embellish The Australian magazine for textile arts. With Inspiration from New Guinea projects | embroidery | mixed media | articlesiS io 25) fe) oD fe) (ut, o fe) & It's Mine! See more of Marilyn Townsend's work on Page 3ON THE COVER - White-lipped Tree Frog (p8) by Penny Eamer Measurements ‘en centimetres = 294 inches. Acknowledgements CONTENTS fh, ISSUE 30 JUNE 2017 COLUMNS 6 Postcard from Bali - by Sue Dennis 48 Student Collaboration - by Sue Ferrari FEATURES 3 Artist Profile: Marilyn Townsend - by Marilyn Townsend 20 Artist Profile: Maude Bath - by Liz Wauchope 28 Reader Postcard Challenge - by Lynda Worthington 30 Repetition: A Design Element -by Penny Eamer 40 Artist Profile: Kay Sorensen - by Kay Sorensen 44 The Luggage Tag Challenge - by Mahdi Chandler PROJECTS/TECHNIQUES 8 — White-lipped Tree Frog - by Penny Eamer 13 Tropical Lizards - by Anne Mitchell 18 Bird of Paradise - by Cindy Cooper 24 Reversible Book Cover - by Maude Bath and Liz Wauchope 36 Recycled, Rust Dyed Necklace - by Penny Eamer INFORMATION 2 Editor's notes 52 Book Reviews 54. Stitch Guide 55 Advertisers Index 56. Subscription Form www.artwearpublications.com.au or find us on Facebook EMBELLISH is an independent Australian publication Arter Publications P/L ss a : 4 ‘itveat Publications #7 teres Atieor Pubcon Acraalecal ta) Publisher |actWear Pucatons Py Ltd Editor Lynda Worthington Art Director Ke Abana, Senior Graphic Designer Michele Davies rildaves@bigpondnetau Photography The"how t"Poscarder“arice” Photography are by the indica ‘contretorsuness athernize noted Ramin assistant Dawn Bord | Proof Reader eLancey Wortington Contributors Maude Bath Males Chandi Cndy Cooper Se Denis Pen Eamer Sue Fran, Ese Lav.Anne Mitchel, Kay Sorensen. MantyrTountend Li Wauchope, Lea Woetngton Aavertising sales & marketing: Lymca Worthington 03 9888 1853 ‘theprsfartwearpubleaionscomau Plies utraa Pred Chin by Teppn Lec Pring Lik ron derision Goran & Gch rivet (3963065 stand Cars diton rd 244) 72514288 ene Dg Din by CA embellish yeNo30 hope you like our new-look cover! = This issue we have some inspiration from New Guinea, where you find wonderful rainforests, ‘mountains, orchids, gorgeous birds of paradise, and a personal favourite of mine, the White-lipped ‘Tree Frog, For many years | was fortunate to have the opportunity to keep, and breed, the White-lipped Tree Frog, ‘The photo below is of “Boot”, a very loud male in full croak in the photo. Their call, is exceptionally loud—think drowning out the television. In fact, a caller on the phone one day thought I owned a very large dog! No, just the frogs. Penny Eamer has captured this species of frog so perfectly in the fifth page of the flora and fauna book we are gradually creating with her. Some rather lovely lizards are imprinted onto fabric by Anne Mitchell, and Cindy Cooper has a cute bird of paradise for you. In addition, there are more projects/ techniques (of course), plus some interesting articles, including repetition as a design element, and artist profiles of Marilyn Townsend, Maude Bath and Kay Sorensen. There's even some wearable art to stimulate your creativity. Check out the inspirational postcards in the "New Guinea” postcard challenge swap (page 28), and don't forget to go onto our Facebook page and see all the postcards to vote for your favourite, have a new postcard swap for you: “India” You may choose anything relating to India—landscapes, animals, architecture... The completed size must be postcard size (A6—a quarter of Ad size, 4°x 6” approximately) and you may use any technique, or combination of techniques to create it, so long as it includes textiles, On the back of the postcard, please write your name, address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Completed postcards should be posted to arrive no later than 1st September, to “India” Postcard Swap, PO Box 469, Ashburton VIC 3147, and include a stamped? self-addressed C5 or BS envelope (so that the ‘swapped postcard can be posted to you—C6 size can be just that litle bit too small fthere is a postcard that is on the thicker side... Don't forget to add a note with some information about your techniques and inspiration. Some of the postcards will be displayed in Embellish #32 (December) which has the theme of India, and all wil be displayed on our Facebook page www.facebook. com/ArtWearPublications in a photo album at the beginning of December. The postcard with the most “likes” on Facebook at midnight on 31/12/2017 will win $100 to spend with one of our advertisers in the December issue So, snuggle back and enjoy reading this fascinating issue of Embellish! Yours in textile art lynda Lynda@artwearpublications.com.au_ “international readers please email me and we can arrange a PayPal payment for your return postageTay za i er My ‘Eureka’ moment occurred during a weekend workshop on freehand machine embroidery which | attended in 1973 in England. had studied art at school to 6th form (year 12) and again at teacher training college, and suddenly had a tingle of excitement, realising how stitches and textiles could add dimension to my work. Wanting to know more, I immediately explored courses available and handed in my notice (I was teaching at Primary School) to enrol in a City & Guilds embroidery course at Bournville School of Art, Birmingham, close to where I was living, This developed into 4-year course as | continued into Part 2, attaining distinctions — only just managing to fit in my final exams before we were to move to Australia, Because my husband had gone on ahead, most of the packing, moving house and delivering a car and two children to Heathrow from the Midlands was my responsibility. Luckily, | had completed the practical side of the course, but the removalists were not too pleased at my running before them gathering up bits of fabric from drawers into black plastic bags! On arrival in Adelaide, | took my new certificates and samples of ‘work to the Crafts Council. They put me in touch with George Gross, ‘who was just beginning as a fashion designer. He very trustingly gave me work embroidering panels for his dresses on the most beautiful fabrics. | also joined a Designers’ Collective, holding exhibitions of garments—this lasted until we moved to Sydney and I began teaching freehand machine embroidery locally. Two years later, we ‘were in Melbourne, where | held classes at several Bernina centres. lsueNo30 embellishDe EL ee a ‘When | exhibited a cream silk quilted jacket with The Embroiderers Guild, VIC, it was sold and a similar one requested by the wife of the then Governor, Lady Murray. On the Mornington Peninsula I became entranced with old houses in the area—especially Sages Cottage, a wooden slab- built house in a lovely garden, and a favourite to which I returned many times to draw and photograph. One of my first depictions of this cottage was in acrylic paint on calico stretched over thick pieces of card to give a panoramic view. These were hand stitched to a background of cream linen onto which was painted a tree and padded gate leading into the picture. Ferns were worked in soluble film, and scrunched pieces of satin were stitched for tree foliage. After discovering disperse dyes, | used them painted on paper in mirror image for the cottages. To draw the outline, | filled an old fountain pen with diluted brown dye, giving the impression of sepia ink. This worked well and | was able to make a few impressions. Those of The Briars Homestead were made into cushions as well as wall pieces. These were a popular selling point in exhibitions and the designs were used for an article in the UK. Embroidery’ magazine. My first book, Australian Creative Machine Embroidery, was published in 1991 and came about after students continually asked me to arrange my notes, diagrams and samples into book form. I was fortunate to find that Lothian books in Melbourne were about to launch a new series in which | was the first publication. It was written as a beginners’ guide with easy to follow instructions and the first print sold 10,000 copies. My second book, Australian Themes in Machine Embroidery, depicting different projects from garment decoration to bags and necklaces, followed in 1993,Detail ofthe Briars Homestead - disperse dyed cushion panel Accompanying Australian friends in camping expeditions to the Outback opened my eyes to new possibilities for artwork. The intensity ofthe colours, vast areas of space, ; different vegetation and animals were mesmerising and a my sketchbooks were filled with ideas to explore. | began are to use acrylic paint for the backgrounds on canvas, adding ‘machining before stretching the workconto a frame One night in the Simpson desert we camped through a storm were the colours took on an entirely different aspect. ‘After snorkelling on the Barrier Reef, and latterly in Port _/t@t decorated with soluble stitiching Phillip Bay completed a series of paintings on stretched canvas, with added frechand machined seadragons and fish attached by hand stitching, became entranced with the growths on the pier supports, using glue, plaster and aquarium gravel applied with a palette knife, then over painted. Foliage worked ‘on soluble film was often added. A gallery in Blairgowrie, Mornington Peninsula, loved my work, which sold ‘well, until unfortunately the gallery closed. Most of my artworks were 100 x 90 cm in size. Having a piece accepted for the She exhibition at Walker Street Gallery, Dandenong, | began portraits of successful ‘women and enjoyed working the detail on hair and dress. After exhibiting with the Hurrah! group in Melbourne for ten years, [left to join the Peninsula Studio Trail to ‘open my studio to visitors. With ‘mixed media’ now a category in art exhibitions, I have been able to have acrylic paintings with added embroidery accepted, whereas the category ‘textiles’ was often excluded. Having moved to a smaller house and garden, I now am. devoting as much time as possible to my