I MUST APOLOGISE!

For not keeping up to date with my blog.  So many things have happened since I last wrote.  Moving house; Melbourne for Christmas to visit our daughter Kirsten and then home just in time to experience the dreadful floods in our valley.  We were some of of the lucky ones in that our home was not flooded....just about 20cm or so of floodwater in our yard.  I was evacuated by Black Hawk choppers which was an experience I'll never forget I think!  Enough of that!

Amidst all of the horrors I also had to create a full Christmas table setting for Handmade.  I had been asked to do this just before Christmas and the deadline was the end of January!  Luckily Virginia (the editor) gave me a week's grace and I DID complete it under pressure.  I sent it off without even setting it out and photographing and just prayed that they would like it.  Luckily they did and it's been and gone now as the next issue is now out.  I will post a photograph ASAP.

For this post I thought I would finish off our Artistic Licence exhibition at the Tablelands Regional Gallery in November.  It was very well received and caused a lot of comment which was pleasing.  I'm fairly certain I have posted all the pics of the small pieces so will give you a bit of a look at how they all looked on the walls of the gallery as well as the final piece which melded in with the other larger piece the rest of AL created. 

As always I'm never sure if I will get the pics in the right place so here goes!  As you can see the individual pieces aren't easy to see but the overall pic gives an idea of how they worked together.  The plinths hold the artist books we all created.

The above pic is one set of combined pieces that were hung in the entry of the gallery.  Mine is the piece on the right and I'll also add a pic of it on it's own.  Sandra created the top left piece and Liddy the bottom left piece.  Hopefully the individual pic will give you a bit of the detail.  Probably doesn't show in the pic but each of the individual pieces started and finished with the same fabric as the one beside it ie.  the first green fabric on mine was the last on Liddy's and the last red fabric of mine was the in the first section of Sandra's.  As we were all flung far and wide when we each worked on these it's a bit amazing that they blended!

I added elements used in the small pieces to echo and create a sense of continuity.  Below are some pics of some of the artist books I created for the exhibition. 

The green book was to echo my small piece titled Earth's Oxygen and the red concertina book echoed Prelude to Winter. 

The Tea Time set of books were named because I used used tea bags for the pages.  Great fun to do!  Just dry the tea bag once used then empty out the tea leaves and open out the bags if you want.  I do both.  Different brands of tea give different results.  Purple Passion was created as a journal....blank pages inside.  Both books used handmade papers etc for the covers.  I don't get a lot of spare time to indulge my love of bookmaking but try when I can. 

Now that I've got back to post my first message in a long time I will try very hard to come back at least once a week.  Lots to tell everyone about!!  Until then, take care and happy sewing to everyone! Love,

Jan

MORE A Sigh of Colour

I realised I had missed showing the full photograph of the previous pieces I'd given a glimpse of plus one I left out totally!  The darker green one is "Earth's Oxygen" - this was the first piece I created and using the Nancy Crow birch tree fabric started a trend! :-) 

Next in line is "Summer's Finale" - the Nancy Crow fabric was such a design inspiration I thought! LOL  I actually completed the red piece before this (Prelude to Winter) and carried the leaves into this one as it was appropriate.  Actually! When I cut it back to correct size I made a mistake and messed-up the top, right hand corner...the leaves hide a multitude of sins!!!  

Next is "Prelude to Winter" - the leaves are dimensional and mostly silk.  Hand appliqued and quilted.  This is not quite the full photograph of the quilt as I had left it in Atherton before I left and didn't realise I hadn't photographed it properly. 

Last one is "Sleeping Forest" and using the Nancy Crow fabric again for the insert. Once again, hand appliqued and quilted.  I'm hoping that I'll be able to go "home" (still feels like it after 20 years living there) for the opening of the exhibit but not sure whether I'll be able to.....hope so!

Jan xxx 

BRRRR It's getting chilly! Not too cold to stitch though!!!

I've completed more pieces for the "A Sigh of Colour" exhibit and pretty happy with the results.  Of course, you always think you would have done things just a little differently but that's just human nature I feel. 

