Bags the Date

Quick. Go and grab the calendar and/or diary and claim this date. Don’t miss out on the next BrisStyle Indie Designer Market.

The BrisStyle Indie Designer Markets are back in the heart of Hamilton for yet another beautifully eclectic handmade event to warm the heart and soul.
Featuring local emerging and established artists, crafters and designers from Queensland’s South East who specialise in producing quality handmade goods including handbags, sweet art, jewellery, children’s wear and vintage re-creations.

Think quality, gorgeous, soulful and original creations that give lovers of locally handmade wares the chance to support their local community.

Set in the sweet retro hall and gorgeous leafy grounds of St Augustine's Church on Racecourse Road, Hamilton on Saturday July 9, this boutique event promises to provide the perfect environment to showcase these talented designers.

The Winter BrisStyle Indie Designers Market gives you the chance to see first-hand why these Markets are renowned for being the hottest destination for handmade.

What: The BrisStyle Indie Designers Market
When: Saturday July 9 2011 9am-2pm, and again Saturday December 10 2011 9am-4pm
Where: St Augustine’s Church Hall and grounds, Racecourse Road, Hamilton

School Holiday Sewing Classes

It is School Holiday time again and smallthingsMade will be running Term 2 School Holiday Sewing Classes over a few days.

Classes will be held at the Ithaca Presbyterian Church Hall located behind the Church at 100 Enoggera Terrace Red Hill.

The timetable is as follows;

Mon 27 June 10-12noon

Young Sew 1: Brooches ages 6+

Young Sew Geeks Gadget Covers ages 6+

1.30-4.30pm

Young/Teen Sewing 1: Petite Skirt ages 10+

Tue 28 June 9.30-12.30pm

Adult Sewing

1.30-4.30pm

Young/Teen Sewing 3: PJ Pants ages 10+ NEW CLASS

Wed 29 June 10-12noon

Young Sew 2: Softies ages 6+

1.30-3.30

Beginners Knitting ages 10+

Tue 5 July 1.30-3.30

Beginners Knitting ages 10+

For more information and bookings please visit www.smallthingsmade.blogspot.com

The next session of Young/Teen Weekend Sewing Classes will be held Saturday 16, 23 & 30 July.

Adult Sewing Classes are held every Tuesday morning from 9.30-12.30. The next session of Saturday afternoon Adult classes will on 6,13 & 20 August.

Felt Magazine

Felt magazine is one of three textile magazines printed under the banner of ArtWear Publications. In the current edition they have included a review of my book, How to Teach Art & Craft.

If you are wanting to teach you can grab a copy here.

The Crafter’s Way 184 - Craft Books

Library Review
The Moreton Bay Regional Council Libraries have a wonderful variety of craft books to borrow. Many of these books are recent releases. These books all came from the Redcliffe Library.
Cross Stitch Miniatures by Fransie Snyman (745.443SNYM)
I love Cross Stitch but sometimes can feel overwhelmed by larger projects. This book offers a multitude of Cross Stitch charts that won’t take a lifetime to complete. The first section covers the techniques, materials, threads and finishing in enough detail for the novice without boring the seasoned Cross Stitcher. Each design comes with a full colour chart and suggestions for use. Relief Carving Wood Spirits by Lora S. Irish (731.541IRI)
Relief woodcarving is a type of woodcarving where all the dimensional work appears on the front side of the piece with the back being left flat. Do I sound like I know what I’m talking about? That’s about it. Lucky for you the Author has written a thorough and well planned guide to relief woodcarving. Part I covers tools, materials, skills and techniques. Part II introduces you to carving wood spirits with part III covering patterns. Even if you are not inspired by wood spirits this book will get you started relief woodcarving. Rags to Riches - The Craft of Fabric Sculpture by Irene Grant (746.GRA)
This is a practical craft book with its step by step photographs and instructions. Using easily sourced materials this could be a great way to creatively use up left over fabric. I suspect this could be a very messy craft although the author’s hands seem to stay remarkably clean. I’m sure this book will only serve as a starting point to your own imagination.
Kids Country – Crafty Gifts to Make for Children by Susie Lacome (746.46 LAC) includes 28 projects suitable for small children. Don’t be put off by the country theme; there are some really cute projects that could easily be transferred to a different style or palette. If you are an inexperienced sewer flip to the back for comprehensive instructions for the necessary techniques. My favourite project is the rag book for littlies, plenty of scope here for your own creative inclusions.
Paper Flights by Jack Botermans (736.98 BOT)
We’ve all made paper airplanes at some stage. Most failed to fly very far. If you still have unresolved issues about your childhood paper planes this is therapy in a craft book. This book is pure fun, my husband and I made a heap of these, all in the name of research of course. The author is an obvious devotee however he has recognised that some readers are only interested in revisiting their childhood. For them he has included instructions for a flying saucer, various birds and insects. I think this is a perfect school holiday book.