art and hope to continue to teach, take part in exhibitions, write another ook, and sell small works, prints and cards on Etsy—as ‘well as develop work with paint and stitching on paper! as aN > Mountain Stream wwrw.arlwecrpublicafions.com.cu sue No30 embellishBALI: each year thousands of tourists are drawn to N this tiny island in the Indonesian archipelago. What 8 entices them to come? Is itthe beaches, 5 star resorts and warm weather? Do they come for the temples and. appeal of the traditional lifestyle? For me, a return to Bal after an absence of 15 years ‘meant | could immerse myself in Balinese textiles of the woven and batik varieties. However in these modern times itis not so easy to see weaving in action—to find a woman sitting with a backstrap loom as we did many years ago in Tenganan Village. The pressure to sell tourist trinkets to make a living is driving the more time consuming traditional production methods to the brink of extinetion. Happily, a fair trade business, established in Jalan [street] Kajeng, Ubud has stepped in to promote village weaving and dyeing practises—not just in Bali, but throughout Indonesia, Museum quality woven items, beautifully hung and carefully labelled with, all the information of warp, weft and provenance are on display in their gallery. Promoting natural dye practices makes itis easy to fall in love with a piece and tuck it into one’s luggage. Im the town of Klungkung, once a Royal capital, the covered market sells woven cotton ikat style fat by the yard. The hardest thing is deciding what not to buy. The shop assistants measure off the yardage with ‘wooden yard sticks, fold it neatly, and once again I am deliriously happy! If shopping is becoming too much, a short stay on the Candidasa area to the east of Denpasar, the capital, wrrwcarhweenpublicaionscom tswill relax and refresh your senses. Here small resorts are tucked into rural village life, so on an ear morning walk you can hear roosters crowing, see contented cows tied to palm trees and watch school children, in neatly pressed uniforms, practise thei ‘marching for Independence Day celebrations. Back in the bustle of Denpasar we find a parking spot in the busy area of the fabric streets. With the popularit of patchwork and the use of Ball batik fabric, many ofthe shops sell what quilters are looking for: So, ignoring the dress fabric and polyesters, my friends and I find treasures in the shops. While we deliberate over purchases, our husbands have found a great local coffee shop nearby selling strong Balinese coffee and, the world's most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee, This coffee is made from coffee beans which have been eaten and passed through the digestive system of the Civet cat. I stuck with regular B: coffee and kept my money for more fabric buying, Batik was once hand drawn, or produced by hand with hot wax and caps, the metal printing plates used to transfer the wax design to the stretched cotton cloth. ‘Today itis mass produced by modern screen printing machines. The genuine article is distinguished by the yaxy smell and the fact that it is hard to tell which is the right or wrong side of the fabric. ‘The popularity of this unique fabricis not waning— clothes, table wares, home accessories, sarongs, scarves and more, are all using batik designs, Armed vith our fat quarters and back at our accommodation, ‘we began rubbing Kathryn's collection of batik metal caps and happily produced some unique fabrics to remind us of our holiday. Iwas amazed at the resilience of the Balinese to retain their traditions while being assaulted by mass tourism. For an island that is so beloved by millions, Tam happy that maintaining traditions in the face of ‘moderns wants and ways is ongoing.Project #5: Flora and Fauna Book The White-lipped Tree Frog embellish \ssve No 30 BY PENNY EAMER The White-lipped Tree frog is a New Guinea species and we are fortunate that they are also found in Northern Queensland, Frogs need all the help they can get, so hopefully, the wider their distribution, the more chance they may have of surviving as a species. This is a quilting project, with painting and machine embroidery. You have the option of painting or printing the base image onto fabric. If you prefer not to paint the image yourself, copy photo 8 onto fabric in your preferred manner at the correct size and continue as per instructions from that point. It is probably easiest to follow the photos when painting—don’t worry about being too exact as the stitching will strengthen and clarify the whole thing, (see photo 14).‘To construct the book, it is important that all six works follow the ‘page’ construction and size details in Diagram 1, below A_E 26em Fabric paints or dyes (see Photo A for colours used); Machine sewing embroidery threads (see photo B, for colours used); Thin wadding; Plain fabric for backing the page; Pins lh som iB Cc Excess fabric. Do not trim until finished. Page format for ALL 6 pages METHOD: Referring to Diagram 1 for final dimensions, draw the frog (photo 1) ‘onto the white fabric, using a sharp pencil or similar (photo 2). Using dye or diluted fabric paint, paint in a yellowy green area onto the fabric as shown in photo 3. ‘www artwecrpublicalions.com.cu sue No 30 embellish »‘Then colour the whole area of the design (photo 4). Use paint to mark in the black areas under the body, on the mouth and around the eye. ‘Add yellow, white and a pinky brown to the image (photos 5&6) Use opaque fabric paint to add white dots of reflections on the nose, the eye, and anywhere else you think needs one (photo 6). Using opaque fabric paint, apply olive greens onto the background between the leaves, as shown in photo 7. Strengthen any areas you feel need more colour (photo 8). Photo 8 will need to be of a relatively good size as people have been invited to copy/scan it and print it onto fabric. Place thin wadding under your work and quilt the ‘outlines of the frog and the leaves with black thread, and add leaf veins. Sew some dark green leafy shapes in the darker areas to suggest background foliage. Machine stitch details on the frog's belly, eyes and lips as shown in photo 9. ‘Adding more machine stitching to texture the leaves and, ‘background will bring the frog forward and contrast the ‘smooth skin areas (photo 10). Stitch more details to the ‘toes, ears and under the chin (photo 11). Finally, stitch red variegated cotton on the two front leaves and a vein or two on the back leaf. This takes the total ‘green’ effect down a little. Add more detalls to the chest of the frog and a few details to the eye, the back and side of the frog (photo 12). Photo 13 shows the stitching in detail, When you have finished your embroidery, place your ‘work on top of the backing fabric and pin together. Regarding the Scm left hand strip, you can use the under wrrwariweenpublicaionscomts laid fabric or join a different piece in at the edge of the image rectangle. Satin stitch over the join and it will look just like the other pages. As per previous pages, run a line of zigzag around the edge line of the page and then trim the piece to size. Your frog is now finished! Only one more page to go before creating the binding, Issue No30 embellishsu f Surface Design \ 4 7, Association Innovation in Fiber, Art, & Design Embroidery House 170 Wattletree Road, Malvern 3144 Al levels catered for ‘ak embgr@gpond atau sSmenguveoy whence ortMATERIALS: White or light coloured fabric, any fibre of your choice (cotton fabrics should be pre-washed before colouring to remove any sizing—do not use fabric softener in the rinse water); Bowl of water; Objects to place onto the fabric (1 have used lizard stencils); Liquid Radiance colours, diluted with water to suit the colour strength for your project; Dispenser bottles to apply the colours: Plastic to protect your work area (plastic-covered cardboard is handy for this—I have used a covered board for my fabric piece—using black plastic is important for best heliographic effects); Old sheet on your work table; Rubber gloves; ‘Asunny day. embellish Issue No 30 Tropical Lizards ANNE MITCHELL For this project, | am using lizard stencils cut specifically for the purpose. By using stencils of your choice, you are limited only by your imagination. In summary, we apply Liquid Radiance colours to the fabric, place objects onto it to form the design, and then put it in the sun to dry. The UV rays of the sun will act on the colours. The areas under the objects will become lighter, while the fabric around them will become darker. When the objects are removed, the design is revealed. PREPARING THE COLOURS: Pour a small amount of Liquid Radiance concentrate into a dispenser bottle and add water to fill the bottle, For Heliography techniques, between 1:3 and 1:10 concentrate to water ratio will give good results. You can mark the sides of the bottle with a felt pen if you wish—or just guess (my chosen method)—you really cannot go wrong with this. Place a piece of stocking over the neck of the bottle then screw the dispenser cap over this. The stocking will strain out any sediment that ‘may collect during periods of storage. Diluted colours can be stored for ‘months. It also helps you identify the diluted colour from the concentrate ‘when using pre-loved bottles (with the labels still on them) for the diluted colours. ‘When ready to use the colours, open the cap by turning it anticlockwise as far as it will go. Close it again when your project is finished, and wipe the cap with a piece of damp rag or tissue. COLOURING METHOD - MULTI-COLOURS: Wet fabric and squeeze out excess water until no drips come out. tis OK to blot the fabric gently in a towel if you are unable to squeeze firmly Lay fabric onto plastic—by using a large piece of cardboard covered with plastic, itis easier to colour the fabric in the shade then carry it out into the sun. Using the dispenser bottle like a pen, draw the colours ‘onto your fabric exactly where you want them (photo 1), leaving gaps that willbe filled in’ during subsequent steps—stripes, wavy lines, random ‘patterns; circles... ‘whatever suits the design you are planning. Hold the dispenser bottle at an angle to the fabricas you work, Apply the colours so that they almost meet side by side to minimise the possibility of overload. A gap of about 1 ‘em between colours is recommended—you will work the colours together during the next step. