Welcome Kate is a Brisbanebased textile artist, patchworker and quilter who is a member of the Broadstrokes group. She sees inspiration everywhere.
Spring is in the air! This is the time of year when we are re-energised and ready for a fresh start. So let me begin by saying a big “hello” to you all. I am new to the Down Under Textiles team, but not new to the world of textiles. I grew up to the sound of my mother’s sewing machine stitching away as she made clothes for us, and I learned a lot from her about fabrics and garment construction. I then became hooked on quilting, moving to textile art to expand my creativity. Another new member of the team is Suzanne Gummow. Her regular column “Journeys” will get us thinking about our art. This issue, Suzanne introduces us to her journey through the decades, and invites us to reflect on our own. In a separate article she reveals her passion for flowers and describes how she turns her photos into beautiful art pieces. Fitting the season, we have some other wonderful nature-inspired projects. Pamela Priday shows us how to make dimensional flowers using a wire mesh form, and Jocelyne Leath has instructions for a textile bookmark. Christine Butler’s “Messy Nest” will be fun to make. Spring is a time for renewal, perhaps for trying something a bit different. Along these lines, Neroli Henderson presents many alternatives to traditional mitred binding. Try one of the options on your next project. And if you have never used silk hankies before, you can now do so confidently with Nancy Ballesteros’s detailed directions. As well as all of the above, there is plenty more to read with all our usual news, diary dates and book reviews. Enjoy! Kate oszko Commissioning Editor
Kate
EdITorIAL Commissioning Editor: Kate oszko kate.oszko@practicalpublishing.com.au designer: Jo Martin Advertising Sales: Jann Wilson jann.wilson@practicalpublishing.com.au Tel: 07 3855 3281 SUBSCrIPTIoNS Subscription Manager: Linzi Wilkinson linzi.wilkinson@practicalpublishing.com.au online: www.practicalpublishing.com.au Tel: 07 3160 9940 PUBLISHING Managing Editor: debra Hudson debra.hudson@practicalpublishing.com.au
Associate Publisher: Gavin Burrell gavin.burrell@practicalpublishing.com.au Finance Manager: Linda Constable linda.constable@practicalpublishing.com.au Group Publishing director: rob Wilkinson rob.wilkinson@practicalpublishing.com.au HEAd oFFICE AUSTrALIA Practical Publishing International Pty Ltd GPo Box 1457, Brisbane, Qld Australia 4001 Tel: 07 3855 3281 www.practicalpublishing.com.au EUroPEAN oFFICE Practical Publishing International Ltd St Christopher House, Stockport Cheshire, England SK2 6NG Tel: +44 (0) 844 561 1202 www.practicalpublishing.co.uk
dISTrIBUTIoN Australia: Gordon & Gotch Tel: 02 9972 8800 New Zealand: Gordon & Gotch Tel: +64 (0) 9979 3000 England: Comag Tel: +44 (0) 1895 433600 South Africa: Magscene Pty Ltd Tel: +27 11 805 502 Email: tarrynf@magscene.co.za Published by Practical Publishing International Pty Ltd. The style and mark of down Under Textiles is used under license from Newlife Media Group Pty Ltd. See copyright and trademark notices below. ISSN 2201-3857. For overseas distribution enquiries please contact Andrew randall Eight Point distribution – Australia Andrew@eightpointdistribution.com.au Telephone: + 61 (0)2 9960 5710
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
The Editor reserves the right to include or not, any submissions or part thereof. All articles and projects are copyright of the author and must not be reproduced for commercial or financial gain without permission. Practical Publishing has taken reasonable steps to ensure that the copyright of each article/project resides with the contributing author. Practical Publishing relies on these warranties when asserting that the copyright is owned by the authors. The instructions for the included projects have been checked for accuracy and are published in good faith. However, we do not guarantee successful results and offer no warranty, either expressed or implied. The claims and statements made in any advertisements are not those of the publisher. Practical Publishing takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the content of any advertisements, advertorials or paid promotions. All information supplied in advertisements is the responsibility of the company who books and pays for the space. TRadEmaRks
Many of the brands and products mentioned in the news and projects pages in Down Under Textiles are trademarks of their respective companies. All companies and brands mentioned in the magazine are included for editorial purposes and all copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged.
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DOWN UNDER
Let’s Create 18 Messy Nests
Christine Butler shows how easy it is to weave a unique, natural basket with organic materials
30 Feeling Edgy
Neroli Henderson provides lots of options for finishing art pieces with the perfect edge treatment
38 Grounded Flower
Pamela Priday demonstrates a technique for adding dimension and interest to flowers
44 Textile Bookmark
Jocelyne Leath presents a stitched leaf project that is useful and beautiful 4 | www.downundertextiles.com
48 Flowers Always
Suzanne Gummow reveals how to adapt drawings and sketches in designing art quilts
52 Wool Felt Hanky Panky
Nancy Ballesteros explains what silk hankies are and how to use them in felting
56 Silk Scarf with Lines
A felting project by Nancy Ballesteros
General
6 Bits n Pieces 74 Library 77 Blogroll 78 What’s On, When & Where 82 Next Issue
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10 Features 10 Rainforest exhibition
Artists from Dungog in New South Wales interpret a rainforest image in unique ways
24 Meet a Textile Artist
New Zealander Clare Smith creates textile art pieces as well as costumes and shares the influences on her work
60 Journeys
Follow columnist Suzanne Gummow’s journey through art and textiles
62 Meet a Textile Artist
Alison Schwabe, an Australian living in Uruguay, shares her inspiration
68 State of the Art Quilt 13
Enjoy the work of Queensland Quilters members from this annual juried exhibition
SubSCriptionS Save up to 30% when you subscribe to Down Under Textiles or Down Under Quilts. Turn to pages 23 and 36 to find out more.
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SAlt
SAlt – South Australian Living Textiles – is a group of five artists: Judi Bushby, Suzanne Gummow, Julie Haddrick, Francie Mewett and Sarah
Bell Smith. Their current exhibition of 40 artworks is called “THE FABrIC TRAIL.... journeys of five textile artists”. Each artist created eight
Stripes!
Giveaway Are you looking to improve your tool box of techniques? Let us help you! We are giving away Fabric Surface Design, a comprehensive 314-page book full of information and projects to expand your repertoire. The book covers painting, stamping, rubbing, stenciling, image transfer, marbling (whew!) and even more. We’d love you to win it! Simply email or write to us with a picture of what you are working on (finished or not) and a little bit about it. Any textile technique or project qualifies. The winner will be drawn randomly after the closing date of 30 october 2013.
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artworks each with a different theme. It will be at the Craft and Quilt at the Adelaide Event & Exhibition Centre, Wayville from 7 to 10 November.
Sometimes you don’t want to start a big knitting project, but your fingers are itching to do something, and you (and your friends and your family) already have enough scarves – what to do? Well, lots of people are finding socks a great solution. And what could be more fun than using self-striping yarn? Stray Cat Socks has some great colour options and their yarns are hand dyed. www.straycatsocks.co.nz/
Email kate.oszko@ practicalpublishing.com.au, or write to Kate oszko Practical Publishing GPo Box 1457 Brisbane QLd 4001
BITS
n Pieces
See the spectacular textiles of the
Nagas and North India’s Hornbill Festival
In November this year, a small group will journey for 10 days through Bengal and remote Nagaland of North East India. The trip will focus on the strong handicrafts of the tribal communities in this beautiful mountainous region, bordering Myanmar. Nagaland has an intriguing history. Ancient Nagas hunted humans for trophy heads and were fiercely independent. A highlight of the trip will be the Hornbill Festival where at least 16 tribal
Naga groups come together wearing spectacular costumes decorated with feathers and beaks. The group will meet directly with local artisans and practitioners in small village communities weaving simple everyday cotton and vibrant and spectacular cloth and costumes of the Nagas. There are homestays with Naga people in British raj-era English Hill cottages and opportunities for walks.
The Wangaratta
Contemporary Textile Award
2013
This biennial acquisitive award and exhibition celebrates the diversity and strength of Australia’s textile artistry. It has been presented every second year since 2009, and showcases textile artistry and talent from across Australia who work in textile-related media as varied as tapestry, sculpture, printing, dyeing, assemblage, embroidery, felting, digital projection, paper fibre, and natural grasses. The 2013 prize was awarded to Paul Yore for his wool tapestry “Map”. In addition “Rebus” of Beechworth has sponsored a Highly Commended award of $500, which was awarded to Gillian Lavery for her work “Thread Translation”. Wangaratta has a long and prominent history of textiles, both in manufacturing and as a craft form.
The group also visits Kolkata in Bengal, the former “Jewel in the Crown” of the British Empire. Colonial-era relics are side-by-side with even older temples, mosques and palaces. There is also an opportunity to participate in a day-long textile workshop. Enquiries and reservations can be made with Active Travel on 1800 783 188 or visit their website at www.activetravel.com.au for details of this and other tours for textile enthusiasts.
Is there a Man (Who Quilts) In Your Life? If there is, then he may want to enter MANifestations, 12th Biennial Exhibit of Quilts Made by Men. The Call for Entry is being made by the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Colorado, USA and can include up to three quilts. The deadline is October 31, 2013, further information can be found at: rmqmentry.org/
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Colourful Exhibit Following the fantastic response Brenda Gael Smith had to her exhibition Beneath the Southern Sky (www.beneathsouthernsky. com), she is curating another travelling textile art exhibition called Living Colour! It will premiere at the Australasian Quilt Convention in 2014. All textile artists are invited to submit an entry exploring the theme Living Colour! Each work needs to be in a 100cm (length) x 40cm (width) vertical format and the closing date for entries is 31 January 2014. Up to 30 works may be selected. International entries are welcome. For more information, see www.livingcolourtextiles.com or contact info@ livingcolourtextiles.com
A Medieval Book Mended With Silk Thread “
The thread is so fragile that it disintegrates on touch
This manuscript dates from the 14th century. The pages of the book are made of parchment and they show typical damage in the form of holes and tears that happened while the parchment was being made. Some time after the book was copied, the holes and tears have been mended artistically with silk of various colours, mainly in blanket stitch. The old mending is in good shape except for those parts which were sewn with black silk. The thread is so fragile that it disintegrates on touch. During the project the black thread was subjected to colour analysis to find out which colouring agents had been used. The results showed that the black dye had 8 | www.downundertextiles.com
”
been made with iron sulphate and tannin, which implies that the thread was dyed with iron filings and various plants that contain the tanning agent tannin e.g. oak apple and sumac leaves. The whole dyeing process is very acidic and if the wrong proportions of tannin and iron salt are used, sulphuric acid forms, considerably accelerating the natural decomposition of the thread or material. In order to prevent the black parts disappearing completely they were treated with a glue that was applied as a spray mist. Some parts were stabilised with a thin silk gauze. Text and Photos – Augusta Persson, Textile Conservator at The Royal Court in Stockholm, augusta.persson@royalcourt.se
Fantastic
plastic Laura Anne Marsden is a textile designer who has developed a technique for transforming plastic bags into lace. She uses a combination of hand-stitch and needle lace-making with various processes to change the properties and appearance of the plastic bags, resulting in a product she calls ‘Eternal Lace’. The resulting textile can be sculpted and has many potential uses. She works entirely by hand, ensuring that each piece is a oneoff. Two Eternal Lace ruffs have been purchased by The Victoria and Albert Museum, London for the Contemporary collection. Visit www.lauramarsden.com/ for more information.
