textile treasures and fun

arrived home to finish off a project I have been working on with my best friend.

It is a quilt for her daughter's wedding. I have known her daughter since she was a wee small blond bombshell and now she is getting married- boy that makes me feel old.

Dawn [ my friend and I had a lovely day making the felts, and another embroidering little homilies onto the panels and then have been assembling the thing.

lovely to have something from both of us. great fun to play together at this and instil our good wishes into the piece.

this gorgeous little purse was made by one of my students from Canberra.

on the fist day the fabric was one of her samples and then she returned the next day with it transformed into the beautiful purse.

the opening is some type of spring - it came from the Canberra Needlework shop and is a great way to finish off a small purse, but I think it is Heather's embroidery that makes it extra special.

kindly she gave it to me and I am so happy I have been showing everyone my new treasure.... I was really chuffed to receive such a special pressy!!

An amazing thing- if you go to Dijanne Cevaal's site you can see a video of an exhibition in France- look at the April 2007 listing, also enjoy all the other lovely stuff she has.http://origidij.blogspot.com/

Canberra

Glorious trees in Canberra

above a flower in the garden and below a stitched one- amazing!

May 21, 2007

The year is flying fast!

There has been a lot on the news since I got home about there being only 2 companies supplying 80% of Australia’s groceries and surprise, surprise they are pushing the prices up much, much higher than in any other country in the world.
I do check out food prices when traveling and have noticed everywhere seemed much cheaper- even when I worked out the exchange rates.
Is this a surprise -? If our government allows the lack of competition to happen?
How can we fight back? In a world focused on money, the best way is to use our dollar [and quietly we will probably save ourselves a dollar along the way!]
Shop at the local fruit and veg shop, a butcher shop, a bread shop, the corner store.
Anything but a store belonging to a chain.
I always try and get fuel at the local petrol station, we are a long way out from the big town so it is slightly more expensive but he is a family owned business, 2 km from my house [not 50km] and while there are independents around we have some choice in the manner.

FIGHT BACK- use your $$ to speak for you, the govt, who should be doing this type of thing certainly is not!
Canberra, this week end. Teaching felt making to a great bunch of people.
We were at Canberra Needlework Canberra Needlework
Our hosts were Jo and Robyn http://www.canberraneedlework.com.au/.
First off I did a bit of sightseeing.
I only visit Canberra every so often and am always struck by its feel of being a giant park. It has been hit very hard by the drought. Gum trees when stressed will tend to drop a limb to survive and so the council is obviously keeping an eye on this so those limbs don’t fall on anyone’s head.
Driving into town I saw so many trees that were almost bare sticks conditions have been so bad.

If you are in Canberra check out the National Portrait Gallery- a great photographic exhibition by Nathalie Latham “Australia’s Creative Diaspora” and a bit of an indication of the state of things for artistic people…

The National Gallery of Australia has a new Asian Wing- gorgeous display of pieces, good Print exhibition showing the history of Australian Print making.

I am a textile artist for sure, but know the more I get to see and think about the better I can work at my work. All viewing, thinking, contemplating is educational and helps me move from looking at things to seeing a lot more in them.

The Dickson shops has a good eat street, there is a Chines BBQ shop that does the best Duck and noodle soup- yum. I always try and have a lunch there when I am in town.
Belconnen Markets are wonderful for fresh and interesting produce- certainly a great place to start fighting back.

At the National Botanical Gardens, a beautiful garden with a wonderful display of Australian Natives [ also suffering from the drought] there is a great exhibition called “Blooming Threads” – stitched, machine embroidered works be Lynne Stone. When I walked into the room I could see cuttings from flowering gums displayed in the glass display cases, was wondering how they were keeping them alive and where was the stitching?
It turned out they were the stitching, they looks real! Beautiful Australian Flowering Gums.

home and all systems go

I'm back and have so much to do i don't know where to start.

