Rain, heat, Rain, heat, rain.....

The blonde on the left is Bri, the red head is her best friend Sophie.


She had a gorgeous red tulle petticoat- very rockabilly!


Royal Shiraz batt drying- or trying to, sending it to The Thread Studio Monday.


No room for clothes on the line!


Mmmm, yum. A bunch of silk rods drying for dinner.
Kidding....
We had pizza instead.

It's been a wet spring in Warrandyte. It's so hard to get the wool and silk dry. I dye it in the morning, put it out on the line in the afternoon, go to bring it in and it rains just before I get it. Well, at least it's well rinsed.
Big week, Belle's first school camp, tents and all. None of that cabin camping other schools do. Bri had her formal and I have the photos that prove she has legs. Most people had never seen her in a dress.

What I have been up to.

Holey scarf in Pilgrim colourway with tissue silk.



Bowl with hand dyed scrim/ muslin nuno-ed.


Bowl with hand stitching. circles were cut from prefelt ( oops felt), applied as last layer.


Looking more washed out than it is- same kind of bowl with chain stitch as embellishment using Mulberry Silks silk thread which is a dream- supplied by The Thread Studio.

Well, a lot it seems to me! As promised- photos of the cake for Madelen's 21st. We didn't cut it after all. She liked it so much, she took it home with her intact for the next nights celebration with her friends. Most of them seem to be Stargate fans as well. Bri helped enormously in making the cake and I got to pass on some of the things I had learnt about cake decorating from my Mother. That was kind of nice too. I only got one photo of Madelen opening her Stargate figurines I found in a shop in Tasmania. She squealed so I think that meant she liked them.
The little felt bowls were samples I played with in Tasmania. I like making them but love using them. I always have little bits of everything that need to be put somewhere!
The weekend is shaping up to be hellish. Belle's dance concert is tomorrow night and I have to be a helper- what do I know about sequins? Bri has her best friend's 16th party to go to. Next night is her formal and after party, Saturday is extra kids over.....And worst of all.....I am out of decent coffee. I need a little lie down....

Mummy's little angel turns 21.

Photos tomorrow of the big event. Twenty one years ago today Madelen arrived. The most joyful day of my life. Difficult birth, occasionally difficult upbringing all worth it to see what a fine young women she has turned into. Off to decorate the cake and check I have adequate amounts of tequila for my margaritas tonight. After all, its all about me isn't it?

Still trotting about

Still gadding about Tasmania with Rae. We had a great time in Deloraine at the Craft Fair and have since been to Lake St Clair, Derwent Bridge and now Ross. Unfortunately, I am unable to post any pictures but I assure you if I could it would all be of food. Scones jam and cream all over Tasmania. Not the greatest coffee, but Rae brought along her coffee machine so we are not suffering.
Off to Launceston tomorrow for me to teach a two day work shop, then back home to the family. Wouldn't do to enjoy myself too much now....

Open Drawer

Saturday morning- Oh My God- you have a birthday party to go to and no present?????
You'll get a scarf done in time won't you Mum? She likes rainbow....


No problem, I didn't want a lie in, breakfast, coffee or to read the paper....


Yes, I got it done and the flowers stayed put too. Created a fringe but didn't have time to take a photo- wrapped it up slightly damp.



Here is my friend Win in the main shop part of Open Drawer. Newly opened at 1158 Toorak Rd, Camberwell in Melbourne, this shop and gallery space brings together textile art supplies with the finished pieces from Australia's well known textile artists. Work to make you gasp from Pam Hovel, Catherine O'Leary and many other well known names were to die for. Robyn, who together with Prue have given this business some thought. Upstairs there are two gallery rooms showcasing different artist's work. The gallery is available for submissions and is a fantastic, well lit space. Downstairs is the show room and shop area where you can purchase felting batts, wool, silk and fabrics for felting. Towards the back there is a room for 'stitching and bitching' (sorry) and two classrooms purposely fitted out with sewing machines and high tables for felting. I thought I was in textile heaven. Anyway, support it Melbourne girls because it's a lovely place. I bought porcelain buttons for some of my pieces still in my head- had better get making.


Robyn playing shopkeeper.


Supplies downstairs....Prue in doorway.



Gallery upstairs.
Win admiring and saying..." I'll have that one and that one and that one.."


My Bella along for the snacks and to admire....
I had to buy her a button too, what for? I don't know- she is as hopeless as I am. I LOVE BUTTONS.


You can ring Open Drawer on 03 98897227 or visit Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri 9.30-5.30 and Sat and Sun 10-4. Ummm, next month they are hosting a exhibition of pieces by tutors (moi included) and giving demonstrations. I don't know when, will post when I know.

Getting things done.

Bri said " gee that wont keep you warm, look at all those holes..."
"It's a SUMMER scarf" said I.



How it sat for a month before deciding to put holes in it......


How it began....




When I haven't made anything for a while I begin to get a bit miserable and frustrated. Life, family and other committments creep time away from the creative process and it's easy to push creativity into 'I'll get to it later mode'.
Thing is, it's a vital part of who I am and want to be. If I ignore my needs and let too much of other people's needs take precedence, I lose confidence and become frustrated. That in turn causes me to not be competent in my other roles. Mother, wife, daughter, business women, friend, community member. My mother used to say that if you don't take care of the mother, who will take care of the children. I think she meant for ourselves to take care of us first so we can effectively take care of the people who rely on us. She was a midwife who saw first hand the breakdown of families when the mother gave her all and was made ill by it. So yesterday, I took time out to finish the scarf that had been sitting on our dining room table for more than a month. The silk scraps came from a shirt from the op shop. The silk merino is a colourway I dyed with the sky above Warrandyte in mind. Even just finishing a scarf made me feel better about myself. A small thing maybe but at the moment- a huge achievement.

Autumn elsewhere.

My wisteria has gone crazy this year with the added rainfall. I'm thinking of hitting the dye shed to get these colours!


Meantime of course, I am reminded that it is autumn elsewhere. I stared at some photos on flickr of foliage in Vermont, USA, and this is what I came up with.