Banner for 2022

 This year I have made a banner to herald in the new year of 2022. This was inspired by an Instagramer I follow, Zak Foster. As many make New Year resolutions , only to have them perhaps last until February,I stopped that practice years ago. Not sure I ever really did make a resolution.  Then there was the word of the year, what single word do you intend to keep in the forefront of your mind to gauge how you will plan and think and cope with life for the year. Very tricky , works well in hindsight. But in hindsight do you choose a word that helps you get over the year that has just passed. I did this a few times but by the end of the year I realised that I really didn’t give my word any thought after early January. 

So now with a banner that I can have up somewhere that I will see it every day and hopefully alert me to my intentions and aspirations as the year progresses. Anyway I’ll see how it goes.

This 2022 banner is all about RELEASE. Letting go, reaching beyond the comfort zone I’m holding to.

I used hand needle- turned appliqué which my more rustic and organic processes haven’t done in awhile. I really enjoyed this quiet time for reflection.

It needs a rod pocket to hang, maybe some tassel braid along the lower edge and a signature on the back . Then I’m all set for the Year that will be.

Looking

 I started this awhile ago with @janemadlyquilting in a 2QAQ workshop. The squares were made as sampling’s. Last year I started to sew them together. And now I have it up on my design wall and looking, looking, looking.

Is it a cat proudly heading off some where as in Puss in Boots?  is it a map of some far away magical place? is it a turtle keeping his head tucked inside his shell as he swims amongst the debris of his home waters? But then why does it have to be something, why do I need to animate , put life to it? Why can’t it just be for its own sake? Because that is what I like to do that is part of my arts practice, I like to see into the fabric to the details to see something living , alive, speaking to me.

I will leave it up for a time to continue pondering , thinking of the background, more piecing, colour , appliqué, text .

Ecodye

 last weekend I went to Mt a Tambourine to do some ecodying with @retritus. Interesting learning of other common or at least available native plants to dye with other than eucalyptus. This scarf is a blend of silk and wool. The wool takes the ecodye best of all without needing a mordant. It is dyed with eucalyptus,  mauranga , onion skins. Beautiful reds from the small round eucalyptus. 

Painted fabric

Today I spent a wonderful few hours hand painting and colouring fabrics. They are all cotton , scrim, calico and lawn. These are a few of my favourites. I used inks, acrylics and sprays. 

The pieces are all quite small . I was having so much fun , really focused and adding more colour after they dried outside in the sun on the grass. The resident visiting bush turkey was quite intrigued, had a few pecks but chose to move on. Thankfully.