eco wonder

I have been dyeing silk as a summer alternative for sales this season. Seems people don't want to even touch wool when its over 30 outside.
This process never ceases to amaze me. The colour variations from just one pot of onion skins with different metal additives is astounding.
I also soy mordanted some cotton and here are the results. The outlines have a wonderful smokeyness to them.

Allotment Garden.

An allotment Garden is what I need
To lose myself whilst planting seed.
To plant each seed in row upon row
with care and wonder each seed I sow.
Then to work with daily toil
I'll tend and nurture this allotment soil.
The sun and rain sustain and feed,
yes an allotment garden is what I need.

This is a response to India's blogging bee. The photo is some of the beautiful work to be found on Phoenix's blog

Confessions of a Teacher.

I must confess that in doing workshops it is often I who am the learner.
Isn't it amazing how the same set of instructions to all my students can provide so many different responses. Their answers coming from their own experiences, colour prefences, styles and personalities.
On Sunday I gave a nuno felting workshop. We all had a great time and the products were fantastic. Yummy examples of colour and drape. Thanks to everyone I learnt a lot!

Hats

Two new hats for the shop. I'm promoting the fact that you can change what the tail does according to your mood! Curly, swoopy or frazled.

Finally

Yes I have finally got my etsy site up. I don't know really why it took over two years but there you have it. It just couldn't make up on the list of to dos. So these school holidays I have spent time with my beautiful boys and done all the necessary things to get the shop underway. It is a pathetic offering I must grant, but baby steps are always tentative.
Please take a look if only to help the hit counter or whatever it is that helps you get up in the ratings. MYSHOP!

Ring ring

These are a new whimsy of mine to try to capture some of the summer market. It gets very hard to sell wool here in the summer as people don't even want to touch it much. Too hot. I rely on those with forward thinking, or tourists heading home to cooler climbs. The colours of the first photo are not very accurate as I took it inside with a flash but you get the idea.

New babies

I am involved with the craft group at my son's school and we make some beautiful things. I love the communally made items the best. The things that are passed on and each person adds another part. They mermaid with the felted tail was one such project. I made the tail and another mum made the doll. We named her Shellshine. The other mermaid (Celeste) was made by another mum. She has a spare outfit as her tail comes off and she can party on land too! I made the spring fairy (flora belle), She has a bag of fairy dust and pink suede shoes! . It is just delightful to watch the children come in and "ooh" and "ahh" over them. They are desperate to see the new dolls and animals each fair.
We had a great fair today. We all worked very hard and I think I will sleep very hard tonight as well.

Ethel's Locks

I went on search at the Bendigo wool show for a sheep with some long curly locks. I have some ideas for collars, cuffs etc I wanted to play with. Well my son was the one who actually found the sheep as I was busy at the stall all the time. The sheep was an English Leicester and the farmer's name is Ethel. She looks like she's been farming all her life and she has such a beautiful, genuine affection for her animals. She lets a handful of babies grow their locks. They are such beautiful animals. Ethel was quite excited at the prospect of the locks going into a felt piece. She sent me a sample and I made these two wraps to test out my ideas. They worked perfectly so I look forward to making the next pieces

Homebirth Rally - Canberra

Well I'm back from the homebirth rally and very glad I went. it was great to show some solidarity around this event. Nicola Roxon declined to talk to us but many others did. The rain was persistent which was a shame and we did get very wet.
There has been a stay of execution for two years. There is still no indemnity insurance for midwives however. So the fight must go on. I urge all Australians who care about democratic rights of choice to write to all tiers of government about this issue.
You can see my sign in this video but it is sideways so you can't read it. It said
HOMEBIRTH
MY VOICE
IS
PRO CHOICE
Kinda catchy I thought!

21st century? I don't think so.

I find myself moved to take up a sign and march again. (I don't mean that I marched with the suffragettes pictured, but have been known to hold up a placard or two) I do not really make a habit of protesting, though I may make many comments to anyone who will listen when outraged by something on the telly. I may even mumble something about writing a letter.
Let me explain.
When birthing the 2nd and third of my children I was able to do so in the comfort of my own home. My first birth in a hospital had been a very long and drawn out affair and I thought that I’d prefer to spend my “waiting” time in the comfort of my home.
I was able to have a beautiful water birth with the 2nd child and felt the whole practice was a lot more relaxed. The third birth was much quicker and sadly there was only 6 inches of water in the bath before he arrived, but he was delivered safely on the kitchen floor. Each of these births was not undertaken lightly. I read expansively on homebirth and was cared for by my chosen Midwife, a woman of many years experience, who brought with her warmth and security to this event. I was able to have continuing care before and after the birth. She was able to ensure that my children were well established into breastfeeding and that my own health was good.
I will explain now that this opportunity will be no longer available to women in Australia. Nicola Roxon MP and the Government are effectively outlawing Homebith in Australia. There will be no insurance for midwives and they will run the risk of prosecution should they attend births in homes.
This kind of near sighted prohibition will drive homebirth mothers into riskier unattended “free” births. I agree that this kind of homebirth is risky.
My own confidence in having a home birth was in knowing the midwife was a trained and competent professional and would take us to hospital in a timely fashion should it become necessary.
I feel that every woman should be able to choose where she would like to birth and be supported in that choice, not demonised. There is alot of misinformation out there. Many European countries and the UK support homebirth as a safe and valid option for women. Really this whole idea belies the fact that we are supposed to be living in an informed and modern world.
So next Monday I will protest in Canberra with many others who would stand by the right of women to birth in the way and place of their choice .

Optim + Dyepot = great colour

I tried felting some optim fibre the other day. Not the most pleasant of fibres to work with. It has a tendency to fly up your nose and almost work it's way into your pores. It is also quite staticky.
It takes a bit longer to felt but the end product is definitely very soft.
I dyed the two pieces with eucalypt and onion skins and the colour response was quite intense. One was a single layer nuno piece and the other 2 layers of fibre alone.

Spring Workshop

Today was the last of this months beginner workshops and it was very busy indeed. It was a big class but everyone did such a good job!
These final pics are indeed the students work.