the man at the rotary market thought some flowers would look great in this old jug....I said , "NO I'm going to dye fabric with it" he asked lots of questions.... I can't wait to see how much of the fire is still going tomorrow....I can have a play before the fire restrictions come in....amazing it is December and we have foot long GREEN grass and no fire restrictions

SWEET 16 & OOOH SOO LUCKY

What a night....It's not WINDY, It's not HOT, It's not WET, It's not RAINING ... It isn't COLD It's just ... FABULOUS...the Stars are amazing . I've just dropped Maddie and her mates in the paddock. 5 sixteen year olds, 4 swags , some deck chairs ....FOOD & water...and a RADIO, I did here some tickling in the bags , and found some passion pop. Ed has built them a little fire with old bits of wood and limbs...you could see it on mars.... I wish I was out there with my mates.....eating chocolate, watching the stars and giggling along with the RADIO. After the last few weeks of wild winds, rain and humid weather they have picked the best night for a sleep out under the stars.....I hope they always remember this one... There is not a breath of wind and the clouds have gone. I made them sushi and they cooked ginger bread, we will here the stories tomorrow. Now I will go to bed and plan which bundle I can put in what pot. Tomorrow I can try out my lovelly silk/ wool scarves I got from Dharma and Co. I found a great pot at the markets on Saturday will see if I can coax a Genie out of it...or at least some great colours....

LOCUSTS

India just left a post about the locusts and the strange weather.... It is getting stranger and stranger... Now god has stopped moving her furniture around it is a little quieter here. the thunder and lightning have been amazing. As for the locusts... On the ABC radio the gardening guru suggested covering all your best plants with cream shade cloth.... because locusts only attack green things... He made it sound like a scientific break through... "Locusts only see green" Farmers and Gardeners are so resilient, I suppose the whine and whinge brigade are annoying, but most are really just voicing troubles. They will back up and try again next year for that elusive perfect season, where everything sells well, nothing dies and we have leftovers. I hope the locusts don't strip everything. Perhaps god in her wisdom has sent the storms to slow the locusts. I had to chuckle at the thought of Ed & I running into bunnings for cream shade cloth for 2200 acres.... this could be expensive.

CHRISTMAS STITCHES

The weather has been amazing, Ed is trying to make hay. The baler and rake are battling against the heavy crops causing many costly breakdowns. The rain and humidity have been full on. The upside is lots of Great hay, unlike the poor grain growers who were looking at a great season. Just coming out of a drought and NSW looked so good, now people are under water.

Just in front of the rain.....

I have finished a little christmas ball for my sewing groups Christmas swap.

Our challenge was to make an ornament for the tree..

..

the year is drawing to a close...I've started listing achievements and wondering when I will get the bills paid, or some cards written, perhaps a christmas email.

I think being here on the net has made me happier...watching lots of creative people at work. however it does chew up my time....not sure where it goes.

I wish I had read more books this year. Working with the students at the secondary college was great fun.... I have some photos of the English students work to post up today. Lorna's students made these for the Casterton Kids.

....amazing

postcards.

STUDENTS WORK

I hope you enjoy my students work...their design ideas were so good ...

from top left we have "a snake in the outback" & a red back spider

middle row is Australia , Blade put a bead on his map of where we live...and his background fabric was sharks & fish. Next to that is a star fish on the "great Barrier reef"

and the bottom row has "Kookaburras in a gum tree" and "a Day at the beach", the iron on transfers were a great way for the kids to achieve a high quality image..

I have stayed on to help the kids make Pj's and boxer shorts...

Here are some of the cards we have received....Natural forms was the theme for All.

WHO IS THE STUDENT ??

