disconnected .....

A little *disconnected* nine patch....some little (previously) discarded pieces of fabric stitched to a base cloth.  Inspired by Jude in our Cloth Diaries ....

 These pieces are only about 1" square,  offcuts from other cloths.  I like how the formation of the little nine patch gives them a life of their own.....

They are stitched onto a beautiful piece of indigo dyed linen and the backing fabric is a lovely soft Japanese cotton from my friend Shirl in W.A.  Just perfect for this simple little cloth I think.

Still on things Japanese.... on Saturday my friend Nat taught me how to bind a journal using coptic stitch.  I really enjoyed the stitching (and got quite confused many a time....thanks Nat for being so patient).  Notice on the spine you can see colourful papers.  These were beautiful handmade Japanese papers that we added to our journals too.  I havent decided what I will use this journal for as yet .....maybe all things indigo????

And great excitement this week...my first indigo seed sprouted ....I am so excited that I may be able to dye with my own homegrown indigo later this year  (I am being very careful to water and cover these little seedlings...give them every chance of surviving, protect them)

This evening we had a beautiful, soft moon (dreadful photo...sorry).  I went out to water my seedlings and it was there, softly hanging in the evening sky.  It was my Mum's birthday today, she would have been 73.  After some really grey, cold, horrible days we had glorious sunshine and then this beautiful moon....how fitting!

LEAPS OF FAITH

PUT US IN

ASTOUNDING

NEW

PLACES

 

-SARK-

 

Jacky xox

art book...........

I'm still working away on my 'art book' for my online workshop with Roxanne.  Really enjoying the building up of layers, the search for 'just the right' images and text.  It's very soothing........ My friends Coral and Nat are doing the workshop too.  It's lovely to catch up and show each other our pages and discuss techniques.

My first spread (you saw the beginnings in the post below).  I've done a bit more work to the first page and started on the second part.  My background is ready,  one image at the ready ....hoping to work on finishing these off on Sunday.

This is the second spread. Another background for the page on the left, ready to go.   The page on the right is finished though and ready to be glued down.    I love the Queen Anne's Lace that grows by the roadside this time of year so I picked some whilst out walking and sketched it into my book.

We are making "Little Books" also,  which are part of the bigger book and will be stitched in later.  I will place this with the page above as it continues with the them of the Queen Anne's Lace.  Another little sketch,  pressed snippets of the plant.  The cover for the little book is eco-dyed silk,  dyed with our local gums.

Another glimpse inside the little book and a tag which I will include in the book.  The image on the tag is a little naive style hand carved stamp I made a while back.

 And yet another glimpse.  This little book is only about 2 1/2 inches square.

Did you notice the lovely indigo fabric behind the little book?  Here is a better view.  I bought it at Zigu Zagu last weekend.

Last weekend I went to the opening of an exhibition at Kazari  in Malvern.  The exhition was of art and craft using vintage Japanese fabrics purchased from their shop Zigu Zagu  .....  as you know,  one of my most favourite shops.  Two of my friends,  Dot and Nat were exhibiting their work,  so I popped along to the opening....it was an amazing exhibition.  Beautiful cloths, clothing, artwork by 26 artists all set amongst the beautiful  Japanese setting of Kazari.  If you are in Melbourne this weekend,  try and get along to see it.   If you cant get there....visit Nat and Dot's blogs for more photos.

This photo montage was made by Nat of some of the work that was on display.  All photos are clickable for a closer view.  I particularly loved the indigo dress on the bottom right by Lulu Kane.

 

Enjoy your weekend!

 

WE  MUST

 

ONLY  BE

 

WILLING  TO

 

 SEE WHAT  IS.

 

-SARK-

 

 

Jacky xox

Just getting started....

Sometimes (most times)  I find just getting started the hardest part of a project.  For the month of October I am doing an Art Book Worshop with Roxanne of Rivergarden Studio .... no time for procrastination,,,,,although there has been quite a bit of dithering about themes etc. (I am hopeless).

What I needed was some inspiration..... I decided upon the theme of spring as I am really enjoying the arrival of spring this year (and it was a prompt from Roxanne, that always helps).

Inspiration...papers and some eco dyed silk.  Delicate seed pods from my Japanese maple; new growth from the silver birch; beautiful, bright blossom buds from our apple tree; a beautiful, mysterious, dark  Helebores bloom.  I will press a few for my art book,  and also sketch a couple I think.  You can click on all photo's for a closer look.

 The art book has been prepped in readiness...

I made a start on a journal page...an old paper bag that I was using for prepping my paper, overlayed with an old tea bag...gives some colour.  Some hand stitching with a soft, spring coloured variegated thread that is hand dyed by a local artisan.  The seed pods from the Japanese Maple.  I have no double that some fabric will find its ways into this book ..... 

I've made a start though.... A good start I think....  I'm happy.

BEGIN

SOMETHING

BRAND

NEW ...

TODAY

 

-SARK-

Enjoy your week.

 

Jacky xox

not much stitching ....

A beautiful piece of Indigo Resist dyed cotton (Chinese I think)  bought recently from Ziguzagu ... couldnt resist it.  This piece is 1.80m long and I think will make a beautiful runner for my table.  I couldnt cut this one up!

 

There hasnt been a lot of stitching or painting happening recently.  A bit of purchasing though!!!! 

I really enjoy my journalling and while out today I came across this book,  "Art Escape" by Dory Kanter.  Lots of great ideas for daily journalling.  Also bought three new paint brushes... and a new tube of gouache .... violet bluish.  A grey/purple colour.  Nice to add to my colour palette.

 

Purchased some lovely variegated red sock yarn to crochet a scarf for a friend. It's getting cold where she lives.    Some new magazines arrived for inspiration and did do a little bit of fabric weaving with some scraps from my basket.