JennY Kee Australian fashion designer Jenny Kee is known for her colourful textiles and representations of Australian images such as the waratah. This recent video, shot in Kee’s home, is vibrant with her work. Her clothes are truly art to wear. http://video.news.com. au/2391078459/A-glimpse-ofJenny-Kees-world
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Elizabeth Martins
Rainforest exhibition
A decade ago a group of like-minded women from the dungog area in the Upper Hunter of New South Wales began meeting to share ideas, experiences, and techniques in textile art.
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The Daughters on Dowling group was born. Ten years on, the group celebrated with an exhibition titled Rainforest. Staged in the Arts Upper Hunter shopfront in the main street of Dungog, the exhibition attracted wide community support and interest. Rainforest showcased the widely varying skills and techniques of the group’s members. The exhibition drew its inspiration from a photographic image taken during the group’s trip to Salisbury near the Barrington Ranges rainforest area with its river rapids, ferns, fungi and trees covered with vines, orchids and seed pods. Each member reproduced all or part of the image, giving it their own unique interpretation. Techniques ranged from intricate hand stitches to abstracted applique/piecing, felting, and embellished
digitized imagery, all demonstrating high-level skills and strong artistic vision in bringing new visual insights to the appreciation of the rainforest environment. The 14 participating members of the Rainforest exhibition were Deirdre Briscombe, Elizabeth Martins, Ann Riley, Jenny Trevethan, Lurline Trustum, Maureen Kingston, Mei Su Chen, Pixie Jerome, Zoe Mair, Kerrie Jeffreys, Abby Heymans, Pam Long, Pamela Priday, and Jodi Robertson. The “Daughters” continue to meet fortnightly to pursue their artistic passion and to discuss and develop creative new approaches to their work. Coming up soon is a further trip to a new location – this just may point the direction to a future inspirational exhibition.
Mei Su Chen
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Lurline Trustum
Ann Riley and Elizabeth Martins
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Various members
Pamela Priday
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Jodi Robertson
Ann Riley
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All three works by Deirdre Briscombe
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“
The exhibition drew its inspiration from a photo taken near the Barrington ranges
”
Jenny Trevethan
Kerrie Jeffreys
“
Techniques ranged from intricate hand stitches to abstracted applique/piecing...
”
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L E T ’ S C R E AT E
Messy Nest Text and photographs by Christine Butler
baskets
Get ready to have fun making these nests, with fibres found in most backyards. There are very few rules, and once you tackle the basic technique, they are fairly simple and quick to create. Anything goes, in fact!
Materials A small deep bowl for using as a temporary mould A medium sized plant pot (for mould to sit on) Pliers A bucket Big rubber bands or panty hose
Inflorescence
A palm tree inflorescence in good condition that has already fallen from the tree A damp towel Sisal rope (available in hardware stores) A water spray bottle Beads, thin rope, threads of cotton or silk, as desired, to decorate.
Inflorescence Spokes
Sisal
Photo 1
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How to make your nest base Before you start the base, snip approximately 50 to 100 spokes off your inflorescence and plunge the cut spokes into a bucket of warm water. 1. Select inflorescence spokes about the same length and width. 2. Cut about 90cm of your sisal rope and fold in half. 3. Place four spokes side by side (Photo 1). 4. Take the other four and lay on top at right angles to the first four. This is the fiddly bit! Loop the rope around four of the spokes and twist the rope (Photo 2). Wrap the rope around the next four spokes, one piece in front and one behind (Photo 3). 5. Twist the rope towards you, wrap again around the next four spokes, continue this way until you are back to the beginning. Do this firmly.
6. Go around again with the same technique, but this time only loop around two spokes at a time, and continue this way firmly until you are back at the start (Photo 4). Set nest aside in a bowl of water to soften for a few minutes (Photo 5). 7. On your work bench, place your flower pot upside down and put your bowl on top upside down. Now with the hard bit out of the way, you are ready to start the crazy weave! 8. Place your now softened base on top of the bowl/mould and “fix” it down with a big rubber band (my preference) or a piece of panty hose (good for big baskets) by wrapping it around the nest as close to the edge as possible to hold the spokes down on the bowl/mould (Photo 6). I find it is better if the rubber band comes down onto the plant pot. Some of your spokes may be too short before don’t worry about it. As long as it is not too many you will still be able to work with them.
Photo 2
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9. Then spread out the spokes around the bowl, no need to be neat. 10. Take the cut inflorescence spokes that have been soaking in the bucket of water and wrap them in a damp towel.
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 5
Photo 6
Starting the crazy weave The crazy weave is named like this because of the lack of uniform weaving; you can go anywhere you like. 11. Take one of the cut inflorescence spokes and start weaving in and out between the tied down spokes around your bowl/mould. No need to be neat – just “sew” in and out with your fingers with the aim of creating a strong structure. Work your way around the bowl/mould. Don’t worry about ends, if you can’t hide them within the nest you can snip them off with your pliers once you have finished weaving. 12. At this point I usually take the two strands of sisal on the nest and weave this under and over some of the spokes around the bowl/mould. Depending on the size of the sisal you may want to split it and take it in different directions (Photos 9 and 10). Continue to work your way
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around the nest until you are able to lift it off the bowl/ mould without it collapsing (Photo 11). 13. Once you can take it off, check to make sure you are happy with its strength. Don’t forget to spray your work to keep the nest damp. Continue with your crazy weaving holding it in your hands (not over the bowl/mould) until you have a sturdy good looking little nest. You may find that you need more spokes to continue so just cut and soften some more in water. 14. Don’t worry if it is looking like a flat pancake! We are going to reshape it again shortly. You will have the edges at the top of the nest still sticking up. I like to fold them down into the nest while they are still longish, as it makes it easier and the nest stronger (Photo 12).
Photo 7
Photo 8
Photo 9
Photo 10
Photo 11
Photo 12
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Reshaping your nest 15. Once edges have been neatened and you are happy with the strength of your nest, plunge it into water to soften a little bit (Photos 13 and 14) and then put the nest, which is now a little bit flattened, into the bowl/mould. Leave it to dry completely – if you don’t it will fall out of shape (Photo 15).
Decorating your nest
About Christine I enjoy all different crafts and fine art, from working with fibre from the garden to reworking clothes to make them fit better; from making fine detailed drawings to wild loose paintings. I can be contacted at petergrub@dodo.com.au. I am currently organising with other artist friends a combined exhibition and am working on running workshops later on in the year.
At this point I like to sew in beads or bits of coloured silk thread or really whatever takes my fancy! In my last nest I wove in curly dolls hair and it looked great. With this little nest (Photo 16), I sewed on wooden beads and also wove in some eco dyed rope that I had made at a recent workshop with India Flint. It’s my little memory nest because I found
Photo 13
Photo 14
Photo 15
Photo 16
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M E E T A T E x T I L E A RT I S T
Clare Smith New Zealand-based textile artist Clare Smith creates a broad range of works, from stunning costume designs through to thoughtful pieces inspired by science. She explains her process to us.
Tussock Winter 2006, 100cm x 120cm. Photo: DAC Group.
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Willowplate 2012. Photo: Mel Phillips.
Harvest 2013, 110 x 120cm. Dye on cotton organdy. Photo: Clare Smith DUT: How long have you been involved in textile art? We noticed that you had started out in a scientific career. How has this influenced your textile art? Like most textile people, I’ve been making dolls clothes and trying every sort of textile craft since I was a child. My mother is a potter, my father made model trains from scratch; we were always making something from an early age. I also had an influential teacher at primary school who taught us batik and dyeing, and my mother taught me screen-printing as a teenager so it all dates back a long way. I continued to go to evening and weekend craft classes in between training to be a radiographer (get a skill, my parents insisted) and studying for a science degree. I finally got my chance to study art in the late 1980s and did one year at Goulburn TAFE in New South Wales but I was the only textile student at that time. I completed the qualification at Whitireia Polytech in New Zealand a few years later. My textile work usually has some sort of message and that is often inspired by something I’ve read in a science magazine or in the newspaper. I’m also married to a scientist so am inspired by his work in climate science too. A lot of your work features hand painting and dyeing. What is your favourite technique? I enjoy screen-printing the most but I use whichever technique will give me the effect I am looking for. For me, the
Irrigation 2009, 150cm x 50cm. From the exhibition ‘A Change in the Weather’, a group exhibition with the members of Tippys_mob online quilt group.
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Watermark detail. 2012. Photo: Clare Smith
The Countess of Dunfermline (costume from a painting by Marcus Gheeraerts 1907). Photo: Mandi Lynn. design comes first and then the technique but occasionally a piece of fabric will dictate what the quilt will end up like. What are your favourite materials to work with, and why? I love cotton and linen. At the moment I love the crispness of cotton organdie and the way it takes the dye. I think I prefer crisp cotton to shiny silk. I do use silk and wool for shibori but always go back to cotton. However cotton is the cause of some pretty severe environmental problems around the world so I try to use recycled cotton wherever possible. We noticed that you do a lot of teaching, and that one course is on Wagga quilts, which looks fantastic. Why do you like these iconic Australian quilts in particular?
