Life after the Big moved

We moved exactly a week after I retired at the end of May. It was a big move at this stage of our lives, but we have moved many times since we married. Most of those moves were in different countries! 

Anyway, it has been over 4 months since we moved to Canberra. We arrived in the middle of Canberra's winter which was very cold and some nights the temperature was below zero and icy in the mornings. Luckily the house is warm and comfortable. 

We bought some new furniture, but most of the furniture we already had. Some of it is our treasured furniture we brought back from the Middle East. It's important to be surrounded with familiar things. Apart from setting up our new home, I joined the gym, the ACT Basketry and the Canberra Quilters.

We have visited some local music events, galleries and drove down to the South Coast a couple of times as well. 

I'm keeping up the online workshops with India Flint. I'm trying to get back to finishing many quilt projects I have started over the years. Already I've started a couple of new projects too!

It is now late Spring in Canberra. We went through lovely Spring blooms right here on our street and throughout Canberra. Yes, we are settled in well here in our new home and city. We get to help with our grandchildren on a daily basis and some weekends too. 

Icy flakes from car window

Family room in the early days

Old bar stools in new kitchen

Music event at the German Club

First basket made at ACT Basketry

Dyeing as part of online workshop

Finishing one of the quilts I started in Melbourne

Twenty-Five squares bag

Playing in my new Treehouse studio

Altered and dyed jacket for online workshop

Nearby walking track 

Our beautiful street in Spring

We have also started building on a block of land we bought 7 years ago on the South Coast of NSW. It could not have happened at a better time. We are now only 2 hours drive from Canberra. We won't get much done before Christmas though. Patience is the name of the game. 

I have many more photos to share with you on the next post. So don't give up on me!

Until next time

Nat

Last Working Friday

This post winds back by 3 months. I had drafted this post just before we moved, but as anyone who has been moving knows, moving is crazy. So below is what I was telling you at that time, but didn't get around to posting it....

I have had the urge to blog and to say that today the last Friday of my working life! Three months ago I handed in my retirement notice. Actually, I only needed to give one month's notice, but I gave them  them plenty of time to find my replacement. They have found me a replacement, but not just one. They have found seven others to replace me! It is good to know that I have put in more than a hard yard into the job. It's one of the best jobs I have had in my career. I will miss this place and the people I have been working with for the last 14 years. 

Apart from today being a significant Friday for my working life, I have few things that I made recently to share with you. I spent the Easter holiday with DS and his family. While I was there DDIL asked for my help making up 2 quilts using work from her students from year 7 and year 8. The work consists of Sashiko stitched panels. I set the blocks using thin white sashings with blue and red corners and the opposite colour for the borders of each quilt. 

I knew that I only have less than 3 months before our big move, but still have to work within that 3 months. The idea didn't stop me from signing up for an online workshop "Alchemist's apron" with India Flint. This was India Flint's first online workshop. I'm glad I signed up because I really enjoyed it and learned a lot from India and the class mates in the class Facebook group. 

One of the student's quilts I put together

Some natural dye experiments using plants and flowers from the garden of the rental house. It was part of online workshop with India Flint I was taking in May.

Soaking plants and flowers in jars

Pieces of silk added and steamed for 45 mins.

Purple carrots dyed with household mordants

The results of silk threads after dyeing with
purple carrots and household mordants.

Journal pages made from splashed papers

And here is the apron made from a shirt.

By the time you read this we would have moved. I will be updating you with our news soon. I do hope to keep blogging more regularly now that I am retired.

Until next time

Nat

Simplicity of the Little Thing and other Stuff

I should break up this post into 3 parts instead of packing everything in one post! If you are like me you would probably like to share what you are doing. Let's see what I have to share with you. First it's the Simplicity of the little things. Second it is the Autumn dyeing in jars. Third is the update on the online workshop and lastly, a little exciting news I can't wait to share with you at the end of this post.

After the last exhibition Connecting with Nature in November 2013. I was on a roll and wanted to work on another exhibition straight away! I thought I would only work on something small for the next exhibition. Small, simple, but meaningful! While trying to think for the right name for it. Emma Ayres, is my favourite classical radio presenter that I wake up to 5/7. One morning Emma said the word I was looking for Simplicity of the Little Thing! I jumped and knew that I would call my next exhibition the Simplicity of the Little Thing! The exhibition won't happen until 2015 though, but it's okay to keep the idea in mind! The idea was hatched years ago in Barcelona when I worked on my first simple little thing! 

