Fiber Artist Adventures

I have recently decided to try to expand my skills with art though working on some new techniques and ideas. I have been lucky to come across some great new books in the local library - jam packed with ideas to add texture , interest and uniqueness to fabric . This is great news for someone like me who wants to do more with what stash of supplies I have as well as expand the prospects for upcycled fabrics.

One book I am working my way through my way at the moment is called Hot Textiles by Kim Thittichai. This is a wonderful book that is a great addition to the Fiber artist library. It shows how to use heat tools , like irons, soldering irons , heat guns to melt and dissolve fabrics so that it crinkles and puckers or burns to add interesting holes and textures.This morning I have been experimenting with some organza , tulle and polyester fabric and even lace...using a tea light and flame I have burnt and created holes in the fabric and then layer stitched one on top or the other to create a heavy texture and peep holes fabric that is quite pleasing. I am using this final fabric as part of the skirt to my witch doll as I wanted her to have clothing that was wild and colourful and bohemian . I am quite pleased with the results and the way it has transformed ordinary upcycled fabric  into something quite different and unique..There is also a fun aspect to watching the fabric melt and burn into an interesting shape..I have yet to try experimenting with some other things in the book like melting plastic bags...and other materials but already the possibilities are opening up. If you try any of this or have tried any of these techniques I would love to hear about it...

I will list the completed doll on Etsy  store when she is done....

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MysticHillsNgaroma

Bottoms up!!

After yesterdays flippant quip about earthquakes and Beer we had an earthquake last night! Not a big one to be sure but enough to shake the bed and wake the dogs with its rumble.
So I lay there in the dark waiting for an aftershock or something bigger thinking-Damn, I didn't stockpile any Beer. Actually I'm not a big beer drinker and I am a little nervous about natural disasters but realise that I have to go on living today and tomorrow no matter what may occur so I may as well not worry about it and enjoy every moment I have.
Here's hoping you have a great day no matter what may occur in your world. Peace really is an inner state.

Peace in a shaking World

The Moment the quake struck Christchurch

Fallen buildings, displaced people, grief and destruction on a massive scale assaults us every time we turn on the TV or Radio these past few weeks. Christchurch is not far from where we live, we felt the shakes albeit at a much lessened intensity and the destruction there has affected our lives in many ways. Disruption of mail and food distribution, an increased population as refugees flee to our part of the country and beneath it all the disquieting realisation that our world is not as solid as we would like to believe.
Then Japan and its terrible tsunami's, the effects of which where evident along our shores and now the ongoing nuclear disaster.  It is easy to become alarmed and afraid under such circumstances so how do we continue life as normal? Or should we make sudden and drastic changes to our lives in an effort to find safety in troublesome times?

These are big questions and I do not presume to answer them for you, rather I share my own response to these tragedies as one human to another. Let me begin by saying that we have been hosting a refugee from Christchurch who was forced from her house by the damage from the February 22 quake and it would be fair to say that her nerves were somewhat less than settled. Aftershocks, constant news footage and public discussion of earthquakes and the damage suffered is our daily fare. Add to that the fact that I write this within site of the biggest fault line in NZ on a site that has been severely shaken more than once in the past 100 years and you begin to get a sense of the uncertainty we are living with day to day. The tragic loss of life and property should not be taken lightly yet nor should we succumb to depression in our grief. There has also been a prediction of a big quake in the next few days for our area-one that has been hotly debated as to its authenticity.
 All that aside, the question remains, does my security and personal peace come from external circumstances or can I find a stability within myself despite chaos all around?

There are some shining examples throughout history of those who have walked in peace in the midst of turmoil  and you don't have to look far to find writings describing one way or another to achieve this state of internal peace. As for myself I had this conversation with a local tradesman today and asked him if he had prepared in any way for the predicted big one. His answer.... Yeah, I've stocked up on Beer!
I reckon if you're the type that thinks the world is coming to an end you could ease up a bit and stock up on Beer,. It's probably at least as effective as worrying.

Cheers.

