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.