Sorry I haven't been about enough. We've been to Canberra, what a great place to visit and it has been hectic. I visited Fiona Hammond and enjoyed an amazing lunch and lots of interesting photos and best of all her Bead work.. I was asked to help with a Yr 8 textile class at our local secondary college. I'm really not sure who the teacher is. I have learnt so much, mainly how difficult it can be to keep 14yr olds concentrating. What an experience I've had. The class had been making windcheaters and creating their own logos. I was given the first 6 kids to finish their work and we set about making Postcards to swap. We asked members of 'stitchin fingers' to swap a post card and Lorna from the UK offered her textile class to swap as well. So my kids made an A4 piece which we chopped into 4 postcards & then embellished them. The kids have kept a card and swapped the rest... We have received some fabulous cards from our ladies across the world and they are all keen to do this again next year...It is a little like pen pals of my generation...Some of my students have never had mail...WOW. I have great respect for teachers, but now I have even more...thank you to all involved

loot

It is always nice to participate....and even better to win...now I have recieved a fantastic parcel from India

I have had some great comments about my scarf. It is so light and warm all felted and stitched wool and velour...lots of postcards, books and a very cute silk hankie

lots of ideas and things to look at....

WINNERS ARE GRINNERS

How cool, I've won the writting competition over at India Flints site Jude and I were lucky to be chosen... glad it wasn't my job. I've had a big week, the textiles have taken a back seat for awhile so I best get back into it and post some more photos cheers Shazz

MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE

Over on India flints blog....not all those who wander are lost ....India is running a little competition. We have to look at the photo on her post and write a story , so here is mine....Now run off and have a look at the photo, let me know what you think....wish me luck. http://prophet-of-bloom.blogspot.com/ It's our ticket to riches….a Laundrette, we will make a fortune Darling.” Willows words swam about in the back of Beau’s head as he tried to fix the washing machine for the 15th time this week. “Bloody plans, stinking money, Beau yelled aloud as he jammed his thumb. Everyone in the Beautiful Laundrette stared… “What are you lot looking at” bellowed Beau. The customers went back to guarding their piles of washing. Lazing about on miss matched refugee furniture from a 70’s hard rubbish drop. Uni students and lost souls watch their life go around in a dryer. How did I fall for this shit, thought Beau we haven’t made any money because nothing ever works in here… even the lone gold fish in the old TV cabinet aquarium is sick. A smell wafted past him as he pulled the machines sump apart….coins…bobby pins, rocks and screws fell across the old green laminate table top. The only screw I ever get is from these bloody machines moaned Beau. A guy was leaning on the door jam; he turned following the smell and the plume of smoke to his dryer. He flung the door open grabbed his small pile of precious clothes and ran to the street. As his hands burned from the washing he threw it to the pavement. Beau doused the smouldering lump, picked up his phone and dialled and 12456. “Call connect” said the helpful voice, “Can I have Fitzroy real estate please”

SAFFRON & the Maharajahs Garden

Emma helping to unpack Saffron the suitcase. I have had a great week ushering Saffron the suitcase around my community. This display by the Australian Textile Arts and Surface Design Association arrived in the post. I showed her to Casterton Secondary College and Bainbridge college students before exhibiting her with the other community groups. She then went to Dartmoor to be shown to that community. It was fantastic to be able to go through the display book and see how these talented people had made their works. This was such a fantastic tool for the textile students.

(above) this is the Cobbadah centre of my daughters School, this is a common room connected to the canteen...a fantastic room where the students can sit , eat, chat and stay warm.

EXHIBITION

Well it's over, all the hard work and concern have passed. The hall looked great and proved to be a fantastic venue. I was pleased with how it all looked.... the different community groups who were involved loved it.

but I have decided that the more I have to do with the general public the more I like my dog.....

We just didn't get the support from the community.... We didn't get much of a go in the local paper, my adds and posters just didn't seem to find the mark. I had contacted every textile and art group I could think of but they weren't all supportive. We did raise a little bit of money for relay for life, but really not what I had hoped for. It can be so expensive to advertise...and it isn't guaranteed that the public will turn up. I asked lots of questions and some of the comments amazed me...people have quite strange ideas and perceptions.

