Spring Flower Magic

I began working on this as a response to a 'floral carpet' as a a challenge for my six member Broadstrokes textile art group. It remained unfinished. So when I read that Atasda (QLD) was having a challenge due in the September meeting with a similar topic I continued to work on it. The challenge is entitled Spring Flower Magic and a quote from Ralph Waldorf Emerson 'The earth laughs in flowers' used as an inspiration. But I had not read the fine print where the date of this challenge is 2013. So I am 2 years too late!!! But here it is I will still take it along to the meeting to show.

The background is made up of an old  Chinelle bedspread as the carpet. Then silk flowers machine embroided on . These came from the effects of my Aunt Jill when we had to clear out her house for sale. She always had flowers both real and artificial decorating her home. Other flowers are cut from fabric and old lei pre made embroidery patches and some stamped images. The black and white adds the touch of magic and the eyes to give it life .

10 years

I have made this piece for a display for ATASDA Queensland branch to help celebrate 10 years. The pieces have to be attached or worked onto a canvas with a 10 cm edge. I have made a background collage of blues, some indigo dyed, a piece of silk, two commercial fabrics and a printed piece on the left. The buttons are vintage and luckily I had enough of them to mark out number 10 in Braille. I have since changed the buttons as the cell for 0 was stitched on incorrectly but I didn't have time to photograph.

Soft pink Hard message

 Here is my quilt Jus Animalia. It is a message for animal rights that are sometimes so commonplace we don't even have time to notice. I have always been haunted by the poem Bells of Heaven written by Ralph Hodgson since being required to learn it in the fifth grade. The background is eco dyed with onion skins then it is stamped with a wheel motive ( for all the animals who spent lifetimes walking in circles turning wheels for humans). I have stitched animals representing various forms of abuse. The religious symbols speak to the poems message of good people turning their backs on those in trouble ( in this case the animals). There are other symbols and messages in the stitching .I really loved slowly thinking and stitching this piece.

Avocado dye

Put a pot on to boil with some avocado skin and a lot of avocado stones. I cut them into about thirds, softer to cut than I thought they would be. I put a copper rod into the pot . The large piece is a very soft old cotton remnant. I did not pre- soak in soy or anything to add protein to help the colour bind. The next size is silk and the small piece is wool batting, which probably has some percentage of polyester. I also have now in the same pot added some eucalyptus leaves and have clamped together some silk pieces between Perspex with eucalyptus leaves between the silk. I will let this dry well before opening.

Tea bag dress becoming

Tea bag dress is becoming more.  Embroidered  daisies down front and across shoulders. Maybe more to come . Swathed from back to front hem. Around the hem is some vintage lace that came my way. Pondering on what it needs at the front to close the opening- a button, old earring, brooch, mass of french knots, beads? Will keep it out to just look some more. I did some printing samples on more Tea bags with the Acacia leaf prints - another dress?

Back view 

Leaf Printing

I have been practising some leaf printing. These were printed onto some vintage linens and a rough piece of calico ( which also serves as my clean up cloth). I used Setacolor fabric paints and I have yet to iron set them. The colours were a primary blue and green with a little bit of white. When rollered they melded to a lovely green. The plants were two kinds of Wattle ( Acacia) that were growing at my Dad's house. I am considering a piece inspired by the back yard. To look closely at what is in my immediate environment. Look .See .Notice it will be personal it will reflect on where I live right now in this moment, maybe rubbing, printing, Eco dying, photos, colours, moods, flowers.
,seasons in my little speck on this planet.

Log cabins blues

Had some strips of white and some 'acquired' indigo blues from Ali George in a throw out pile. Making them up into little log cabins and the set as a nine patch. The triangles at the top I had appliqued years ago for some project that I have forgotten about. Might make it bigger with some more white log cabins as I have several cut strips in the stash and I am coming to like this. It may go further....