 

While I was in the UK I visited "Liberty" and purchased a metre of fabric (I was very restrained).  I dont have a lot of Liberty fabrics,  so when out and about today I bought two more pieces to add to the 'Liberty Stash' for a project down the track.  Also found these lovely linen tapes and some vibrant Kaffe Fassett ribbon....no project in mind,  but just loved them.  Lots to inspire in that lot.  ( think if you click you will get a better look, the linen tape is lovely).

 

It is Spring,  I couldnt resist sharing these ranuncula's and leucodendron's I have in my lounge room.


Next post I will have been more industrious....I will be stitching along in the Cloth Diaries and  journalling with Roxanne .... so should have something to show!

"THERE ARE TWO GREAT THINGS

YOU CAN GIVE YOUR CHILDREN.

ONE IS ROOTS

AND THE OTHER IS WINGS."

 

Jacky xox

Through the fog ......

 

I feel like I have been in a bit of a 'fog' since I returned from my trip .... a creative fog that is.  To overcome this,  I did some stitching.  This little patch for a friend got me started ... and once I started ideas began to form for a new cloth I want to make.  I am looking forward to the continuation of the Spirit Cloth Diaries with Jude and to an upcoming workshop with Roxanne of River Garden Studio ... that will get me back into my rhythm again.

 

I've decided to hand quilt this old quilt that I made for Norma many years ago too.  Sometimes when mulling over ideas for my current project I like to have something I can sit and simply stitch without thinking .... to do some meditative stitching.  I made this little quilt for my MIL a long time ago and was rushing to get it finished to give her for Christmas.  Thus it was only quilted sparingly...just enough to hold it together.  Now it will be quilted within an inch of its life...quiet time to think about Norma and projects I am working on.

 

Aren't these fabric snippets beautiful!!!  My friend Dot gifted these to me on the weekend when we caught up.  I have something special in mind for them.  Textiles, my favourite gifts!

 

I recently bought these two pieces of wool flannel in grey and mustard... and these locally made variegated threads (gifts to send to a couple of friends).  Aren't the colours gorgeous?

 

She keeps him company every day....  Oakey is old and sleeps most of the day, and most of the time you will find Minnie curled up with him.  Sometimes he wakes up and wants to go out for a short time....Minnie leads the way and watches over him while he is outside.  She knows he is blind and she has become his seeing eye cat.  Aren't animals incredible?

 

"I  DREAMED  A  THOUSAND  PATHS,

I  WOKE AND  WALKED  MY  OWN."

 

*CHINESE  PROVERB* 

 

 

Have a wonderful week.

 

Jacky xox

 

I'm back .....

I've been back home since the end of August.  My trip seems a distant memory already.  Lots of highs and a few lows,  but such a wonderful experience.  London, Paris, Belgium (Leuven) and Barcelona ... so many pics to load and revisit.

My husband Paul,  sister Lee and myself all made the trip to the UK to watch Matt and Watchi compete at the Games.  We stayed at Greenwich in a little unit,  walking distance to the equestrian venue.  It was great to be so close and to be able to catch up with Matt most days.

As well as taking in the showjumping events,  we had plenty of time to visit a few galleries.  Lee and I made use of the river ferries (clippers),  very easy travel, we were lucky to miss all the crowds.  We visited the Tate Modern (exhibition of Edvard Munch),  Tate Britain,  the V&A (our favourite) and of course a visit to Liberty.....how beautiful is that shop? 

 I love the printmakers of the UK and bought many cards and books of their work.  Came home with some treasures from a  Greenwich bric-a-brac shop,  fabrics and way too many goodies.  Some serious stressing when it was time to board the flight home, but got everything back and I am enjoying looking at them all now.

View of the London Bridge with the Olympic Rings taken from the clipper (not a great photo)

Taken on our first day,  catching up with Matt in Greenwich.

Matt and Watchi London 2012 

 

Unfortunately a disappointing start for the pair of them on the first day of competition,  but I was very proud of how they re-focused and went out the next day and did a super round in the Teams event.  They are both now back in the USA,  competing again (New York this weekend) and doing very well.  Both back in form which is wonderful.

Some cloth awaiting my attention....

 

And I am back home,  ready to get back into some stitching again with Jude and my fellow clothmates.  Maybe these two pieces I started before I went overseas will make their way into a cloth some time soon?

 

 

AN  EFFORT  MADE

FOR  THE

HAPPINESS

OF  OTHERS

LIFTS  US

ABOVE

OURSELVES

 

-Zorana-

 

 

 

Have a lovely week and hopefully next week I will have some more stitching to show you and news from my trip.

 

Lovely to be home again!

 

Jacky xox

 

 

Whoo hoo ........

My eldest son Matt is going to London, a member of the Australian Showjumping Team.  We are so proud of Matt and his little horse "Watchi" (to his friends...... Watch Me vd Mangelaar to everyone else).  I just wanted to share these photos of Matt and Watchi with you all.  You can click to make them bigger.

Photo courtesy of Equinos International Photography.

Matt and Watchi competing in Florida, USA a couple of months ago.  Dont you love Watchi's little white patch on his tummy.

Matt and Watchi relaxing down in the stable area, with Lacey (their dog) watching on.

He's  a relaxed little horse.....so sweet.

And this picture of Matt was taken when he had just turned 8 at his very first competition (you have to be 8 to compete at Pony Club level).  His little pony "Dasher" was a fast little mare .... a great mount for a young boy. 

My husband and I head off to London on Monday .... it will be so exciting!

LIVE  YOUR

LIFE  IN

FULL  COLOUR

REFUSE TO

SIT STILL FOR

NEGATIVE THINKING

LET

MIRACLES

FIND YOU

-SARK-

Jacky  xox