The people who came loved it and I have had lots of fantastic comments. People have asked that we do it again.... The support of friends who helped with setup and packup was priceless, thanks girls.

felting warms the soul

Yesterday I took to my felting and found myself at the kitchen table rolling, rolling rolling in the wee small hours.... the result I'm quite happy with. what do you think? the idea that the piece is the same on both sides was a little difficult to do, perhaps would be quicker if I used plain prefelt on the back and then sandwiched the other piece to the front... I'm on a roll off to make some scarves keep warm

Wow it is so cold....I think I will have to get into the felting today to warm up. I have found a fabulous textile artist to add to my long list of places to go and wonder. http://aventurestextiles.blogspot.com/ Cecile has some fantastic photos on her blog... go there and check out her beautiful work.

I have been away on a 5 day road trip with my Dad. He has Kelpies which he works in Yard Dog trials. It's nice to spend some time with him and to meet his friends. I wish I could have stopped along the way and collected some eucalyptus leaves... but 76yr old farmers just don't get pots of boiling leaves. No time for that rot !

It is great to get back to organizing my textile exhibition.... I have decided to add some heritage textile work. To move forward and improve it is sometimes good to look back and see how it was done in the past. Perhaps people will see the art in some of the beautiful old garments. A local group have some Embroidered Irish linen and another Friend has her Mothers Trou`sseau which was all hand sewn. the local Heritage Society are helping with display cases and some lovely things from their collection. It's exciting.

Fireworks and Wings

My ATC's for Lorna are done, I hope she likes them

Felted....

I put up some images of prefelt I had dyed, well here is the finished felt....so warm

Wood , wood and more wood

Just loaded 44 tonne of redgum wood on a truck... this was a fundraiser for our local football club. It leaves me questioning the ethics of cutting and burning this beautiful timber. We need warmth, wood is renewable. Is it better than gas or electricity ? We had a big storm go through last year that left a massive trail of distruction. We could never use all the wood in our life time that it left on the ground. So it is better to cut it up and sell it, rather than rot away or us burn it to clean up the paddocks. No one puts up their hands to come plant trees to replace it though. What does the money go towards... well hopefully better facilities. Anything that encourages young adults to get off the couch and play sport. Some have strange ideas of their worth...amazing how people with little family support and issues with alcohol and drugs all think they are Sooooooooo good.... Country football and netball is about to die unless more people come help us run the clubs... No responsibility for what needs to be done... They just want to be paid and don't seem to think that they should train. Apparently they are so good they don't need to do that. It is frustrating yet if We stop running these clubs, where will these country kids go....to the pub ? Hopefully our wood will keep someones family warm and a business running.

Pen pals and postcards

Lorna's fireworks Piece

I've been involved with a textile swap on Stitchin fingers for a year or so and have received some fantastic little treasures from around the world. It is like the pen pals I had when I was at primary school. this months theme is Fireworks...Lorna's piece has already arrived and it is fantastic...thanks again. I have one to make for the WA branch of ATASDA too... "natural wonders" I've started it, some stitching and natural dye work...I've now felted it and I think I will over dye again... hopefully it is like the animal tracks in the desert after the sun rise, it always amazes me what lives in the desert and you hardly see them. NATURAL WONDERS

It is nice to make beautiful things from the leaves that have been dropped. the apple leaves on the ground are now brown but they make the best golden dye. the peppermint gum leaves turn a red rust. this woollen prefelt I hope to turn into a scarf.....stay tuned.

another day of lamb marking....hopefully they will all be done this week....woo hoo

We do love the lunches. It is great to sit around a fire and eat nice soup OR curried sausages or have a hot tea and smell the gum trees.....that's a whole lot better than the smell of shitty sheep.

I do love being able to make up bundles of koala food and simmer them while we work.

Koala food is my room mates name for my natural dye bundles....lots of gum leaves boiled and wrapped

My pots steaming on the fire. I got an oil bucket from the footy club and cleaned it up it makes a great pot to boil some big things....can't wait until tomorrow to open my bundles.....