The first is "Sentinals" (the green one as I'm never certain where the pics will end up when I hit "publish post" LOL) - I needle felted (on my wonderful Pfaff Embellisher) a rectangle of hand dyed wool roving and then cut the gum leaf shapes.  The jade circles are a gift from my friend Liddy "collected" during her 2 years in Thailand. Hand quilted as well.

The next (aqua) is "Coral Cay" and I'm hoping it's obvious what I was trying to achieve.  Really enjoyed doing this - the centre section is hand dyed silk organza; leftover bits from Kirsten's graduation dress from high school.  Perfect for my design as we made the dress on an underwater theme.  Hand embroidered and hand quilted as well.

The last is the copper one - "Copper Elements" - pretty self explanatory.  Also hand quilted.  I have to get these pieces posted up to the girls in Atherton so they can then finalise whether we need more to fill-out the colour range to fit the gallery walls.  We're also creating handmade books - some to echo some of our individual pieces as well as others.  I had a great time working on these as it's been a while since I made any.  I'll post photographs soon!

We've had absolutely beautiful days here with quite chilly mornings and warmish days with it turning cool again as the sun goes down.  Been dragging out some of the winter woolies!!  I'll be back soon with some more pics.  Until then, happy stitching!

Jan xxx 

I'VE BEEN STITCHING UP A "STORM"!

I've had a busy couple of months and haven't lived up to my promise of posting regularly!  I always enjoy working on new projects and these few have been great fun and I have almost been "possessed" by the need to finish them.  M'ladys Fancy II is an addition to my banner range and was inspired by some of the shoes in my M'ladys Passion BOM.  I even got the BeJeweller out and added some bling! :-)  The pretty pastel banner is M'ladys Fancy and I so enjoyed stitching these!  I used some of the new range of yummy, hand dyed threads from Country Garden plus a bit more "bling" with the BeJeweller.  The background fabric is this wonderful linen which I fell in love with.  Want to do more projects with it.

Now for "Cherry Cakes"!!!  Not my usual choice in colour but had this idea and this great range from Moda - "Oh-Cherry-Oh" by Me & My Sister Designs was the perfect choice.  I added the bright green spot plus a couple of others for the applique but had a wonderful time working on the seven project using this range.  These will be featured in Handmade magazine - not sure if all in one issue or spread over a few but that's Victoria's (the editor) decision.  A tea towel, recipe book, pot holder, table topper, frilly apron, floor mat and framed piece make up the seven.  A marathon effort! lol  They're all complete now but can't show the full collection as the magazine get them first.  :-)

Then I discovered the sewing fabrics in another set of sewing themed projects.  A sewing folder, needle folder and a dinky bag to carry sewing things.  I had such fun with the ric rac (my favourite thing to use) and lots of embroidery and buttons plus little sewing things to add to them all.  They're almost complete now but thought I'd give you a sneak peek! 

I also love all the great wooden buttons that Laraine from Up In Annie's Room designs too and her cherry button and cotton reel button were the perfect thing to use with both the Cherry Cakes and Tools of our Trade projects. 

The two banners and the Tools of our Trade will be a new addition to my catalogue range.

Hope I'm forgiven for not posting as I should but just HAD to get all this projects finished.  Have more on the drawing board and will give you a sneak peek at my new BOM I've also been working on.

I just love Moda fabrics!  "Passionne des Chapeaux" uses Charisma by Chez Mois designs with the Moda Marble as well. 

I'm off tomorrow to Gatton Quilters for the day which I enjoy so much - I feel like I belong here now!  :-)

Happy stitching everyone, Take Care,   Jan

A SIGH OF COLOUR

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!! Hope everyone has a great celebration. We had bacon and eggs cooked on the barbecue for breakfast so we've done the "Aussie" thing! :-)