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and use your fingers to ‘work the colours evenly across the fabric, blending them as desired while you work (photo 2).nari Wipe your gloves on an old towel regularly to prevent transferring unwanted colour from one area to another. Note: You can use a real foam brush to spread the colours evenly, but the “Five Finger” method will save you having to clean the foam brushes, and is wonderfully tactile and qui Check for excess colour: Ifthe fabric looks sloppy, or feels very wet, you will need to blot out the excess colour Thave used a strip of damp fabric and patted it onto the base colours, flipping it over and working down the fabric so the entire surface has been blotted (photo 3). There ‘were ‘stains’ of colour left behind, and these were rubbed away using gloved fingers. Alternatively, use another piece of fabric the same size as the base fabricso you are blotting up the excess without moving the fabric. In doing this mop-up, you will create another piece of fabric that will coordinate perfectly with your main piece. Handling the mop-up fabric to create a ‘background’ fabric: Roll the fabric round and round between your hands to blend the colours together (photo 4), then leave it in a ball or a scrunched-up bundle (photo 5). The colours exposed to the air on the outside of the ball will, become dark, while what is enclosed will become light. Flip the ball over a couple of times while it is drying to have more of the dark come to the surface. veo anhwecrpubleatBack to the main piece: While the fabric is still wet, place ‘your chosen objects onto it. Ihave chosen stencils of lizards, using both the positive (cut-out) shapes, and the negative pieces where the lizards have been removed (photo 6). Put in the sun, out of the wind, to dry (photo 6). This will “work? best when the sun is highest overhead. The objects, need to stay in place until the fabric is completely dry— between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fabric you are working on. Remove the objects when the fabricis totally dry embellish Issue No 30 (photo 7). 1ron fabric to heat set the colours—% minute for really strong colours as in the Heliography technique, up to 2 minutes when colours are well watered down. (Gay, up to 1 part Liquid Radiance concentrate to 30 parts water). Hint: Using your iron on ‘steam setting will also simplify the heat setting process. Although Liquid Radiance is stable in the fabric when dry and cannot be removed, it must be heat set to ensure its permanence for washability and colour-fastness (photo 8). The fabric will often feel a little stiff when itis dry, but this is normal at this stage. The heat setting process will relax the fibres and return the fabric to its original softness. Ifthe fabrics still stiff after ironing, that’s an indication that too much colour was applied to the fibres. “Excess is the enemy” ‘A few more thoughts to inspire you— Different colours. Different stencil shapes. Combine stencils with other shapes to suit your theme. Use fabric paint to stencil shapes onto your blot-up fabric, to complement your main design. ‘Things to keep in mind when planning your Heliography fabrics: Items that sit flat on the fabric will give the best impression of that shape. A sunny day will give the best results, but ifthe sun doesn't shine, a halogen light (or even a fluorescent light) will produce good results. Work on black plastic to maximise the UV effects from the sun and ‘heat up’ the drying process. Best time of day for heliography is when the sun is highest overhead. An hour or two each side of mid-day is perfect. Ona breezy day, have something handy to hold the fabric in place while itis drying—masking tape, stones, shoes... whatever you can find that doesn't interrupt the design or throw shadows across your work. In the pantry: rice, pasta spaghetti, fettuccini, lentils, popping corn—see what else you can find, Spaghetti and fettuecini can be broken up to form all sorts of fun patterns. [Note: Things that dissolve (e.g salt or sugar) are not suitable for heliography.] In your sewing cupboard: pin wheels, scissors, buttons, safety pins, plastic headed pins, In the toy box: foam shapes, blocks and more—it’s a treasure trove of goodies in there! ‘And there's more: coins, plastic or fabric lace, doyleys, pens, pegs, stencil shapes, leaves, flowers, rubber bands, sequins, paper clips, Hint: Ifusing freshly picked flowers or leaves, press them between heavy books for a little while to flatten them.KEY POINTS WHEN USING LIQUID RADIANCE Stencils “Excess is the enemy”: Because of the unique formulation of Liquid PR Radiance, itis vital to apply to the fabric only what it will absorb. Gna Fabrics should not feel ‘sloppy’ or ‘drippy’ when colours are applied AME as this can result in ‘overload’ that will make the fabric heavy and ea) stiff when colours are dry. Chery “While there's moisture, there's movement”: After the fabric has been coloured, the colours will continue to move through the fabric while they are still wet. Form the pattern to create your end result, then leave the fabric alone until itis dry! Do not fiddle with it! During the drying time, the way you have handled the fabric will create the end result and you will not see that result until the colours are completely dry. The difference between wet and dry is amazing! What is exposed to the air will become darker, while what is enclosed in the folds or scrunches or under the heliography shapes, will become lighter. Non-toxic and non-polluting: Liquid Radiance colours are safe to get ‘on your skin and wash off easily with soap and water: Itis safe to pput them into household drains. It is safe to use utensils from your Kitchen cupboards in designing techniques. Whatever you use from your kitchen (or other) cupboards can be washed up in the normal, ‘way for use with food afterwards Permanence in fabric: When Liquid Radiance is dry in the fabric, itis stable and cannot be removed from the fabric. Itis heat set to maximise its washability and colour fastness when itis ary. Into patchwork and quilting, embroidery and other crafts? Teach textiles and art at school? Talk to me about our Liquid Radiance for: ‘Fobric designing - unique hand-laured fabrics oral your poe. *Resyling your wardrobes simply ed economical you wont ballot ‘+ Workshops at your venue or mine, ond personal help by phone or email + Our DVDs and Handbooks wl supper you from oa. SAFE - SIMPLE - ECONOMICAL ‘Australian Owned and Manufactured ew arhwecrpublcatons.com.cu embellishMETHOD: Before using your Brusho Powders, make a small hole in the top of each lid. used a metal skewer heated on the gas hob. You may be able to make a hole in the lid without heating the skewer. Tip: The powders get everywhere if you are not carefil ‘Trace your design with a light box or draw your own design onto the fabric (photo 1). embellish tssve No 30 Brusho powders— Vermilion, Yellow (or Lemon), Violet, Purple, Dark Brown, Ultramarine, Prussian Blue, Sea Green, Leaf Green and Black (optional), small quantity; Piece of cotton PFD (Prepared For Dyeing) fabric; Drawing ofthe design; Black permanent pen; ‘White and yellow oil pastel or wax crayon; Masking tape: ‘Spray bottle with a fine mist; Paint palette; Paint brushes of small and a medium size; ‘Sewing threads to match the colours including a black quilting thread; Plastic sheeting to protect the area; Apron to protect your Bath crystals; Batting and backing fabric slightly larger than the size of your work. Place your fabric on newspaper: Colour the eye with white il pastel and the top of the head with yellow oil pastel This acts as a resist as itis difficult to stop the colours ‘moving to the head. Also draw a few lines on the tail feathers with white oil pastel Start with yellow Brusho and sprinkle it onto the fabric, A piece of paper held up will protect the darker colours spreading too far. Sprinkle the powders lightly using the photos asa reference (photo 2). More can always be added whilst still wet. Lightly spray the powders. Push some of the wet paint around with a brush ifyou wish. ‘The colours will blend beautifully. Leave the fabric to dry thoroughly (photo 3).Mix the Dark Brown with water on a palette and paint the branch and feet using a small brush. Let this dry, For the background, mix the greens and the blues with water in separate wells on your palette. Paint the background using the various greens. Whilst still wet you. can also sprinkle some of the greens on the background, used a small amount of black mixed with a green to darken the green. Sprinkle the bath crystals (not too much) whilst your works still wet to the touch and then let it dry. This adds some texture to the background. | also like it ifthe fabric shows some unpainted areas on the edges (photo 4). Place the backing fabric, face down, on a table and top with the batting, Place your artwork, face up, on top and pin or tack all layers together evenly across the work in preparation for quilting, Free machine stitch the outline ofthe bird and some of the tail feathers in black thread. Changing colours to match the painted area, free machine stitch the bird and the background. The background may be stitched in any pattern, Quilters may wish to machine a leaf pattern, | did find that some colour came off my hands whilst stitching but | used very intense colours. Once campleted I sprayed the work with a fabric protectant to help aga fading, st Bind the quilt in