Recycling

Recycling is so very 'now'.  But recycling has been going on for ever.  Then again, recycling can mean something quite different depending on the era.

This book was published in 1915. 

WW1 was raging and recycling was a necessity for most people, so, it was often a topic of interest, especially for women trying to make ends meet.  I find the difference in how we 'express' ourselves in different eras interesting.  Back in 1915 we 'explained' what we meant with a lot more words.

A good example was the 'Preface'.

War is a hard, stern teacher, and its lessons are bitter in the learning; yet some of its teaching we badly needed - and not the least important of its main lessons is the one it inculcated on the criminality of waste.

To so many of us "waste" was a word with a comparative meaning. What was waste in one woman was not necessarily waste in another, we argued.  It was wrong for the factory girl to let her skirts drop off her for lack of mending: but not wrong for the better-off women to discard their clothes directly they showed the least sign of wear, because they could afford to buy more, we said; and besides, it made it good for trade - that was a favourite argument used by the extravagent to excuse their wanton waste.

Harsh words indeed.

On reading this book I had no idea that you could use old crockery for beads.  It seems like a lot of work.  We can purchase beads at a very cheap price today, maybe this is something that will change over the next 100 years?

What I was looking for was drawings, rather like those of Margaret Clarke, to use in my 1920's quilt.  The only thing I found was these illustrations in advertisements.

I might use the faces of the girls looking over the wall and the flowers on the cover could translate into an applique.  Or maybe these?

 

What I can't see myself doing is turning the collars of my husbands shirts.  If he wants that he can do it himself!

A friend of a friend

Stitchers around the world make up quite a community and a friend in my patchwork group has a friend in Denmark who is also a stitcher.  We were all nomads in the mining camps back in the 70's, wives of engineers and chemists who worked on these developments.  I lent my friend some of my candelwicking design books and these were sent to Denmark for her friend to stitch.

Her take on candlewicking was different.  She did the traditional stitch around the design but added a filling stitch in coloured thread,  much like the stitching of traditional pieces from the 1800's Scandinavian folk tradition.  The finished piece was stunning.  Now this same friend has adopted this approach to a Sashiko panel.  This blending of stitching traditions comes up with something quite different.

Like fusion foods this is fusion stitching.

Some other ideas for 'Emotional Support Stitching'

Natalie Bird, who is the designer behind Birdhouse Designs and is also a member of my local patchwork group, Star Sea Quilters,  has some really easy, non thinking type stitching in her range.  (These are available in her shop.)

What is good about them is that they come pre-printed onto cotton and there are a number of different designs.  I bought the "letters to my daughter panel".

I cut it into strips and put a cotton voile fabric as a backing and take it with me to the Guild or other meetings just to stitch. I used these little embroideries in cards, pin cushions, needlebooks etc.

I think I need another panel to add to my emotional support stitching but was unable to find any in my local patchwork shop.  (I will have to order them on line.). But, that got me thinking about small embroideries and how they have been around, in one form or another, since forever.  The ones that spring to mind are those of the Elizabethan era that you can find on Pinterest.

Or what about the Folk Designs from just about every culture?

I think I might use some of these sources to come up with my own small stitcheries.

The list is getting longer!

Textile Artist.org has a free set of workshops on-line with Sue Vikery.  This one is stitching portraits and goes for 5 days.  And of course, I have signed up for the course.

Five days of indulgence!

WIPW - January Sonnets

While the hearts will be on going I needed a special focus for my second piece.  I saw reflections of my second son, Guy, in the first 4 sonnets.  All my children are special to me but Guy is a special gift.

As a baby, only 4 weeks old, he contracted a virus.  He was one of the first to contract it in our city of Cairns, which is in north Queensland.  It didn't present as a virus, rather  in babies and children it looked like Pneumonia.  He was given a half penicillin injection and almost immediately suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest, he had inherited the autoimmune gene that I have, which we didn't know then.  He was clinically dead for 50 minutes, although was having resuscitation in only seconds, which continued  till they got him on a ventilator.  (This had arrived at the hospital that day and it had to be assembled to hook him up.)   The next 3 weeks, until he regained consciousness, were the worst of my whole life.  But, he lived. 

They told me he would be a brain damaged.  I spent the next years looking for this.  Yes, he had trouble with co-ordination but grew up to be a normal child, if a bit withdrawn.   It did not effect his intellect.  He now works as a Analyst Programmer and has done so since he graduated from University.

I look at that photograph of us when he was given back to me and sonnet No 4 "Thou art thy mother's glass " rings so true.  The section that I have selected reads:

"Thou art thy mother's glass,  And she in thee calls back the lovely April of her prime."

I have an old piece of cross stitch that I picked up on a sale table.  It was partly stitched and my thought was to unpick some of the stitching and use it in a sampler.

