Jacob completed

Second grandson completed, only four more to go. I finished him off with wool piping. I love this method as it is fast and ties in beautifully with the background. I will use this method on all my portrait rugs I think. 

Jacob

Hello fellow rug makers,
I am hoping to see a lot of your beautiful work here as it will encourage rug makers around the world in their quest for more knowledge and more beautiful rugs as a result to learn from.
As I am now working on my third portrait rug and my second Grand Child rug, I am posting an update on Jacob.
I have had a lot of problems with the background on this rug and it took me a while to get the colours  just right. However I am finally getting there and now looking forward to getting it finished.
Here is a photo.

Mixing Dyes from Primary Colours

Have you been interested in mixing primary dyes to get secondary and tertiary colours, and didn't quite know how to go about it?
If you are like me [I'm a bit of a scrooge and have only invested in the three primary colours plus black so far].
I would like to have a ready stock of colours made up so I can mix them according to a recipe [loosely] or use alone.
Here is a website to learn how to do that. I love it and now have a stock of colours ready and waiting, whenever I want them.
http://beemiceelf.blogspot.com.au/2009/03/tutorial-mixing-dyes.html

You can either use them as they are or mix them together to get more colours. If you make up a stock of black in the same way you can add these in tiny amounts to get shades. How good is that? :)

Well, You Can't Say That Wasn't Fun.

Our get together today (at Burrinja Gallery in Upwey) was a fantastic day. We thought it would be nice to have it there in order for everyone to see Isabel Foster's gorgeous exhibition (talked about previously here).

Isabel joined us too.

We were completely delighted that she came, and she was delighted that we were delighted, so we were all happy! It was terrific to have a walk around with the author of such a large and significant body of work, to hear the details of the items and their context. Work done over a period of  40-50 years!

  Isabel works her rag rugs as a weaver, often using silks for what we could emulate in Proggy. They are delicious underfoot and beautiful as you would imagine. She told me that her mother worked at the Louvre as (I think?) a restorer. Isabel collected the discarded silk from gowns etc., that were beyond repair, and, 80+ years later, still includes these ancient fabrics.
Also present was Isabel's friend Olive, who has been one of Melbourne's early modern art weavers. It was such a privelege to have these ladies with us.
Further to our growing group, we had Jo Franco all the way from Perth and Judy Stephens, Noreen Wendleborn, Ann Johnston and Marion Nerfiodovos from the Strath Matters group in Strathalbyn, SA.  http://strathmattersrughooking.wordpress.com/   These lovelies flew over for the day and we are impressed and pleased to put faces to names at last.

I'm afraid there wasn't quite as much rug work going on (with me at least), but the conversations were productive in all sorts of ways. My head was buzzing with facts and ideas and projects and coffee and my fingers were itching to get into it.
Renate, our new member and long-time crafter, had lessons and purchased Proddy and Hooky tools, ready to start next Christmas's presents. Renate learned both techniques and caught the bug well and truly! I saw Joy out of the corner of my eye, mixing it up in her lovely, watercolour, painterly way.

Sympathies also to Jo's sweet son, dragged along and patient beyond measure. I remember those long and arduous times and believe I was far more demonstrative about the imposition! Well done!
Over all, the day was brilliant and exciting. Judy invited us to participate in the 5000 Poppies Project, so please follow the link to see what that's about!
We hope to share the love and encourage as many people to the craft as we can. It's so satisfying and the scope is as wide and broad as any medium. Cloth is tactile and comforting too, and pretty. Snuggly. Perhaps Burrinja will have us again, where the public can rub shoulders and be introduced?

***

My grand-daughter rolling
 about in fluffy, pretty things,
like we all want to.

I had an early glimpse of Isabel's work in 1974, while I was at Melbourne College of Textiles. I was doing a one-year, all-round course which covered patternmaking and design, dressmaking), hand-weaving and embroidery (ironically, I missed the embroidery component as I began a couple of months into the year). I turned 16 there, and was a bit of a countrified (as in, naive) hippy. One day the design teacher called me, in particular, to come and see a garment woven in one piece. It was quite abstracted and wild and colourful. It was going to be worn in Gown of the Year 1974. I was impressed by their adulation, too young and green to know my own thoughts, but saw that these teachers considered it skilful and cutting-edge and fascinating. I took note. That introduction gave me a reference, or a field of play... it opened a door to a new way of thinking in fashion, at a young, eager age.  I discovered it was one of Isabel's pieces when I saw it 10ish years ago at Burrinja.
Thanks for that bright light Isabel! And thanks for coming.

