Half Time (.....of the mid year)

My name is Sandi and it has been 2 months since I have blogged!

On the flip side I have a (challenging) new job which I am learning to love and am even finding some time for persuing my art. Life is good! 

I'm enjoying the garden on weekends (having planted some winter vegies and annuals). I'm loving sitting by the fire in the evening and am teaching myself to relax! It really is ok to just chill sometimes!

I've dug out my sketchbooks and am enjoying the variety and numerous ideas I've sketched and planned over the years! Resurrecting some projects, the multitude of ideas are leading me down new paths. I will never get them all made or even started..... but it's wonderful to be looking forward.

 Older sketchbook ideas....

Latest sketchbook ideas.... getting excited about starting this one! Royal II

An old idea revisited...... in a much smaller scale!

The original.....

Off to start this one................. seriously! Tonight.

Royal Progress....

I am so pleased with the progress on Royal #1 Pomegranate. It has been such a pleasure to stitch and I am enjoying the colour combinations..... especially the leaves on the right hand side! I have to get a wiggle on though as the exhibition I want to put this in is only a few weeks away...! 

I 

 ROYAL POMEGRANATE #1

MOSTLY COMMERCIAL PRINTED FABRIC WITH SOME HAND DYED FABRIC (VINTAGE LINEN AND COTTON) AND UPCYCLED CLOTHING....

DETAIL  

RAW AND TURNED EDGE APPLIQUED LEAVES

SPOTTY DAISIES

COMMERCIAL PRINTED POLKA DOT FABRIC WITH STITCHED DAISY CENTRES AND LEAVES. SEED STITCH LEAVES.

Royal - New Textile Piece

I have always been fascinated with Pomegranates. They have such a beautiful shape, topped with a sweet little crown. We had a small tree in our country garden where I grew up and as an adult have been guilty of buying them from the supermarket because they look fabulous in the fruit bowl.... with the intention of painting or drawing them. Occasionally I remember to at least photograph them! Consequently they rarely end up eaten either.....

Black and white commercially printed cotton as the background; the pomegrantate shape is cut from a thrift shop top that I sadly couldn't fit into! ...I have satin stitched the seeds and will probably kantha stitch the entire background and finally add some borders.... 

I am imagining a series of these.....

 ROYAL POMEGRANATE #1 (DETAIL)

There are a couple of exhibitions coming up that I would love to exhibit in so I had better get busy and get this one framed. The Kissing Tree- finally completed!

THE KISSING TREE (DETAIL)

I'll post pictures of the finished framed pieces. 

The Fruits of Her Labour

THE FRUITS OF HER LABOUR

A new piece created from a scrap of woolen tweed; hand dyed silk and a segment from an old neck tie. The basic tree has been kicking around in one of my many bags/boxes of fabric for about 5 years! I came across it a couple of weeks ago and it was just begging for fruit (a mix of hand painted, dyed and commercial fabrics); and then leaves..... The binding is my latest purchase; a commercially printed cotton. 

I framed it in time for a gallery opening in Nundle, New South Wales. A great night had by all! Thank you to wonderful hosts Linda and Mark Floyd of Nundle Art Gallery / Volcania Art Glass.

Another New Beginning....

So, the house is half packed up ready for my next move and yet somehow I find the time to stitch. It's such a necessity for me.

Stitching = Destressing + Creativity = Sanity

Hand dyed linen and silk; definitely landscape inspired. More to come once the move is complete: a little closer to Christmas.

....on starting afresh!

I have had internet issues for a while now and life has been soooo unbelievably busy I really haven't had time to blog!

I'm back with a new blog name and another huge change to take effect within a few months...  and then I should hopefully have more time to devote to art and blogging!

Here's a little piece I am working on. Well actually it was a single piece but I cut it in half as it just wasn't right! A few hours more work on each and I think they may be ready to frame!

Hand dyed cotton, commercial printed cotton (new and upcycled) , upcycled sari silk, thai silk and hand dyed pashima.

of Threads of Life......

I’ve finished ‘Adorn’! I moved a few elements around and am even happier with it now…!

Adorn

Threads of the Past

detail

Adorn

Threads of the Past

I’m entering a couple of pastel paintings and ‘My Tree of Life’ textile piece (that I started in Jude Hill’s SpiritCloth online workshop) into a local exhibition. I managed to get the textile piece framed just in time! I absolutely looove how it turned out… that timber frame is just perfect... I used spacers so the glass wasn’t sitting directly on the fabric. I need to take it in tomorrow... but I like where I have it hanging at home....

I will frame 'Adorn' similarly...

Adorn

This is what I've been working on most of today... Quite unlike anything I've ever done but I have to say it's been very enjoyable to play with!

Adorn

Textile Collage

It won't be mounted on black; that's a piece of black foam core board I use as a mobile design wall!!! I have several of them and they are often full on both sides with Works In Progress!

This piece includes all sorts of vintage and found textiles and bits and pieces! There is a piece of upholstery fabric and trim; some of the onion dyed linen and cotton from the other day; some crotched edges from the tiger lily doiley of Flaming Heart fame..., vintage buttons, organza, pink damask (gifted from Lynda), vintage bead set, beaded sari organza, a little onion dyed stuffed flannel heart and the stamped word 'Adorn'- still to be attached. I will mount this either onto a stretched canvas or mat board to frame under glass.