Clare working on costumes for The Gypsy Baron, July 2013. Photos: Christopher Bing.
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Barbara Macey introduced me to Waggas in about 1997 when we spent six months in Melbourne while my husband was on sabbatical. My favourite Waggas are the ones made of multiple different sized pieces of clothing fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. I made a whole series of quilts in the early 2000s using Waggas as inspiration, inspired by research on the human genome. The series was called
Watermark 2012, Cotton organdy and dye, machine appliqued. 270cm x 150cm. Photo: Clare Smith.
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screen-printing in the garage. I work in bursts interspersed with costume work or teaching. At the moment I have costumes for ‘The Gypsy Baron’ spread around the sitting room. Last year I worked part-time in the art department at Whitireia Polytechnic and studied for a Graduate Diploma in Applied Arts so I’m only just getting back into the swing of working from home again. For three years I worked as a First Aid Instructor for Red Cross and fitted in making quilts between teaching first aid and quilting. What is the project or series that you are most satisfied with? What did it involve?
Layers of Lives: Photo: Helen Mitchell. ‘Layers of Lives’. I like the idea of the history of the clothing and the lives of the wearers then becoming part of the quilt’s history too.
The work that I am most satisified with is always the one I’m currently working on, so that’s hard to answer. I love the Wagga quilts and layering and fitting together all the pieces of clothing. I often use that technique to make a background for further collage. At the moment I really like the Pojagi style pieces that I’ve been working on. I really enjoyed working on my graduation project for the costume course. We had to choose a picture and make that costume. I chose to work from a portrait of the Countess of Dunfermline, from a painting by Marcus Gheerauts from 1607. I loved the challenge of working out how to make shift, corset, farthingale, petticoat, dress, ruff, fan and jewellery for only NZ$200. What is your current focus or project?
Your blog mentions a lot of costume work recently. What has this involved? In 2011 I studied a Theatrical Costume Construction course at the National Drama School here in Wellington. As a child, our whole family was involved with a theatre group in Nairobi in Kenya. I’d pretty much been brought up backstage so returning to theatre was like coming home. The course was great. I loved the 200 hours of work experience we had to do for the course and spent two weeks working in the costume room of the State Theatre of South Australia, worked on costumes for the film The Hobbit, spent several weeks making costumes for a show called Monster Burlesque and worked on a wonderful Maori Musical called Arohanui. Since I graduated I have worked on a number of projects including costumes for Phantom of the Opera. The skills required to make costumes are transferable to quilting and vice versa. Being able to bind a quilt is a great skill for corset making and being able to hand sew is a great advantage for costume making, as it appears to be a dying art!
I’ve been working on a series of wall-hangings which start off white and then are dyed while they are hanging on the walls of the gallery. They slowly transform from white to multi-
What inspires you to begin a project? There is usually something I want to say. I like to draw people’s attention to something in a different way. Textiles are softer than placards but they can still make a point. How and where do you work? Do you have a dedicated studio space? Do you work everyday, or in bursts for a project? I have a little downstairs sewing room which is always incredibly messy and I also have a table tennis table I use for
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X marks the Spot. Photo: Helen Mitchell.
Weather Forecast. 2009. 150 x 50cm. From the exhibition ‘A Change in the Weather’ 2009, a group exhibition with the members of Tippys_mob online quilt group. Photo: Clare Smith. Bitter Harvest 2012. Each panel 225cm x 30cm. Photo: Clare Smith
coloured as the dye follows seam lines and areas that have two layers. They are inspired by images on Google Earth of dye pouring into rivers from textile factories. The latest pieces in this series are inspired by Korean Pojagi which is made by piecing together scraps of fabric and making a feature out of the seam lines. I will have an installation of these works in a gallery called Objectspace in Auckland in November this year. Tell us about other New Zealand artists who have inspired or helped you? How have they influenced you? I’ve always loved the simplicity of Katherine Morrison’s quilts; she was a Modern Quilter before the title was invented. Clare Plug from Napier has always been a great sounding board for ideas, she also has a Zoology degree so we speak the same language of art and science and textiles. I also belong to a small online group of well-known New Zealand and Australian quilters/tutors who have been a great source of inspiration as well as advice over the years. We occasionally have a group exhibition; the theme for the most recent exhibition was ‘Climate Change’.
If a DUT reader was visiting New Zealand, where should they go to see some beautiful textile art? Minerva gallery in Wellington is a specialist textile gallery and also has a textile bookshop with a huge selection of quilt, embroidery and fashion books for sale. The World of Wearable (WOW) Art Gallery in Nelson is also a must-see. There are always lots of textile exhibitions on in September when the WOW show is on and that is a good time to visit. I also list any shows that I hear about on my blog at www. claresmith.blogspot.com and there are other listings here bodkinz.co.nz and nzquilter.com. What are your plans for the future? I am keen to do a lot more travelling and teaching now that the kids are older and I’d also love to get more permanent costume work as there is so much to learn and I really like working with a group rather than at home alone. I felt a bit burnt out after my solo exhibition last year but feel ready now to start planning another solo as that gets me focussed and motivated.
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L E T ’ S C R E AT E
Feeling Edgy Text and photos by Neroli Henderson
We have probably all seen traditional quilt bindings. This timehonoured technique to enclose and finish edges has a lot going for it, however it does suit some quilts more than others. There are many other types of edge finishings, particularly for art quilts, and I hope that after reading this article you’ll be inspired to try something new for your next project. I like to have an idea of how I am going to edge my quilt before I begin construction but after the initial concept design. This allows me to choose materials and cut the size of the top to allow for the technique I’ve decided will best highlight my artwork.
Thinking (just) outside the box Bindings don’t need to be cotton – you can use sheer fabrics (if you don’t want them to fray do a rolled hem,
use selvedge edges or cut them with a soldering iron) or even textural fabrics like velvet or microsuede. Sheers can be great if you want everything to be visible right to the edge of the quilt while still giving a border (Photo 1). Try lace, tulle or an edging like that favoured by quilt artist Kay Haerland and give fly screen a go! (Photo 2). If you are using a thicker than normal fabric, apply your binding in single edge length strips and fold them to the back in a single layer and sew – forget about mitered corners.
Photo 1 – A binding created from sheer organza using the selvedge edge.
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Photo 2 – A close up of fly screen binding on one of Kay Haerland’s quilts.
Photo 3 – Satin stitched bindings (from left to right) in metallic thread, fluro poly variegated, rayon and variegated metallic.
Satin stitching Densely sewn zig zag allows you to use a thread that matches or contrasts strongly against your textile piece. There are a few tricks to satin stitching that will help you get a perfect result every time: 1. Hold the thread ends tautly and use an open toe applique foot. 2. Loosen your top tension so no bobbin thread is visible. 3. It’s better to go over the edges two or three times and cover a little more each time around. You can also increase the length and reduce the width of the stitch on the second and third time around. 4. If your quilt is quite light weight you may wish to use a wash away stabilizer underneath. Remember you can use decorative threads including metallic (Photo 3) and wool (Photo 4) to satin stitch. You can also use two threads either one after the other or at the same time though a double eye needle.
You can buy couching feet for your machine or use a wash away glue/glue stick to adhere ribbon to the edge of your quilt and then use a straight or decorative stitch to hold them down. Couching can be done with pretty much any thing you can sew over, especially as the couched item is not actually being sewn but being held within a row of zig zag. For my ‘Florence’ quilt I couched down strips of leather thonging. (Photo 6).
Foiled again There are many different ways to foil an edge – one easy one is to run a layer of Jones Tones plexi glue around the edge of your piece any thickness you like and then, when dry, rub a layer of foil onto the top of it.
Couching potato Couching is a very simple technique that involves sewing over cords, ribbon, yarn or other decorative fibres. (Photos 6-9).
Photo 4 - This postcard was satin stitched using Madeira ‘Lana’ wool thread with a tighter zig zag underneath and a more open one on top to maximize texture.
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Photo 5 – Foiled edgings – left: glue directly on top of edge; middle: satin stitched then glued and foiled; right: heat gunned edge with glue and foil.
Often I like to do a narrow zig zag around the edge before couching to minimize any frayed edges.
Continue the free motion: You can continue a free motion sewn embroidery by extending the stitches all the way off the edge, giving you a borderless finish while still encapsulating your batting fully (Photo 10). Colours can be chosen that match each section or you can use complementary colours for a ‘sketchy’ looking edge.
Feeling frayed: Sometimes fraying edges give a worn, modern look that is just what you want. Do a single line of straight stitch however far in you like from the edge of your work to ensure Photo 6 – Leather thonging has been couched down for this unusual edging.
Photo 7 – I stitched a Greek key pattern over gold ribbon for this edging.
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Photo 8 – Left: fluffy yarn; middle: piping cord and embroidery floss; right: two different pink tones of embroidery floss.
Photo 9 – Variegated thread was used here over multicoloured thin ribbon that had been held in place first with wash away glue.
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Photo 10 – Free motion embroidery in zig zag and straight stitch continued all the way onto the edge requiring no other finishing technique.
Photo 11 – A raw frayed edge can give a rustic yet modern look
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Photo 12 - Two quilts in one – a layered effect uses the second quilt as a matting for the first.
everything is held together. Use a very small stitch to ensure no quilting that was trimmed back becomes unravelled (Photo 11). If you don’t want the look of white batting you can use coloured felt sheets instead, choose to use dark grey batting or paint the edges of your quilt when finished. If you want an extremely frayed edge ensure the techniques used are all washable and give your quilt a quick trip through the washing machine before pressing flat again.
Double back: Particularly good on smaller works is mounting your quilt top on another larger quilt. In this example I’ve satin stitched both the quilt top and mount and used a very stiff stay-in stabilizer on the backing to ensure it will hang flat. I’ve then sewn the top to the mount using a straight stitch (Photo 12).
Getting decorative: Many decorative stitches on machines today can be sewn with a smaller stitch width allowing them to be used in the same way as a conventional zig zag satin stitch. Experiment with the ones on your machine. My piece is stitched with a ‘grass stitch’ in colours matching the fabrics touching the edge of the quilt (Photo 13). I’m sure these ideas will be ones you’ll enjoy experimenting with!