I received some flyers for a workshop I am teaching in Sydney in a few weeks only to discover the 2 workshops i have done for that venue have been rolled into one!

that happens sometimes, at first i was shocked...- but most fortuituos really... i have been dreaming of a new idea for a workshop but not had the time in the daytime to work it out, so now I have the chance.

it will involve felt, cutting it and reassembling it, drawing inspiration for Hundertwasser and Klee. some of my earlier works derive from these ideas and I have been wanting to re-establish contact so here is my chance.

above is a deatil of an old piece, there was a lot I liked about its look and it will be good to re-examine the process

a week in Fiji

1. the beautiful tapa cloth and the materials old and new for printing it0 originally stencils were cut from pandanus and now it is used xrays

2. some of the young ladies from our family dancing for us on our final evening

3. Eddy [our hotel manager] waving us good bye as we head off across the bay- our place is just behind him amongst the cocnut palms

4. sunsets spectacular just out front

May 13, 5.55am

Just spent a week in Paradise.
Can’t wait to return, such a relaxed and luscious lifestyle.
The culture of Fiji is very warm and welcoming and runs at a very easy pace. We were welcomed first day with a kava ceremony, our group was seen as a new tribe [ I was to be chief!] and so we needed to ask permission to visit, then the local people responded by welcoming us into the family. Great fun, we were then part of the family that is Daku Resort.

Our family looked after us so well all week, from yummy meals, to fresh flowers in our rooms each day and wonderful smiles and laughter all the time.
Fiji is warm and humid, the weather is pretty predicable- it is either blue sky and sunshine or out of no where a cloud burst arriving to bring a refreshing break, but still warm.
Being right by Savusavu Bay [ you can hear the waves gently lapping in the night] means there is often a breath of fresh air to keep you comfortable- our lovely big communal bure [open house structure] was a great place to gather and stitch and chat our week away.

Our days drifted by mostly working in the morning, a few adventures in the afternoon, such as tapa making, visiting a black pearl farm- oh boy!, boating across the bay or the highlight of the week visiting a nearby village for a meke [festival kind of thing] . First the welcoming ceremony and kava, then the villagers singing- what voices and the younger people dancing- fantastic.
Although that meke was a highlight, the most delightful thing of our visit was the meke at our resort performed by the children of our family. Our last evening by the poolside was especially for us, such talent and vivacity displayed by the young ladies as they danced to lively local music- really special
Bula is the greeting used in Fiji, you hear it everywhere and use it all the time- it means ‘life’- what a wonderful way to acknowledge how special this life is – every single day.

Venaka [thank you] to all I was lucky enough to meet and share this experience with

Bula to all- Fiona.

Adding this a bit later…At departure time, first kava ceremony, then it was a real tear jerker- the staff- our new family all sang a farewell song to us- so beautiful…. then we danced and laughed a bit, Kenny who was our liason person, he had been trying to tempt us all week finally convinced everyone to join him in a bit of dance aerobics and boy did he smile when he finally got us up and then we left in time for our 8.20am flight, what a morning

arriving Fiji

1. flying over our island

2. view from my bure

3. inside- I could hear the waves gently lapping as I went to sleep

May 6, 2007
Flew into Fiji today.

I really was not sure what to expect, this is my first tropical island.
A bit disorientated from travel and it is so warm but now sitting on my little verandah all is well.
Looking through the garden, past the coconut palms is Savusavu Bay.
It is warm, not exactly hot and somewhat humid but the little breezes coming off the water offset that nicely.
I have managed to wander down to the waterside, the beach is edged with broken coral, the thick rainforest comes right to the road side, there are coconuts in all the palm trees, papaya and bananas growing in the forest…it is peaceful and quite except for the occasional sound of the a falling coconut…and birds singing
The water is now still and it is so peaceful. Upon arrival one of the staff said welcome to Paradise and I think they may well be right.
Need to put my feet up for a while and perhaps snooze a little…. bye

Paducah and then LA

first pic, gallery view of my work,

second one of the wonderful galleries in Paducah complete with stainless steal giaffes

and number 3

some wonderful rock formations at Garden of the Gods....