Such fun to make! (Back to work tomorrow-but how lucky am I to have had a full day playing) Dinner guest tonight; so had better get to the kitchen!

Framed!

I framed the mini quilt I made for the Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine 'Pretty' Challenge last year. I'm pleased with the effect and will now get it into a gallery!!! It is framed without glass; but I might add glass and make more of a shadow box effect next time.

'Beauty, Wisdom and Grace'

Mini Art Quilt stitched to stretched canvas

More progress on my flaming heart piece. The wings have been ragged edge appliqued on (by invisibly basting them - as per Jude Hill's method) . I then outlined them with chain stitch in a variegated thread (my favourite type!) I adore how the variegated thread gives life and dimension to a piece.

I'll be adding a crown next....

Flaming Heart progress

28 Days has February...

Yay, another day off of work – hopefully this will continue to be a weekly occurrence! I am so enjoying being able to do stuff apart from work and household chores!

Last Monday I bought some bits and pieces of patchwork fabric and also some op shop finds- vintage doileys and linen mostly! I started 2 new pieces over the weekend using some of my new treasures – another Tree of Life - similar to the one I completed during Jude Hill’s workshop and another featuring a Sacred Heart or Flaming Heart which is a symbol that I have had in my head for a few weeks now....

February Tree of Life

WIP

Hand Pieced background (commercial cotton and vintage linen)

and appliqued tree (hand dyed vintage cotton)

I'm just loving the red of my tacking stitches against these colours so once the tree is appliqued down I think I'll be adding red leaves or other detailing to this piece..........

Flaming Heart

WIP

Vintage Embroidery on Linen and Silk Heart Applique

Don't these embroidered tiger lillies (from a vintage doiley I’ve cut up) make the most perfect flames? I'll be adding a lot more embellishment yet (maybe even beads!); and will keep posting updates!

I'll be making 2 round trips into town tonight to drop and pick up kids for their high school 'disco'!! The theme is HORROR - so some fun face painting coming up!!!!!

Her Heart - and another!

I made a couple more heart hangers over the weekend! I'm definitely addicted -for the moment anyway!

'' Hers'

This one is made of a rusted piece of embroidered linen. I added a little more embroidery, a chiffon rose and some beads I found in my stash that look a little like seed pods or shells of some sort.

Jacobean Heart

The Jacobean Heart is made from an old printed serviette that my SIL gifted me earlier in the year (they had been left in a cupboard in a house she bought!) I added running stitch embroidery, a piece of whitework with some french knots, a Tim Holtz bird stamp and some lovely mother of pearl buttons. The back is plain white; cut from the same serviette.

If I get time today, I hope to add them to my etsy store which has been sitting unused for a while!

a Haggle of Hearts

I’ve made some sweet little heart hangers (maybe Christmas tree hangers) for the local gallery (Edelweiss Gallery). I had a mini production line going...

These three are finished and are made from the same base fabric

...a haggle of hearts.

3 finished; 2 needing hangers and further embellishment

Left: this one incoroporates some rust dyed paper

and the stamp I made last week

Right: I added further stamping to this fabric and incorporated

a piece of torn vintage doily

I used a mix of the hand painted/printed fabric I made for the online whimsical women workshop I did with Alisa Burke (to which I added more stamping!); vintage doily, commercial and hand dyed fabric and even a small piece of rusted paper!

I loved Alisa's grafitti style so much that I construced these hearts the same way as the art doll I learnt to make, with the seams on the outside!

I’ve embellished the finished ones with a some embroidery; a little chiffon rose; and a vintage button then added a wire hanger. I have 3 more cut out.... I'm on a roll.... (back to work tomorrow!)

Headless Tuesday!

Here’s a quick update on my Whimsical Woman! It seems that a lot of the things I work on are auto-biographical…..(maybe even everything in some context)

This is made from hand painted and then stamped fabric. See last few posts. It also has some textile dye pastel, fabric marker and various fabric scraps. This is inspired by Alisa Burke’s online workshop. I just had to add legs though! The pink and black stripe is a commercially printed cotton which I over printed with a stamp and black acrylic paint (I’ve only ever made one other Art Doll to date – my Gaia Earth Mother)

Now that the body is stuffed I wish I’d put the little fabric collage a little lower.. oh well, I’ll remember for next time! Don’t quite know what I’m doing with her hair yet – I just know that it will be wild (like mine!) Gaia’s hair was ripped fabric – I may do something similar if I can find some suitable locks!

I hope to get this finished today. Art group and visitors for dinner tomorrow and then back to work on Thursday… where does the week go?

I couldn’t upload the photos from my camera as the battery had died...... I’m back after recharging it and now have the head on my WWW (Wild Wee Wiffy) or Wicked Whimsical Woman perhaps?