your preferred method, Inspi Salvador, artist and designer www.sabelsalvadorarts.com \dy is part of group of five textile artists ba: in Sydney called extraTexture. She loves all types of textile artwork, mainly using paints/ Dee Renae now loves the freedom of this type of work. Pete ete On Lene ea Balmain Watch House, 179 Darling S yee eR ened ST Cn ey o embellishAutumn in Japan Summer Laced Notan Nuno Felting: Maude Bath uz OPE AUC! Maude Bath first made felt in 1991 to further her millinery practice. She had been buying old felt hats from second hand shops to pull them apart and fashion new hats from them, Then she discovered she could make the felt herself, and started out doing it the old-fashioned ‘way: laying fibre down between two sheets of calico, tacking them together, wetting and rolling, ad infinitum, After this, she began “throwing it in the washing machine’, but it would come out completely felted and about ¥ inch thick. Eventually, she worked out her own processes— combining traditional rolling and use of a front loader ‘washing machine, which resulted in beautifully felted garments and accessories. Her felting has come a long way since then, especially ‘once she saw Nuno felt for the first time in 1996, changing,Shades of Monet collaboration with Flona Trueman her felting forever—bright and light nuno felts have become her signature work. Nuno felt is a technique which was developed in Australia by Polly Stirling and Sachiko Kotaka in 1994.as a way of creating a light felt suitable for hot climates, Nuno means fabric in Japanese, hence nuno felt is ‘fabric fell, The wool is felted into the fibres ofa ‘woven fabric to create a single bonded piece which is light, durable and has endless design possibilities Opal Cardigan, Maude's first nuno felted work, shows the way in which the wool shrinks but the silk doesnt, producing lovely ruching effects. One way of creating it is to felt the wool through the whole of the base fabric, asin the Autumn in Japan’ jacket Another way of making nuno is to felt wool into the base fabric in specific places, leaving the remainder transparent, One of her favourite garment styles is her “putterfly wrap” a simple double square or rectangle with neck and arm spaces. An example is Shades of Monet. Maude is a founding member of Tarts Textile and, Arts Collective, Arts was her first venture into vewr artwecrpubleatons.com.cu Geometric jacket Opal cardiganselling her work on any scale, and she says her time with the Collective has changed her from a hobbyist to a professional. She has taken full advantage of the cooperative atmosphere, and has joined with other members over the years to make collaborative pieces that push the boundaries of felt making. | am fortunate to be one of those who have had the pleasure of working with Maude. In‘Summer’ jacket, Maude has used some of my devoré silks as well as painted and printed chiffons together with a variety of felting styles. One of our most popular collaborative styles has been the triple layer ‘Woven Weaves' scarves ‘where I paint and print three different kinds of silk, and Maude felts them together in such a way as to make them reversible. x embellish Issue No 30 Fully Felted Notan, Ginko Fully Felted Notan, Frogs Maude says of her 14 years (so far) at TArts, that the best thing is the interaction with and mentoring from other artists, both established and emerging. This is true in terms of techniques and inspirations in her own medium of felting, and in professional pursuits such as marketing, and promotions, sales and presentation, ‘Through serving on committees and being Secretary and Chairperson at various times, TArts membership has taught her organisational, financial and political skills: It’s amazing what you learn, and not just in your own, little corner of creativity” she says. One of the main things for Maude was how this has all added to her confidence, built by her colleagues, but also by Tarts customers: “Talking to people who come in tothe gallery, hearing their responses to your work. is really gratifying.” In 2010 she was selected as the artist-in-residence at Australia House in Niigata Prefecture in Japan. Her very successful 10 week residency culminated in a solo exhibition in the renowned Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial. She says it was, “amazing to be part of something so big: the Triennial is huge, bringing in artists from all over the world’, Each town in the area has at least one exhibition, and there are tours every day taking people from one to the other, Maude’s major piece was a Japanese shoji screen: large sliding doors used for dividing a room, ‘As well as working towards her solo show, Maude’s, residency was designed to include teaching local people of all ages in an open class once a week. Before she was allowed to instruct the children, teens and women, she first had pass the test of suitability by demonstrating her skills to a class of elders, men in their 70s and 80s. This was a “tough gig’, as she puts it, until they relaxed into and were “like a bunch of kids, throwing the felt around, and having a great time” Itstill took over an hour of serious discussion in Japanese, ‘with Maude in the room wondering what they were saying, before they deciced she could have access to the community. A deciding factor was the idea of Australian ‘wool and Japanese silk being united permanently in ‘nuno felting: a poetic image for avillage which has been involved in silk production for ages, but had never seen Australian wool fleece before In fact, the fleece was such a novelty that they all loved touching and stroking it, and one small child cried when told he had to getit wet and beatit in order to make felt! But they all had a lot of fun, and practiced their English ‘with the “rolling songs” that Maude made up for everyone to sing while rolling up the felt, ver and over. During her stay in Japan, Maude developed a process {or using Notan design in nuno felting, Notan is a traditional Japanese design technique involving the use of positive and negative space to create images, The most well-known Notan design isthe black and white Yin and Yang symbol. Notan are usually made with paper stencils, but the technique lends itself beautifully to Nuno felting. Maude's Notan nuno felted pieces combine the translucent quality of silk or other light fabrics and the opacity of merino fleece, creating wonderful patterns ‘which play with light and dark, vewnarhwecrpublcatons.com.c Paper Notan are hand cut and can be very intricate, but felted ones are a different story. Ittook quite a bit of experimentation and hard work to learn how to keep the felted piece ‘true’ to the designed image, so that it wasn’t distorted by the process itself. Itis important to refine the outlines of your image so that the design isa large, simple one, because it will shrink and lose detail in the process. Ithelps to design it in such a way that you can roll tin one direction, soit shrinks that way. Since returning to Australia, Maude has further explored. ‘what she can do with Notan felting, She has invented some lovely Australian motifs using inspiration from ‘boomerangs and gum leaves, amongst others. Maule continues to develop new items to make from her Nuno and Notan felts, featuring jackets, scarves and wraps, and ‘butterfly tops’ that are very popular at TArts, She has also used the Notan in the way it is ‘most commonly used in Japan: as a stand-alone artwork. hanging on the wall Maude is also enjoying teaching Notan design skills and ‘uno felting techniques to metropolitan and country textile groups, including Canberra and Melbourne. Notan has become Maude's signature style at the moment. She is the leader in the field, pioneering the combination ‘of Notan and Nuno, and the only person doing it professionally, apart from the people she has taught, With such beautiful results, I don’t think she'll be alone at the top for long, More examples of Maude’s work can be found at the website www.maudebath.com.au Woven weaves wrap, Desert Pebblesod this di r frien LAY OUT: Place bubble wrap, flat side up on your work table. Put the dowel at the end and roll so itis just covered by the bubble wrap, and then lay one of the pieces of batt on top ofthe bubble wrap sheet. Cutoff some spots from the bbath mat, or use whatever resist shapes you have chosen, and place these ‘pebbles’ along the top and bottom edges of the batt—not too close to the edge in case you have to cut some off later (photo 2). Cover the whole piece with the other batt Place strips of lk fabric along the centre of the batt, overlapping some of the fabrics, Then place the pre-felted strips you have ‘made over the joins in the fabric (photo 3). This helps the fibres to travel through the fabric and join up with the batts, securing the fabric to the felt. ew artwecrpublcatons.com.ou NUT AV A} Poe aa eso Needle felted batt, 2 different colours. To calculate one ees aL enough extra to fold over to make a pocket for the covers to slip into. You will need 2 pieces of batt Se eee ue ee book. Maude’s diary measured 23 x 65cm, so she cut two pieces of batt 46 x 130m, This allows for shrinkage and will give you a firm, textured Ect Wool tops or silk and wool mix the length of the project, 20micron or less. Pre-felt shapes and strips that you will make yourself (see instruction box). Multi-coloured woollen yarn scraps, Itis okay if they have some synthetic fibre mixed in to the PRT ere neo ot acta Se eR ee eC eee ees Scraps of different coloured fine open weave Cee eee Ugo silk chiffon or Paj, cut into strips, rectangles and Pes Rubber bath mat to cut up, or other non-felting Ae ea eter cs Cotes On Out er nich Eeccanlig Bubble wrap longer and wider than the felt piece Seis Synthetic fabric (such as sheer curtain material) longer and wider than the felt piece you are gs Plastic or wooden thick dowel, or pool noodle Cie cue NU Reo) ae Once t UU ek eu een eee ac Donut hers