grrl+dog: Announcing the Global Guerilla Knit Up Challenge!

grrl+dog: Announcing the Global Guerilla Knit Up Challenge!

Great opening

I had not realised how much time had elapsed since my last blog The preparation for the exhibition was fun (I think), when we were together it was much easier than working alone.

"The very Stuff" had a great opening exhibition 250 there and it was so happy.....and successful we all sold well which was an unexpected bonus.

The sense of wonder and encouragement from our friends made us think we may do it again down the track

Here are some pics.

Jo, myself and Cathie preparing the "nibbles" for the event"

A popular pose me with the first glass for the night.

Two of those behind me were sold.

This is part of the gallery before everyone arrived. Megan, the curator at the gallery did a wonderful job in marrying the disparate styles.

Carolyn and Warren beside Trish's lovely dress, made out of Wunderlich ceiling and flywire embroidered with wire.

Yesterday we did a floor talk and demonstration for an Elderly Citizen group and tomorrow for the general public...a three hour job!

I so love the idea of sharing the enthusiasm we have with others and maybe beginning something for them. One lady went away and cried after I showed her how to make a little book, she so wants to make things but lacks the courage, though one of her friends told me she had made her bag and she was delighted with that. I have offerred to go to their place and "play" with them. I only discovered belatedly that her friend was the sister of a well known Australian painter!!! but that may well explain the retiscence.

Anyway it was all fabulous!

Icon exhibition

Yesterday I went to St. Johns in Camberwell , and in one of their rooms there was the exhibition from a class I had attended a couple of years ago.

The huge leap in the quality of the work was astounding. It is so interesting to return after a period of time and see the growth, these were parishoners who had no previous painting experience .

I know I said my New years resolution was that I would draw each day..... it is true that last year I made the same vow.

Here are two of those pages, the first quote is by Henry Miller and the second Lois Pasteur.

( I realise that it is difficult to read.)..so here it is.

"Develop interest in life as you see it, in people, things,literature, music- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures,beautiful souls and interesting people.

Forget youself."

and the second "Chance favours only the prepared mind"

Tomorrow the pieces for the exhibition go to the gallery to be hung

We are really puting ourselves "on the line" now.

Certain level of tension, having never done this before!?

I think the demonstrations on the next day will be more relaxing....feel confident with the teaching and "chatting" bit.

Paths

I love taking photos of the patterns on pathways.

And fences and walls.

Jean Littlejohn has done a lot of work inspired by paths, I love the patterns but the subtleties of colour would present a challenge for me, though I did go through a" grey period"....... (quite a short period).

I must finish with some colour!!!

.

This is a Toran I made some time ago, I have them on many of my doorways.

This is my guest room, ..........with a touch of colour?, I so loved India and hope I can go back another time

My stepmother Pat has done some lovely paintings which I want to show from time to time, this is one I love, it is so cheerful and a good way to finish.

Morning Pictures

Most of you know about my collaboration with Jo of "Mystory" the morning photos.

I thought I would make up a little book which I could take when I travel and do some exercises based on our morning photos.

I decided to do March so here are some of the pages from the book, using limited resources, travelling "stuff"

We have now moved to day photos and here are a couple of my favourites

Jan 21st

Feb 11thFeb 14th

Pre exhibition

Anxiety ran high yesterday with the final list for the exhibition..plus pricing!!??.

Thought I might show you some works done as part of our challenges but not in the exhibition.

Rain

Sorry but try as I might this would not remain horizontal.....its"proper" place. I really love this little tryptich.

Light

I am very excited about light.

The air in Melbourne is very smokey and there is this very strange light when there are fires about...it is quite foreboding.

This is the view from my window this morning.

On the way back from my "great "nephews 3rd birthday celebration

These are the plays of light on the pavement in the next block.

Miniature pines.

This is coming in my gate.

And the final triumph from an unwatered and sunburned garden.

Tatting

Sadly it is difficult not to be constantly reminded of the dreadful fires, and thankyou to all the people who have sent wishes. The response with money and goods has been absolutely mindblowing.

Here in the city the air is very heavy...awful for the asthma...but nothing to compare with the devastation the country is experiencing.

I will work hard on making lovely things, I guess we are so lucky to have that resource.

Most of all I have decided I love making things for people, working on something with a particular person in mind.

My sister in law once made a joke ' be careful not to knit a jumper for a boyfriend as there is "desire" in every stitch'!!!

She was recovering from an illness many years later and I made her a quilt and told her there was "healing" in every stitch...and....she is very well now.......?

I mentioned in an earlier blog how a dear painter friend gave me some lovely pieces of tatting her mother had done.

The plan was for me to go to dinner at her home on thursday, sadly I did not make it, the dinner that is, it but I had made a book as a present for her.

These were the some of the pieces she had given to me.

The plan was to emboss the pages of the book with the little pieces.

I used different papers and found that the thicker papers were less successful than the finer.

I SOOOOOOH want a book press. I borrow one from Cathie up the road but I think everyone really, really should own one. They are not easy to come by and when I move to the inner city....what will I do then?

Enough of that.

For the underside of the cover I collaged the images using Picassa .

And the completed book

I thought that if I left all the photos in variations of white you may think you have "happened on" the wrong blog site.

So, here are two chairs I covered quite a while ago.The fabric is painted and machine stitched. It actually began because I was worried the Victorian rocking chair had borer so I thought painting would be the safest, living in a timber house with timber floors!