Now, "A Sigh of Colour" is the exhibit that Artistic Licence are presenting at the Tablelands Regional Art Gallery in November this year. Artistic Licence is a group of us, five in all and we're all textile artists. The five of us have different styles but have exhibited together often over the past 15 years. ASOC is an idea we had and, "hopefully" we will achieve it. ALL of the pieces are to be 30cmH x 45cmW and, if looked at from a distance to represent just the one colour. We're all doing pieces in all the colour ranges so that, when hung, will create a "ribbon" of colour going around the walls of the gallery. I can only show portions of three of the pieces I've completed so far as I have to keep the full piece "unseen" for the exhibition. It's been very challenging for us working the colours so that there is a continuity, especially now with me 1500km away from the others! Thank goodness for digital photos and the internet! The green one (Earth's Oxygen) was my first one...fancy me picking green to start with! hee hee You can't see in this portion but I also used the tree fabric in green like the other two in the ochre and red. I've had the set of four fabrics for years now (Nancy Crow design) and always wanted to do something about the four seasons but hadn't. When going through my stash I discovered them again and decided to use the four for ASOC. The ochre one (Summer's End) is the latest one completed. The red one (Prelude to Winter) has a host of "falling" 3D leaves over it. The fourth in the fabrics is a sand colour and is completed and left behind in Atherton but I didn't take pics! I have asked for pics to be taken so will show them along with the next one which is aqua in colouring (Coral Cay). Along with these particular pieces we are also doing a large piece - in segments - to hang in the foyer of the gallery AND also some artist books as well!!! I have to fit all of this in with my magazine and design committments so guess what I'm doing for 2010! Also a handmade journal about the pieces.

We're having another hot day today at around 38C with a projected 40C tomorrow as well as a thunderstorm! Hurry along winter! lol

Hope everyone is stitching up a storm! Cheers,

Jan

ANOTHER BIG 'O' BOOK

Another of the big "O" books...this one for Dot who turned 70 on 23rd December, 09. I decided to do the cover as I did as Dot loves beads and embroidery. I chose the monochromatic idea purely for the hec of it! I started out with the embroidery and really didn't have a plan in mind and it all just happened as I went along.

Once again I think I've got the pics all topsy turvy but it will be obvious which ones are the cover and the close-up of the beaded/embroidered section. The beautiful silk ribbon and flower beads page is Judy's. The blue page is Liddy's - wonderful old buttons and Liddy is a blue girl hence the choice of fabrics. The crazypatch style landscape is Robyn's -she actually started that piece in a workshop with Judith Montano when she (Judith) was out here in Australia a while back. The hand-dyed lace and embroidery bouquet is Carole's..Carole does the most exquisite embroidery with fine, silk thread. I turn 60 this year so I'm hoping I'll still get MY book! lol

I've also learned that if you click on each image it will enlarge. You will see that I stitched a small "reef" section in the bottom left hand corner using real shells and I also had to add the moon and the stars up the top. The beaded section was reverse appliqued into the cover and I added small amounts of embroidery and beading to soften the hard edges. I'd like to work a larger piece with the same idea in mind sometime in the future.....time consuming though!

Happy stitching!

Jan

NEW BAGS

Here's some of my newer bags. I never seem to be able to get the text in the right place for the pics so I'll just describe and, hopefully you will work it out! lol The Rust/Navy/Green one with the stitched inserts is called Take Me Shopping - a very roomy bag with loops at the top of the gusset to enable it to be opened out if you have shopped big time!

The Green/Bone one is Tablelands Tote and I had fun designing and making it. Just loved the new round handles and that was the basis for the design. The semi-circle is scrunched fabric with a bit of beading and I "squared" the base by having the triangle on the outside held with a large button - just for something different!

The Black one is Black Magic...fairly simple but a very usable bag once again using the new round handles.

The yellow one is Casual Chic and it's "soft" with heaps of room too. I used the Studio Mio leather handles but any sort could be used or even fabric ones as well.

I've got more designed and one already half made but have lots of other projects I have to work on as well so bags might have to take a back seat for a while. Who am I kidding!!! I really enjoy designing and making them and one day will have a huge sale!

Looking at a 38C day today so maybe won't do much sewing and probably have LOTS of cold showers! Hope your day is a good one! Cheers,

Jan - do you think this is a COOL colour? :-)