gardens. I rarely go there but had the time to walk through recently. The gardens are wonderful - peaceful and restorative. 

Water is coming down from above!

I have taken a few photos of the tapestry as I have gone along - mainly to prove to myself that I am actually achieving something, 

I can't believe how many bobbins I use for such a small piece!!

Today I was across the room and saw it from a different viewpoint and am actually quite happy with it. There are some things that I would change if I had the time and energy but they won't matter much. I have done what seems to be my usual thing lately, make it up as I go! I am putting some marks on the warp from my images but I am not doing it prior, I am doing it as I go - it is rather an interpretation rather than an exact copy of the photo. 

An indication that Christmas is approaching

 The hydrangea is starting to develop flowers, always an indication that Christmas is on the way.

                                  

The pink is from another plant, the hydrangea is still developing.

The weather has been rather changeable but that isn't too unusual for spring - it snowed on Mt Donna Buang last week! It only rained and hailed in my part of the world. We were tricked by one very warm day just prior but that is forgotten now! 

I have been thinking about the new theme for next year's challenge: From Above. I had all sorts of ideas but have finally settled on one that is rather ordinary - and I may not be able to do it to the required size - no larger than 20cm square. I think there might be too much detail in my photo but I will persevere. 

I took lots of phots of flowers that were on the ground - I was looking from above, I eventually decided to do a small waterfall I saw in the Fitzroy Gardens - the water is falling from above.

Exhibition is up

 The Annual Members Exhibition is up - we had the opening night for participants last Friday. 

There were some pieces that were obviously based on the theme - Magical. Other pieces needed the artist's artistic statements but then were clear. 

There were pieces that didn't try to do the theme, any work completed in the last two years is accepted - a great idea so that people who are not inspired by the theme can still participate. I also love that any piece done by a member is accepted, it doesn't have to be of a particular standard. Mind you, there were a lot that were of exceptional standard!

As I have already said, I wasn't that inspired by the theme myself but, probably because I read so many fantasy books in the past, I do love images of dragons. So I put two pieces in. 

I ended up having to have the second one framed because I mounted it on foam core that was too thin and it started to bend when I sewed the backing on, I actually think the framing helped, it gave it a nice darkness at the edges. 

You can see more of the exhibition here.

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. 

Not much progress!

 I'm still working on the small tapestry. It is not helped by the fact that I have changed the cartoon while work is in progress. As I said in my last post, I have reduced the number of traffic signs. But I may not have made the larger roundabout sign big enough. 

I have woven, unpicked, woven, unpicked, etc. I think I have done it 4 times! I have decided to just do it, life is imperfect, so will the tapestry be.

On a brighter note: the weather is warm and pleasant at the moment. It's probably not good really, still drought and unusually warm. But it does entice me out. 

On my perambulations (what we call a walk when we don't want to use that w word! - we have a dog.) I saw some interesting faces in places - things that look like faces, or aliens, or animals . 

Here are some random pictures.

I am doing a post because I was reminded of the date (thanks Sue). It is 5/5/25. 

It keeps me entertained!