ee Corr Pee un Sie Issue No 30 embellish »Position your pre-felted shapes over the top in a pleasing pattern, Cut lengths of woollen yarn and place these at varying intervals along the length of the batt (photo 4). FELTING: Cover the layout with the piece of sheer synthetic, fabric. Fill your soft drink bottle with cool water anda little washing detergent, and sprinkle over the ‘whole composition, Press down firmly to wet through thoroughly (don’t rub—lift your hand up and down so you don't disturb the layout). It should be flat and have no air ‘bubbles when you have wet it down completely. Roll up the whole around the dowel and put the rubber bands on the ends to keep the roll secure (photo 5) Now comes the hard part—roll this back and forth about 1100 times (perhaps you could make up your own rolling song at this point, Gently unroll the parcel and spread it out. Do not lift off the synthetic fabricon top, but look through it to check that the pattern is still in place. Ifit needs readjusting a little, gently do so, then place the dowel at the other end embellish sue No 3 ofthe bubble wrapped layers and roll up ‘with rubber bands. Roll it 100 more times! again, securing Unroll the parcel completely, carefully removing the synthetic cloth. Check that the design is in place—you can often gently move errant bits by soaking with a little water and moving with your finger nail. You can now also gently stretch out any wrinkles. ‘Turn the whole piece over—ifyou have a spare piece of bubble wrap place it on top and flip the two pieces over together: Divide your pieces of wool top in 3 lengthways (photo 6), Place a third of the wool top the length of your piece in the centre and gently spread to the edges to create a random cobweb pattern (photo 7), Roll up tightly, secure with rubber bands and roll again, stopping every 100 rolls to check progress by unrolling the parcel. Once the fabric and fibres do not move when you gently scrape at them with your nail, the piece is felted and ready for the second part of the felting process—fulling,asset Romu Ne] Pre-felt shapes and strips: Pre-felts have been felted but not fulled. They have some shrinking to go and will incorporate easily into Sod Because they have partly felted, they stay defined eet eee eran emer Ce ees Dee oe ee aed Dee omer eRe Ud Cee ‘To make strips, take a piece of wool tops and divide it into thin strips, Place these on bubble wrap, cover Rimes Seca ese Ty aaa Follow the same felting procedure discussed in the Pe eee moc Soe ea meer ns Pt ee eee een ee crt cy Cn eee ne PULLING Itis very important when you have made your felt to full it thoroughly. This makes the felt tight and durable and will increase the surface texture of the piece. Ina bucket of warm water, gently squeeze the piece as you would ifyou were hand washing (photo 8). ‘Squeeze out some of the water and toss the whole thing ‘on the draining board of your sink several times (photo ‘9, Place on the work bench and gently pull and push it to reshape itto arectangle. Put it back in warm water, wash, and squeeze out and toss, reshape, continuing until the piece is the size you want. Soak the felted piece in a bucket of water with 2 cups of vinegar for 2 hours, then wring it out, reshape and dry flat Inthe shade, MAKING THE COVER Place a fluffy towel on your ironing board and then the felt with the pebble side down—iron on wool setting and trim to size (photo 10), Should you need to cut through any of the resist ‘pebbles’ on the edge, remove the cut resist and trim a further 3mm off the cut edge. Put it back, in its pocket. This way you will be able to sew the seam cencasing the pebble again, Fold the felt around the book showing the side you like Hand sew along the top and bottom edges of the folds to forma sleeve, in such a way that you can take the ‘cover offand turn it the other side out for a change. Photo 11 shows the nuno side, and photo 12 shows the resist pebble side, Or, you can cut the felt, flip one part of it, and re sew it together so that the front ofthe cover is ‘one design, and the back is the other (photo 13). ‘We hope you enjoy your book cover. It will be very sturdy and last a long time, so don't forget to look at the other side now and again, ew arhwecrpublcatons.com.cu www.thethreadstudio.com fabulous flimsies gorgeous Rent de grab an edge at the thread studio ener) Perse TES Paneer aE mail @thethreadstudio.com Sra ere e tenn!Colleen FitzGerald (QLD) - A lone white chicken foraging in the lush undergrowth on Kitava—one of the main islands in the Trobriand group, New Guinea, Spotted on a visit from a cruise ship. | have used hand dyed fabric with free motion quilting as well as needle turn and raw edge applique. little Inktense darkened the leaves. ORNITHOPTERA ALEXANDRE Heather Hooker (QLD) Wendy Seddon (VIC) Many tribes gather for the “sing sing” festival, Each tribal group _| The butterfly design was traced onto calico has their own colours and costumes. Faces are painted with and back-stitched with black perle thread. | elaborate feathered head dress and beaded necklaces worn. I have used wooden beads, feathers and various fibres to recreate coloured the wings with textas then sealed them with two layers of Mod Podge. The green this dancer's face, Cotton fabrics and fusible web included. surround is water colourCarol Glasgow (NSW) {As soonas I saw the title ofthis postcard swap, knew I just had to enter (I had never even heard of “Postcard Quilts” before, so this {is definitely a first!) For three years, my sister worked as a teacher ina remote outpost in the Highlands of New Guinea. Every Monday morning, she and her co-teacher, another female, would leave the main centre, and travel by jeep alonga very rough track to the outiying village where the schoolhouse \was located. They stayed there ina litle cottage, with litle in the way of amenities, and no backup, until Friday afternoon, ‘when they would travel back to the slightly larger settlement. Some of her experiences during this time, and her interactions with the people, were amazing. On her return, one ofthe things she often commented fon was that in whatever drawings her students produced, there, in the background, always...the mountains, So, there was my inspiration, Techniques: Fabric collage on ‘woven interfacing, free motion machine embroidery quilting over soluble stabiliser, Fabricused... mainly scrapsand Sinch charm squates, all cotton, Threads were mostly cotton, but some viscose/rayon and poly. used about 15 different threads, mostly variegated, with thread weight varying from 50 to 12. Lots of changing of reels, and experimenting with tension and needles! I was so pleased with the result ofthe frst postcard, Ihave since made four more. lam definitely hooked! Joy MePadden (VIC) Bitums Techniques: crochet and hand. stitching, Inspiration: A friend, just returned from Papua New Guinea said “Bilum’ to me when I ‘mentioned the latest theme for the postcard swap. Kath Warburton (WA) When I first saw New Guinea I ‘was unsure how to depict it until I saw the atolls!! Wow. | created this postcard using a Lumiere painted background, needle felting machine and free motion stitching. Burnt organza was also used for part of the clouds.wots Wale Zs seth So RG 96S ve ae XS BD SS Repetition: Repetition is one of the many vital design elements that lend interest and richness to a work. Itis the most valuable and widely used device to achieve unity, We are all familiar with a uniform pattern (repetition) such as the chessboard shown in top the left of photo 1. Neat, but, visually rather boring, For designs, other than uniform patterns, a variety of repetition is more desirable in most forms of art and craft Repeated shapes are more interesting if they differ in size, tonal values and colour, among other things. Variations originating from the chessboard design are shown in and all are visually more exciting that the plain ‘one. There is no end to the possible variations, and a computer comes into its own for this sort of ‘playing All the above. however, are stil fairly regular when compared with , which can be classed as irregular repetition, yet can still be seen to have elements of the original chessboard design. There is, of course, more than one geometric motif in these repetitions—the most obvious being squares and circles. ‘This irregularity adds interest to the designs. Sa ) Repetition: Colour is without doubt the most commonly used repetition device, but all sorts of shapes can be used as, ‘well—rectangles, curves, crosses, straight lines, wiggles, angles, ovals and just about anything else you can think of. You name it, it's acceptable to repeat. There are different degrees of repetition—textile designs are perfect examples of both patterned, irregular and repeated designs, and one that is familiar to everyone. Nature is a master of repetition, We are presented with itall the time, yet we don’t always consciously see it. A good exercise is to note all repetitions in anything you are looking at, and listing (or tracing) all the variations of each motif. Have a look at the following photos for both regular and irregular repetition, within both natural and manmade items: See how many irregular shapes there are in the Channel Country after rain. Let's break some of them down. There are ‘leaf’ shapes and mostare similarly coloured, sandy with green. There are the river shapes, very irregular yet characteristic. Small trees, in lines, clumps or singly. Colour repetition turning slightly bluer as it recedes and size variation as well—just in case you hadn't noticed that!oe Repetition Repetition:This clump of saplings shows irregular repetitions, even though each sapling is very different, There is enough similarity in each tree to add interest and variation, In this tree trunk, we see an almost negative/positive pattern, where bark shapes have peeled off. The entire trunk had the same type of markings. Now let's look at