Some Progress

Most of my time seems to be taken up with my computer course lately.  I swing between elation and utter frustration.  I have to work really hard as I just don’t have my brain set at the same responsive rate as the kids.  They just dive in and it seems to work.  I tried this.  I dove in and everything just siezed up!  Still I have made some progress.

I have worked out how to trace around a photo using my Apple Pencil and then,

removed the photo layer.

I had to try 3 different drawing programs because I kept getting nowhere.  I ended up on Adobe Sketch, which I signed up for when it was free.  My copy is still free but I don’t know for how long so I had better learn how to use Sketches quickly!

I then played around in Airograph to make the image more geometric,

then onto Moku Hanga for another effect.

I decided to stay with the same image to make a repeat pattern in mega photo.

Next I am moving onto printing these designs onto fabric.  That has meant a trip to the shops for freezer paper.  I have also gone on line to buy some ‘wonder under’, who knows when this will arrive?

This is all very basic stuff, but one has to start somewhere.

The wish list

I have thought all January about my new year resolutions and decided that I will have a wish list.  I never know from one day to the next just how I am going to feel and if I will need to take to my bed.  I would feel a lot more comfortable knowing that these were wishes and I could just let them go if I have to.

No 1 on the list is to go to India with Pammie at the end of the year.  I will not commit till a lot closer to the date.

The trip is mainly to textile centres that I missed on my trips to India.  She has a great article on her blog about quilting in India and Africa and the links between the two countries.

No 2 is to make 50 place-mats for charity,  so far I have finished four.

No 3 it to complete the remainder of the children's classes for the year.

No 4 A couple of bunnies for my grand daughters for Easter.

This is a very short list.  I may have to add more to it later.

 

Snakes

I am really scared of snakes.  They give me the creeps.  I keep my eyes peeled all the time for them as we have some big pythons that live on the island.

But it Myanmar (Burma) they see snakes differently.  Here there are legends of kind, magical snake-like beings known a nagas.  They are said to live in the rivers, lakes oceans and at the bottom of wells.

This sculpture depicts the goddess  who rules over these spirits and her name is Naga Mae Daw. People pray to her for good luck and protection.  (Didn't know that!)

Still looks like a snake to me even though it is a ceramic.

And it still gives me the creeps.

Jakkai Siributr - 2

These tapestries are very interesting.  The use of running stitching, in much the same style can be seen in Kantha work from India and Boro from Japan.  This is very much the same style of stitching and Thai people say it is there traditional form of stitching.  As yet I can't find the name they use.

In the craft markets I visited on my recent trip to Thailand the use of the stitch was prominent.

Along with some western influence as well.

 

Jakkai Siributr - 1

I am going to have to go back to this exhibition.  My legs gave out after about 45 mins and I didn't see half the things I wanted to.  By the time I got home I was a wreck and my aching legs kept me awake all night.

But to continue:

JallaiSiributr

The embroidery appears to have been done separately, the shapes then cut out and appliqued to the dress.

A very interesting way to portray family life.

A trip to the gallery (QAGOMA)

It is time for the Asia Pacific Triennial Exhibition again.  I have been attending these since 1993 and they have grown in size and importance since then.  We get to see lots of works from Asian countries and the Pacific Islands that are not usually on the radar.

The most emotionally moving piece for me was an aboriginal piece from Australia.  Not only beautiful to look at but it was accompanied by wonderful sounds and the smell of eucaliptus.  It was a collection of tools arranged in a mobius shape and included tools used by males and females..

When you looked into this work each sculpture was perfect and on studying the shadows they reflected one could see different birds and fish.

I want to go back and just sit with this one after all the crowds have gone.  It is a meditation as well as a work of art.

A gift from Pam

I am really going to have to find something out of the box for my friend Pam for Xmas 21019.  I just receive the most beautiful collection of gifts.

These dolls from Pakistan are now hanging on the wall with some of my other textiles on display.  I love the handbag the women is holding.

And this pencil case from Nepal  will hold some of my special pencils.