Next meeting of the Yarra Valley Rug Makers

What a busy time of the year it is. Everyone running to and fro, here and there. This is supposed to be a time of relaxing, but often it is not. It often tires us more than anything.
Let's make it a time to gather our thoughts, and truly relax.Take some time out to smell the roses, do a little trip and enjoy other people's talents.
As you have probably read in the previous post,  there is an exhibition of beautiful pieces of fibre art handcrafted by Isabel Foster: The Challenge of Colour. From 14 December 2013 – 16 March 2014, in Burrinja Gallery in Upwey. 
What fun it would be to have our next meeting there. At the same time we can wander around the gallery and admire Isobel's beautifully, bold and colourful textiles. 
It would also be an opportunity to promote the wonderful art of Rug Making to a public mostly ignorant of this interesting craft. 
If you have been thinking of attending a meeting why not make it on Saturday, 11th January, 10.30AM at Burrinja Gallery, Cnr Glenfern Road and Matson Drive, Upwey, at the Burrinja cafe.

See here for directions on how to get there. http://www.burrinja.org.au/contact
I truly hope you can come and join us. Please come and say hi if you're in the area. 

Isabel Foster Retrospective on Saturday December 14th at Upwey

Date

14 December 2013 – 16 March 2014

Venue

Burrinja Gallery in Upwey

Isabel Foster: The Challenge of Colour

Explore delightfully bright, bold and bizarre textiles created by 92-year old artist Isabel Foster.

Isabel’s extensive body of work shows her lifetime’s devotion to needle and thread, colour and the ingenious use of the finest materials.

As a child born between two world wars, Isabel was raised in a time where thrift was given and home furnishings were handmade. This upbringing planted the seeds of resilience, independence and creativity, which have become the hallmarks of this remarkable textile artist.

Isabel’s passionate works highlight the ability to break with conventions and push her creative boundaries.

The exhibition will feature signature pieces from Isabel’s long career spanning 45 years.

EXHIBITION OPENING | Saturday 14 December 2pm
For more information click here

Isabel is brilliant! Her rugs are a wonder to behold, from humble Proddy's to extraordinary crocheted, wild things. A must see.

December meeting of the Yarra Valley Rug Makers

Hi from Loch in beautiful South Gippsland. 

Even though there were only three of us the weather, as well as the conversation, was warm and cosy. We were indeed fortunate to be able to celebrate Anne's birthday with her on that very day. We even had an inpromptu birthday cake and candle and sang happy birthday.

Joy showed us her beautiful adaptation of a new rug she is working on, showing all the homes that are featured in the  'Anne of Green Gables' book series. She designed and drew the pattern, then transferred it onto a Monk's cloth backing. It will be gorgeous when finished.

 

By lunch time she had already hooked most of the fist house and by day's end had also completed some of the greenery around the house. 

Anne continued to work on her Santa rug which may or may not be finished before Christmas.

Even though Lis couldn't be with us on Saturday, due to another engagement, she left us a photo of her wonderful 'Healthy Tree' rug. Her explanation is that the branches and the fruits represent her  healthy lungs after her giving up smoking.

It is indeed a wonderful memory and reminder for her.




Chris has started on her new portrait rug of grandson number two, Jacob. The face is mostly finished but she is have difficulties dyeing for blond hair and finding enough contrast between the skin and his hair . She got stuck into the dye pots today, but is still not happy with the outcome. Using onion skins and dyeing over natural and pale yellow wool the results were less than ideal. The floaties in the water are a combination of onion skins, teabags and coffee bags. Here are the results

Since then she has overdyed them with a very weak brown which seems to be better.

In January we hope to have our meeting at  Burrinja Gallery, Upwey, which is showing an exhibition of Fibre Art works by the talented  92 year old artist, Isabel Foster. Please come and say hi if you are in the area. We would love to see you.