manmade objects, In packaging, regular construction subject to damage and shadows creates variations that make itan interesting irregular pattern, Repeated circles, butall are different enough to be interesting as a composition, Both nature and man played a part in this enamel jug base—the age and stress lines forming an irregular pattern. Similar, yet different. Machine stitched, circular motifs, each different, yet united. Very small beads also add to the circular theme, Lichens show circles within cicles, tonal values, pattern and colour. embellish Issue No 3013 m1 embellish Issue No 3 Repetition: ‘These designs illustrate more irregular repetitions, some more obvious than others—see what you can find. ‘The marble painting obviously uses a circular motive, and note that the circles do not have to be complete, as the eye and the brain will make up for that and they are still counted as circular: This applies to all shapes. Repetition is everywhere, so practice learning to see it whenever possible. It will help you to be more aware of how you use it in your work. Once you get used to it, you will be able to see it all the time.18 Remember to use it in your work and vary size, tonal value, colour, texture, proportion etc,, making some distinct and others less obvious. Let's cheat here and make a computer generated, simple, circular motif and then create few of variations (photo 21). There's no end to possible combinations you can make. ‘To practice, select a simple motif, perhaps a circle, and design a work that utilizes as many variations of that ‘motif as you feel looks unified. Then try a similar work. with a different motif, perhaps a rectangle. Remember that shapes such as rectangles do not always have to be the same proportions—they can be long and narrow or square... whatever takes your fan: You can add other different motifs to add interest and contrast and to assist your design, but always keep your ‘main motif in mind. Have fun and play—practice and observation is what makes a master! evn arhwecrpublcatons.com.cu Importers of, Aplisls Sills & TEXTILE ART SUPPLIES Silk Wholesalers * Top Quality Grade ‘A’ Sills & Scarves + Specialist Supplier for Silk Painters, Dyers, ‘Textile Artists * Sole AU/NZ distributor for MOYER DESIGN Silk Stretching System ‘ Established 1991 Australian Owned | * Gift Lines, Gift Tokens and Starter Kits www.silkwholesalers.co info@silkwholesalers.cos Telephone: (08) 9844 91 Issue No 30 embellishNCLON Olle rust dyed necklace aN aid This simple bead making method results in hard, strong and attractive, recycled Peet Cue eee eee Pree pacccnenies MATERIALS: A cereal packet (you can use thinner card, but you will need to roll each bead more times to ‘make it strong enough); Scraps of rust dyed fabrics (open work; thrift shop fabrics are best—doilies, heavier lace, muslin, and rust dyed cotton string canalso be used). These samples were wrapped around a rusty machinery chain and left until they reached a deep, rich colour; Paint, one colour (only if your fabric is‘see through’); Good quality PVA glue; Optional—Sealant (you can substitute the glue for this if ‘you do not have sealant).METHOD: Cut the cereal card into strips of the width each bead will be. To prepare the card for rolling, you will need to ‘work’ ita little. As card rolls better one way than the other, make sure you find the grain ofthe sheet and then cut and roll accordingly, ‘To work your strips, hold both ends and run the strips gently backwards and forwards over the edge of hard table edge (with the printed side towards the edge) to soften and curve them (diagram, right). Make sure this is not going to damage the table edge! Once they are softer and easier to roll, just keep working them until they roll into a very tight tube. Keep the strip longer than you need. Unroll and apply agood quality PVA glue to the strip. Re- roll very tightly until your bead is the required thickness and has at least five or more layers of card ‘The more layers, the stronger the bead will be. Holding the roll tightly, cut off the remaining card strip. Wrap string or rubber bands around each bead to keep it tightly rolled while it dries (photo 1: steps 1 to 5). When dry, untie and paint the cardboard with the colour you want to show through your fabric (I used Pthalo blue acrylic paint). When this has dried, seal the bead. Cut rectangles of your selected fabric to fitthe beads, making sure they will just slightly overlap (or exactly touch) when rolled around the bead. Glue the bead well and roll on your fabrics. Leave extra fabric on each end (photo 2) so that you can fold the fabric over to cover the ends of each bead (photo 3). vw artwecrpublcatons.com.cu “Saw” back and forth Hold both ends firmly embellish ese No 3Ifthe fabric is too thick, neatly trim itat the ends and glue a small ci of thinner fabric over each end of the bead. Coat the entire fabric-covered bead with glue to help itadhere and to harden it. Make up all the beads you need to complete your n photo 4). Leave them to dry overnight. Within hours the beads should feel hard and strong (if'a good quality PVA glue isused), Lay out your beads and add any pre- loved beads to complete the desired ‘look: My example turned out to have a ‘tribal’ feel. ‘Try different designs until you like (photos § & 6)Embellish MARKET Products from our advertisers WHITE 4-WAY TEARAWAY STABILISER ‘This stabiliser works beautifully in a hoop as it is quite soft to the touch, use one layer—unless | have dense free motion embroidery to do, when | use two layers (and often no hoop). Itis perforated, therefore, you can tear away on the horizontal, vertical and the two diagonals. Available by the metre, various widths. http://stores.ebay.com. au/Lyndas-Books-Crafts- and-Treasures SOFT, SENSUAL, SILK DREAM. Imagine a yarn that is amazingly soft, has a gentle lustre and is made from Australian Merino wool with a touch of silk? That's Shiloh Woo!'s Exclusive Silk Dream yarns! ‘Spun from lustrous Optim wool and silk filament, Silk Dream yarns are available in 4ply and Sply, in natural white and a range of beautiful hand-dyed colours! $9.00 for 50g. https://shilohwooLblogspot.com shiloh40@bigpond.com Ph: +61 3 5521 1080 (Jenni) evr arhwearpublicatons.com.cu SILK MESH FABRIC ‘Treetops has developed our own unique SILK MESH fabric. After years of searching and failing to find the fabric of our dreams, we decided to weave it ourselves! Our Silk Mesh is extremely lustrous, lightweight and open weave. Nuno feltmakers love its drape and lustre, while other textile artists, such as Michelle Mischkulnig, are using the Silk Mesh in newly creative ways. wwwtreetopscolours.com.au info@treetopscolours.com.au Ph +618 9387 3007 WHITE COTTON SCRIM/MUSLIN/GAUZE No matter what you calli, it's great for dyeing, stitching into, distorting, adding bling to, needle felting and all manner of textile arts. It's a ‘wonderfully loose weave. Available by the metre, 90cm wide. http://stores.ebay.com.au/ Lyndas-Books-Crafts-and-Treasures Issue No30 embellishARTISE PROFILE a E ~. he po Kay Sorensen: Queen of Ice Wx 40H (Shibori)SEN Ihave been involved with fibres and fabric for my entire life. Much of what I have done throughout my long career was the result of my own personal research and development. Tam known for my mastery of the us of colour in my work. Asan outgrowth of sewing for years, acquired boxes of scraps, which led. me to quilting. My early quilts were very traditional, but they all had a My work has been shown, published, and has won awards in the United States and internationally. Eventually, | started dyeing and painting fabric. My journey into ice dyeing is a culmination of my research, learning and creati nny life of 77 years. What you see in my Mandalas and other ice dyed creations is my own ‘way of manipulating the fabric and using the dyes to create one designs. earned the title Queen of Ice from affibre artist who had seen the ice dyeing everyone is dol bestowed the title on meas the best ofthe b Iris Spring, A0W x 40H (Ice dye) embellis‘My Elusive Dream, (Magenta hand dye with batik) | ove creating shibori fabrics which make their way into finished works of art. | work on a design wall and create these pieces from a palette of shibori fabrics | have dyed. My dyeing is done in Florida, where itis warm in the winter, and I finish pieces in Wisconsin during the late spring, summer and early fall, ‘This led me to creating a large body of work that was exhibited at the ‘Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA, from January 29th to March 19th, 2017. There were over 85 pieces in the show. Each one started with white fabric, w | dyed, painted or both. The show % was well attended and critically acclaimed. While most of my work is for sale, that is not why I create it, Creating it isa passion and it is as important to meas breathing, Glory Aura, 43W x 36H (Shibori) Ice on Fire, 43W x 36H (Shibor!) 