Ramshackle- a fresh one

I wanted to take part in the SAQA Spotlight auction which will take place at their conference in Toronto. But after the cough was gone, last week my back was so painful I couldn’t do anything much, especially machine sewing.
Finally yesterday I was able to ignore the pain enough to get a new Ramshackle piece done.

Ramshackle: Big House Small Tree

The size is 6”x8”, but they will be framed in a mount with an aperture 4.5”x6.5”. So I have laid paper strips around the sides to see what it will look like.

So, today I managed the post office, though I drove. And the piece is winging its way to the collection point!

When I was checking through the requirements, I came across a photo from a previous year, used as an example of how they will be displayed for the auction.

And there in the middle is one of mine! Ramshackle Hilltop from 2016.

Visual Thoughts and Ideas

Sometimes planning is about auditioning. Will these work or will they change?

Amaryllis watch

A few weeks ago I showed some of my amaryllis plants in bloom.
These are what was in bloom last week.

The one on the left is Apple Blossom. The one on the right is white 🤣. Or at least that is what the box said, and is why I got it!🤪 obviously also Apple Blossom.
As you can see in the middle, another is about to open.
And so, this week...

 Double petals! And just a shade lighter than the Apple Blossom and is called Dancing Queen. The double blossom is beautiful.
Another Flower opening at the back seen in the next photo.

The Apple Blossom in the right back of the photo is about spent, but there was another flower stalk from that plant which is beginning to open today. Hard to photograph them altogether, but it is in the foreground.
If you look at the top photo, in the middle near the bottom is another flower pod. This is meant to be a double petal red flower. I don’t think it is going to grow taller, but will begin to open sometime soon.

None of the bulbs we saved from last year got flowers, only leaves. I may try them again, but I hope at least some from this year bloom again next year.
As I said before, I love these flowers. Beautiful and not smelly! So I can enjoy them without having to use my inhaler.😁

Embroidery strip 2020 - 19-25 January

Week 4 -

I was trying to describe the strip of wool I am embroidering. I could not remember the vendor at all.

This week, I suddenly got an email out of the blue, a newsletter from Ragged Life. I thought, what is this about? I’m not interested in rag rugs? So I was scrolling down to the bottom to unsubscribe and Oh! And I saw a roll of wool like this. It is called Blanket Yarn. And when I had a look, I discovered I can buy a similar ball to this. And then I will not have to worry about finishing the year when this runs out.  I think I must have signed my name to the newsletter list, but I know that this is the first one I have received. I am glad it came

Something on Saturday

Treasure 46

These are the siblings of last week’s fox.

Aren’t they cute?

Mali collaboration

If you are in Washington DC tomorrow...head to the Textile Museum. 😁

My collaborative piece ‘Hunting with Husband’ will be part of a one day exhibition of art quilts which were made using an embroidery from a Mali woman. These women have fled conflict induced gender based violence and are being taught skills for earning their own livelihood. ‘Sister Artists’ is a project under the umbrella of the Advocacy Project and Quilts for Change.
The work will be auctioned and the money will go back into the project in Mali.

24,000 - Daily bead for 2019

You may have been wondering how the completed daily beading looks. Yes, I did complete it at the end of the year. The lurgy, though, put paid to energy to take photos. Also, I was having a debate with myself about how to present it.
My friend Jane came this week, she always helps me to have good ideas. Probably more like she says what she thinks, which sparks the right answer in my head, though it may not actually seem to be related.
Anyway!

Now that I know where I am headed with that, I have taken a few photos and a bit of a video. (All the apologies...directly under LED lighting and first time trying out my tablet for this.)

And looking closer

Oh, and don’t mind the odd bit of thread. In one or two places, 

beads need replacing because of the handling.

India- 

This work acknowledges 24,000 individuals - Indian Christians who were physically attacked in one year because of their faith.

I have stitched 80 beads each day for 300 days. Stacks or loops were made of 10 beads in each square 8 x a day. I filled out the remaining 65 days of the year with words. The date and initials at the bottom.

