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.