2 embellish Issue No 30esntellish embellish HAVE YOU JOINED OUR eméelli | | embellish POSTCARD SWAPS eon AUD ele embellish ° Seplombe 2076 embellisi Here are just a few of the many postcards we have received in our postcard swaps, o albums of all ‘on our Facebook page ook.com/ArtWearPublications Don'tforgetthere's aprize involved for the postcard with the most votes in the current postcard swap. For information on the new postcard swap please refer to my Editor's Notes, on page 2.The Luggage Tag Challenge NDLE Every year since our group Stitching & Beyond started in 2005, we have given the members some sort of challenge—usually an image, word or phrase to get people thinking, This, time, we needed to do something different because we had booked a space, the Lightbox, at Salamanca Arts Centre in Hobart, It’s tricky space, tall and narrow, butt is well it24 hours a day, 7 days week. The challenge was used to promote our biennial exhibition, Out of Hand, for the month leading up to the exhibition, so it had to bea little snap shot of what was to come. Sandra Champion came up with the brilliant idea of luggage tags, which was so good that we had over 300 responses, and everyone agreed they were great fun to make (photo 1, top right). ‘The concept was to use manila luggage tags, readily available from stationery sellers (photo 2), They ‘were going to be viewed from the front and the back, so needed to be double sided, but not necessarily the same on each side. Members were asked to bring along their curiosity, imagination and enthusiasm, and put these to work ver artwecrpublcatons.com.cu con two tags at a time—play with negative and positive shapes so pieces could be cut out, reattached and used as a device to look through, providing it didn't interfere too much with the basic luggage tag shape. ‘An essential ingredient ofall these projects, have fun and don't take it too seriously. Photo 3, above, shows, some of my tags. I used watercolour pencils, crayons and pierced and stitched. My tags in photo 4, above, utilised Procion dyes, soya wax, indigo and rust papers. Several grandchildren got involved, too (photo 5, bottom left), ‘The result was a cascade of luggage tags: hand stitched, machine stitched, crocheted, painted, printed, waxed, dyed, woven, wrapped, pierced, cut, torn, burnt, glued, folded, recycled, embellished and seriously manipulated! Materials used included fabric, threads, feathers, snake skin, metal, beads, papers, foils, paint, pencils, crayons, wax, stickers, coins, paper clay, and plant material (photos 6 & 7, right), ‘Stitching and Beyond is a Tasmanian based group of enthusiastic textile and mixed media artists. For more information about them and their forthcoming exhibition, Out of Hand 2017 (28th July ~ 8th August), visit wwwstitchingandbeyond.com embellishClam Ue Veta Lobe rel 5 aren ‘ARTWEAR Grgcretnes Never miss a copy Delivered straight to your door or device. C= S Great offers on subscriptions. Orizomegami ARTWEAR Aral tom tar Pibiatia, ~ aun tad The Creative Feltmaker Ned) Bae SFELT ESTUDIO Instructional DVD Felting with ee Fabrics = Ine fet DVD rooonet , Silk Lily in eet DD musin wrap int ie Solid Wool Wrap ys panain sepsis Includes easy to follow instructions with Wendy s special hints and tricks to help you on your way SCR a] Beech Cot arenas Mishy Dee Creative Designs Publication design and layout specialist +612 66851461 midavies@bigpond.net.au www.mishydeecreativedesigns.com.autextile supplies « handmade gifts « workshops « vintage Dr Rie Natalenko can help you to succeed! rie@thenrteimpression.comaw 947 436 Adelaide ‘open 10 to 5 Monday to Saturday www tartscollective.comau IR 1G) RoWNN-EL Srp. TROBNN-EL at 8 ota le 46045236 \(Art Diversity in our (Community) lExhibition [Workshops [Demonstrations june 14th - 25th 2017 lat The Highway Gallery, 14.The Highway, ht Waverley 3146 (Our Hidden. Creativity. STITCHED UP TEXTILE ath to Wo JULY mai itchy For more information: Teldec eC Relay PO Box 398, Wangaratta, VIC, Australia WWW.STITCHEDUPFESTIVAL.COM NULLA TET Innovative Textile Art Supplies, Your One stop shop, foral)/your EVadcieleme ote We stock a great range of silk fabricyscarves, dyes; books, dvds and a whole lot more}, www.silksational.com.au Letra thc e ir briohhy@silksational.com.au No30 embellishBellaDonna Belle var. Angel's Trumpet Student South West TAFE Diploma of Visual Arts teacher, renowned textile artist Sue Ferrari suggested to students Jane Bear, Irene Pagram and Sue Tate they might collaborate to produce a wearable art piece for CUT = garments without patterns, held in Ballarat, Victoria in March 2016. ‘The resulting piece was BellaDonna Belle - a garment for three friends, Having its roots in the Artistic Reform, dresses of the late 19th Century, BellaDonna Belle is coat with a health warning. It was coloured with safe natural dyes, but all the plants represented in it are highly toxic: Angel's Trumpet, Belladonna and Hemlock, ‘The Angel's Trumpet coat was nuno felted using fine merino on parachute silk and tissue silk and dyed in three sections. embellish sue No 3 BellaDonna Belle var: Belladonna ollaboration BellaDonna Belle va: Hemlock ‘The fully reversible coat’s Belladonna side was eco-dyed, ‘on habuti silk using invasive weed species. With a name meaning ‘good woman’, Belladonna is truly a devil in disguise, The Hemlock petticoat, worn as the thirdABOUT THE GIRL: SECA ener CO Rog st eaertiy textiles, and devote ned oma) ito S Teale is having fun exploring Eon recn att) Peeters corr Irene Pagram works Samer tie Ace Cor anor eco-printing since ener ecca ent Seated PO meCRSNMLe Coie Cienmten gto ta OR ener nt eel fixatives of the past. Te CSE Muri textile artist aiming to ee ee Pee ues gem OEE Retin s een ene of the coat’s options, was created from agifted bolt of synthetic blend parachute silk All plants depicted in BellaDonna Belle can be both a poison and a ‘medicine. Itjust depends on how they are administered or managed. Ina similar way, a strong woman can be celebrated or spurned depending on her ego, ethics, morals, self-worth and knowledge, Jane said, “working on this project with Sue and Irene has been many things; a great learning experience, as well as humorous, challenging and enjoyable’, For Irene, “working with Sue and Jane allowed each of us to showcase ew arhwecrpublcatons.com.ou ae re BellaDonna Belle inthe drawing room at Buda, Castlemaine, VIC our individual skills, solve problems together and create a beautiful piece | could not have envisaged on my own’, Sue said she has never had so much fun as working with Irene and Jane." was constantly in awe of their talents and stretched in mine. Iam extremely proud of our creation.” ‘With such a positive response, it wasn’t surprising these three accepted the next challenge to work together. A Pocketful of Posies was the second collaboration for Jane, Irene and Sue, their model was fellow student Cama Hanrahan, The project was conducted by F Project, an arts cooperative operating out of the famous Fletcher Jones Factory site in Warrnambool, south- west Victoria, Participants received a random bundle of fabrics saved from the skips when the factory closed. “We chose the iconic Warrnambool Races as our theme. Our bundle of fabrics had three trouser tops with holes that looked like the clothes ‘moths had brought knives and forks with them, However, the best part of our bundle was the pockets, By piecing them like overlapping flower petals, we made a pair of jodhpurs for our jockey. Her shirt was made from lining remnants in a pattern inspired by the formal layout of the flowerbeds at the famous F] gardens. The saddle was constructed from our best pieces of trouser tops. With her garden-inspired shirt and matching embellish enue No 3ee a eee ee) cap, fashionable jodhpurs and elegant saddle we thought ma might well be riding a filly called Pocketful of Posies.” But wait—there was more! Jane, Irene and Sue now had a reputation for creating a garment that is more than ‘what first meets the eye. Having paraded in her jockey outfit at The F} Garden Party in December 2016, in a ‘twinkling Cama removed her cap and shook out her haar, Jane and Sue quickly de-constructed the shirt, and pulled a beautifully embellished silk chiffon skirt from the jodhpur's voluminous pockets, while Irene described the process to the audience. The saddle turned upside down to reveal a trug filled with chiffon blossoms that were joyously thrown to the crowd—a pocketful of posies frock fit to wear to any part At the time of writing Jane, Irene and Sue are collaborating again, this time with two more Diploma students, creating a piece for CrossXpollinatioN 2017, an annual textile festival held in Colac and district.books Bohemian Macramé: Unique Macramé Jewelry Projects Gwenael Petiot IueRed Press} ISBN: 9781908247155 RRP: $19.99 ‘Author Gwenael Petit quit his job in France in 2007 and travelled around South America, where he discovered macrame, Some Peruvian and Argentinian friends taughthim its secrets and he began selling his creations to fund his travel—for the next four years. Returning to France in 2011 he went from selling his macramé at craft markets to debuting his designs on the catwallcin 2012 as partof the spring haute couture collection with French designer Anne Valerie Hash. “This book features some wonderful contemporary designs, ‘some incorporating beads and even cabochon ‘Weare introduced to the materials we will need ane! then taken through the knots required ina step-by-step fashion with very clear photographs to show us exacty how to form the knots, Petiotadvises that we should carefully read each ofthe stop-hy-step sections before starting the project itself so as to completely understand each stage—taken bitby bitand broken down into pieces, even complicated instructions become much ‘easier Another tip isto practice every knot before starting a project ‘The projects start with relatively simple designs, becoming more complex.as you move through the book. Bach step of «project is carefully explained, accompanied by full colour photos ‘The projects include earrings, bracelets, pendants, anklet, wristhands, necklaces anda choker—something for everyone, and nothing like the designs from the 60s and 70s, Lynda Worthington Stitched Shibori Technique, Innovation, Pattern, Design Jane Callender Pier (Search Press) ISBN: 9781782211419 RRP: $49.99 Ina word, "wow!"