Sunrise

As Summer fades and the days grow shorter I am rising in ever-increasing darkness these mornings. It is a beautiful time of the year, the wheat and barley have been harvested, most of the lambs have long been sold and as the dry takes a firm grip the colour of the land becomes like golden straw. The days can be hot and dusty leaving one parched and crusty by evening, but each morning there is a cool freshness that rejuvenates hope and energy for the new day.
I often pause just outside my door and marvel at the drama of dawn. The exuberant flourish in the eastern sky before the first pink light touches the hills across the river. Each day is new and each new day ushers a new season closer. Nothing is the same as yesterday for night has placed a barrier between what was and what is.
It is always my favourite time of any day, those moments filled with promise and bird song. Moments of stillness before the wind and work of the day begin.
Sometimes I am beset by melancholy echoes of yesterdays long gone and it is a good reminder that each day is new, each start a fresh one. We are never bound by what has been for only what we cling to can pass through the night with us. So as I untie the dogs and let the dew wet my boots I draw deep breaths of newness and welcome the light of a world awaiting my participation in its joy.

The Bells of Aotearoa

The Bells of Aotearoa     by Greg Wilson begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     copyrightend_of_the_skype_highlighting

 

In memory of the Miners of the West Coast who never came home.

Written in 2010 after the Pike River mine explosion that claimed the lives of twenty nine miners the attitude of the West Coast people leaves an indelible impression. They demonstrate a healthy acceptance of life, risk and loss that was once common in this great little country of ours. Not for them the closing down of all risk to cower in fear endlessly gnashing teeth over what they have lost.  Instead they show an honest appraisal and expression of their loss with a determination to overcome their grief and live on in the fullness of their experiences together as a community. A rugged and daunting natural environment the West Coast has no patience for unrealistic sentiments born of an urban existence far removed from the land that sustains it. Coasters, I salute you.

Paparoa shrouded grey, lies muted ‘neath the pall

the bells, they toll for miners gone, breakers roll and roll

softly dripping tears of sacred mists speak their peace

unto the gloom, come back they say, on a cloudless day and listen

to the unmuted bells of Aotearoa play

for we shall stand and we shall sing

we shall break in joy upon the shore

those who feast upon our grief shall in hunger turn away

as upon the courage of our miners gone

we build tomorrow today, so stand at dawn

in silence upon the river, ‘tween the mountains and the sea

and hear the bells, the unmuted bells of Aotearoa play.

Excited by a new knitting technique

I find it wonderful the many ways arty people come up with new ideas and techniques to create and make art.  Ardrtiafil is a Italian company that makes beautiful yarn and has apparently come up with this technique for knitting with your arms. I find this facinating as a whole wrap or scarf can be completed in an evening with the use of Ardrtiafil's chunky yarn. Here your arms act like knitting needles and you cast on and knit from one arm to another.This video shows you how

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D2PcXyoZEE

It is really quite interesting to watch. The only thing is I cannot get that yarn here in New Zealand and am wondering if any other yarns might do the same thing as well...

More info can be found on Ardrtiafil's web site. www.ardrtiafil.com

Thanksgiving

Well its Thanksgiving and it seems a time that the world stops to ponder on its blessings and give thanks- pity we only confine that to one day. I came across a book sometime ago that featured on Oprah  called Simple Abundance . It is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to live life in a more deliberate and meaningful way. There are so many ideas to choose from. One I like in particular was the keeping of a Gratitude Journal. Each day at the close of the day, you were encouraged to sit and write five things you could be grateful for . Often I would find in an ordinary day there was a lot more than five to write in. Each day I am blessed by friends who visit and drop in a word or two, my animals who love unconditionally and a world that is teeming with life in all its fullness. A little disabled lamb that I am caring for is learning to hobble and walk in his own fashion , the roses are overcoming their black spot and blooming , my little hen is devotedly sitting on her nest of eggs with great patience and there is always a kiss in the early hours of the morning from my love. I hope today finds you starting your practice of daily gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving everyone......from our home to yours.