Neroli Henderson www.facebook.com/nerolihenderson eiloren.blogspot.com.au
Photo 13 – Grass stitch with thread changes to match the fabrics in the quilt.
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L E T ’ S C R E AT E
Grounded
flower Text and photographs by Pamela Priday
Create extra texture on a framed textile art piece by experimenting with fusible webbing, water-soluble stabiliser, paint and stitch, all combined with a wire form base. By manipulating the wire base you can give a sculptural, 3d quality to your work.
Materials Water-soluble stabilizer (e.g. Wet N Gone) Aluminium mesh wire form (available from art shops) Low loft batting or thin fabric (cotton or gauze) organza or thin cotton fabric Fusible webbing (Vliesofix) Baking paper (e.g. Gladbake) Acrylic paints and a soft brush Plastic sheet to protect work surface Threads for machining Yarns and threads for hand embellishment
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Create your feature piece Draw the shape of your choice onto water-soluble stabiliser. I drew a simple flower shape with a water soluble marker. To give interesting stitch texture, use two complimentary coloured threads, one in the needle and the other in the bobbin. With feed dogs down, free motion machine stitch your shape. My flower was stitched with rayon thread, pink in the bobbin and red in the machine (Photos 1 and 2). As you stitch, watch that the stitches overlay each other. This ensures that a firm construction will be maintained once the piece becomes wet. I like to use lots of small overlapping circles. Trim the bulk of the stabiliser away from your shape. Wet the shape to remove most (but not all) of the sticky glue. Manipulate it into a pleasant arrangement and allow it to dry. The next step is to add textural interest by hand stitching and adding fibres as your eye dictates. The centre of my flower features colonial knots and a tiny piece of silk fabric. The flower edge was made firmer by hand stitching with a thicker thread.
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Photo 1
Photo 2
Prepare the base fabric with paint Paint the fusible webbing (e.g. Vliesofix) on the rough (adhesive) side with a wash of acrylic paint. The paint can be used straight, or diluted with water. Adding water to the paint gives a lovely rippled effect. Lift the painted adhesive away from its backing paper and gently move
it around with your fingers to create additional texture (Photo 3). Place it on baking paper to dry. Protect your iron and ironing board with baking paper, and iron the painted adhesive onto your fabric. Use just enough heat, and work quickly to prevent the painted adhesive from burning. Let it cool, then gently pull this fused fabric away from the baking paper.
Photo 3
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Photo 4
Photo 5
Create a sandwich of three layers Place the aluminium wire mesh form on a flat surface (Photo 4). Place the light wadding on top, then place the fused fabric on top of the wadding (Photos 5). These layers form the sandwich that you will be stitching through. Do not manipulate the wire mesh form at this stage. This comes after stitching.
Now is the time to apply stitch to embellish the sandwich with its wire form base. It is quite safe to use your machine to do this, provided you take it fairly slowly to avoid a broken needle. Emphasise the lines and shapes created by the painted adhesive. Have fun using a combination of machine and hand stitching, and incorporate fabric or yarns (Photos 6 and 7).
Photo 6
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Photo 7 I stitched a tiny piece of silk within the centre of the flower, to emphasise the focal point. In my project, leaf shapes were evident, as were stones and sticks – as though I had found the flower lying on the ground. I emphasised these images by hand stitches and free motion machining to produce stronger lines. Leaf shapes were also boosted by couched thread work. A square of silk fabric formed a background for the flower (Photo 8).
Photo 8
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Photo 9
Photo 10
“
�
You will know you are finished when the piece excites you.
Attach the flower to the base by stitch. Manipulate the background to create dimension in the whole piece. How much you manipulate the background will depend on what you want to emphasise in your design.
How do you know when the piece is finished? You will know you are finished when the piece excites you, and you feel there is harmony and balance in the
composition. And when you feel it is the best you can do. This is the time to frame your piece. A box frame will allow the dimension to show to its full effect. Photos 9 and 10 show two versions of the completed flower. Pamela is a quiltmaker, designer, textile artist and teacher. Her passion is to bring innovaation to her art. See her work at www.craftyquilting.wordpress.com
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Textile
L E T ’ S C R E AT E
bookmark
Text and photographs by Jocelyne Leath
This lovely bookmark with its very recognisable eucalyptus leaf shape and emu feather embellishment reflects the essence of the Australian bush, while the ribbon creates a sense of elegance. The project is perfect for experimenting with a variety of specialty threads and for practising free motion stitching. Using hand dyes, stencilled or stamped fabric will add another dimension to the piece. Materials For the eucalyptus leaves – 2 pieces of fabric approximately 4in x 8in each; tone on tone fabrics in greens or greys or mottled colours, and hand dyed fabrics work well Fusible webbing – 1 piece approximately 4in x 8in Machine embroidery threads including metallics, to complement or to contrast with the eucalyptus fabric For embellishment – narrow ribbon approximately 12in long, and 2 dyed emu feathers
Method
Photo 1
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Take one 4in x 8in piece of leaf fabric. Use a light box to trace the leaf pattern (Photo 1 and Photo 2) onto the right side of the fabric (Photo 3). (If a light box is not available, see the Alternate Method below.) Iron the fusible webbing onto the back (i.e. the wrong side) of that piece of fabric (Photo 4). Peel the backing paper from the fusible webbing (Photo 5). Place this fabric on top of the second leaf fabric, wrong sides together. Using a dry iron, fuse the two pieces.
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 2
Photo 5
You now have a firm, double sided fabric with the drawn leaf shape on one side. Using metallic thread (Photo 6), machine stitch on the drawn lines of the leaf. Stitch the outline as well as the veins (Photo 7 and Photo 8). (For tips on stitching, see Suggested Sewing Machine Settings below.) Change to an embroidery thread. Sew a line of stitching around the outside of the leaf, close to the metallic thread. Then stitch the inside of the leaf on either side of the veins, creating three rows of stitching. Cut out the leaf carefully, close to the stitching lines. Ensure that the stitches are not cut (Photos 9 and 10).
Referring to Photo 11, place the emu feathers near the stem end of the leaf. Using matching thread, hand stitch the feathers to the leaf. Only a few, neat stitches are required to secure the feathers. Fold the ribbon in half and twist one side to create a loop. Position the ribbon on top of the feathers, so that the loop lies above the leaf. Hand stitch the ribbon neatly and securely.
Alternate method Create a double sided piece of fabric by fusing the two leaf fabrics together. Then trace the leaf pattern onto a piece of
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Photo 6
water soluble fabric (e.g. Solvy) and pin this to one side of the double sided fabric. Machine stitch the leaf shape using metallic and embroidery threads, as described above. Carefully cut out the shape close to the outside stitching line. Rinse the leaf shape thoroughly under cold water to remove the water soluble fabric. Leave it to dry. Attach feathers and ribbon as before.
Suggested sewing machine settings
Photo 7
Attach the darning foot or the free stitching foot to the machine. Set the machine to “straight stitch” and “0” stitch length. If the machine does not permit the “0” stitch length, set it to “0.5”. The feed dogs can be left in the up position for better control. Top tension should be slighter looser than the normal sewing tension, i.e. 3 or less. Use a metallic needle for metallic threads and an embroidery needle for embroidery threads. If difficulties are experienced when using metallic threads, try using a topstitch 130N needle in a size 80/12 or 90/14. Use a sewing thread in the bobbin to match the fabric. This allows for a double-sided leaf with detail showing on the front and the back.
Photo 8
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Photo 9
Photo 10
Photo 11
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Flowers always “I must have flowers, always and always” – Claude Monet
What a quote and for me it is absolutely true. I must have flowers every day. Flowers are my passion and I have always used these as my inspiration to create artworks. Text and photographs by Suzanne Gummow
What inspires me When I was a very small child I would look out my bedroom window to see rows and rows of daffodils, poppies, stocks and more. These were growing ready for cut flowers that my grandfather grew to sell to florists. The many colours, shapes and smells – these inspire me always. I travel regularly throughout the world but mainly to exotic places in the East and I photograph the gardens and flowers for future inspiration. I take hundreds of photos and sort them on my return on my computer into folders for easier access for future drawing and colour studies.
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My own large garden is a great inspiration for me too; it is full of flowers and plants. I am photographing it continuously. There are many other inspiration sources that I use for my flower studies. There are Botanical books on flowers showing the history and their structures and of course the wonderful Botanical Gardens throughout the world. The Singapore Gardens are truly magnificent and they have a beautiful display of orchids, where I have taken hundreds of photos. Other inspirations are taken from photographs in garden books, paintings, sculpture and drawings of flowers.
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Where do I start? Photographing and drawing are the beginnings of my art works. I start by searching through my Visual Diaries and pick the drawings and visuals, the photographs that are appropriate for the new art works. In most of the flower artworks I use a raw edge applique technique and the backgrounds are quilted with flower designs all based on my drawings and photographs.
My tips for choosing fabrics
Drawing From these photos I draw, draw and draw. A few years ago I embarked on a “Drawing a Day” project and of course my theme was “Flowers”. I drew every day for over a year and I still continue to draw nearly every day. At this moment I have over 10 A4 Visual Diaries full of flower drawings, which are used as my inspiration for my future artworks. Drawing is an extremely important part of my art practice. Drawing develops your skills of observation and understanding of the flower. The more you observe the more you see. Drawing is the ‘Art of Seeing’.
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Use large and small prints of commercially printed fabrics together to give variety. Look at patterns in fabrics that you may use instead of plain fabrics, those that read as a solid colour but are what I call “textured plains”. Spots create interest but also could be distracting – experiment. When you have your design chosen, auditing is required. A good way is to select the most suitable colours for your artwork. Stack the fabrics next to your colour photograph, print or colour drawing to make sure they work well together. Then stack in percentage proportions that you may wish to use in your work. If you are not sure if the colours are ‘correct’ or even how many colours to use, photograph or look through the lens of your camera (or a fish eye lens). This will give you a better indication if the colours are working together or if they are not.
Suzanne Gummow, Visual Arts Educator, may be contacted by email suzannegummow@bigpond.com or visit her blog sgummow.blogspot.com
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L E T ’ S C R E AT E
Wool Felt Hanky Panky by Nancy Ballesteros
Silk hankies traditionally have been underutilised as a source of silk by felt makers. Generally people are not sure how to tackle handling them. In the following pages I will de-mystify the hanky and inspire you to start creating!
