I got a new sewing machine for my birthday. It is a Heavy Duty Singer that can sew thick and fast. My new Bernina 780 is not up to sewing thick layers of fabric, something I have had to accept after giving away my 40-year-old Bernina 830 Record which could handle everything I gave it. The Bernina […]
Read More...Backyard Project posts have dominated my blog lately and you may be wondering if I am ever in my studio. To answer the question – Yes. I am working on a big project that will culminate in at least 2 exhibitions. ‘Colour: A Personal Response’ is a project I am working on with fibre artist Sarah McLaren. It […]
Read More...The Sewing Machine Studio Students learn to work with electronic, digitised machines… …and old-school machines for sewing, knitting, embroidery and serging. The Weaving Studio I have very limited knowledge on looms but could see the room was filled with many different types – small and large. The largest one in the back is […]
Read More...Gathering Day 3 – Sunday, April 3, 2016 After meeting over breakfast in the hotel Gatherers took in hand their specially marked-up maps and a sources list highlighting art, textile and fibre shops; gardens in full spring bloom; art galleries and nearby eating establishments and headed off on self-guided tours of the area. Some had booked a […]
Read More...Last year I attended one of Carol Soderlund’s workshops and learnt how to dye neutral colours using Procion MX. She also taught us her dye technique that I have since been able to set up in my studio. This is the set-up for weighing dye powder to make the stock solution – cardboard box, newspaper, […]
Read More...Pattern Language #159 Light on Two Sides of Every Room Problem – ‘ When they have a choice, people will always gravitate to those rooms which have light on two sides, and leave the rooms which are lit from only one side unused and empty’ p. 747. ‘In rooms lit on one side the glare […]
Read More...‘A Pattern Language’ by Christopher Alexander is a collection of patterns found in well-designed living spaces. I applied many of these patterns to my studio design. Pattern #200 Open Shelves The Problem – ‘Cupboards that are too deep waste valuable space, and it always seems that you want what is behind something else’. The Solution […]
Read More...While making pillow covers from molas, I also used the Sewing Centre. View from the front door looking at the Project Table and Design Wall. The Sewing Centre is to the right. The Sewing Centre is basically the same setup I had in my old studio. It worked and I couldn’t come up with a […]
Read More...While making the mola pillows, I worked at 2 more centres in my studio. The Ironing Centre The ironing board has an extension to make it a rectangular shape better suited to ironing lengths of cloth. I have 2 irons a steam iron and a dry iron. The power outlets for the irons and the sewing […]
Read More...Going into my new space to work, for the first time. I decided the perfect first project was to work on making pillows for my Etsy shop Ravenmadeworks. I hauled out my pile of ‘refreshed’ textiles and sorted through them on the Project Table. I settled on a set of old Panamanian molas. The Project Table […]
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