Monet's Mixed Media Garden

just a quick post as I have lots to do before I head down to Melbourne for the Craft and Quilt Fair, starting on Thursday.

I will be working/demonstrating on the Unique Stitching stand selling all the wonderful fibres and mixed media products and will daily be teaching a class mainly aimed at textile school aged students working with Angelina fibres, Tyvek, yarn and beads to make either a Dream Catcher or to just learn how to work with these products.

I will also be teaching a class called Monet's Mixed Media Garden (photo below) at 5.30 on Saturday evening, using Tyvek, Textiva film and silk throwsters waste.




come and say hello if you are there and maybe we can tempt you with some wonderful products.

now must away and wash so I can pack.........

Stuff

Have had a good few days of sewing and finished a quilt top and also a few bowls, will post photos of them soon.
We have been having nasty damaging winds all week and when I went out yesterday morning to do a fence check before I let the dog out I discovered a few branches down up the back, I'm so glad one of our back neighbours cut down a huge tree in their yard a few months ago as I recon it would have reached my studio if it had come down our way.

Now this is a photo I feel a bit thingy about showing but here it is anyway..........
Prior to going to Perth we were having trouble with mice and no amount of traps or baits were getting rid of them, I thought I had them under control but it's amazing what damage a little mother to be can do in a sock draw, she shredded my very old draw liners and took rubbish from my bedside bin and also shredded a whole lot of Spanish reviews that my husband had been keeping in a box under the bed, luckily I caught her before she gave birth.

I went into my room to clean out my sock draw and got carried away and went through all of my draws and wardrobe and filled up 6 bags of clothes to go to the Op Shop.
There were a lot of pants that I was hoping to get back into and all of those shirts and jumpers that you can't bear to part with, out they went - so I'm feeling quiet virtuous as my house has gotten out of control and hasn't had a good clean out for years, I had my hips replaced 3 years ago and not much got done leading up to that and then things have just built up since so these holidays I intend to make a dent in the house and try and declutter and do a bit of personal housekeeping and not hang onto things - don't panic Tim I'll hang onto you.

a few assessment pieces

here are a few more of my sculpture pieces that got the teachers excited last week when I had assessment.

this piece is only about 6" high and one of my favorites.


This is my first piece of carved soapstone, I really enjoy working in this medium as you don't quiet know where it will take you till you start carving it.


I've posted 2 of these 3 framed pieces before but not the 3rd one in the series with the offset frame, for those that didn't see them previously, they are cut up chair legs and building blocks

and at least I hung this piece this time and it was hung the correct way (it was hung sideways in the gallery at TAFE)

Mackenzie

look at my baby - Mackenzie is doing work experience this week at a retail outlet in Wollongong and I couldn't resist taking his photo as he was leaving



I'm a very proud mum, hope he does well

Student roundup

Yesterday was an enjoyable day spent at Horsley Patch http://www.horsleypatch.com.au/ in Horsley Park NSW, teaching a class, this was day 2 of Spinning Flowers and below is the 3 lovely pieces produced, 2 of the 3 ladies have decided to do another set of flowers to extend it to a single bed size so that is why the borders didn't go on, that is my sample in the foreground and look how the pattern changes when you turn the block on point.
Visit the website and if you get a chance call in, Linda has some great fabrics that I haven't seen in other places.



I thought seeing as I was showing some students work from yesterday I would show a few pieces from some of my other classes.

I do a monthly "Fun with Fibre" class at the Quilters Garden http://www.thequiltersgarden.com.au/ in Albion Park NSW and here are a few pieces.
2 lovely faux felted scarves drying on the bike rack.

Chris is our over achiever, she decided she didn't want to make a scarf and made 2 square faux felted pieces and made this cute little vest for her 2yo grand daughter.

I also have a Monday night group at The Quilters Garden where the ladies work on a few different projects, they usually start off on the row x row quilt and learn to become proficient with their cutting and piecing, this one was made by Mas and has just recently been delivered to a niece in Perth.


Now I'm heading out to my studio - TO DO SOME SEWING, sorry to yell, I haven't sat down at my machine to just sew for ME for a couple of months, it's all been samples for classes or projects squeezed in between working at the shows

Great weekend

Have had a busy but very enjoyable weekend, Saturday was our monthly face to face get together of the local gals from our Internet group, we have a new baby in our ranks and it was lovely to see the hand full of other littlies happily playing together, we had 2 lots of mother, daughter, granddaughters there for the afternoon, the next generation of quilters continue.
Yesterday (Sunday) saw Mackenzie (15yo son) and I drive up to Sydney to see a friends show at the Sydney Opera House, if you get the chance go and see Frank Woodley in "Possessed" it is very very funny, the show is travelling around Australia and they head overseas next month, try and catch it if you can.

I have been very prolific over the past few months with sculpture pieces at art school, here is a series that I've been working on, can you work out what they are?



It's amazing what can be done with offcuts of old wood from a local foot bridge and a bucket full of old window catches.
Called in for a cuppa with a friend on the way to Sydney yesterday and it is council cleanup time in her area and it took me ages driving down her street checking out all of the rubbish piles - I just love working with roadside cleanup stuff........

Perth roundup

well I'm back in the land of blogging, have been hassled by a few friends that they haven't had their morning read, especially Robyn, so I'm back........

my life has been a tad hectic over the past few months and somethings had to give and unfortunately my blog was one of them.

Last month I flew over to Perth for our SCQuilters (Southern Cross Quilters online group) retreat, held annually in a different part of Australia each year, so this year I was lucky enough for it to be in my home town so I was able to catch up with family and friends at the same time and stayed on to work at The Quilt and Craft Show the following week.
Below is an assortment of photos from the trip.

how much coffee can a little frog drink........Gladys couldn't help but pose

this is the only photo I took at the retreat, this was one table Sunday afternoon with a "Coffee Stonehenge" as their centrepiece.

now who's table was this I wonder????????

I took a few of the retreatees, Wendy, Mary-anne & Sally to The Thread Studio - it is an Aladdin's cave of STUFF - we wanted it all......
Wendy had to ring a friend to share the experience and you can see Mary-anne in the background with her arms overflowing

when in Perth I have to go to my favorite beach Cottesloe, I sat there for about an hour watching the waves and inhaling the wonderful ocean smell, just thinking about it I can recall the smell mmmmmmmmmm wish I was there now
this is the famous Cottesloe Tea Rooms

my poor foot had an augment with the car door one night, slight hill, door to quick and my foot not quick enough - ouch