Putting away the thing that doesn't work

 Today is 22/5/22, so had to post. Lucky I have this things about dates to make me actually post!

I have been working in the idea of a Labyrinth. One of my online textile groups came up with a theme for a journal page - textile, of course. The theme is Place. 

I have been feeling rather overwhelmed by the world news -only the bad stuff gets reported and there sure is a lot of bad stuff! And we have been leading up to a Federal election. Lots of rather meaningless stuff being said, also mostly negative. So I thought a labyrinth might be a good place to be, trying to get away from it all and just find some peace. 

But my latest try is not pleasing me at all! I have decided to let that idea go, for the time being, and see what else I can come up with. 

However, the only ideas that are coming to me are still around that idea - just in different formats. 

I am thinking I should finish my larger tapestry sample (which isn't particularly large) and then see if I can apply some of the techniques from that to a woven labyrinth. It does mean that I will have to get to and actually weave! 

Another idea I have started is to do a blackwork labyrinth. As blackwork is to geometric, I have started on a more geometric design. I tried to draw it on the fabric using a soluble pen. As I sew, I find that my drawing is rather inaccurate!! I'll keep going but will have to make adjustments as I go, so that things line up properly. That might be a challenge. 

Both of these ideas are in the slow work category. Maybe that is what I need at the moment, to just slow down and try to appreciate the calmness - and that is before the labyrinth is made!!

Trying to start something new.

4/4/22 - that must be a significant number!!

I am trying to think of something to spark a new work. The Embroiderers Guild, Victoria, Australia has a members' exhibition in October. I know that sounds quite a while away but, at the rate I am currently going, that is a doable time-line - I hope. 

The theme of the overall exhibition is Threading a Way - we still seem to be trying to find our way into the future, so many things are impacting our lives still. 

The Machine Embroidery Guidance group also has a theme of trees - it has been the theme since 2020, we keep getting interrupted by Covid!

I was browsing through some old work I had done and came across one that was based on a labyrinth. It wasn't all that good but it did make me think about the theme - trying to find a way. 

More browsing led me to some tree-shaped labyrinth pictures, mostly from Pinterest. So now I am hoping to kill two birds with one stone, try a tree-shaped finger labyrinth - or just make a wall-hanging. So far I am at the idea only stage - who knows what will eventuate? 

I am contemplating trying some of what I learnt from the Cas Holmes course I did last year, using her collage idea for the background. I am also contemplating doing a blackwork one!! That will necessitate starting soon - I am rather slow at hand stitching. I also found some notes from a course I did in 2011 and saw some twin needle work on the sewing machine that might work. So ideas are coming, alll a bit confusing really.