I’ll attach a few more found objects; cover the neck joint with a scarf and perhaps jewelery and her hair isn’t quite finished yet either………

Whilst I was waiting for those batteries to recharge, I also had a little go at smooshing some violets onto cotton- what a lovely image! I hope they retain some of the colour. Even if it fades or browns off I’m amazed at the detail! (Actually, it was a little more than smooshing; more like smashing!! :) )

Watch Me FLY!

Just a quick post... have been absent from blogland for a bit. Work… Visitors…. Family…. Real life

I completed the pieced top for the Hubble’s quilt. It looks amazing and is HUGE! Well, larger than anything I’ve made before... 2.5m x 2.3m! It’s off to the quilting lady tomorrow!

I’ve also been working on ‘Heart with Wings’ … It’s actual title is “WATCH ME FLY’ . This comes from my journal of 8 or so years ago when I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life…. I used the journal to vent and then gradually through the course of an entry I would get more and more positive until I came out of the other end happier; if not, more understanding and accepting of the place I was and of the feelings I was having…… It served me well... This piece represents me rising above and overcoming the situation I was in.

Sui Generis

My Inner Animal Reader Challenge finalist piece is aparently published in the current edition of Quilting Arts magazine (May/June 2010) ........ and also on the magazine's website here!

My Inner Animal

Sui Generis (Unique; One of a Kind)

My poem description is on the QA website!

I'll have to wait until the mags turn up in newsagents here as I think my subscription  has just ended... probably only a few weeks to wait but......... I really am so excited!! All the entries can be viewed here Click on the Photo Galleries tab at the top and then the Inner Animal Challenge on the drop down menu. There are some really amazing entries! Wow!

Dancing to the beat of my own drum...

Her name is Sui Generis and she see’s the world through different coloured eyes;

one blue and one green; like me!

Just a little wild!

Raw edge appliqué onto vintage scarf; hand dyed silks and found fabrics including sari fabrics. Hand quilted and embroidered. Binding consists of hand stitched vintage Bark cloth; Sari fabric, Hand dyed commercially printed cotton and silk. (Some purchased from yarnahoy on etsy ) ,Novelty yarns

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter break with family and friends! My visitors left this morning- we had a lovely week and the kids [cousins] all got to know each other a little better : )   We had beautiful weather and great food ( I even managed a little hand stitching and got a few blocks done for Jonny's quilt too!) So, happy days all round!

Will catch up with my blog reading soon!

Once upon a time there was a Dragon....

.......and now he is complete and up for sale in my Etsy store!

Green Eyed Dragon

Complete! with pashima shawl fringe

Hand dyed vintage embroidered linen backing

Hanging sleeve top left and pashima shawl fringe bottom right

Corner Detail - Double Cross and French Knot

I love the variegated thread cross stitches that fitted perfectly along the drawn thread type edging on the vintage linen.

Vintage Tie Label and Shadow work

I'm so pleased with how he turned out! The End.

of Slow February Progress............

So, here I am at the end of my second working week… feeling as if I’ve achieved, well, not a whole lot! I miss stitching, I miss blogging, I miss being able to do just what I want, when I want to! I don’t know how so many of you juggle a day job with creativity! I do enjoy my job though...... just need to learn to balance it all.

I’ve speedily read the blogs I keep up with (sorry, I haven’t left comments!), and tried to do at least a little hand stitching each evening….. Once I’ve caught up with the dreaded housework this weekend I intend to work on some things here in the studio…. I can't wait!

Hand dyed muslin, silk and linen...

This little piece is from my last dye batch. I'm not planning at all, just using scraps and small pieces and stitching to keep me sane...

Hand dyed vintage lace on rust dyed silks and muslin

This piece started life as part of a challenge but I didn't end up using it. I have more stitching to add; I'll out line the Rose with split stitch and possibly the leaves too. The background is machine pieced.

Hand pieced and quilted commercial printed cotton

This little block is all hand pieced from my scrap bag. I haven't done any hand piecing since the Really Ancient Cloth in my last post! (About 100 years ago!)

Thanks Marie at Ancient Cloth for the link to my Green Eyed Dragon! and to Catherine at Emergence for her link too. They are both doing some amazing work and experimentation!

of Sunday Morning Variegations.....

I’m loving some of the soft colours in my most recent dye play. Soft colours have never really been my thing! I’ve been pretty much into strong saturated colour. I love how colours sing off of each other! ..... and here I am playing around with such subtle variations....... I guess they are singing too.

Hand dyed poly cotton?

hand sewn raw edge applique

I don’t think this piece is 100% cotton. It is finely woven, frays easily and has taken the dye softly. I love the depth created by placing the variegated fabrics together

 

 Detail

 Detail

 I have no idea what this is- maybe just a little sampler? I started doing some kantha across the square shapes but unpicked it…. Maybe I’ll add more embellishment or maybe I like it’s simplicity. I'll let it sit/hang now.....

 

Fire Breathing Dragon

The Green Eyed Dragon is officially breathing fire...

 WIP - Green Eyed Dragon

Vintage Tie, Denim, Hand-dyed silk, Czech linen/cotton cloth,

Couched threads and fibres- silk and cotton,

Variegated embroidery thread, Perle thread