February’s page

Sampson heard so much about a Harry the galah who wanted to go on a cruise to New Zealand with his family that he dreamt of going as well. So here he is sailing on the high seas. That is if the seas ever get high from Brisbane to Wellington. I know through experience they get pretty scary between Welllington and Picton. My mother told me years later after a crossing we did in which the later trips were cancelled after our boat made it safely to harbour. The  sea was so rough that she was so scared she would lose us all when  the boat was tossed every which way by the wind and sea. This was only a few years before the disastrous Wellington storm when the Wahine  tragedy  occurred doing this same crossing caused the loss of  many lives due to the stormy seas.
But the seas today for Sampson look pretty calm. The he is sighting land , the land of the long white cloud. There will be cloud and there may even be some smoke from the volcano.

Lovely Ladies

Another picture of the slow faffing while planning the layout for these three lovely ladies. I am happy with this one but not sure about the dresses being so shaped and short. I will make them come to the bottom edge then maybe just some wee plimsolls peeping out under the hem. I see these ladies as rather rotund.

These dresses are just tissue paper to get an idea of a pattern for a dress. I’m actually really liking the transparency of the tissue. Maybe silk organza or scrim. I was just going to make each dress from a piece of cotton fabric. This is why it takes me so long to get anything started let alone finished. This will sit and mull for awhile. Needs something up in the top part of the background.....words.....sun, moons , stars.....more shapes....... maybe something a bit bizarre .....birds....bats......a possum....snake. Must stop now!!

Deconstruction

Not sure about this but I am thinking of deconstructing this vintage quilt piece. It’s not big and it was not made by any one I know. There are about five layers including 2 of wool. This seems to have become felted over years of washing. Too thick to do what I am planning with some other quilt scraps. It will just sit in storage if I do not pull apart. I would maybe then do a hand stitch chiku chiku   construction. It has been hand quilted the stitches are small but not perfect.

Valentines

For Valentines Day the only hearts I could find. I must not look to the traditional heart motive as a symbol in my textile pieces . So here is one I started when following along online with Jude Hill of @spiritcloth. It was done on a lovely soft cotton velvet. Many hearts , hearts flying on the wings of love , hearts that are full , twin hearts beating as one and broken hearts. All within the circle of life and set amongst life lines

Up cycling

Yesterday  I went to the Artisan gallery in Fortitude Valley to listen to Jane Milburn talk on sustainability in clothing and her slow clothing movement. Although I already adhere to many of the principles  I know I can do more. This year I made a resolution to buy no more clothes for 2018 except underwear and then only if needed. So today as it is far too hot do do anything much beside sit inside and sew. I patch mended a favourite pair of trousers that I have previously, About 3 years ago upcycled through indigo dyeing. They needed a small patch on a née and a long thin on near the zip. Then I rummaged in my enormous button collection and found two buttons to attach to a blouse/ shirt that had missing ones at neck and on a sleeve.

Next I used an old hemp tea towel from France and made a bread bag. Apparently bread keeps better in linen or hemp. To this I added a vintage doily that had bread embroidered on it. I might stitch the same in French.