The Crafter’s Way 183–Basket Weaving

 
Basket weaving is the process of weaving un-spun pliable fibres into baskets, bowls and similar forms. It is also known as basket making or basketry. Many Archaeologists believe that basket weaving is the oldest craft known to man. Even if it is not the oldest there is no doubt that ancient cultures used the same techniques we still use today. Archaeologists have found evidence of baskets buried deep within Egyptian pyramids.

Basket weaving grew out of necessity, indigenous people across the world all used baskets as storage for food and seeds. These items were then traded and transported across the seas in their baskets. It is little wonder then that there very little difference in basket making technique and patterns across cultures.
In simple terms there are four different types of basket making. Coiled basketry is the technique of winding a grass snake and securing it with a stitch very centimeter. Baskets made using a plaiting technique uses pliable fibres that are wide and flat. Baskets made using the twining technique are probably the most identifiable to the novice as it refers to a weaving technique. Splint or wicker weaving is a basket making technique using flat material like cane or reeds.

As ancient as the art of basket making is it still survives today and if the recent Saviours of the Lost Arts Craft Fair is any indication it is not only surviving it is flourishing. During this recent successful fair I counted no less than 3 individual basket makers displaying their wares. Among them was Brisbane Fibre Artist, Robyn Van Holland.
Robyn works with plant materials to make structural forms. After attending some basic basketry weaving courses Robyn honed her skills while attending master classes with Virginia Kaiser and Nalda Searles. Robyn combines her love of travelling with basket making. Using fibres collected while on her travels Robyn creates new and exciting sculptural forms that encourage creative uses. Not content with just using natural fibres Robyn has recently started incorporating fabric in the form of old neckties, copper wire and threads.

If you are interested in learning basket making please contact the Queensland Spinners and Weavers.
All images: Robyn Van Holland, her Etsy shop is fibreartist44

The Best Ever Garage Sale

Yesterday morning saw me bravely waiting in the cold for the year’s best garage sale to open. It’s held at one of the local schools and all funds raised go toward offsetting the costs for their disadvantaged students to go to camp. Before we left I did have a quiet word with Alan about the fact that we really didn’t need another television, no matter how cheap they were. He was very happy  anyway. He bought 2 sets of wireless thingys and the camera I took these photos with for $7. The camera is brilliant and much better quality than the one I usually use. It is the same brand so it takes the same memory card, etc. I picked up a heap of dress fabric. A lady who was also picking through the fabric found these cute alphabet motifs. She showed them to me and said, “what a pity they are thermal lined, I can’t use these”. As soon as she had put them down I scooped them up thinking, “ I don’t what I’m going to use them for but I will come up with something”. There were multiples of every letter cut out plus with a little more digging I unearthed  a large piece of the fabric they came from. SOLD!

Latest Garage Sale Finds

I was most excited when I found these finished cross stitched pieces going for a song. I wonder what the maker had planned for them? A DMC book of cross stitch borders. I buy bags of assorted threads to use to hold the skein of threads together while dyeing. It doesn’t matter if it’s poor quality cause it going  straight into the bin when I’ve finished. But hidden in the bag were  six wooden cotton reels. And last but not least are two wire hearts just waiting to be embellished. All of these items are now in Pandora’s Box waiting for a new home.