May 4,
3 days in Los Angeles what an assault on the senses after peaceful rural Kentucky!
The last day I was in Paducah, a lady Dena, who I had met whilst she was looking at my exhibition kindly asked if I would like to spend the day with her and some of her friends.
I jumped at the opportunity, good chance to meet some of the local and see some of the countryside.
Well she and her mate Pam picked me up { Pam by the way is a horse lady and had a photo of her newest baby: huge carriage horse- forgotten the breed- who towered over her in height- so much horse to manage- I think she is brave.] we went off driving across the beautiful rolling hills of Kentucky.

Spring is just arriving so all the trees are bursting into bud.
I had noticed when walking around town often hearing the adjective “Pretty” said pri-tty in the lovely round and soft local way. It is not so commonly used where I come from, so I noticed it. Thinking about it as a word it has a feminine gentle ring to it and it was just the word to describe the woods as they burst into leaf. The colour is the most exquisite soft chartreuse green, the leaves are soft and gently shimmer and rustle in the breeze, altogether a very soft and feminine feel to the woods and pri-tty was just the most apt word for it.

We went driving and came to Garden of the Gods State Recreational area. These wonderful rock formations tucked in amongst the woods.
The photo attached is of one section that really amused Pam’s nephews.
All through the woods was this lovely green creeper starting to come back after winter – not to touch! Apparently you will remember it painfully for days – it is poison ivy. Sounds yuk!
It was a real treat of a day- we started off with textiles in common but found so many other things to share and talk about as well.
We had lunch on the way in this little diner- just like the movies…full of the local folks and great food. The only thing I would complain about food in the US if you are in a real place is the size of the servings… I usually have a huge appetite but there found I often could not manage more than half that was served up!

Paducah- the absolute highlight [ amongst so many things] was the open house tour in the Lowertown area.
Each year a number of artists open their house for folks to come and wonder through [ all money raised is going towards scholarships in the soon o open Paducah Arts School]. For ten bucks you get to wander through some truly extraordinary homes… at first I felt like a voyeur looking into people’s private space- but hey! It was for a good cause and the places were wonderful. One place was all true to about 1850 and the owner a true Southern Belle was even in a crinoline, another above a wonderful gallery with larger than life stainless steel giraffes out the front was all mirrors, and glitz, over the top but seemed really livable as well and so many others each as distinctive as their owners and well worth a squizz if they are offering!
My exhibition looked good up as well by the way… I had already seen the pieces so they weren’t as exciting as all the new stuff for me.

On the flight across the country I finished a book I have been enjoying “The Places in Between” by Rory Stewart- it tells of his extraordinary journey on foot across Afghanistan.
I always wanted to go there… was seriously thinking of it years ago and the Russians went and invaded… I have worried for the place ever since. Still times are a changing.. let us hope for a bright future for the place.
One thing he mentioned was his habit to write for 2 hours each day.
What a good discipline. I now carry a journal with me always to jot things down[ I use small blank school books, so I don’t have a lot of weight to carry- I am so over carrying things when I travel!].
I used to dislike the idea of a journal but having had to start it for uni and now being able to refer back to it-I can see what use they are.
When you want to do something new or incorporate something new in your life- it does have to start out as a discipline, reminding yourself to do it, but not too long it becomes natural and always happens…. From those small starts you can make great changes in your life.

May 6… where did May 5 go?

Left LA on 4 May and stepped off the plane next morning on 6 May- weird
What a place! It is all a bit of a blur of impressions really.

I stayed in a backpackers on Melrose Avenue. Went for a wander to check of the local area and the street is full of all these cute little boutiques…I was wondering if they were those new ones just starting out and so affordable or really cool ones- looking that way and charging double. After walking a block and see a limo with uniformed driver waiting for some of the sweet young things inside I realized it was option 2!

Around the corner on Fairfax Avenue is Canters and old style diner that has been there for ever with the most enormous breakfasts to get you all fuelled up for a day looking, looking, looking.