I never leave home without a bunch of threads and fabric in my carry-on. I always prepare for being stranded in a desert island somewhere! On my first trip to Barcelona, yes have been there more than once, I got inspired by Park Güell that Antonio Gaudi created. I decided to create a piece of embroidery using the dyed threads and fabric I took with me. Until today I still feel that it was one of my most original creation I have ever made. 

Having been eco-dyeing a lot recently I started stitching small pieces using dyed silk and dyed threads. I'm trying to keep the stitching simple and minimal, letting the marks on the fabric dictate my stitching.

See the circle on the piece?

Circle appears here too

Heart instead of circle

Below is the Autumn dyeing in jars. Autumn leaves are gorgeous lately. On my walks I always gather leaves for dyeing. Dyeing in jars only takes a small amount of leaves and fabric. 

Dyeing station out on the back deck

Jars filled with concoctions of various leaves, rusty caps, copper pieces, rain water and vinegar. I steamed them for an hour and let them cool in the canning pot.

How long can I leave dyeing in jar? The answer is, not long at all. A week in this case. If you are like me, you open one and then you would open them all!

My first time dyeing with She Oak pine needles after watching the video on Irit Dullman's blog. The result from the pine needles is very pleasing. I definitely will use them again. 

Here are the two small pieces of silk using She Oak Pine needles. I washed and pressed these. Very happy with them. Plenty of pine trees in my campus, how lucky!

From Mother's Day bouquet to silk 

Ornamental grape leaves on silk

Eucalyptus Iron Bark leaves on silk

Just want to say, dyeing in jars is great because I only need a small amount of silk for each jar and the same with leaves. It's fun to add things like used teabags, onion skin, turmeric powder and pomegranate skin. The list is endless. 

Update on the online workshop I'm taking with Karen Kuane.  I posted a few embroidery blocks on the last post. I then used a photo editing program to set the images on point. My original plan was to embroider around reversed appliqué on the dark block, but after seeing this prototype of my journal cover, I don't think I need embroidery on the dark blocks. I have since finished a few more light blocks with different embroidery designs on each one.

  

Now come to the exciting news! Made in Australia I hear you asking? We were at the hardware store yesterday looking at samples of Australian building products to build an extension for Upstairs Studio over the exiting double garage at the back of the house. Every artist needs a studio right? Up until now, all my stuff is in a single bedroom. It's far too small to do anything in there so I usually work on the dinning table. There are a few hicks-up getting everything ready for a building permit, but we got that sorted now.  Any luck the work can start next week. I was told it will take eight weeks to complete. We have to paint it before I can move in. I'm excited as the thought of having my art studio all for myself. Will keep you posted on the progress of the work. 

Until next time

Nat

Journals and Online Workshop

Lately I have been working on journal covers and keeping journals when I travel. Keeping a journal is addictive and so much fun, but in my experience it is only fun and interesting while you are traveling and when everything is still fresh in your mind. Once you get home the experience and the excitement of traveling seems to fade.

I have a long way to go in journal keeping. One day when I have more time I hope to create more arty journals than the ones here, but I feel that any time is a good time to start.

I started a new journal cover after we returned from Tasmania. I have a lot of blue and white fabric on hand so I thought I would make a BORO style cover for my next journal. Also today I will let you have a peek into pages of my journals.
 

The front of BORO journal cover

The back of BORO journal cover

Inside cover of BORO journal

Two filled journals from the previous trips

Full of travel brochures and momento

 

Stack of journals

Ock Pop Tok weaving workshop, Luang Prabang

Postcard from Angkor Wat, Siem Leap

Postcard from Floating Market, Bangkok

Classical Moi Thai

BTS map and Rabbit card, Bangkok

I mentioned on the last post that I signed up for the online workshop 'Alchemy 2014' with Karen Ruane. It started a couple weeks ago. It's an online class so you are working at your own pace. My aim for the project is making another journal cover. For the cover I'm working on small pieces of recycled linen napkins that I cut into 3" sq pieces.

This is my first block with reverse applique using hand-dyed velvet for the center. This was totally free hand embroidery. No pattern or drawing beforehand.  I'm happy with the way it turned out!

Using the first block as a rough guide and idea, but different design and embroidery stitch. Not 100% happy with it, but it will have to do.

The third block looks simple, but you wouldn't believe that I needle weaved over the blue velvet and went over it with red crosses! I will keep this one for a reserve.

 

I finished the latest block last night. I will need 24 of these light blocks and the same for dark blocks that I haven't started making yet.

Apart from working on the stitching Karen encourages us to keep a ledger for our work as well. I'm not a drawer so instead I'm using technology and image manipulations for my ledger. Not a lot of time to work on this project, but I'm having fun and feel stimulated so far.

Until next time

Nat