Playing around with Silk Hankies What’s so special about silk hankies? Each silk hanky is made from a degummed cocoon. The caterpillars spin each cocoon as one long continuous strand of silk which is then opened out and stretched over a square wooden frame (resembling the shape of a handkerchief). One cocoon is as gossamer as a spider’s web. I generally never use just one hanky as it would easily get lost in the wool. If you look at the edge of the hankies, each thick edge is one cocoon (see Photo 1). Layer upon layer has been stacked on top of one another. For general felting purposes pull away several layers at a time – it is quite hard to count the layers (so don’t),
Photo 1 – silk hanky layers
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Photo 2 – marbling effect
simply pull off just enough so you can still see through to your hand. It will be much easier to work with the hankies if you iron them before and after splitting off layers. Different visual/textural effects can be achieved by using slightly more or slightly less, play around to see what you prefer. Remember silk has no felting properties; therefore, you must always use wool with it to act as the “glue”. When used in conjunction with fine silk fabrics it doesn’t really matter in which order you lay down the silk hanky, the wool and the fabric. The wool will generally always be able to work its way through to felt the silk hanky. Hankies seem to always have thick and thin areas. It’s a good idea to add extra wool to the underneath edges of the hankies since this is usually a thicker area. Try to thin out any other thick areas of the hankies or be sure and add extra wool. A word of warning, if you use too many hankies the silk will be too thick for the wool to penetrate and it will not felt properly. Remember shrinkage is a big part of the felting process; the silk hankies will become denser when felted. It is important to decide which colour of wool to place behind the hankies. A very different effect is achieved using a contrasting colour of wool to the hankies instead of using the same colour. Experiment to see what look you prefer. Personally I use a strong contrast between the wool and the hankies resulting in a lovely marbling effect (the dark red in Photo 2 is the wool). Consider your overall design. The wool can just be laid underneath where the hankies are placed or the wool can be laid over the entire fabric and the hankies placed anywhere on top of the wool. I like to leave gaps so that I can see through to the fabric in places. Be sure and be light handed with the wool, particularly if you are creating a twosided scarf, roughly 10gms–15gms (.35 ounce–.53 ounce) per scarf – for those without scales that is about ½ metre of wool tops. Laying the fibres only in one direction is fine OR you can lay a light cross-layer to help shrink the scarf in both directions. It is extremely important to felt your hankies well. I recommend that you let your scarf rest overnight after the initial felting and felt it again the next day. The wool needs to completely penetrate all layers of the silk to keep it in place. Iron, iron, iron – if you are feeling frustrated by the hankies catching on everything, or they just look a bit messy – iron them! You can also try a bit of talcum powder on your hands to help stop the hankies from catching on any rough spots. Thin disposable gloves are also an option.
Photo 3 – peel off some layers
Photo 4 – layering silk and wool
Design Options for Silk Hankies Working with Square Shapes Hankies are easy to felt in a square shape. Peel off enough so you can just see through the hankies to your hand (Photo 3). It will be much easier to work with the hankies if you iron them before and after splitting off the layers. Next lay a fine layer of wool directly on the back of the hanky squares in two directions (Photo 4) making sure to cover underneath the edge of the hankies with an extra small amount of wool. Gently place the hanky onto your fabric – wool side facing the fabric (hanky, wool, fabric).
Photo 5 – silk hankies in the shape of a flower
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Photo 6 – abstract shapes
Photo 7 – gently stretching
Photo 8 – wrapping into a spiral shape
Working with Flower Shapes Flower shapes can be achieved by holding the hanky in its centre and placing them in an artistic manner on top of the fabric, be sure not to forget to add some wool either under the flower or on the back side of the fabric. Stamens and leaves can be designed from wool to help define the flower (see Photo 5).
Working with Abstract Shapes Another design technique for the hankies that will utilise any leftover bits and pieces is to simply place any odd left over hankies on the ironing board and iron them flat. Great abstract shapes will appear (see Photo 6). Once again you can lay wool directly on the back of these shapes then place these on top of your fabric. Alternatively you can place the hanky shapes directly on top of the fabric then turn over the fabric to lay the wool on its back side.
Working with Spiral Shapes To create a spiral, begin by peeling off a very thin layer of hanky and pushing your fingers through its centre (whereever it is thinnest) then gently stretching it out into a
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Photo 9 – wool placed directly on silk large circle (see Photo 7). Because the hankies are one long strand of silk it won’t break very easily, just keep stretching and thinning until the desired effect is reached. The silk can then be pulled further apart and broken to create one long strand. To make the spiral shapes start wrapping the strand around in a spiral-like manner, be careful not to crowd the silk in the centre of the spiral, it will fill in during the felting process (see Photo 8).
Working with Linear Shapes For linear shapes start in the same manner as with circular shapes, putting your fingers through the centre of the hankies and stretching it out into a large circle. For the lines in the scarf I like to continue pulling the circle into an oval shape (not breaking the strand). Place the oval down and bring the two sides together to form one solid looking strand. Stretch lengthwise as much as needed to obtain the desired width. Wool can be put directly onto the back of each hanky strand (see Photo 9) or alternatively onto the fabric in the location where the hanky will be placed. If you would like the linear shape to be more defined, iron first before laying any wool on it.
L E T ’ S C R E AT E
Scarf with Squares
Scarf with Spirals
Scarf with Lines
Silk Scarf with Lines by Nancy Ballesteros
Have some fun creating with silk hankies. Follow these step-by-step instructions to create a lightweight scarf with interesting marbled lines. Instructions for the Scarf with Squares and the Scarf with Spirals can be found online – see the end of the article for details.
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Scarf with Lines Finished length of the scarf is approximately 1.7m x 20cm (1.9yd x 7.8in) Materials 2.5m x 35cm (2.7yd x 14in) tissue silk fabric 10 – 15g (.35 – .53oz) superfine merino wool tops; the wool can be a contrasting colour to the silk hankies, the same colour as the silk hankies, or the same colour as the tissue silk – your choice 30 – 40g (1 – 1.4oz) silk hankies; use several different colours of hankies or all the same colour – your choice General Requirements bubble wrap – longer and wider than the scarf you will be making
Photo 2 – folding the fabric edge
2 PVC pipes or pool noodles – as wide as the bubble wrap 2 painter’s plastic drop sheets – the same size as bubble wrap non-slip mat – to put under project when rolling so it won’t slide around watering jug or old milk bottle with small holes in the lid for wetting out your project plastic paint tray (see Photo 1), glass washboard, or hard pool bubble wrap for fulling your work netting iron grease proof paper olive oil soap old towels
Directions for Felting Scarf with Lines Place the bubble wrap on top of your table, bubble side down. Next place one piece of painter’s plastic on top of the bubble wrap and then lay down your fabric on top of painter’s plastic. I usually sandwich my work inside two Photo 1 – plastic sheets of painter’s plastic allowing me paint tray to easily flip it and design on both sides of the scarf. I believe scarves look better if both sides have been thought about. Fold the ends of your fabric back up onto itself 20cm (or however much you desire), iron to keep in place (see Photo 2). This will create a gorgeous folded edge along the bottom of your scarf and at the same time create more weight for better drape. To create the linear shapes begin by gently peeling off a thin layer of hankies, push your fingers through its centre (wherever it is thinnest) and start stretching it out into a large circle (see Photo 3). Because the hankies are basically one long strand of silk it won’t break very easily, just keep stretching and thinning till the desired thickness is reached. For the lines in
Photo 3 – stretching the hankies into a circle the scarf I like to continue pulling the circle into an oval shape (not breaking the strand). Place the oval down and bring the two sides together to form one solid looking strand. Stretch lengthwise as much as needed to obtain the desired width. I suggest varying the length and width of these strands to create a more visually interesting scarf. Now lay a fine amount of wool directly on the back of the strands (see Photo 4). I generally lay the wool only in the lengthwise direction, with some crosswise pieces particularly at the ends of the strands. Pat the wool down gently and flip onto your fabric – wool side facing the fabric (hanky, wool, fabric). Remember there will be hanky strands on the other side of the fabric so don’t use too much wool. When placing the first strands onto the fabric make sure they cover the raw edge of the fabric that was folded up.
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Photo 4 – laying wool on the silk
Photo 5 – placing strands along the scarf
Continue placing more strands along the entire length of the scarf, randomly leaving some gaps between them (see Photo 5 and Photo 6 – the red is the wool fibre). Add extra wool along the bottom edges of the silk strands as needed, remembering to tear the wool into shorter pieces for a better fit. When you are finished laying down the strands on the front side of the fabric, cover the scarf with another layer of painter’s plastic. Roll the two layers of painter’s plastic with the scarf sandwiched in the middle up around your pvc pipe. Flip the roll and then un-roll so the bottom side of the fabric is now facing up, remove the top layer of painter’s plastic and finish designing the back side of the scarf by repeating the previous steps. Try matching up the strands with those on the front side but don’t worry too much if it’s not exact, leaving gaps has a nice effect (see Photo 7). When your design work is finished, the next step is to sprinkle it with soapy water. I use an old milk bottle which has been made into a water can by poking a hot needle into the cap many times. Grate a couple of tablespoons of olive
oil soap into a jug, add boiling water to melt, top up with cold water and pour into your milk bottle. Next sprinkle soapy mixture over the scarf, cover with your netting and rub until the silk is thoroughly wet. Now cover the wet scarf with painter’s plastic or simply leave it off and roll up the scarf in the bubble wrap around the PVC pipe. Lastly, roll this bundle in an old towel to catch any drips and place on top of your non-slip mat to begin the rolling phase. The felting process is divided into two stages – hardening (rolling) and fulling (tossing and washboard). I generally roll my scarves for around 20-30 minutes (approximately a 1000 rolls or more), continually changing ends from which I roll and occasionally adding more water as needed to keep the work moist. If you don’t like to roll try using the tumble dryer to do the rolling part for you. When the silk hankies begin to show signs of bonding to the fabric (either by seeing wool fibres penetrating through the silk hankies, or if pinched it doesn’t move around too much, and possibly some shrinkage has begun) you can take the scarf out of the plastic and start the gentle process of
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Photo 6 – close up
Photo 7 – designing the back side
tossing. As you proceed to toss, continually add water and soap. Stop frequently to check that your edges haven’t folded in on themselves. Also begin to stretch your work, gently at first and then more strongly as the wool becomes more felted, this will help to create a better felt. When you feel your scarf is nearly finished, complete the fulling stage by using a double-cut glass washboard, firm pool bubble wrap or my latest favourite tool a plastic paint roller tray. The ridges are quite good for fulling as long as you use plenty of warm water and olive oil soap. You should feel as if the scarf is “gliding” across the ridges, not scrubbing. Work on this surface till the felt feels firm and the scarf has shrunk at least 30%. Finally, rinse out all the soap in similar temperature water, don’t shock the wool. Roll your scarf in a towel to remove excess moisture then lay flat to dry, stretching to shape as needed. After the scarf has been dry for at least 24 hours, I always feel the need to felt it again for about 5 minutes using the washboard or painter tray. I find after the wool has dried,
the fibres appear to be more relaxed. What feels really well felted when wet, tends to be less felted when dry. The refelting process will proceed amazingly quickly. It is extremely important to felt your hankies well. The wool needs to completely penetrate all layers of the silk to keep it in place. If you have used a strong contrast between the wool and the hankies it will result in a lovely crackling effect. As a last finishing touch steam iron your scarf to add a more professional look. It will also help bring up the lustre of the silk.
