My favourite magazine

My favourite magazine is anything by Stampington. I await each issue from Borders impatiently but I do have a limit as unfortunately here in Australia they are expensive.

I love altered couture and Where women create. The Jewelry specials and many others, blogging, altered art, paper and ephemera, quilting arts, etc etc, it goes on and on.

They are a delight and a wonderful showcase of some of the most divine work and artists in their specific medium. This is a newbie Marie

http://www.stampington.com/html/marie_spring09.html

I love altered couture it is a wonderful magazine, full of wonderful art work to wear. I have always knitted but never liked run of the mill jumpers etc. Well the 80's were my prime years and the knitting was very avante garde so I knitted free form and loved it. Anything was okay and pieces were more art than wearable but no one cared. I would knit a dress in a couple of days and then wear it to a disco that weekend, okay so I was cute and had a great figure so I would have looked good in a rag but I still remember the thrill I got from wearing my own creation. I also made and wore my own bikini's both knitted and sewn. No pattern just creating as I went. I am amazed that they were good enough to wear but they were, so I should give myself credit. On hindsight I would have done things better but I didn't know better then.

This apron in the new issue of Belle Amoire sort of reminds me of what I would do when I was younger and never afraid of the outcome. Just go for it and see what happens. How cute is it??

These days I am far more reserved and over think things a bit much. I blame quilting on that because patchwork is very precise. I have been patchworking for so long that I have to think through my work so much more. I was a free spirit in my teens. I must learn to find that joy of creating again and just relearn to enjoy the process and sweat less about the outcome.

I hope you find joy and inspiration always and love what you do, love yourself and let your spirit soar.

Lots of lovely ephemeria and bits

I just love the French General https://www.frenchgeneral.com/

it has the most lovely bits and pieces for making those super special antique pieces of art.

Such as this divine old crown, how delicate and beautiful is this?

The website is so inspirational and even if I can not always get my hands on the items I am drooling over it is often enough impetus for me to get on with an idea, to go away and sketch and think and play with ideas that are directly developed from lovely bits and pieces off the website.

I long for the opportunity to shop in America, they seem to have a never ending supply of interesting things. We are so young in Australia that we don't have the history nor the items so abundantly and it is a constant struggle to find materials that inspire and that a worthy of art. I am not complaining because truth be told, it makes you work harder to find things to play with. The Internet has brought us all so much closer together

and availability of anything just a click and a credit card away. Which brings me to the issue of cost. How much is too much to spend on your passion, when in the end you may not sell an item? Do you have to sell an item to justify your craft/art. Does it also put too much pressure on an artist to make money. Do you work to pay for your craft or does your craft pay for itself??

I would love to know your answers on this so please leave me some feedback, and thanks for taking the time.

It's all about the age

How stunning are antique quilts? I have about 30 or so all in different stages of completion. Purchased from Ebay and shipped over from America. I have tops, blocks and full quilts. The oldest I have is a civil war blocks in a bachelor block, it is similar to a tulip block, I have repaired it and put about 10 or so blocks together and am quilting it.

I have two green and red applique quilts. With lots of lovely quilting. These are both pre 1900's.

I also have a variety of later quilts and quilt tops, 50's and 60's. One is a string pieced summer quilt, ie it doesnt have any wadding inside.

They are all totally inspirational, and some are used daily and some are away in a trunk awaiting repair or to delicate for everyday use. Caring for these quilts is a huge responsibility. Some could't handle a wash, they would literally fall apart. Others cope well and can be washed often.

I am only a custodian and will one day either sell some or pass them on or give them away. In the interim I get to enjoy them and share them with my friends.

Finding out secrets

Some people dont know one thing about me, and when they do find out they ususally laugh.
Not that I have ever made it a secret - it is just not a topic of conversation that I find myself mentioning too often. It is a fairly important part of my life however and something that I am rather proud of, what is it you ask.

I ride a large motorcycle...... Well not so surprising you may say, lots of women ride motorcycles.
Where I get to shock or surpirse people is when I role up on this big black and chrome monster and get off, remove helmet and gloves and dive into the saddle bags and pull out my knitting.

I love to see the look on peoples faces as I happily sit where ever we have stopped and stitch a few rows of knitting. The guys I ride with are used to me now but passers by often gape wide mouthed at me in all my gear and knitting in lap as I sit happily sipping coffee and getting on with my current project. It is one of those little bits of leisure time that is just the best. Fresh mountain air, sunshine and motorbikes.

