I’m inspired by: Belinda Von Mengersen.

Belinda giving an artists talk in Tamworth.

One a  week for the past two years I have had the delightful pleasure of working for the lovely  Belinda Von Mengersen….. she is also my lovely friend. Lucky me!

Well, now it’s lucky you too because Belinda’s work is part of the collection of textile art currently showing at Manly Art Gallery and Museum until the 21st of July.

Every three years the Tamworth Textile Triennale collects together textile artists under a simgle theme. This time it is Sensorial Loop. The shows aim is to  showcase to a public the changing ideas and professional craftsmanship associated with contemporary textile practice in Australia.

The Dusting Cloth by Bel Von Mengersen. Image from abc local.

Belinda’s work as you can see is beautiful….. and according to her ‘photographs badly’, so I can’t wait to see it for real….finished.

Things I would like to see in real life: 2

Graz, Austria. floating coffee shop. Image from Fancy. 

I think this is a must see…. anyone for a trip to Austria?

Watch and be amazed.

Phoenix Files Finale.

The Phoenix Files: Doomsday Book Launch!

By Chris Morphew on May 8, 2013

‘The last book in the Phoenix Files series is FINALLY hitting the shelves, and here’s your chance to get your hands on a copy a week before anyone else in the world! I am incredibly excited to finally let you guys read this book, and I’d love to see you at the launch if you can make it!

Where: Shearer’s Bookshop, MarketPlace Leichhardt, 122-138 Flood Street, Leichhardt NSW

When: Wednesday May 22nd @ 6.00pm

RSVP: (02) 9572 7766′

* taken directly from Chris Morphew’s blog.

I have spoken about Chris’ books before on the blog. I can’t believe the last one in the series is finished and about to hit the shelves. If you haven’t read them, you should…and not just because he is my friend……

 

 

Henry IV

Henry 4. Image from Bell Shakespeare.

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of seeing my first Bell Shakespeare production.

It was an early birthday present for me and a late birthday present for 13 year old.

Thank you Grani Jan and Fa Fa.

I think we are hooked now……

Who’s up for ‘A Comedy of Errors’ in November?

Juggling as a sport.

Does this remind anyone else of mothers in the playground?

ht: Craig T.

What’s so interesting about….. sashiko?

Image From Rebecca Koontz Artist’s blog.

Image from aux peptits oiseaux.

 

Sashiko is a Japanese embroidery technique that has it’s origins in mending.

Sashiko in Japanese means literally ‘little stabs.’

Traditionally done on navy Cotton/linen with white, ecru or cream thread, it is a simple running stitch used to create a pattern.

This week my students hand in their modern versions for marking, and I am really excited to see what they come up with.

Of course I cannot show you their work because that wouldn’t be the done thing, I thought I might show you some of the Sashiko I have collated on Pinterest.

Has anyone out there tried it?

Please let me know how you found it in the comments below, or tell me what theme you would like me to pin around for the next What’s so Pinteresting?.

Enjoy.

I’m inspired by: William Morris

source: The original Morris & Co.

Lately I have been working on an assignment for uni that gave me a chance to revisit and enjoy one of my favourite artists of all time, William Morris.

William Morris was an arts and crafts master….along with Architect Philip Webb. He worked extensively with fabric, wallpaper, furniture and ceramics.

Here is how his official website describes him….

‘William Morris was the single most influential designer of the nineteenth century, and remains today one of the best known of all British designers. This is due to his extraordinary talent as a pattern designer, his colourful and inspiring life story and to his forceful intellect and personality. Morris was much more than a designer; he was a fervent socialist, scholar, translator and publisher, an environmental campaigner, writer and poet.’

Most of you will know his work even of you don’t know his name…. he was that good. His work is still available world wide, and is so beautifully designed it holds it own 150 years later.

Here’s some more for your enjoyment.

“Love is enough” Source: Morris &Co.

from the Morris & Co site.

Golden Lily Print by William Morris. Photo taken from Morris & Co.

Feel inside….and stuff like that.

Our family has been really enjoying this Flight of the Concords magic.

If you are wondering about the lyrics…..here is the extended version.

You can still purchase the single on itunes and the proceeds go to Cure Kids.

Enjoy!

Holiday doona cover.

The upcycled doona cover.

Over the holidays, while her sisters were doing drama and aerialize  weeklong workshops, 9 year old and I had sewing camp together. She is the most keen daughter when it comes to sewing. 14 year old will do some, 13 year old runs a mile, and 6 year old …well I’m not sure about her yet.

9 year old was given a little Ikea sewing machine for Christmas, so we thought it was an excellent opportunity to give it a run. I am planning to review this little machine now we have given it a run.

We decided together to make a doona cover from my stash of fabrics and old clothing in the cupboard.

The finished cover.

Many of the fabrics are significant to her as they are from different parts of her life and  ours lives as a family.

Close up of tags fabrics etc.

This close-up shows fabrics from a baby dress of hers (lace), a shirt she wore when she was a toddler (heart print) and the blue and white spotty left overs from her Alice in wonderland dress I made for her for her 7th birthday.

We tried as much as we could to keep labels too.

Sleeve tabs were kept.

Here you can see fabrics from a shirt of Tim’s (light blue stripe), lace-edging I bought at a garage sale (with my Mum) when  I first moved to Sydney about 25 years ago….. so I guess that makes it vintage ….., and a shirt of mine (blue flowers).

We tried to keep the garments detailing as much as we could….. like the sleeve tabs. 9 year old then hand-sewed buttons (taken from the shirts we had used) opposite the tabs so treasured toys could be held by them.

The finished poduct.

We finished it off by using a flat white sheet to form the back of the cover.

Every single thing….including thread…. we got from the stash!!

It is not quite a standard size and I did help a lot, but she was amazing and now is planning her next project!

Can’t wait to share it when she does.