Nancy Ballesteros is owner and designer of Treetops Colour Harmonies. Treetops has been offering quality felting supplies for the past 25 years. Their products are crafted in Australia and distributed worldwide. The Treetops website – www.treetopscolours.com.au – contains instructions for other scarf options as well as more detailed felting instructions.
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JOURNEYS
My journey into the world of textiles
By Suzanne Gummow
Our new columnist shares how it all began...
A freestyle quilt
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1950s to 1960s – I grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. It all started innocently enough as a child. I developed a desire for all things creative from a very early age and so began a lifelong interest in art, textiles, painting and drawing. Sewing was another pastime, learned from my great aunt who was keen to foster in me traditional skills of dressmaking, embroidery, knitting and crochet. My earliest memory is sewing by hand a doll’s dress to fit my 1950s 22” doll. My mother was alarmed one day when she found her six-yearold sitting in the bath, knitting. When she asked what on earth was I doing and why, I explained that I did not want to waste time. I haven’t changed much at all since then. As long as I can remember I have be driven to create. From about the age of 10 I made most of my clothes. From then on I became a “textile junkie”, buying, collecting and fondling fabrics. I continued to make most of my clothes in my teenage years, to the horror of my mother who wondered why I had bought curtain fabric of lime green and black 3in squares to make pants. It was because I could, and I had lime green platform shoes to match – what a look! Well, it was the 1960s My grandfather introduced me to the world of art and we visited art galleries and museums. To increase my knowledge and understanding I immersed myself in art and textiles to feed my growing thirst and curiosity. As time passed I wondered how to integrate these creative endeavors with a career?
With my boys on my first quilt, 1970s
1970s to 1980s – I enrolled at the South Australian School of Art to train as a Secondary Art Teacher. Midway through this study I was introduced to textiles as an art form and the realisation came to me that I could transfer this passionate interest onto others. I had truly passed the point of no return – I was hooked on all things related to textiles, my “fabricolism and threadmania”. After completing a Diploma and Bachelor of Teaching in Fine Arts, specializing in Textiles I have continued a 40 year teaching career in secondary education and barely paused for minor distractions such as marriage and the birth of two boys. 1990s to 2010s – Every few years I have felt the need to extend myself and experiment with new techniques and ideas so in the early 1990s I undertook a Certificate course at the Embroiderers’ Guild where I specialized in surface stitchery, both machine and hand, and piece work exploring applique, patchwork and quilting. In this course I learnt the foundations of traditional quilt making and embroidery. I believe strongly that the traditions are the “backbone” of any textiles whether
Suzanne’s studio with Indian series
Temple - detail
Sunflowers for my first solo exhibition, 1990s
traditional or contemporary in style. In the early 2000s I undertook Post Graduate and Masters in Education, Asian Studies, specializing in textiles – these were all turning points in my career. Side by side with all this formal education came the creating as an artist – solo and group exhibitions, shop sales and more. I continued to learn even more about textiles by attending workshops. I teach at Marden Senior College in Adelaide where I initiated and developed
the curriculum and lecture in nationally accredited Certificates in Art Textiles. The school is a senior campus; my students’ range in age from 16 to 80 years and they all share my passion of textiles. What a job! I thrive on being able to pass on this wealth of knowledge and understanding of textiles that I have acquired over the years. I really love teaching, it’s a lifestyle and I live and breathe it. This was my journey – so what is yours? I would love to hear about it
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M E E T A T E x T I L E A RT I S T
Alison Schwabe Australian textile artist Alison Schwabe spends much of her time in Uruguay. We find out more about her, the inspiration behind her many projects and share some of her gorgeous work.
DUT: Why did you choose textiles as the focus of your art? And have you always been in the creative field?
Timetracks 1 2006, 43 x 37. Glued and stitched leather on whole cloth, hand quilted.
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Rather than a deliberate choice of textiles as an art medium, my art developed from the needle arts with which I grew up and continued as an adult. Over time my art moved in various directions, but always centred around a core of textile and stitch. My creative streak has shaped much of what I have done in life, but making and exhibiting art has not always been at its centre. I trained as a high school teacher of English and Social Studies. My husband is a geologist and way back in the ’70s and ’80s, those fly-in fly-out days, we found as we moved around the Outback and overseas that there was not always teaching available just when I arrived somewhere, and so my brilliant teaching career faded. Occasionally I did non-teaching jobs and some community volunteering, but one lifestyle benefit was that I also had time to make and learn more about fibre and textile arts through being in groups and attending workshops and symposiums.
Wedding Quilt 1999, 2.5m x 2.75m – referred to in the text under most successful projects.Machine pieced, hand and machine quilted
A lot of your work is mixed media. What are your favourite materials to work with, and why?
Landscape seems to inspire a lot of your designs. How has living abroad changed that?
As cotton is the main material of patchwork and quilting, since I began piecing and quilting in 1988 I have used many plain colours both commercial and artisan hand dyed, textured prints, and stripes in my original contemporary patchwork quilts. Sometimes I have made stencils of shapes and applied acrylic paint to cotton. It’s economic, easy to handle and holds a crease well. I like nylon organza as it’s cheap, very sheer and melts well (I only ever work with the burning tool outside with a breeze blowing from behind). I attach leather and some other fabrics with fusing web and hand and/or machine stitch. Applying paint onto fabric is a very quick way to colour a background using hand paint, stencil and spray, and I’m really low-tech, using common household items as equipment.
I don’t think living abroad itself has changed how landscape inspires my designs. Here in Uruguay I do happen to live close to a beach which has made frequent contact with the highly inspiring micro-landscapes there possible. However, I have been living here now for what amounts to a fair portion of my total life so far, and during this time I have come to see landscape change as a metaphor for ageing. This would have happened wherever I was living, I believe. Are there any particular challenges in being a textile artist in Uruguay? Are most materials readily available? Yes, most are available, perhaps not favoured brands and maybe not the same quality, and if imported are always more expensive. I haven’t seriously looked but the fusing materials I have been working with lately just might be here
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Samples of silver mylar – using the bonded mylar fabric I found recently, these recent samples explored how the material handles. Fuller information on my blog post on these, June 25th 2013. somewhere, but to be sure I have what I need when I need it, I will buy another roll when in the USA later this month. Living in the Outback was good training, as I learned to anticipate need and have extra of some critical things on hand ‘just in case’. My favourite threads are not available here though, so I stock up in neutral colours when I’m out of the country – which suits the way I work, but I’m also sure that the way I work has also adapted to the availability of key materials here. The main thing that is not readily available is any kind of cotton fabric. Lovely printed fabrics that quiltmakers have access to elsewhere seldom appear, although there are now suitable cottons being produced in Brazil, and some individual quiltmakers here mail order with success. I find it easier to bring in my case yardage of unbleached muslin and sometimes other colours, or an irresistible print I can foresee using frequently or in a large project. I have occasionally bought a plain sheet in a particular colour although that fabric is invariably a cotton/poly blend. Overall my pieced designs use a background fabric, often plain, with very small amounts of many different fabrics, so anything I buy a fat quarter of in Australia or the US takes up little room in my luggage. I cut and piece as I go, with only the larger general scheme planned in advance, so I often find just what I need in the scrap bag without cutting anything new. What inspires you to begin a project?
Maelstrom – was for an exhibition A change in the Weather in NZ several years ago. Machine pieced, hand and machine quilting.
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To me ‘a line’ is potentially ‘a seam’. I like repeat rhythms, so if I see an interesting line and shape together somewhere, that might inspire something in a repeat unit design, which might be difficult for some to understand, but it’s how I think. I also take photos of things that interest me, and if I sketch an idea I don’t necessarily follow it up straight away – it could take months or years to tackle it if I ever do. I sometimes move on from one project to another following up something in the earlier piece.
Ebb & Flow Scrap – they are all scrap quilts in a way, but as I intended to keep this one I named it thus. Machine pieced, machine quilted How and where do you work? Do you have a dedicated studio space? Do you work every day, or in bursts for a project? I am fortunate to have a fairly large room to call my own – I think ‘studio’ is a rather pretentious term for what it is! But anyway my work area is well lit, I have a purpose-built sewing table with recessed shelf for my sewing machine, a cutting table at the same height, and
a large multi-purpose trestle table – the ironing board is always up and the iron on and at my side if I am piecing or fusing. I try to actually sew or make work for a few hours most days, but in effect I work in bursts, that is for several hours a day over a week perhaps, then not actually ‘making’ something for a time after that. And I put in more hours as deadlines approach.
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Ebb & Flow 14, 2009 2.5m x 1.25m. Machine pieced, machine quilted.