Bundles of wool prefelt. I wrapped metal with leaves and wool and boiled them in peppermint gum, they are sitting quietly until I can't wait and have to unbundle them.

better weather

The weather was so cold and wet last week that it was difficult to think past HOT food and a warm place. the last 2 days have been so nice. Cold starts , with a frost on the ground, but warm sunny days. the sunset has been clear and red, no wind and with a big fire in an old log down the paddock, it was great. While we mark the lambs we always have an inviting fire going for our lunch to stew away while we work....or so I can burn the sausage rolls. I thought I would be clever and put them (still frozen) in a camp oven with some coles from the fire on top....and they would warm.....not burn and end up like lumps of brick...never mind will try again. I can't resist the fire...it is great to boil up some leaves and do some dye pots. Koala food as the better half calls it. India Flint speaks of time being your friend when you dye this way. It is best to keep track of time and let things rest and wait...yeah right. I bundled up some wool and silk with leaves I collected from Murrays Cottages in Penola. So many Eucalyptus and a great 9 hole golf course I will be going back there. The pots were boiled and left to themselves for the night. Well I have no patients so the fact that the tin bucket with my wool scrap in it is 5 kms away is the only thing stopping me from opening it.

wow dogs, dogs and more dogs Casterton Kelpie Muster is over .....My clean up will be on going though Such a great weekend of good cheap entertainment...lots of hard work for all the volunteers and commitee . I organized the catereing for the hungry people at the dog auction on sunday....with the help of 40 or so people, maybe more. We had the usual home made soup, Hot donuts, steaks , salad wraps, Lamb rolls with gravy...sausages , hamburgers and lots and lots of chips. Probably not the 'master chef' idea but it is what they want. The dogs sold well, $130,000 gross, top dog was $8600 ... for a dog...My Kari says it should cook tea and do the washing for that. we have sold 1.1 Million dollars worth of dogs now... The town has put it's best foot forward again. A Parade of happy locals, lots of games and so many Kelpies..

Big weekend....very slow Monday

It has been a very slow Monday...can't seem to get the jobs done. I'm busy with the organization for the Casterton Kelpie Muster. Having had a great couple of days in Melb with Family...a Trip home Sat morning footy all day....then it was off to the races for the day yesterday....just can't look at a spread sheet or a box of Kelpie Stuff Oh well , I'm off to put my head into it

debs & their parents

Starting to get my nose in front. Last week was a whirl wind...got through the Debutante ball. the stage looked great, the kids looked lovely, and they danced well. it was the parents who misbehaved. Amazing how people now think they have the right to complain about everything. If they are paying they have all the say....Well I'm not so sure. They complained that their son shouldn't have to wear what was picked out for him....and definately NOT tails. They didn't want their Daughters on a dirty stinking bus. It is the cleanest bus in the south west. they didn't want a tartan scarf....it's a pipes and drums ball for god sake. Were not happy with the seating and wanted to sue if it wasn't changed. No wonder there are so many precious little princesses in the world. They are being brought up to demand everything their way, and to make allowances for nothing. Not sure how we make these people realize that the world is shared by all of us and if we want a nice ride we need respect and responsibility for our actions...

The First

I've been thinking about this for sometime...blogging. I love to read other blogs and to see what some creative people are thinking. So here goes I hope you enjoy coming on this journey with me, that's if there is anyone out there reading this.

Lately we seem to have gotten into a bit of a mess around here. The farm has been so busy that not much else has been done. It seems Mess has been the major discussion at the ATASDA too, with many posts about how to cope with the cluttered studio or house. Many of the women had ways of coping with the demands of cleaning and feeding a family. Usually their art and textiles seemed to win and the dust grew deeper in the corners of their homes. That's me an hour on the sewing machine is worth a 1/4 inch of dust. I have promised myself I will get my house in order. It's time to clear the dust and cobwebs.

It's the calving season here, fresh little shorthorn angus cross babies everywhere. It's very dry and we have to feed constantly but they really are cute. It's the beginning for them too