I immediately ran into problems.  The original stitcher had not been consistent with her direction of stitch, they went in all directions, were over sewn, pulled tight and just couldn't be unpicked.  The fabric was old and ended up with pulls and lumps.  But I have kept at it and am finishing the leaves.  For the verse I have had to replace the thread with a thinner version than in the image above but kept the same colour.  I intend to make the leaves into a wreath to frame the text.

These first set of sonnets are addressed to a young man and the sentiments and context do not ring true in our modern world.  But, there are sections in every one that are timeless.  I'm sure every mother can resonate with these lines.  As yet I haven't been able to find any embroidery or textile item inspired by this sonnet.

This took sooo long to stitch

I bought this little cross stitch in a Op Shop for $1months ago and have been stitching it ever since.  Only a few more stitches and it will be finished, finally.

Things I have learnt about buying kits from Op shops.

1. The threads are usually not too good.  I should have just found new cottons and not tried to use the original.
2. They look as though they will be easy to stitch, they are not.                                                            .
3. You really should have a plan on how you are going to use them in advance.                                  
4. Think very carefully before you buy one, even it it is cheap.                                                            
                                                                 

 

 

January's Sonnets - 1

Happy New Year!

I didn't think that I would find a lot of inspiration in these pieces on first reading but I was wrong.  I have to admit there are one or two of the sonnets I have selected for this month that I just can't think of any type of anything, but there was lots of inspiration in most of the first 12 sonnets.

Some brought up very personal ideas inspired by family and friends, some a bit too personal to share here.  But I don't think that I will restrict myself to just one piece for the month.  What a surprise?

So the first design for January is the Lavender Heart.  I have included a pattern. Download Heart Pattern

Not very original but many of the pieces are written from the heart or about the heart.  These hearts are also my "Emotional Support" project for 2025.  What is "Emotional Support"?  Well I read about this concept on White Arbor Quilting where Bethanne uses the concept for quilting.  I have now decided to use it for my sewing this year, so look forward to lots of hearts.  I will add them to coat hangers and donate them to charity.

Review of 2024 and Plans for 2025

I didn't really set myself any goals for this year other than to recover from the cancer, and, I seem to have done that.  My last review said I was all clear.  But, I have decided, after reflecting on this year, that I will refuse all treatment in the future.  I intend to just live for each day.

I also thought that I had retired from involvement in social issue but somehow or other ended up on a committee to celebrate the 50th anniversary of International Women's Day.  I stepped back into my old shoes, dealing with government bodies etc, and found that is no longer me.  I will complete this assignment but will then permanently step away from involvement in this kind of thing again.

Added to that, I had retired from all kinds of teaching but was persuaded to take on a couple of classes.  Maybe I will teach a few classes next year but if I am not asked I will not mind turning my back on that also.

I belong to three fabric related groups.

The Embroiderers' Guild of Queensland.  - I will try to attend a meeting every second week.  It is a long journey to and from the city but I have a great group of friends.

Star Seas Quilters -  This is only for a few hours on a Monday and close to home.  Here I am involved in charity work, which I love, and I am the librarian for the group.  This one stays.

Mayberly Quilters Cottage Group -  This may be my last year.  They meet twice a month, which is do-able, but it is a long way to travel and the traffic on the highway is very heavy.  I will take this year to consider this one.

So, to projects for 2025

1.  Continue with the charity quilts I am making and designing.
   
2.  Continue designing and making toys for charity.
3.  Complete the gift for friend Marion.
4.  Complete the booklet on the Pagoda Project
5.  Commence the Shakespeare Sonnet project.*
6.  Commence King Sized quilt for my Daughter.
7.  Commence memory books for my Grand daughters.

(* More on this one in a future post.)

I thought I was winding back, but I'm not, am I?

(Those hearts should be on the list for next Xmas.)

 

Changing threads

How cool is this?

You just load up the machine and it is already to stitch.  No need to change threads!

Here is a link to see it in action.

I am so unhappy with my Bernina that I have started to look elsewhere.

A new book

Well it will be new when it arrives.  (One is never sure they will turn up.  Aust Post keeps loosing my address.)

I do like the designs of Yumiko Higuch and I think that this one should be mine.

 

This will be My Xmas present to me!!

A morning at the gallery

I am now well enough to resume the monthly Member's Lectures at the Art Gallery.  It has been a year since I have been able to attend one of these and they are a great source of information and inspiration.  One of my favourite places to just sit is under the Bodhi Tree outside the gallery.

This is a descendant of the ancient Bodhi Tree at the site which gave birth to Buddhism and every year the Buddha's Birthday Festival starts here and then continues at the main temple in Underwood.

As I continue to write about the Tibetan Temple is the Southbank Parklands, which is only a block away from this tree, I think that one of my projects for 2025 will be based on the leaves from this tree.  Once a month I will collect one leaf and design an embroidery or some other textile item inspired by it.