Sunday, December 26, 2010

The holiday season brings in texture

I have been taking in the recent warm weather to do some baking of shortbread, along with trying out small banana breads from a recipe I decided to test out. This is my regetting to know cooking with the oven again after a long time as the sampling is more how I eat my cooking most of the time.



Yes it has been that time (my word for this blog of the day) THE Holiday season with many options to buy presents for people, but I wanted to make something and different from previous years of textiles in some form. This year cooking and proud that so far reasonable results and gifts made and delivered.


It is interesting how I think of texture when I watch the mixture either brown or rise while cooking and the changes that take place. It reminds me of when I have yarn which moves through the process of weaving - knitting in one of the many forms ( hand, machine, both), sewn or other method that I have been drawn to try and assist this yarn into it's new form - fabric that can be a finished item or needing to be cut up and sewn into a item. This is one of my box's that went into my recent graduation body of work. It is a inlay technique called Theo Moorman over 6 shafts that is just off the loom and awaiting the triming of excess threads then sewing - of the edges and into a box.


A small confession is that I have not cut up a big length yet, some samples and short pieces of weaving as I have been weaving the shape eg box's that can be made up or tapestry using the 4 selvege method that I learnt, yet still understanding how to do well. Below is my glass weaving before it is slumped this again was texture with colour or as some say without colour - white, which has so many shades, so colour is what I am using- for a better word to describe it.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

The start of showing my works -WHITE

The date of this post is 20th December 2010

The recent experience of showing this my work to people I do not know or have discussed with regarding what, why and for has been very interesting. I have had people touch, come up close and look, then show others my white piece. This was shown at Moonee Valley racecourse where our end of course with other departments of RMIT (fashion and textiles) school in Melbourne was held over two nights and one day.



This is a length of hand woven acrylic yarn that I borrowed some a friend to finish. I weaved it on my loom that a Melbourne maker made many years ago. It is still going well, just needing a little TLC and regular oiling. The weaving took over 15 hours and I did a block weave that surrounded a two over and under pattern. Then making squares out of rocks, which was boiled an resulted in many interesting shapes, then to bring out the different effects I used my hoops to go with the construction theme which works for me and my piece is finished. A few pins and help from others, a work on show. These were on show for two nights and a day, giving those a brief glimpse into our work.

A few explorations for small pieces


Brooches


The brooches I have been making for some time now, have evolved and now I realize is going to be about the different ideas I have, than about one style. I like making brooches as it gives myself the chance to try out some ways of doing and giving people a taste of what I am exploring at that time.


woven


zigzag

This method was shown at a workshop I was attending, and we were told bring it into your own by how and what I do with the method. I know this sounds a bit confusing, but I just needed to put this in.



BOOKMARKS

Wool


silk and cotton part double weave


I had learnt a method of dying yarn early 2010 at a friends place. This introduced myself to bookmarks and how to make them interesting. I have made a few in different types with the blue by using different wefts and lifting order to see what happens and so far so good. I thank Kaz for her method of starting and finishing the edges, so I didn't have to sew or hem stitch the edge.


I am having a market on the 17th December at Castlemaine (Artist market) with stephen who makes glass fused plates and we are looking forward to meeting anyone who comes up for a chat.

Exhibition Time

Welcome to my body of work in the Fuse exhibition at the Counihan gallery and is open till the 18th December 2010.


The works seen here are photographed by Stephen using my little camera at the opening of the Fuse 2010 graduation exhibition, the course I have been fulfilling, now called Textile design and development at RMIT, Brunswick Melbourne at the Counihan Gallery.




The pieces that has been selected to be part of the Fuse exhibition are a length of tapestry with different technique’s of weave that are in the shape of box’s and to go with this is 14 free standing box’s made in tapestry, felt, weave, glass with plastic, machine knitting technique’s.




It was a wonderful night of viewing works that I had heard and seen some works in progress. To then see them finished, selected by the gallery curator which made decisions on what they saw as a body of works both collectively and individually. There were many to catch up with from previous and future students and teachers, then seeing that my work was in the (what I'll call) the cube, was amazing to go through.


I have not included others work as felt I should allow for them to express their own views of the final school exhibition.

I am very happy with the whole experience for I have gained a lot and look forward to more times where my work is exhibited.