—This incredible book contains all the {information a true beginner would need to getstarted with stitched shibori work Jane Callender, a renowned shibor artist, has created a true reference book which, while containing traditional techniques, also delves into innovative stitch techniques for shibor Jane has divided the book into three main sections: Techniques; Pattern; and Dyes, Under the heading of Techniques, jane hhas described a multitude of different stitch resist methods, ‘The “how to" pages are beautifully written wit plenty of 2 embellish Issue No 30 corresponding photographs e.g the effects of changing stitch lengths are displayed in photographs. ‘The diforunt stitch techniques are used individually or combined with other methods. Motif development s explained and explored, with many inspirational results, The techniques section i the major section of the book, and is very thorough, Including an ineredible number and style of techniques. Pattem isthe next section, looking at manipulating the structure of the resulting patterns—described accompanied with many diagrams and photos. ‘The fnal section is Dyes—a vast amount of which is devotwd to indigo vats and indigo dyeing, Other dyes are mentioned as well, eg. henna, natural dyes and Procion dyes. Recipes ae given for all Beginners and experienced dyers/shibori artists will revel in this book—sure tobe a treasured reference book. Lynda Worthington Raised Quilt and Stitch: Techniques, Projects and Pure Inspiration Sylvia Critcher earch Press) ISBN: 9781782210146 RRP: $49.99 Don't you love a bit texture? Sylvia Critcher has revived some textural quilting techniques that had almost disappeared, What makes her work so different? The techniques areal traditional (ltalian quilting trapunto and French boutis) but she has given thema new slant—revamped the tradition and simplified part ofthe process. She has combined them together and added traditional English quilting and knotting to the mix, plus some additional forms of embellishment. ‘The results very 3D and textural, and looks very complicated Critcher advises that isin fact quite easy to do, n partan ‘optical illusion through stitch, Shealso cautions that itis addictive. Each technique i illustrated via photos and described in deta, along with the equipment you will need and fabri, threads, and yarns. There isa section on stitches to use, from basic to more ‘complex hand stitches, and a mention of machine stitching ‘To tach the reader how to create the wonderful textures, Criteher steps us through creating small pincushion asa starter Following this are nine more intricate patterns. For each project, she has broken dow the design process into two oF three stages, to make itas clear as possible. Templates for the designs are printed onto pattern sheets, slotted intoa cardboant pocket on the inside ofthe back cover. Critcher doesn't just eave teat the projects—she has a section ‘on developing designs and another two sections which give the reader inspiration through showcasing quilts originating from her designs (some made by Critcher and others by a number of| her student). I think she's correct I think you wil find this addictive, + Else LawTextile Collage: Using collage techniques in textile art Mandy Pattullo (Bats | sen |) Textile | Collage 8184: Let's fae it, most of us have a fabric stash insulating the walls of ‘our homes. Some pleces will have special meaning, and others ‘we just “had to have", Others still may be too small to do much ‘ith, but too loved to throw ava. Mandy Patallo shows us how to repurpose our fabrics to create interesting collages, including clothing, portraits, quilts and books, ‘The book s divided into five sections. The first covers material diferent fabric types, colours, unpicking items, dyeing, making marks, storage and care. The second section moves, ‘on to making a collage and what to consider: The third section describes how to create portrait of people, animals and birds "The next section concentrates on creating collages tobe worn, Including upeyeling of old clothes, and the last section om creating a book ‘Within each section, we are aed by diagrams and easy to-follow instructions. Work from international artists also features ‘This isa great book to led you into the world of fabric collage, sand who knows?-—maybe a dentin that fabric stash? Elsie Law The Modern Natural Dyer: A Comprehensive Guide to Dyeing Sill, Weal Linen and Coton at Home Kristine Vejor ISBN: 9781617 In India and the USA, Kristine Vefar has learned so much inthe past ten years about natural dyes and dyeing, She's learned hundreds of ways to apply colourto cloth From this ‘exploration, she has created this guide which includes the most accessible dyes and easiest practices. In Chapter 1, Vojar gives an overview of dyeing with natural materials, Inluded isa gallery showeasing the natural dyes themselves, and the colours they produce on different fabrics. Chapter 2 is about choosing the fibres to dye, and Chapter 3 shows how to set up a workspace and dye ‘The next four chapters contain aserles of projects dyed using a range of her favourite techniques for home dyeing, Every project features an item that is dyed—some using pre-made blanks, ‘while others dye fabric tobe sewn and yarn to be knitted (the sewing and knitting instructions are provided), All up, there are 20 projects for home and wardrobe for you to try, in what isa ‘wonderful resource book for dyers ofl skill levels. Ese Law books Fabricadabra Simple Quilts, Complex Fabric: Discover the Hidden Potential in Your Stash Paula Nadelstorn hi RRP: $29.9 Paula Nadelstern shows us how to create incredibly complicated-looking quits using simple piecing and designs, relying on the patterns in the fabric used to create the complexity and illusions, Nadelstern showcases many quilts atthe beginning of her book, geting us to look closer to see how they were constructed, Design strategies are then discussed, and the fabrics that might be used —ineluding how much to purchase. ‘A great range of templates Is also given, and discussion on hhow to use them. ‘This book brings together many years of Nadelstern's experience, from which we, the reader can benefit. Through this book you will discover the hidden potential of your current fabric stash (but you'll always find another reason to increase your stash), understand the symmetry ina particular fabricand how you may fool the eye, and how to put itall together into an incredible quilt of your ovin design that looks more complex to make than it really was. Elsie Law can do BOO * Mail order * Shop online * Fast Shipping candobooks.com.au catalogue Contact us for a free catalogue. yee a kes Tel: 1300 308 261 Cue eed Isswe No20 embellish- Stitch Guide - Fly Stitch A B e \ J Cretan Stitch A Cc D: sG French Knot Feather Stitch A embellish Issue No 54 Fly stitch -This stitch may be worked asa single stitch rasa row. The row may bestraightor curved. ‘To work the stitch, bring your needle up through the fabric at A. Then take the needle back through the fabric at B and bring it out again at C with the thread between Aand B underneath the needle. Gently pull the thread to sit neatly and take theneedie back down through thefabricatD tofinish offthestitch, ‘The diagram directly to the eft shows the stitch worked in arow, Cretan Stitch - (pronounced “crete - an”) There are quite a number of, variations to how you can work this stitch. I have illustrated one way. The stitches are worked to the right and left of a central rib, with the needle at 90° to the direction of the stitched row. ‘To start the stitch, bring your needle up through the fabric at A. Take the needle back through the fabric at B and bring itout again at C with the thread underneath the needle and gently pull the thread to complete this part. Now, down at D and up at E with the thread underneath, and gently pull to complete this stitch. Next, down at F and up at G with the thread ‘underneath the needle. Down at H and up at and so on, Possible variations: the needle is not at 90° to the direction of your stitching, line, buts slanted at say 45° into the direction you are stitching; the two central guide lines are closer together; the two central guide lines are moved closer to the outer edges; stitches may be made very close together, or quite far apart; and so on. French Knot - After coming up through the fabric, you may wind the thread around the needle once, twice, thrice, or more. Keep some tension on the thread. (Ifind 1 need two hands) and the knot touching the fabric, re-enter the fabric close to where the thread comes out, taking the needle carefully through to the backand gently pulling to tighten the knot. Feather Stitch «This stitch may be worked in straight or curved rows. To work the stitch, bring your needle up through the fabric at A. Then take the needle back through the fabricat Band bring itoutagain at C with the thread between A and B underneath the needle. Gently pull the thread to sit neatly and take the needle back down through the fabricat D and upat Eto continue in this fashion for thelength of stitching required,(02) 4943 808 Spaibe. BATIK 0406 7 557 rant Re smileykylies@ bigpond.com 0400 344.793 www.colourstreams.com.au The Victorian internode.on.net [CP te icetons 4 ct | 0412351792 nEWENGLANO SAE WE coerstenewangladeom Advertise in logo listings. {$150 for the whole year ¢ "Contact ZEARTWEAR thegirlsdartwearpublcationscomau UBLICATIONS. FOR BACK ISSUES OF including: check out www.artwearpublications.com.au for all available issues ARTWEAR IPUBLICATIONS Wiech (EE Mec) Peet oe are i, We can print your designs or photos » onto fabric for you lynda.a@bigpond.net.au ‘www.lyndaanne.com Irsue No 30 embellishSUBSCRIPTION AND SALES ORDER FORM HM RATINTE sce eee Reece (oon Sartwith sue number 4 Bissues Bosic | Advanced | SUBTOTAL HOW TO ORDER -ss01102016 ONLINE: Ordersforsubscitions, backssuesandmerchand be placed directly (and securely) on our Arte Please complete thisform and pstto Art t FELT SECTION SUBTOTAL Sar whe number lerbel ish sitios | ssirinn | musi [FE Ssrtwithfsue number ‘A issue ferpaperandfobric | SUBTOTAL v v ‘ONE YEAR ‘TWO YEAR YARN Et | SAPD can | ttn | rn , te 7 7 7 = ramith sue mumbo Aissues Bissues SUBTOTAL CAN'T DECIDE WHICH MAGAZINE TO BUY? fage Made | ores | wren VINTAGE oiane | suesceion | svscron ai Seartwith sue Number 105 ‘SUBTOTAL a BUNDLE ieee PROAGE Pi ae ent, zm vampae—_ )SUBTOTAL Muss er TsaPah eae de tpn Wy " este World Star sve MDS. 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