TVCT workshop

On Saturday we had three different workshops. Jo had people using unique things to connect and to weave. Lisa focused on using ephemera to make compositions to stitch into. And my focus was metal, piercing it, embossing it and stitching on it. Basically taster sessions to give some ideas.
We divided the group into three and then they rotated around so that by the end of the day, everyone had been able to have a go.
Each person was given a little piece of aluminium shim, some thin and thick wire, and springs or bits of pot scrubbers. I did a little spiel showing them a variety of ways I have used metal in my work as well as a variety of metal things I used, like my beading onto springs, metal bobbins, washers and so on.

Here are some of the pieces in development from my workshop.

Embroidery strip 2020- 12-18 January

Week 3

The other day Kathy asked me some questions about the parameters of my daily project.
This was my reply:
The selvedges are 3xm if you don’t count the fringe. The sections are between 9 and 10 cm long. The white/ cream section has 3 sections which alternate the weave. So I am counting that section as 3. It looks like the weave alternates between the 2 different patterns, whether colour or plain.
So each repeat - between the “strings” - is 18.
If I counted right , I think there are 15 repeats. Which doesn’t make a whole year, even if you do something to each of the 3 strings between repeats and count them as 3 days each.🤔 so, I am holding on for another bright idea to turn up before we get to that point.
Thanks for asking!

Something on Saturday

Treasure 45

I love this little baby fox. I bought it sometime ago. Way before foxes were ‘in’ on the design scene.

Aluminium

on Saturday, I will be teaching a workshop about using metal as a textile.
So I have been getting ready this week. I ordered some aluminium shim sheeting.

Then I chopped it up so I can give a piece to each of those of those attending.
I also gathered materials and samples. And I think I am just about ready!

So, what is new.

I did finish the 24,000 bead project, but still need to take a photo. I am still thinking how to hang/mount/present it.

But, I have finally got my head round the 2020 project.
Last spring, I bought this unique ball of wool selvedge. One stand hand loads of these balls that were being used to do large knitting or crochet. Most were one colour or just 2. But this one caught my eye because of the variety of colours.

 I knew I wanted to embroider onto it, but needed time to work things out. As the year went on, I decided I would take a break from the beading and do a daily embroidery instead. Because of the sections of wool strips, it would work well to use this ball.

Then it came to the New Year, and the thread I had decided on wasn’t going to work. It rather got lost between the weave because it was too thin. (Upper right on photo below) Because I was still coughing my brains out, I couldn’t really think about what to do. But finally I got round to considering, and realised my pearle cotton was just right.

I caught up and then needed to do photos. Which I have finally done. So this is up to the 11th.

I am not making any real rules. What I chose for thread on the day, and how I feel about the stitch...duplicating doesn’t matter.

Number 12 in progress

 I have counted the sections...I may come back along and stitch over the threads between the larger sections of 18. I don’t think it will last a whole year, but I have plenty of time to work out what happens next.

Something on Saturday

Treasure 44

This paperweight used to belong to my Mother in law.

Amaryllis days

You might remember when I took photos of my amaryllis as they flowered last year. This year we started with the 4 saved ones.  Two were badly damaged by slugs, one more than the other. We had to throw it away. So my husband bought one.  Lion Red...we had one, but last year it only had leaves.
Here is the new one now! It grew very fast and was the first to flower.

After he bought that one, I went to the shops and bought a few more. I knew I didn’t have white or one called Apple Blossom. I also bought Happy Memory, in case the one we had before grew only leaves.
And the same day, he came back with two more! These are meant to have double petals...I think.
So most of the new ones have been growing. I can’t tell yet if we will get any repeat flowers on the old ones.
However, Apple Blossom is flowering finely. Two flower stems and each with 4 flowers!

It didn’t grow as tall as most of the others have.

I do love these flowers! They are overwhelmingly beautiful...and they haven’t got a scent. This is good for me because I cannot breathe when flowers like lilies bloom.

A little more energy

This cough 😷...
Finally on Saturday I started having more energy. I have a plan for a daily project, but it needs a bit of tweaking. But I haven’t had enough brains to work it out.

However, today I am ready to start some kind of sewing. I wanted to use this fabric I bought when my sister was here at the end of 2018. Ok. It is not going to be easy. If I am going to make sense of the plaid, it needs to be offset drastically.

So, now to see if I can still get a dress from it.

Something on Saturday

Treasure 43

Another paperweight. I bought it in Scotland on a family holiday.

I love these millefiori types.