What is the project or series that you are most satisfied with? What did it involve? That is really hard to answer, because if a piece is finished and photographed, as all my work has been since my first exhibition in 1987, that means I am satisfied that it reached the goal I had in mind for it. If it means which of my quilts have been most successful out in the world in some way, there are several that stand out. From my early creative embroidery period I am especially fond of Sunburnt Textures which became the title piece for my 1987 exhibition. Although I do not have a high resolution image of it you can see it at www.alisonschwabe.com/gallery.php?cat=10. It is one of several works from that time, all of which I love, that combine a painted background with stitch. One of my first quilts was Ancient Expressions 1988, which combined stencilling, hand drawn landscape and hand painting, along with quilting patterns taken from ancient carvings and markings. I was living in Denver, USA, at the
time, and seeing a call for juried original art quilts, I entered it in an exhibition called Expressions in Quilting – from which it sold. This spurred me to explore more on this theme, some of which you can see here in low resolution www.alisonschwabe.com/gallery.php?cat=1. On the basis of project size however, my largest undertaking was 2.5m x 2.75m (96” x 108”), a contemporary scrap quilt really, in colours chosen by my son and daughterin-law as their wedding quilt (1999). Strips were inserted edge to edge across a cut of fabric, from which 7 x 6 ½ inch blocks resulted each time, they were sewn into rows and then the rows joined to make the top. The back was pieced including leftover blocks and toning fabrics. The quilt was machine quilted in the ditch then all the coloured strips were individually hand quilted. What is your current focus or project? I was recently in Chile and in the fabric markets there could not resist buying a silver mylar backed onto black ripstop nylon. It spoke to me – I bought all 8m left on the roll, as I’d not be passing that way again. After playing with some samples to see how it performed, I have begun a wall hanging using fusing techniques, silver free machine embroidery and then machine quilting with silver thread. Perhaps the bonded mylar called to me because it knew I had a large cone of silver sitting mostly unused back in Montevideo! I will also use this material to make some small pieces that will be mounted on canvas stretchers, too, as these are ideal for presenting little textile works. Your work has been exhibited widely, and in many countries. What tips do you have for someone trying to display their work?
Timetracks 7 2008 (detail), 98cm x 74cm. Glued and stitched leather on whole cloth, metallic waxed leather, machine quilting, burning.
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First, avoid copying other successful artists – spend time incorporating techniques you’ve learned into expressions of your own ideas, hopes, dreams, pet peeves, social concerns,
Tidelines 8, 2012, 40cm x 60cm. One of a group of 5 in “Golden Textures”, Maryborough V, 2013, stenciling with gold acrylic paint, free machine embroidery (gold), free machine quilting. pet charity, childhood memories, whatever, to produce original designs around things important to you. Then think carefully about how well your work fits into a particular call for entries or a particular gallery. Finally, along with good work, good photography is essential when you are not there to actually show the work itself – so either become a good photographer of your textile art, or find a good photographer whom you’ll have to pay. Lucky you if you have a family member who can do this for
you. Think of the expense as an investment just as important as the entry fees you’re paying to enter exhibitions. What are your plans for the future? There are certain exhibitions I will always try to submit for both in Australia and the US. As for what else lies ahead in my textile art, I feel the main thing I feel is to be receptive to new influences when they show themselves.
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13
State of the Art Quilt
This year’s State of the Art Quilt exhibition attracted 34 entries, 20 of which were selected by juror Lisa Walton. The exhibition was established in 2010 by Queensland Quilters Inc. as a way of showcasing members’ work. It premiered at Gallery 159 in Brisbane and will travel to various locations around Queensland over the next six months.
Make Coffee Not War Linda Robertus
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Human Marks Margie Creek
Garden Path, Lajla Nystad
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Journey On Felicity Clarke (detail)
Woodland Sorrel Bernardine Hine (detail)
Enjoying the Moment, Julie Sweeney (detail)
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Sunburnt Country Ailsa Koloi
Sunrise Sunset Helen Kidd
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Flood #2 Under Leaden Skies Sue Dennis
Leaf Litter Chris Jones
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Organic Triadic Jane Rundle
Vertical Heights, Mel Forrest
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Brave New Quilts
the library
12 Projects Inspired by 20th-Century Art From Art Nouveau to Punk & Pop Author: Kathreen Ricketson Note: Kathreen was on an around Australia trip with her family when she tragically drowned in May. As the founder of Whipup.net she was well known and loved in the crafting community. She will be much missed. This book contains 12 quilts inspired by art movements from Art Nouveau and Bauhaus to pop and punk. Included is information on colour, fabric selection, inspiration, and mood boards. Each project begins with an overview of its historical period, then you are guided through the process of creating and personalizing your own innovative quilt. published by C&t publishing
Art Quilt Maps Capture a Sense of Place with Fiber Collage — A Visual Guide Author: Valerie S. Goodwin Award-winning artist Valerie Goodwin shows you how to make quilted maps with easy fabric collage techniques and innovative designs based on maps of your favorite places. This fully illustrated guide features a large photo gallery of quilt maps by Valerie and her students. The book will help you find inspiration in real and imaginary sites, in old maps, in poetry, and in memories. You will learn how to transform a place’s essential lines and shapes into quilt designs. Using fabric layering, paints, stamps, stencils, drawing, and appliqué, you will be able to add texture to your work. published by C&t publishing
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You can
win
this book! See page 6 for details.
Fabric Surface Design Author: Cheryl Rezendes Fibre artist Cheryl rezendes shows you how to create an astonishing array of surface designs, simply and safely, using textile paints and printing ink. She covers a wide variety of techniques: stamping, ancient Japanese Shibori, silkscreen, soy wax and flour resist, image transfer, marbling, nature printing, foils and metal leaf, and more. Step-by-step photos illustrate every technique, and rezendes shows you lots of innovative ways to combine and layer techniques for stunning results. published by Storey publishing
Printing on Fabric Author: Jen Swearington From award-winning quilter, garment designer, and teacher Jen Swearington comes an essential and accessible guide to printing by hand on fabric. She starts by explaining how to translate design ideas into prints, from single motifs to repeating patterns. Jen then goes on to cover various methods of transfer: stencils, photo emulsion, dye baths, bleach resists, and more. With plenty of tried-and-true recipes, and a dozen teaching projects that range from garments to home décor, this beautiful book is the perfect resource for sewers, quilters, and other fabric crafters! published by Lark Crafts
Mark Making Fresh Inspiration for quilt and fiber artists Author: Helen Parrott Art quilter Helen Parrott is well known for her strongly graphic and landscape-inspired textile art, and will show you how to use marks to stunning visual effect. You’ll discover how marks can be used in textile work and explore the links between stitching and drawing. Marks or lines that can be made on fabric vary in complexity, arrangement and ‘feel. They can include single, grouped, massed, regular, irregular, calligraphic, permanent, transient, and more! Hand and machine stitching make very different types of marks and between them offer limitless potential for surface effects. The book shows how to translate sketched ideas or found images into stitched lines on fabric. published by interweave
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Blogroll AuStrALiA silksationalblog.wordpress.com This blog documents the work of textile and craft emporium Silksational led by textile artist Sylvia Riley. Sylvia and her team hope to inspire by documenting the work of the amazing artists and designers who buy from Silksational as well as Sylvia’s globe trotting experiences searching for that next textile and craft high. linda-stokes.blogspot.com.au Western Australian Linda is a textile artist whose specialty is surface design (print and dye) on fabric, but she enjoys most forms of textile practice. Her other favourites include free machine embroidery, cloque, and mixed media; anything that involves colour and texture.
uK ruthsinger.com/blog Ruth Singer is a UK based artist who creates detailed textile artworks inspired by historical textiles, museum objects, personal heritage, memory and stories. Recently she has incorporated photography, experimental dyeing and found objects into her work. Her latest book, Fabric Manipulations, is previewed in detail on her blog, and there is plenty of visual inspiration in each post. angiestextilenotes.blogspot.com.au Angie Hughes is a textile artist and tutor interested in textiles and creative embroidery. Her artwork is inspired by poetry or text and the natural world, particularly plant forms. Her blog features a lot of close up visuals of her work, including the process of creating.
JApAn japanesetextileworkshops.blogspot. com.au Bryan is a teacher craftsman. He lives in a small mountain village just outside
of Tokyo where he grows a crop of indigo every year and processes it into a vat of dye using traditional methods. He also breeds silk moths, colours the silk with natural dyes then weaves it on traditional Japanese looms. polkaros.com/blog For a young and fresh perspective, have a look around this blog. Ros Lee is a lifestyle product/zakka designer based in Tokyo, Japan. She loves ceramics, textiles, felt, crafts, photography and traveling.
uSA lukehaynes.com/blog Luke describes himself as a textile architect. He is a full time artist using quilt making techniques and clothing to make modern statements. There is a blend of the traditional and the contemporary his work and he has had a number of museum and gallery shows. andishannon.blogspot.com.au Andi is a fibre artist who makes “textile stuff”. In her own words, she creates “Quilts or quilt like objects, framed, gallery wrapped on artist’s canvas, or finished as traditional quilts… I make altered fabric, with yarns and threads stitched over a background of fabric, for wall pieces, handbags, journal covers, etc”.
annihunt.com/blog Anni’s design sense has been influenced by sleek, elegant Japanese lines and the Art Deco clothing styles Erte. She creates textile pieces as well as clothing.
inDiA ofdaydreamsandmemories.blogspot. com.au Fiona Wright is an Australian living in India. She is an artist who operates a travel company and has turned her love of textiles into a workshop called The Stitching Project which utilizes hand spun, hand woven cottons, recycled silk saris, block print and hand stitched and employs local folk
nEW ZEALAnD marionmanson.wordpress.com If you’re interested in recycling and natural dyeing, then Marion’s blog will be of interest. For the past 10 years she has worked with recycled cloth, and she currently dyes pre loved cream blankets, silks, linens and threads with natural plant material. She also does printing, rusting and compost dyeing. alysnsburntofferings.blogspot.com.au Alysn Midgelow-Marsden looks for new dimensions of textiles in contemporary works and uses unusual materials, including metals, in creating her pieces.
CAnADA morgenbardati.com Morgen lives in a tiny village in Canada. She works with a mixed media of traditional and innovative textile design techniques on natural fibers including cotton, linen, hemp, silk and wool. She uses dye, shibori, screen printing, painting, sewing and piecing to transform cloth into garments, small art pieces, accessories and housewares. She uses as much repurposed fabric as possible.
