Art friendships....

Last weekend we had our art group get together (we must think of a name for ourselves) Ro, Patsy, Julia, Dot and myself . It is always such a happy time when we all gather. Lots of talking, sharing art, eating, drinking...merry making. The time just flies. We are so lucky to have these beautiful friendships. Check out the girls blogs for some of the beautiful art they bought along for show and tell.

This time we met at the Bunyip Kitchen and Vineyard which is only 10 minutes from my home. A place a visit regularly (perhaps too regularly). It is very rustic and soooo welcoming.
John and Janelle are the owners and they really take care of you. Lovely local Gippsland produce, Janelle is an amazing cook and treated us to a lovely meal with wonderful local wines.


We gathered on a cold and rainy winters day and Janelle cooked us up a feast......entree was scallops served in the shell with a beautiful sorrel sauce (we soaked up every bit of that sauce with their home made bread...deeelicious), next a piece of roasted eye fillet with a bearnaise type sauce, potato and onion au gratin and the most beautiful creamed spinach topped with fresh blanched spinach all fresh from their own garden. Yumbo!!!! We were all complaining we were so full, do we need dessert? Then out came the most amazing cherry cheesecake (you had to taste it to believe how good it was) and chocolate amoretto cake. Well, we had to try both with our coffees. I dont know how it happened, but five hours passed before we knew it!!!!
Standing L-R are Patsy and Dot and sitting L-R are Julia and myself...admiring Patsy's amazing, intricate art. Sorry...not photo of Ro this time.

The Bunyip Kitchen and Vineyard

Show and tell....the slow cloth (still a work in progress...I dont know how bit/small it will end up).

Some beautiful iron work at the Bunyip Kitchen.

We are all doing an altered book round robin...these pages are from Ro's book. These girls are all so talented. It will be such a keepsake having some art from each of these ladies in our books when this round robin is finished.

spread from Ro's altered book.

Visit her blog to see more photos of our day out. Both Ro and Julia have done wonderful posts (and I have *borrowed* a couple of photos from them for this post). So much more to see on theirs though.

The yummy cherry cheesecake.

And our chocolate amoretti cake swimming in chocolate sauce and cream.

A few more of the lovely old book plates I found at Ziguzagu. I think they will come up beautiful framed.

And for Dot....the sisters, Minnie (who you met last post) and her sister Mouse. Such lovely girls.

A bit of a bits and pieces post, I hope you enjoyed it.

WE ARE ALL GIFTED.

INSIDE OF YOU ARE TREASURES.

-SARK-

Jacky xox

Busy times.....

Hello.... this is my new kitten, Minnie ....she just wanted to say hi (and I know my friend Dot is very keen to meet her)! Very sweet little girl. I have a lovely photo of her with her sister Mouse too which I will load next time. Busy times for me lately, lots to do, new people to meet, painting, stitching...its been fun, but I dont like the fact that I have been neglecting my blog. I must get back to my weekly post. It keeps me on track.

I am soooooo enjoying my online class with Jude Hill. I have been collecting vintage and recycled fabrics, ripping, weaving, stitching...all very addictive and very satisfying.


Remember this woven piece? Well I have been busy embellishing with stiching. My plan is that it will be part of my initial slow cloth, see snippet below.

I think it will fit very well with my existing block. I am working on a strip to go at the top of the cloth also and maybe some fancy tassels along the bottom????

As I said, busy catching up with people too. I was lucky enough to meet (and shop) with the lovely Natima whom I met via my online class.

Saturday morning Nat and I organised to meet with my lovely sister Lee to go for coffee/lunch and a visit to Ziguzagu, a warehouse that sells all things Japanese. Nat and I were in heaven...fabrics and goodies galore. Visit Lee and Nats blog to see more of the shop!

I found these wonderful old fabric prints in a box of text and books....absolutely gorgeous (I'm sure Eva if you visit my blog you will love these...Eva designs her own range of lovely fabrics). I just ADORED these old prints and bought seven in total which I am going to frame and hang in my home... what a find for a fabric lover!!!

fabric samples and swatches.

Ooops... sorry, put the same picture on twice. I have two more I will share at a later date.

Nat is so gorgeous and very generous. She arrived with a lovely gift for me....a beautiful furoshiko wrapping cloth that she had bought on a recent trip to Japan. Nat showed me how to tie to make a carry bag...I just love it and isnt the fabric fantastic (lined and everything) . I was tempted to cut it up and use it, but I love it too much as a bag.

We had a show and tell. Nat is prolific in her weaving of fabric for Jude's class and it was wonderful to see what someone else was doing too. Her work is amazing. Talk about talk.... I dont think we drew breath for hours. Isnt it lovely to catch up with like minded friends?

furoshiko wrapping cloth.

And below a few of my purchases ....

pieces of vintage kimono cloth.

All cloth is from kimono's that they unpick and sell at the warehouse. So much to choose from...

A Childrens kimono... pink with plum blossom on the outer with the vibrant orange and green lining. I will unpick this at some stage and use it in my quilts, but Nat thinks I should wear it a few times first. We'll see.

A lovely old indigo apron. I loved this design and how old and faded the fabric was.

An indigo curtain/flag that is to hang in a doorway. Lovely fine indigo cotton.

This weekend I plan to stay at home ....do some stitching and some painting. Painting, now that's another story (and some beautiful photos too). Last Friday I went back to Greg Irvine's studio in South Melbourne for a day of painting ...such fun, so beautiful!

I hope you are all well and busy creating. I will make sure I visit a few of my favourite blogs over the next few days too and get a bit more stitching done.

LIE

DOWN

BREATHE

DEEPLY

- SARK -

See you all again soon.

Jacky xox