TreeTop Colours

I have added another link to my favorites list. I was searching for silk paper instructions. After all variety is the spice of life. Tree Tops Colour Had lots to look at you'll find it in my links list as I still can't get hyperlinks too work on my pages. I am off too work in a little while and I am trying to prepare some stuff for my No Limits group at the Embroiders Guild on Thursday. It is the highlight of my month and my turn to demonstrate.

Cloth Dolls for Textile Artists

I Just received Ray Slater's book. Cloth dolls for Textile Artists. What a lovely book. It has lots of good ideas for doll makers and textile artists. I have been struggling with how to dress my newest doll and I am inspired by this book. Ray also gives very good instructions for making a wired doll and I'm going to have a go at that as well. I had hit a bit of a dry spell and I am inspired again. Just have to find sometime to do it.the other books I mentioned in my last entry where just what I wanted too. I feel a productivity spurt coming on. About time too.

Books, Books and more books

I love books, they are my passion and my addiction. I am an unashamed book addict. I blame my parents and grandparents. They all were/are readers. My kids and grandkids are readers. I have addicted my husband to reading too. It should spread all over the world.
In todays mail I received the catalogue from Can Do Books.
www.candobooks.com.au
They have a great range of craft books in addition to lots of other stuff including a huge range of patterns.
I bought
Cloth Dolls for Textile Artists
Handmade Silk Paper
Sashiko Style
Ertes Fashion Designs
Making Kimono & Japanese Clothes
Japanese Kimono Designs
I should have the books next week and I am beside myself looking forward to that.
I have done some workshops since my last blog. One on gold work and using tyvek, angelina fibre and stuff. Photos soon too follow. Also did one with Ruth Black from Scotland on felting and ancient textiles. Very interesting. Both great fun. I have finished the four sample pieces I started with Alison. Part of the class was too design an embroidery and I have the design. I want to finish my doll before I start that. I have made her wig and put her hair into curlers. Her eyelashes keep coming off so have to fix that. And I have to make her dress. I am on a dead line here and I want to get her done and start the embroidery. I also have to put about 20 more beads onto the gold work I did with Mary Black a few weeks ago. Then that can go into the finished nearly box. I am not sure what too do with them yet they are supposed to be brooches but I am not going to make them into that. I also have to put the handles on a bag for Friday nights door prize at the Folk Art group. Must get cracking. I hope those books don't turn up before then.

Fibre Forum - Ballarat

Today started out blah and thankfully has improved. I got up late as I worked til midnight. My back is still giving me grief and that is what drove me out of bed. A hot pack, large amounts of coffee and crumpets helped that. the sun is shining here today and I sat in my family room in the sun for a while. Neighbor across the road came knocking at the horrendous hour of 9.30 and caught me still in my P.J's and dressing gown. He came to tell me that the house next to him is being torn down and there are 3 smaller houses being built there. He wanted to assure me that they would be good houses like his. which is a lovely new brick house. As ours is an older fibro one I wonder if he thinks ours is not so good. Too bad we like it. Anyway so now we will have 8 houses where there where a few years ago 3.
Oh well. I have washed some calico and hung it on the line to dry. I have a gold work class on Friday with Alison Cole which will be wonderful. I have to get the frames ready for the work. She suggested using a 10" hoop so we could chop and change without too much effort but I have 4 square frames so I will just use them. I prefer the square frames any way. I then decided to console myself in regards to the influx of neighbors and made my favourite dessert. Creamed rice and thickened up some of the plums and berries I bottles last summer to go with it. Comfort food indeed.
But the best part of the day was finding an email from Glenys Mann regarding Fibre Forum. I got my first choice workshop at Fibre Forum next year. I don't know if I was just lucky or if the note on the Catherine O'Leary workshop about making prefelts put people off. I know that my friend who goes too was put off by the prefelt thing. However in the notes regarding what to take there is no mention of prefelting. I am really looking forward to this. If you want too take a look here is the link
http://www.mannmaid.com.au/ballarat.html

Felting and Frames

Another day of sewing machine frustration so I went for another walk. The wetlands is just down the road. I had hoped to go to my embroidery group in Adelaide but as my hip is still sore I decided against it. I have to go to work tonight and driving 100 km's round trip today and then another 90 tonight round trip to go to work would have stretched the friendship too much.
I decided to ignore my lack of enthusiasm and found a piece of needlefelting that I had started. I bought some hat forms a few months ago and DH made me a thingy to hold multiple felting needles. This has never really worked properly so today I got it out and pondered it. I think the holes are too big so that when I am using it the needles move off being straight and then the whole thing doesn't work properly. I shall ask him to do another with smaller holes. He has also finished some square frames for me. The type you lace the work onto so it is drum tight. We are investigating starting a business selling them as I couldn't find any one is Australia selling them. More work to do on that next week.
The needlefelting is going well but slowly with one needle. It is going to be a bag. Photos to come.

Sewing machine nightmares

Here it is another day of sewing machine frustration. I had my machine serviced not long ago and then DH decided to recover a chair for some one and thought that teddy bear jointing thread would be just the thing to sew the heavy fabric. I think he has done something horrible to my tension. so if I can't get it right today it is going back to the shop for another service.
I have hit a quiet time. I have lots of half finished things and not a shred of enthusiasm for any of them. I am still having trouble with my hip. Been to the chiropractor 5 times in 2 weeks and it is not getting any better. I was resting it but this has not helped so I am going to do what I usually do and ignore it. Today I went to the gym and then did the 2 Kilometer walk at the local wetlands. It is a lovely sunny day here and the wind is like ice. Still there where lots of birds on or around the wet lands. No 1 granddaughter tells me that if it is in the water it is a duck and if it in the sky it is a bird.
Work is busy and leaves me little time for my art work. I am still going for my art classes which are great fun.