Model Magic

I've been working on paper mache display props for my stall at the Made in Thornbury Market this weekend. I figure paper mache gives me the reality of lumpy-bumpiness and asymmetry that we all enjoy in real life.

This manequin was originally white styrofoam and rather idealistic in it's shape. It then had a  time of being covered in newspaper--I've searched back through my blog and am surprised that I can't find a picture of it in that form. Now it's covered in brown paper and several coats of sealer to go with my new look.

I'm at the sorting and labelling phase of my market preparation. Though I can't guarantee that there won't be a burst of creativity or two yet before Saturday. And in case you've missed it somehow: you're invited! Please come to the market at 99 Leinster Grove, Thornbury. It's on from 10 am til 2 pm.

Fantasy Flowers

One of the things I love about making things is that I can have any colour I like. Especially when I dye the fabric myself. Here's a green rose.

Unfortunately that truth doesn't quite apply to my photos yet --bring on the photoshop skills--the real thing is brighter and greener than this.

So I now have hand dyed cotton roses in magenta, yellow and blue. And there are more to come.

At some stage this week I'm going to have to stop making new things and concentrate on organising and labelling the things I've already made--but that's not going to be today. 

Catching Up on Z's

It's the first day of daylight saving here in Melbourne. A funny concept when you come to think of it--reflecting our preoccupation with the clock. So according to the new clock I lost an hour of sleep last night. And I've had a cluster of--unusual for me--evening commitments lately. I've taken a slow morning as a result, followed by an after-lunch nap.

In between catching up on sleep I've been finishing off some of the display props for my market stall next week. I'll show you the paper mache creations once they've had a chance to dry and I've had a chance to retrieve my big table from under the pile of debris. There is enough space to show you this one:

Z is for Z Twist Art! It's painted and ready to draw attention to itself.

Now to celebrate what promises to be a sunny afternoon--and the extra hour of evening daylight--with a nice ride while the paint dries. I think I have a plan. 

Possibilities

I've been playing with this ball of handspun merino plied with silk. It was one of those random little spinning experiments quite a while back. I love how the silk filament shines out of the softer fibre. Anyway, I had about 50 grams of it and no particular plan.

On the left is a "flower" of sorts based on the medallion idea I had a little while ago. What I didn't mention at the time is that this is yarn crocheted around a metal washer from the hardware store. I have to decide how to finish the centre.

The other little thing is only a few centimetres across. It's a tiny bit of needle weaving and I'm not quite sure where it's going, but I like the simplicity. Here it is in close up.

With the forecast maximum temperature half what it was earlier in the week, I'm glad to be playing with a warm orange colour. As you can see, there's a fair bit of it left--stay tuned. 



Roses Galore

I'm continuing to make hand-dyed cotton roses. Meanwhile the garden is bursting into bloom.

So I have fabric roses on my table and recently picked rose blossoms hanging to dry. That's the next step of this year's Christmas pot pourri underway. I've been drying orange peel for quite a while already. 

Fresh Today

I've just popped in from my studio to post my latest makes.

Another felt and fibre necklace--I'm having lots of fun making these! And a new hand-dyed cotton rose brooch. There's good news on that front.   I've worked out that I don't need to iron the fabric or cut it neatly. Tearing off a strip of the right width works just as well. Now I can get on with some other colours.

And I've picked the first two real roses the Spring from my Lorraine Lee bush. It normally blooms way earlier than this, but I suspect there's been just a bit too much neglect in the garden lately.

New in Blue

I made another welcome visit to Beautiful Silks on the weekend. Having tried out the samples I'd picked up last time, I was ready to stock up. I'm very excited about this new fabric-yarn. It's a silk waste in the form of torn strips. Perfect for dyeing and mixing with all sorts of other lovely things. Here it is in blue, fresh from my dyepot.

I've promised myself some time in my studio this afternoon to start working with it--or should that be playing with it?