Thank you.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Textiles and Jewellery

I am having a couple of markets before Christmas and the next one I am sharing the experience with a friend who will be there for the twilight market 1-5pm. Carole is a jewellery and textile maker who makes extraordinary, individual or limited numbers of pieces. We are having a stall at the Nunawading Arts market in Victoria on Sunday 12th December 1-5pm. I am sharing this blog with Carole as she is yet to have a blog.

I have been weaving and knitting and sewing over the last couple of years and Carole has been making also. I have a few images from Carole to show some of her current earrings.

I have a few images from Carole to show some of her current earrings.

Here are a few images of my creations that I have been making.





Knitting above

I am knitting some yarn that I dyed about a year or two ago was trying to work out what to use or sell it as – knitting yarn or make up into an item. I had been trying out different mixes of colour depth and combinations. As I was roaming through this stash, I couldn’t help myself as started my free knitting, which is when I sense which knitting needles and number of stitches then commence knitting and will decide as I go the shape, patterning, and length all determined by the weight of the wool.

Here is a little view of some, along with other creations that we have made and will be on show this sunday. thank you

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Reawakening of blog

Well it has been a long time since the last blog and so much has happened.

Firstly a year of regaining health to a more manageable place, that has been a journey and I thank all who have helped myself.

Secondly I finally made it - The completion of the course that I have been doing part-time for the last seven years in textiles and to see my creations in two venues is amazing, along with fellow students.

Over the next little while I may have a forward and backwards motion, hopefully it will make sense, as I seem to have pieces on the go for some time.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

My loom cat

Hello from us both

I am introducing my assistant, she has four paws of which are always looking to help with my weaving or any good yarn projects, before they ae made. I have watched her run full pelt with a bag of 10 balls up under the bed to hide her fine, and only the good yarns are reviewed.

One thing that also needs checking is my comfort, oh no that is her need. The tension of a warp is important, so I sometimes get help. The other is when I have been weaving for longer than little miss (her nickname) thinks is needed. So I have my own oh&s cat/person.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Weekend of creativity - CLOQUE

Hello




I have been taking care of my health after a bit of surgery. Thinking it would only be a couple of days, I would have time after to put this onto the blog has thus been delayed quite a few weeks.


The sign on the display and a couple of other pieces learnt.


Along with a friend we attended a weekend of creative endeavours in the Victorian township of Halls Gap for the Grampians Texture. We did a 2 day weekend workshop with Philomena Hali on Cloque which was great. Firstly to learn a new creative (Craft), then to be with other like minded people and to see what the other workshops offered was a form of heaven to myself. We arrived Friday afternoon to settle into our accommodation. Saturday was when we started with Philomena and our instructions for both technique and safety were imparted in a friendly and motivational manner. By lunch we had samples and ideas a many, then on Sunday we were learning other complimentary techniques to Cloque.


My friend's is the dark reds with circles
So two full days and many ideas later plus the desire to do more workshops at Grampians Texture in future years, along with the stalls for purchase of wide range of textile supplies, etc and a gathering of show and tell of all the workshops for the weekend resulted in a tired while being fully satisfied creative self.


Mine is the long length on the right

So I am now working out ideas for where to do this process at home as safety is required, since I am using caustic soda. I have labelled containers and gathered goggles, gloves, etc just for cloque. I thank all the peoples who work is in the images for letting me show them.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Blanket

The last month has been myself working on a blanket amongst other weavings and knitting and Christmas etc. I have woven about 6-8 now and enjoy the use of mixing colour and yarns from different brands. To say I will use 8ply yarns has brought about a decision on what do I want to knit with and that to weave. I have given one away (see previous blog) and kept one for myself for I realised that I should treat myself as an important part of enjoying my creating rather than giving away all the time.




The blanket has had a few delays - sourcing the colours -creams and browns then the rod I use to hold the yarn on the back before the apron broke on the end of previous weaving, which made things hairy till finished, then since we live 45 minutes one way, from the hardware store that I knew we could get replacement that took time. Once all fixed and warp having been prepared earlier (sounds like cooking) I was off and sampling again, a bit overboard but choice is good. Once the pattern was chosen it was off to the loom and weaving away at all chances. I will be showing you a picture soon of it only needing washing etc. To give you an idea of size in the loom reed 134cm wide and 200cm long plus fringes.


Here is some pictures of my sample.

The first is the cream weft options and patterns.




I have picked the second from the bottom as it shows the cream up more on one side while the stripes on the other.

Thank you

Weaving

To be weaving this length approx 3 metres long and 10cm wide. I have used 100% wool, for both warp and weft. The weft is made up of single o...