« June 2008 | Main | August 2008 »
Saturday's Samples
In the weekend I went to a machine embroidery class taken by Carol Naylor (I think), who is out here for the Embroidery Symposium in Hastings last week. I really enjoyed it and had time to become a lot more confident sewing with my feed dogs down.
Sunday's Samples. I was thinking about layering and stitching and city walls.
I read this book recently about the genocide in Dafur. It was very sad and very grim.
The author was a tribesman in Dafur and gave his services to journalists and aid groups in the region at this time until he had to leave for his own safety. And then about the same time chaos errupted again in Zimbabwe and I collected lots of headlines and pictures from the paper and started a series of collages experimenting with media and venting.
Maybe I will work on some more. This one is a bit shiny because of the gel I was trying.
Today I finally finished these trousers. They have been waiting patiently in the studio since May.
And you know how clothes shrink in the dark in the wardrobe if you are not careful, well these appear to have shrunk in the cold - bother!!!!!!! And they are quite beautiful woollen fabric!!!!!!
Yesterday I went back to the exhibition and did some drawing from the exhibits mostly the little tunic.
The top drawing and details shows the front of the tunic and the other one is a detail of the metal plate. Underneath are some drawings and details of the back.
On Saturday I went to Pataka to stitch while a textile exhibition was on - we stitchers, lace makers, weavers and students from Whiteria Polytech were exhibits as well!!! I took a piece of cloth I had dyed and was going to stitch and was to scared to start. I had to start!!!!! The exhibibition is awesome. I am going back today to do some research, drawing, drinking hot chocolate, etc today.
This is my slow knitting which Suzan has labelled "zen knitting" which I feel much happier about. It is two colours because I ran out of varigated wool and decided I would use something else for the rest - not much more to go.
I have been doing a bit of reading lately and I have been delving into this magazine on and off for a few weeks. Artful Blogging. Visually Inspiring Online Journals
I got this from Minerva Book Shop in Upper Cuba Street in Wellington. It is the most awesome bookshop with every imaginable craft/quilting/journalling/stitching etc book or magazine you can think of. They have an exhibition space as well and show work by textile artists. And as well they stock lovely stitching threads. I think I have covered everything. For anyone from Wellington (or wider afield) they used to be Taia Gallery in Kilbernie.
I have a terrible time at Minerva: books fall into my bag. I just love books!!!!!
There is a link if you want to have your blog featured - sdumoski@stampington.com
The front page of yesterday's paper was all about our weather.
And it wasn't the big planes that didn't fly, just the smaller ones because it was too dangerous getting to the plane across the tarmac!!!! The wind was so strong.
And today is magical. A little mist in the valley and not a cloud in the sky. My life is very focussed on the weather methinks!!!!!!