One thing I realized I needed to understand is that my way of just walking, and walking and walking to see where I ended up is not necessarily a good idea in some where like LA. The streets of the economically blessed can change to those of the economically distressed rather rapidly and you should not be there. I don’t get the creeps very easily but there were a few times I was thankful it was the middle of the day and I headed back to more familiar turf rather quickly. On one occasion I was asking a bus driver how to get to a certain location and she asked why I was going there and said it was not a good neighbourhood and not a wise idea.

Anyway there were plenty of good places to be…
Farmer Market on Fairfax- excellent eats and the Wholefood Market takes the humble supermarket to a whole new level- unbelievable choices.
- spas for everything! Him, her, him and her, him and him, teeth, the dog you name it.
- Wig shops, to add more hair, to make it longer, to make you look bald…??
- Supermarket size shops to buy stuff to help you beef up, help you slim down and everything in between – they were sold in container size quantities!
- Posting shop for ebay buying and selling- they must take ebay real seriously
- Suburbs completely enclosed in security fencing
- Palm trees- LA could be described as an Ode to the Palm, they are everywhere and of every size and are so beautiful
- Art galleries galore
- Saw my first hummimgbird- so wonderful- they are so tiny, and there wings really are a blur of movement, this little fellow was metallic red/green. I felt to special seeing him

Paducah to LA

May1 later

Just spent a great week in Paducah- the town styles itself the quilt capital of America and it undoubtedly is, and so much more.
I’d say the town is also quite visionary and possibly one of the friendliest places on Earth!
Paducah was a quiet little country town a few years ago, not a large population of its own but a hub that serviced a large rural population base.
The Old Town is quiet lovely and there was a Lower Town area full of gracious old homes that were slowly sinking into the ground.
Mostly owned by slum lords, the houses were not being maintained and life was going down hill.
Some bright spark had the idea of inviting a bunch of artists to move into the area and start an arts district. www.paducaharts.com/ check them out- visit if you can, look for a B&B and stay in the area, if you can.
Paducah is sweet but realistically it is a long way from anywhere.
The town got behind the idea, though, the local bank offered very generous financing deals so people could afford a wonderful old house to renovate and a studio of their dreams. Advertising was put out across the country and the town stood there with their arms wide open and a great big welcome on their lips and in their hearts.
People came, now just 4 years later it is an area thriving, many wonderful, quality galleries, cafes, studios and a friendly, thriving community.
Of course life is challenging- moving, renovating, setting up a studio yet the refrains were always positive and so friendly. People helping out each other, heaps of people with the same affliction and/or blessing you share of a creative nature. What a place!

Then there is Quilt Week- so many people flock in for this major event of the American Quilter's Guild. There are quilts everywhere, a hugeshow of the work in the competitions and vendors throughout town, antiques quilts as well.

I particularly enjoyed the exhibition at the Quilt Museum - very thoughtful combination of works. http://www.quiltmuseum.org/ is their web site.

the collection on display when I visited started with modern pieces based on a traditional pattern of the Rose of Sharon, this then blended into a display of antiques quilts with this design, beautiful, elegant pieces, in the next section of the museum where works from Quilt National 05 and some of the permanent collection of the museum.

All excellent works and a museum I will look forward to with anticipation to see what they have on offer next time. All the work was very quilty- fabric, batting, well stitched but the range achieved with these common materials was wonderful. It gave me a lot to think of for my work and a wish to reseach more into the traditions of quilting and work on the idea of some cross over pieces- a modern twist on a traditional pattern...hmmm something to ponder.

Los Angeles today- and a day cruising the Contemporary Musem of Art- very exciting!

Dixie Brown

1 May,
Already!

Let me drop some bombs on you!
These are the work of Dixie Brown, a thought provoking way of questions how secure you feel in a country at war.
If you would like to contact Dixie here is her email wingspred@comcast.net .
Great lady.

If you make it to San Francisco- the de Young Museum is really worth a visit...and the Asian Museum and i am sure many other places in this lovely city
It spreads out in many directions filled with wonderful things and apparently the view from the tower is great[ ran out of time visiting Vivian Westwood before I got up their unfortunately – but there is always next time.