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What’s on, Where & When WORKSHOPS AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Study Textiles Undergraduate or Graduate Study with flexible learning options Australian National University School of Art http://soa.anu.edu.au/textiles or 02 6125 5833
NEW SOUTH WALES
Walking the Creative Path: Wax and More with Els van Baarle (Netherlands) 7-9 October Newcastle Community Arts Centre, 246 Parry St, Newcastle West www.timelesstextiles.com.au, (02) 4961 6660, anne@timelesstextiles.com.au
QUEENSLAND
Felting - Jorie Johnson (Japan 25, 26 & 27 October details and bookings: wendy@wendybailye.com, www.wendybailye.com
South Australia
Southern Textiles 8-11 October Adelaide Fibre Artist Network presents workshops catering to all abilities, by national renowned textile artists and tutors. Prudence Mapstone (QLd): Fabulous Freeforming – Experimental Crochet and Knitting; Chris Beck (SA): Waistcoats – Nuno Felting; Effie Mitrofanis (NSW): Stitches and Wrapping – Cloth Books, Bags and/or Panels; Carol Wilkes (QLd): Paint, Create and Stitch – Free Machine Embroidery & Mixed Media; Judy Hooworth (NSW): Mixed Media Collage – Fabric, Paper and Stitch; Julie Haddrick (SA): Paint Pizzaz – Surface design suzannegummow@bigpond.com
TASMANIA
Stitching & Beyond Workshops 23-25 November Ken Smith – Aussie Shibor “Westwinds”, Woodbridge Email Helen: stitchingandbeyond@gmail.com Flowers and Foliage – Freehand Machine Embroidery with Alison Holt 7 November Artspace, 3 Emu Bay rd, deloraine
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More about Alison: www.alisonholt.com Bookings and enquiries, Cindy deeppeacestudio@yahoo.com.au
VICTORIA
Craft Victoria - 2013 Public Programs Craft Victoria’s Public Programs offer artists and craft makers professional development across many areas including website design, marketing, sustainable practice, selling work and legal issues. www.craftvic.org.au Boutique Felt 29 September to 5 October Belgrave Heights (a short distance from Melbourne), Vic A new ‘boutique’ event on the Fibre Arts Australia calendar! International tutors will guide you through the world of felting and natural dyeing in a country setting. www.fibrearts.jigsy.com/boutique-felt
EXHIBITIONS AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Annual Exhibition of the Embroiderer’s Guild ACT Inc 27-29 September Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave, Canberra A members’ exhibition. Trade tables. Light lunches, morning and afternoon teas available. Many points of interest including Parliament House and the National Gallery close by. 0419215117
NEW SOUTH WALES
unDisclosed - 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial 3 August to 6 October Western Plains Cultural Centre 76 Wingewarra St, dubbo NSW Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, mixed media and fibre basketry are featured.
Timeless Textiles Exhibitions – Lois Paris Evans: coastal colours 19 September to 30 October Sylvia Watt: the ties that bind 17 october to 10 November Judi Nikoleski: connections to country 14 November to 1 december 7 Beaumont Street, Islington, NSW www.timelesstextiles.com.au, (02) 4961 6660, anne@timelesstextiles.com.au
What’s on, Where & When Wrapped in Shibori 2-20 October Gallery Barometer, 13 Gurner St, Paddington NSW World Shibori Network – Australia and New Zealand group scarf exhibition. Crafting Design/Designing Craft – 40 years of JamFactory 19 october to 17 November Western Plains Cultural Centre, 76 Wingewarra St, dubbo NSW New work by 40 selected artists, craftspeople and designers who have had significant involvement with the JamFactory during its 40-year history and who continue to produce work of outstanding quality. www.wpccdubbo.org.au Hill End Work – pots and textiles, works by Kate Ward 28 October to 10 November Gallery Barometer, 13 Gurner St, Paddington NSW
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Togart Contemporary Art Award 2013 17 September – 18 October Chan Contemporary Art Space, State Square, darwin, NT The annual Togart Contemporary Art Award is one of Australia’s richest and most prestigious contemporary art awards. Exhibition works by NT artists, expat NT artists and those whose work demonstrates a strong connection with the NT or surrounding region. www.togartaward.com.au Territory Quilts 2013 1-9 November Performing Arts Centre, Mitchell St, darwin
QUEENSLAND
Gapuwiyak Miyalkurruwurr Gong Djambatjmala, Women with Clever Hands 23 August – 2 February 2014 The Anthropology Museum, University of Queensland Traveling exhibition of fibre works by indigenous artists. Teasing the Domestic 23 September to 21 October Kingaroy Public Library, 41 Glendon St, Kingaroy This gala display celebrates the continuing transmission of heritage textile skills across generations of women as well as tea and chat and lots of other things. www.artslinkqld.com.au
Wild Things Exhibition and Sale 27 November to 1 December richard randall Art Studio, Brisbane Botanical Gardens, Mt Coot-tha An exhibition and sale of Affordable Contemporary Textiles by Sharyn Hall (mixed media & textile artist) and Wendy Bailye (felt & textile artisan) www.sharynhalldesigns.com, www.wendybailye.com
TASMANIA
Out of Hand 26 September to 30 September 10am – 4pm Salamanca Arts Centre Level 1/77 Salamanca Place, Hobart http://www.salarts.org.au/events/out-of-hand-2/ A Creative Century Until 12 November 2013 Gallery 7, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, royal Park, Park St, Launceston Textiles, particularly embroideries, are one of the strengths of 19th century Tasmanian decorative arts. The influence of natural forms, particularly plants, on the design of textiles and decorated furniture, continued from the 1850s. The establishment of the Arts and Crafts Society of Tasmania in 1903, the first in Australia, encouraged the development of a distinctive regional style in decorative arts and design in Tasmania.
VICTORIA
Monkey Baskets Ongoing This project involves creating baskets for the monkeys at the Melbourne Zoo. Fifty baskets have now been completed and installed. Visit the zoo to check out the latest ones. www.basketmakersofvictoria.com.au Kate Derum Award for Small Tapestries (Biennial) 29 August to 27 September Australian Tapestry Workshop, 262-266 Park St, South Melbourne, Vic The competition is open to Australian and international artists at any stage in their career Contact Sara Lindsay slindsay@austapestry.com.au; www.austapestry.com.au AQUIPP 2013 Australian Quilts in Public Places (Biennial) 14 November to 21 December Whitehorse Art Space, Box Hill Town Hall, 1022 Whitehorse rd, Box Hill.
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Theme: Water Warp & Weft An exhibition of entries from around Australia interpreting the theme with originality and flair in textile art. www.australianquiltersassociation.com One Step Further Exhibition; Contemporary Art Quilts 1-24 December oak Hill Gallery, oak Hill Community Arts Co-operative 100 Mornington Tyabb rd, Mornington www.victorianquilters.org; fmb@clearmail.com.au, 03 8467 0321
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Frock Stars 19 October 2013 – 26 January Western Australian Museum, Perth, WA Experience what it’s like to be in the front row, see a catwalk display of top Australian designers, enjoy the buzz of backstage and explore the creative process of putting together a collection. A travelling Powerhouse Museum collection. Contact Julia Carroll 02 9217 0298, juliac@phm.gov.au or www.powerhousemuseum.com
NEW SOUTH WALES
Eurobodalla Fibre and Textile Artists group EFTAG meet on the first Tuesday of each month. Phone Mischi for details, 02 4471 3502. The group holds workshops and exhibitions throughout the year. Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists Meets in Adamstown, Newcastle the third Saturday and the third Monday of each month. Visit their website for more information www.nceata.org Common Threads A group in the Blue Mountains of NSW welcomes participants, members and the generally interested. Find out more visit www.commonthreadbluemountains.org
QUEENSLAND
2QAQ – Queensland Quilters Queensland Quilters offers a series of textile art afternoons at Wellers Hill Bowls Club, Brisbane. For more details visit www.queenslandquiltersartquilters.blogspot.com
Mysterium 25 October to 15 November Central TAFE Gallery, Aberdeen St, Perth Works by Western Australian Fibre & Textile Association (WAFTA) members. High quality textile art exhibited in a great gallery space with a good quality catalogue, curation, meaningful work www.wafta.com.au
Fibres and Fabrics Assoc Inc For enquiries contact Barbara 07 4725 6836 or Suzanne at wilfred.suzanne@bigpond.com.au
Join a Group
T’Arts Textile and Art Collective For information about joining the collective, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary, email Jenny Knight jennywren@adam.com.au or visit the website www.tartscollective.com.au
NATIONAL
ATASDA Australian Textile Artists and Surface designers has active branches in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. Visit www.atasda.org.au for more information. Ozquilt Network For information about events and exhibitions, visit http://www.ozquiltnetwork.org.au.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
FAN (Fibre Artist Network) Contact the convenor, Suzanne Gummow, on 08 8268 7005 or suzannegummow@bigpond.com
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Western Australian Fibre and Textile Association To keep current with news and information about upcoming events from Western Australia, visit the WAFTA website www.wafta.com.au
SAQA See the blog at saqa-oceania.blogspot.com.au for up to date news about the oceania region.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
ACT Textiles group To find out more about the activities of this Group,which meets the second Wednesday of every month, visit the website and click on a recent newsletter, www.acttextiles.org.au
Do you have information about an exhibition, workshop or textile art group that you would like us to add to these pages? Please send it to mail@practicalpublishing.com.au and we’ll include it in the next issue.
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Next Issue
Karen’s April postcard – Postcard exchange
Unpacking the Baltic miniature
Tips for taking better photographs of your creations
In Down Under Textiles 13 two sisters share the artistic results of their snail mail postcard exchange over several months. Neroli Henderson explores the world of foiling and has a small project for you to try. Diane Groenewegen provides lots of advice for taking better photographs of your artwork. We showcase pieces from the International Baltic Mini Textiles exhibition that has been touring Australia. Suzanne Gummow continues her journeys into the world of textile art with some thoughts on entering competitions. And as usual we will bring you the latest news about textile art events, books and blogs. Down Under Textiles 13 will be on sale in December 2013.
Available from your local textile shop and now on sale in newsagents!
Digital Subscriptions are now available! Visit our website to order a print subscription or turn to page 23 for a subscription form for the print version. 82 | www.downundertextiles.com