WA Craft Fair 2017 - TAAMMI Challenge and Display

One of the highlights of my year is going to a craft show, and the August one is quite special because I participate on the TAAMMI display stall.

Dorothy and I manned the stall on Saturday morning and had a great time meeting so many lovely people who came over to chat and have a look at our display and competition pieces.  We were blown away with the response this year which is rewarding after the amount of work that goes into it.

Each year we have a Challenge and a Display for our members to enter - this year the Challenge was to create something relating to music and what music means to you, and the display theme was "Doors".

We had two generous sponsors this year who donated prizes for the Music challenge - Halcyon Steppe and The Teddy Tree, with the winners being Wendy Burgess and Trudy Boyce.

We also had a people's choice award for all pieces created over both displays, and I offered, as Thimble Fingers, to donate the prize this year.  The public are encouraged to vote on their favourite piece and write the number on a slip of paper placed in a box over the course of the weekend.

Of course, the craft fair is much more than just our display, there are many fabulous stalls and artisans demonstrating their talents, along with quilt displays, demonstrations, and a fantastic wood work show at the other end of the hall to keep the husbands amused.
Not to forget Dale Rollerson's The Thread Studio stall which is always a big draw card for me to buy up lots of lovely textile supplies.  It's so easy to get carried away and want one of everything!
Caroline Sharkey was a guest artist and her work is simply amazing, really capturing the colours of Australia.  Attending one of her workshops is definitely on my bucket list.  Another lovely lady was Elizabeth Dubbelde from Berry Quilting Retreat NSW showcasing 6 different textile art exhibitions.  I was especially taken with her One Red Thread theme.
I digress ... back to TAAMMI.  So, the following weekend at TAAMMI we had our open day welcoming all the new visitors from the craft fair, and scored 4 new members.  Welcome ladies! We love to see our group growing each year.
Before the open day exhibition and Wendy's texture on textiles demonstration the winner of the People's Choice award was announced.  There was I with gift in hand ready to present it to the winner and whose name was called out  .... yes, mine!  Oops, awkward. Note the look on my face.

I was totally thrilled that my Door piece won, as its my first win, but I could hardly keep my own prize, so it was presented to Wendy who was the 2nd and 3rd place winner for her entries in both categories, and deservedly so.  Well done Wendy.

Next week we decide on the theme for next years challenge, giving us plenty of time to plan, prepare and create but of course we always leave it to the last minute don't we - it's the pressure that really gets the creative juices flowing.  I left my music challenge piece until the day before entry, I found it quite a hard theme to work with.  Hopefully the next theme will be easier.

Now my door piece has been revealed I'll be busy this week putting together the instructions on how to create it.  My minds already running away with lots of ideas for the next design - yes, my mojo's back.  Yayyy!!!

Michelle Mischkulnig workshop

As a member of TAAMMI (Textile Art & Mixed Media Inc) we're always looking for new tutors to inspire and guide us in our creative journey, and recently our workshop co-ordinator Penni introduced us to the vibrant textile art of Michelle Mischkulnig.

Luckily for us, Michelle was happy to come over from Victoria and conduct two weekend workshops for our group, and for non members from other textile and embroidery groups.

What a brilliant weekend we had.  Michelle is very open to sharing her vast knowledge and techniques with us all, and is an extremely friendly and warm person.

Michelle showed us how to create a colourful garden theme, using machine embroidery on printed fabric of Michelle's design and layers of fabric and thread to give dimension and depth to the piece, adding 3D pieces to develop texture and volume.

The two days flew by and we all had a ball.  Unfortunately no-one finished their work in the time frame, but they were all about 80% complete by the end of the workshop.

Mine is still sitting in my workroom waiting for more attention - and after a weeks holiday next week I'll be getting down to some serious stitching.  Watch this space .....

Art A'peel Exhibition

I had one of the most enjoyable mornings in a long time on Saturday when I attended the textile group "Art A'peel's" Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition at Madora Bay.

I've only just found out about this group and added to the joy is that they're right on my doorstep - now how much better can it get? 

Well, it can get better, because I felt so at home from the moment I walked into the hall and met Jill at the front desk, then met many of the other ladies in the group and found them to be a wonderful bunch of friendly and fun women. 

Many times I've gone to exhibitions, walked around, had a look, then out the door and home again, but not this time.  I chatted, laughed, learnt things and even had a delicious mug of home made soup. I could've stayed all day.

The work on display was so inspiring, and along with the display of their individual works was a lovely focus on Bastille Day and all things French. 

