Blog Book and More

The blog book I ordered has arrived. I've been trying to come up with an idea how to print my blog. Both Mr Notjustnat and I came up with various ways, but in the end I decided to get it printed with Blog2Print. I decided to print one year at a time. My first book for the 2014 posts has arrived. The next one is ordered and it is on its way. I'm very happy with how it looks and feels. The photos are as clear as I see on the web. 

Apart from that, I had a busy couple of weeks yet again. I visited a great exhibition: Exquisite Threads, English Embroidery 1600-1900s. I took some photos of my favourite pieces to share with you here.

I was sick for most of last week. The doctor ordered for me to stay home during that time. No good giving my cold to the rest of the team at work! The weather was horrible the whole time I was home, but I managed to complete small sewing projects and put on a batch of dye during that time.

My first blog book for 2014

2014 when I went on a textile trip to Vientiane
Luang Prabang and Siem Reap.

Below are some photos of the embroideries at the Exquisite Threads Exhibition. The first one is a Bible cover from the early 17th century. What caught my attention was the work of free-form embroidery. To use it for a Bible cover was comforting to me because I'm making the same things, but for journal covers.  

Bible cover-early 17th century

Part of my hand-stitched journal cover

My 2015 travel journal cover

Coif - early 17th century. Linen, silk, gilt-metal
(thread, spangles)

Section of a larger embroidery panel 

Stomacher - early 18th century

Below are a few small projects I worked on while I was home sick:

Shibori stitched on linen dress, socks and
cotton threads ready for indigo dye

Quilt label for Red Star and Blue Sea
quilt posted here

The Civil War block I made using Barbara
Brackman's free patterns that I posted here 

I was given walnut hulls a couple of weeks ago. I soaked them until they were ready to be used. Steeping is another way to cook dye bundles. The liquid you steep bundles in could be anything from natural sources. All bundles for this batch had been steeped in walnut bath. 

Jars and bundles ready to be opened

Unwrapped bundle of wool and Eucalyptus

A peak into another bundle of silk and Eucalyptus

Another bundle using different Eucalyptus

Autumn maple leaves on vintage silk

Silk scarf dyed in walnut bath

Lucky find:

My sweet Abela

A lucky find for this post is not what I found recently, but it was a lucky find I found 15 years ago on eBay. This sweet Singer Featherweight is my proud and joy and I enjoy her every time I sew with her. I only use her to sew vintage fabric. I named her Abela to remind me of an Arabic name for a beautiful little girl. Abela was made in Scotland, but I got her from Texas, USA. 

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

Textile Trip 2014: Siem Reap

This will be the last post on my Textile Trip 2014. I was away for a couple of weeks during Easter break. It had been quite a hectic couple of of months for me with the textile trip in March and again in April to Tasmania. Unfortunately, I caught a cold from somewhere at the end of my textile trip and had been unwell for a few weeks. I'm glad that I am finally free of it just before we left for Tasmania. I will tell you about that in the next post. Today I will share with you some photos from Siem Reap.

Siem Reap is in Cambodia. It's the city where Angkor Park is located. Angkor Wat was on my list of places to visit. I'm glad I finally went there. Cambodia is a Buddhist country, so many of the images here are relating to Buddhism. Hope you enjoy them. 

Incense is a big part of Buddhism.
These colourful ones were at the altar in
our hotel 

Buddha statues are everywhere in
Siem Reap. They are made of various
materials

Buddha poses and postures, you can read
about them here

You can find Buddha altars in strange places

You find Buddhas in a garden

Buddhas are used as decorative items too 

This was the hallway in our hotel in Siem Reap

As part of our Siem Reap visit we got to do pottery at the Siem Reap Ceramic Center. We got to make two pieces, but could only choose to fire one to bring home. We visited Old Siem Reap Market many times too.

 Janine on the wheel with a local helper

This is my piece before it was fired.
It turned out okay and I brought it home.

Typical scene outside the Old Market in
Siem Reap 

Siem Reap has the best market for antiques
and collectibles

Lots of collectibles are related to Buddhism

Gorgeous hand woven silk 

A miniature betel-nut tray I was in-love with
and finally found one in Bangkok to bring back

 Phare Youth Cirque Du Cambodia recommended
to us. It was a brilliant show!

Images below are from temples in Angkor Park. There were many old temples in the park, but I only chose my favourite photos to share with you here.

The temple of Ta Prohm

A scene used in the Tomb Raider the movie

Angkor Wat early in the morning
(only a few tourists!)

Many doors and hallway images I took photos of

Just to give you a perspective of how the roots
have taken over the temple

I love taking photos of empty corridors 

A long and empty corridor

A well preserved façade of the tree-of-life 

Another façade of the tree-of-life

Below are my favourite Apsara dancing ladies, with different hair-dos. They are over 1500 of them around Angkor Wat. 

 

Another highlight of my visit to Siem Reap is the floating village in Tonle Sap Lake. It was about one hour's drive outside Siem Reap. Houses along the way are built on stilts high enough for when the rainy season comes. After the bus ride we got into a boat that took us out along the river leading to the lake. The scenery was interesting and photogenic. 

Floating homes

Faces of Siem Reap

Houses on stilts

This blog is turning to be a travel blog lately. Thanks for coming along and sharing it with me. A big part of my life is living a life of the expatriate and travelling to see the world. Even though our permanent address is in Australia now, we still enjoy travelling and seeing part of the world that we haven't seen before or we loved and want to go back. 

We have seen a lot of Australia as well, but there is a lot more to discover here too. You read that when we are still strong and able you go to faraway places and when you are less able to travel you see what is near to you. That's what I'm doing, I think!

I haven't got any more travel planned for this year. In order to get inspired I've signed up for Alchemy 2014 online class with Karen Ruane. Karen does beautiful work and is a very inspiring teacher. I want to make another journal cover and I thought taking this workshop would get me started on a journal for my next trip whenever that may be! 

Until next time

Nat