And this holder is going to the next patchwork meeting as something we all might make.

These mirrors are had to find here in Australia.  I never thought to buy a supply when we were in India.  They were all over the place there.

Don't you just love this Elephant.  He was on the card and is from the Jim Thompson Museum in Bangkok.  I saw him there and didn't buy him but now he is mine.

So I am going to have to search really hard this year to come up with the right things.  Good thing it is only January, I still have 12 months to look.

Thank you my friend.

Christmas Eve

I always catches me unaware and this year and having been overseas so close to Xmas I find here it is, ready or not!

Yesterday was 'Gingerbread House' day.  Not terribly successful I have to say.  Firstly Monique dropper her ginger bread lady and knocked her head off, disaster. 

Then Oma dropped part of the roof which Monique thought very funny.  So this year the house only has half of the roof that we will fill with biscuits. The chimney also had to be eaten straight away as it couldn't be put on the roof.

Getting ready to go out I dropped one ear ring.  I heard it fall but do you think I can find it?  it has to be there somewhere.   I had to find another pair of ear rings.  They are all in the box but trying to find a pair or the ones I would like was driving me mad.  I made a quick decision to make an ear ring holder for the hook type ones.  (The others can stay in the box.)

I used a cheap photo frame, removing the glass, covering the cardboard backing with gold paper and inserting a piece of hook rug mesh.  (The type you latchet the wool onto, a sort of large mesh.

Then I dug out all those ear rings, put them into pairs and hung them on the mesh.

Heavens, I had no idea I had so many odd ear rings!

The fifth floor

On the 5th floor of Iconsiam was a section set aside for local crafts people.  They have a series of videos on facebook, with subtitles, that are great for explaining some of the work and the artisan involved.  The one I have linked to here looks at embroidery which to me is very much influenced by Boro stitching from Japan.  Variations on this kind of work was to be seen in other craft markets as well and was not cheap.  I looked at buying a dress that was $260 but I didn't have enough cash with me and they didn't have a credit card machine. 

These are some of the stitched bags I saw.  I am looking at this is as a future class, maybe.

What I did buy from this floor were two small weaving frames for my grand-daughters.

The instructions are all in Thai, which isn't helpfull, but as they are simple looms I bought them anyway.  I had seen lots of children working at looms when we visited the hill tribes, so I thought they would make a good craft activity for our Monday afternoons.

I thought I had better give it a try first and quickly came to the conclusion that I had better put this away until they are a little older. I had forgotten how you have to watch the edges, beat down the thread continually and lots of other little tricks.

(This is a mat for the dolls house.)

This little frame is only about 5cm x 4cm and I used almost 2 reels of old tapestry wool to do this much.  I hate to think how much yarn I would need for the bigger frame.  The bigger frame would be easier to use but would take a lot longer to finish.  So I will pack them away for another day.

 

 

 

 

 

A bit naughty

They discharged me from hospital and I went straight to the Stitches and Craft Show down the road.  I'm not sure it was the soundest decision I have ever made but I got there when it opened and only spent a couple of hours doing some shopping.  By this time I was ready to get home to bed.

I now have a raft of medical appointments I have to attend but hopefully this will get me back on my feet again.

I spent a whole heap of money on very little.  Things were very expensive but as I only shop here once a year, and I really wanted and can use the things I bought I think the expense was justified.

A couple of metres of Japanese fabric,cord, a mould for a broach and webbing plus some extra threads.  That little lot was over $180.00!  I can't buy these machine threads anywhere in Australia and I do love wonderfil threads, those two boxes were $100.00.

And then I got to meet Cecile Franconie.  (http://www.facilececile.com)  Her English is a bit better than my French but we managed to chat for over 30 mins.  Luckily for me she didn't have any kits with her or I would have broken the bank.

I would have loved to attended her workshop but knew I wasn't well enough so I just bought her book.  I took a flyer for the Quilt Show in Nantes next year.  I think that would be a good trip, then, as I would be in Europe I could include Sweden and some other places?