There was such an huge variety of work from framed textile pieces, to scarves, to bags, to felted vases ...

 ... clothes made from a multitude of different textiles, all vibrant and tactile ....

 ... and demonstrations to whet your appetite and get those creative juices flowing ....

 .... not forgetting the "art to wear" display.  This one is Dixie's floating cloud piece - mind boggling when you look close at all the tiny beads that join each twist in the fabric.

I was so taken with the ladies and the standard of work, that on my way home I grabbed an application form to join them.  Keeping my fingers crossed they will have me!

Chinese Textiles

A few months ago I had an unexpected phone call, inviting me to be the guest speaker at the Mandurah Antiques and Collectables Club.

I've been collecting Chinese textiles since living in Singapore in 2000.

In the past I've approached the WA Embroiderer's Guild  numerous times, to display them, but no-one has ever taken me up on the offer, which has been disappointing.

One of the highlights of collecting, is to be able to show them to other people and share the joy of them, and also to educate, so it was a wonderful surprise when the invitation from the A&C Club arrived.

Yesterday was the big day, and what a lovely group of people they were.  I was bowled over by the enthusiasm and appreciation of these people, they made me so welcome and showed such a lot of interest, that I went home on a high.

I've included photos of a few of my textiles for you to see.  From top to bottom, they include a baby carrier, a cloud collar, another baby carrier, two childrens hats ...

Above are a pair of childrens embroidered boots, which have to be one of my favourite items - they are so small, and the couched metal strips shine beautifully.
Below ia a close up of some of the amazing embroidery on another child's hat.  Although this piece has faded over the years since it was originally made, you can still see glimpses of the intense green silk lining and imagine how vibrant it would have been.

Below are a pair of lotus shoes ... not quite the tiny 3" golden lillies, but still small, none-the-less.  I also have two pairs of lotus slippers, all exquisitely hand embroidered with silk.  Yet as beautiful as they are, its bitter-sweet to imagine the painful bound feet that would have worn them.

  Does anyone else collect any textiles?  I'd love to hear about them, if you do.

Out and about in Brisbane

During my weekend break in Brisbane, despite being bogged down with a winter cold, I did manage to get out and about quite a bit and have a good look around at all the things I wanted to see.  One of which was the Ron Mueck exhibition at the Brisbane Modern Art Gallery.
Ron creates amazing life like sculptures from fibreglass and resin, and places each hair into the sculptures one by one ... its hard to believe they're not real.

This man perched on a chair is enormous - you can see the size of the "real" person behind him.  Every wrinkle in his skin is lifelike, every hair looks real ...

if you look at the photo below you will see that Ron has even recreated the goosebumps on his flesh.  It was mind blowing.  If you get the chance to go and see any of his work, I would recommend it to anyone.

Hubby and I spent Sunday morning at the Eagle Street markets in town, and it was great to meet this lovely young man from Panama, selling his wears created from Mola's.  I used the Kunin Indians of Panama as my artists for the module on reverse applique, so it was wonderful to see the real thing and meet this fella.  He made all his goods himself, and was gracious enough to let me take his photo, although hubby declared later that the chap would have been happier if I'd bought something !

At Surfers Paradise was another talented artist, making sand sculptures on the beach.  He'd spent 3 hours getting his elephant to this stage.  Unfortunately we didn't stay around long enough to see the finished piece but I'm sure it would've been awesome.

We also went up the Q1 Tower, the 20th tallest building in the world.  77 floors and it only takes the elevator 43 seconds to get up there ... I think my stomach was still on the ground floor.  Its a brilliant view of Surfers ... this view is south, with Cooloongatta in the far distance on the left hand side and the border of NSW over the ranges in the distance.

Of course my first day in Brisbane was spent at the Textile Fair, getting idea's, buying supplies and just feeling warm and fuzzy amongst all the things that please me.  The dress below is knitted and looked amazing.  Unfortunately I didn't get the names of the artists who created these works, but credit to them all for doing a great job.

This was one of the "Art U Wear" pieces in vivid lime green felt,

and this was created like a blackwork piece.  There are some very talented people out there.

And then there were the funky and quirky tea cosies

 All in all, a good break away, and lots of things to see and do, now my minds whirling with ideas.  Since being home I've not done a great deal, thanks to the cold, but I've been slowly getting into the swing of it and spent Saturday doing another batch of felts.  Now I've cranked the fire up and will spend the rest of the afternoon designing my accessories with the plan of getting Module 9 in the post by next week.