Knitting

I am knitting like crazy at the moment which is handy because I am also spending time waiting for family at different times, you know the doctors surgery, getting home late off the train and all that sort of thing. Yes I am mum's taxi, both my adult children don't drive. So portable stitching is a must for me.

I have just ordered some lovely cashmere yarn and await it so that I can work on a few designs I have for shawl and things, not interested in doing garments anymore but shawls and blankets and capes and other largish things are wonderful.

Back to the patchwork and its amazing how many beautiful quilt patterns are available at our disposal, okay the books are expensive but I have just become choosey and only get the books that I know will appeal to me. My most recent purchase was "Your invited" another fabulous book from Blackbird designs. I just love the combination of wonderful blocks and simple yet beautiful applique. Stunning cross stitch and delicous scenes from gardens and antique homes.

So when I am not driving, knitting, or stitching I am perusing a book.

Housework you ask, what's that???

Another Easter come and gone

It's really mind blowing how fast time fly's - I was only thinking how lovely to have a few days off to get some much needed work done, you know the usual UFO's, some class projects, oh maybe the quilt sitting in the frame could use some time spent on it. Does it all sound to overwhelming?

Even tho I did set some goals this week, I have only gotten through about half of the list that I wanted to achieve. On the bright side, it meant that some fabric found a home and books that were just sitting around now live in a basket in my workroom.

Another thing I wish to achieve is the ability to call it a studio, it is all mine, I just can not come to terms with the fact. So far everything is working well and I am beginning to see dividends to having my own space. But and it is a big but, I am definately not spending enough time in there.

I will have to have a long hard look at the reasons I am deliberating and not utilizing my much wished for space. I know I need to be more organized so maybe once my mind gets around that I can move ahead.

Fabric bundles

How wonderful are fabric bundles, you know the ones, they are made up of co-ordinating fabrics with appealing colour combinations and usually one stunning feature fabric.

I have two that I had to bring home from work, Kym is a genius at putting fabrics together and altho she doesn't have time to do a lot of quilting she sure does have the quilters colour all worked out, she is in fact an artist so understands the fundamentals of colour that we as crafts people often skip in the hurry to produce a quilt or two.

I have always had a sense of colour and really do not give it too much thought but prefer to wing it in a way. I find if I over think colour combinations is when I get into trouble. I am always open to throwing in that real zinger fabric, you know the one. It is the colour and or design that you would never think to use but just that little bit brings the quilt alive.

I have two color ways in these bundles, a blue base and a brown base. My idea for them was to make a machine cover for the Janome on the frame as it sits out in the open and near a window and I am worried that it may get dust, and damage from being out all the time as it is too complex to take it in and out of the frame.

I am now using the Singer for all my regular sewing as I am waiting to get the Pfaff repaired, I had a look at it to see if it was something minor but it looks like a major timing job for an expert and more money to spend. Oh well such is the sewing life.

My frame

I have found my camera and quickly taken some photos.

Here is the frame, in a mess awaiting a quilt to be put on, I have done some smallish quilts for my

girls in class and they have been really happy

with them.

Some knitting I am submitting to a magazine.

This is one of two lacy shawls that I am

experimenting with, more to follow.

Blessed space

How wonderful it is to have the space for all my bits
and pieces. I am now starting to realize that I
have an abundance of craft related objects.

UFO's, lots and lots and WIP's (work in progress)
the latter is most definately my favourite way of describing pieces of art that are still unfinished but have hope of one day becoming what I had envisioned for them.

I am knitting a shawl and hope to send it off to a
magazine for publication. I have now found my
battery charger so will be taking lots of photos
so that I can now show you what I have been
up to.

I collected some new fabrics from work, Kym has a very good eye for colour combinations and she often challenges herself to put together fat quarter bundles and of course I can not help myself I have to buy them. And also needing a new project for the girls and Ho Hum, no more bags please, I will be doing a machine cover as I need one for both the pfaff and the Janome on the frame, a cover would be a very useful thing as it sits out on the frame uncovered at the moment. I will write the pattern to be suited to different sized machines so that the girls can customize their own to suit their particular machine.

check back for photos - coming soon = please watch this space. :)