Meanderings

It has been a weekend of unexpected things, including some time spent working on a piece of art cloth - stitching a story of life, loss and wandering thoughts ... meandering in stitch.

Vital Signs @ QRAA

There are so many entries in this year's Queensland Regional Art Awards - and just as many interpretations of this year's theme "Vital Signs".  Watershed (left) interrogates the divide between those with access to water and sanitation and those who do not. The log cabin block represents the traditional concept of home, hearth, safety and protection. One half is comprised of hand dyed fabrics rubbed and printed in a modern, western style shower using the shower head, drain and mat. The other half of each block is comprised on mono-printed fabrics taken from scrubbed glass, representing the idea of cleaning the shower, removing those things that bring disease, infection and compromise good health.Watershed has been quilted with the shapes of germs and bacteria - from the perspective of under the microscope.

You can see all this year's entries, and vote for Viewers Choice here.

This is work?

It is hardly what I call work! A glorious end-of-winter weekend with the WMBM and Rebecca Staunton Coffey dyeing and hand printing fabrics. As the WMBM says "It's another stitch in the rich tapestry of our lives". And so it is ....

A few of my favourite things ... from Perth

Back from Perth where Dad and I spent a few days doing all the things that really matter - being with our people as another friend would say - family, friends, friends who are as close as family, family who are also life long friends. Rebecca Staunton Coffey and I tested our range of art fabrics and sold out in a frenzied but orderly stampede on Day 1 of the WA Craft and Wood Show, we caught up with the effervescent Caroline Sharkey whose laughter filled our end of the show building for three days, the SAQA exhibition was a hit, our community cloth from Open Studio got a little closer to being finished and as always, some magical treasure to be found at The Thread Studio - thank you Dale and Ian for an inspirational time. A little top up of Wonderfil threads from the gorgeous Helen Rhodes - it was a wonderful trip and can't wait for next year!