Public Holiday Art

Monday was a public holiday here in Qld. I think I must have been the only person who was praying for a wet day. If the sun had  been out I might have ended up doing the washing or gardening. Instead I got to play around with fabric, paint and glue.

I wasn’t looking to create a masterpiece just to have fun. From heaps of very tiny scraps of  Eco Dyed Fabric I created a heap of equally tiny Suffolk Puffs. I then painted a canvas pink and silver and started gluing. Nice way to spend a couple of hours in my studio.

Handmade Gifts

While at the recent Pine Rivers Gallery Market Day I was lucky enough to spend the day with Cath Macauley. Cath makes these gorgeous hearts that I wrote about in a Messenger column. Cath gave me this heart to hang from a kumihimo braid. I went through my stash and found this braid. Unfortunately it is a remnant from another project and not long enough. There was also a group at the Market who were making and giving away badges. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

The Crafter’s Way 182 – Blanket Stitch

This week’s Messenger column is a Blanket Stitch tutorial

Blanket stitch is one of the most popular embroidery stitches. Also known as Buttonhole Stitch it can be used as an edging stitch, seaming stitch and a decorative stitch. There are many variations of Blanket Stitch, the most common one being used to edge blankets and appliqué. Here today I will show how to do Blanket Stitch, Closed Blanket Stitch, Crossed Blanket Stitch and Knotted Blanket Stitch

Blanket Stitch: Working from left to right bring the needle up at (A) insert needle at (B). Bring needle up again at (C) holding thread under needle repeat. Crossed Blanket Stitch: Working from left to right bring the needle up at (A), insert at (B), and bring up at (C) on the bottom line, (C is half way between a & B), holding the thread under the needle. Insert needle at (D,) directly above (C), and bring up at (E) again holding the thread under the needle. Continue. Closed Blanket Stitch: Working from Left to right bring the needle up at (A). Holding the thread down insert the needle at (B) and bring up again at (C).

Knotted Blanket stitch: Working from left to right bring the needle up at (A). Make a loop from right to left over your thumb and slip it onto the needle. Keeping the loop on the needle insert the needle in at (B) and bring up under (C) holding the thread under the needle.

Kumihimo Kids

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had visits from some of the kids from the Term 1 class. They had all finished their first ever braid done on the plate. I decided to get them back and show them how to make a headband. This Emily, at 11 years old she is the oldest of the group. This is her braid still on the plate. We took them all off and gave them a good steaming to straighten out some of the edges.Here is Emily wearing her kumihimo headband.  I quickly managed to snap a couple of the other braids.No time for setting up the lightbox or trimming stray threads. The girl who made this one used her school colours so she can wear it with her uniform. For their ages these kids did a brilliant job. Before they left I got them all to start a zigzag braid. Can’t wait to see them completed.

Art Market Day

On the 28th May I attended the Pine Rivers Art Market Day held at the Pine Rivers Art Gallery. Held in conjunction with the Pine Rivers Festival this is a fun filled day for both artists and market goers. Brice Ellem is a talented local artist.

Eggshell Artistry by Beverley Currie Nicky Carey Wood carving by Radha Pedersen Clay Buttons by Aiko & Keiko KondoPaper Art By Lesa Hepburn 

There were so many talented artists who helped make this a successful day. Looking forward to next year.

Saviours Of The Lost (Japanese) Arts

In today’s Sunday Mail on page 72 I feature in an article on ‘lost’ Japanese arts. Also featuring Melanie from Kimono Reincarnate, a fellow Brisstyle member, the article is promoting the Brisbane City Council’s Saviours of the Lost Arts festival. Tomorrow, Monday 6th June I will be holding a session on How to Teach Art & Craft at the Bleeding Heart Art Gallery. Starting at 2pm the talk will cover topics from my book of the same title.