Bling! now in brooch form

I'm wearing it today as a brooch, though I still want to use a piece like this in a more elaborate version of this necklace.

It must have been the tax return eating my brain (PS It's ok, I lodged it the other day), I forgot I wanted to acknowledge that I took direct inspiration from Alwen's gorgeous bead embroidery, though mine is still much less fine.

Bling

Something I did today: played with beads and sequins.

Probably for use in this manner.

Something I didn't do today: finish off my tax return. Oops.

Mystery feltable

In op shops I always check for wool but I don't often find anything I can use. This was just one ball, which had been partially knit and rewound tightly, marked 60c. It didn't look that appealing for most purposes, but for that price I took a gamble. It looked like it had nice colour changes, and it felt like it might felt. I tested a piece and it felted really nicely. So I'm getting started on this year's Christmas baubles. (Experimenting with a different shape too). I would love to know if anyone recognises these colours, though I might need a daylight photo.

My friend Funbeard has an exhibition at the Collingwood Gallery in Melbourne, opening this Friday. K is going down for the opening with several friends, and I'm sure it will be awesome. I'm disappointed not to be going. I really love the 'Helm' work that he's shown on his blog, and nothing beats seeing the real works in a gallery space.

The Women's Press Science Fiction

I’ve had a couple of these books on my bookshelf for many years, and I'm not sure I even read them. I think I tried at least one, and may have found it a bit hard to get into.

But just recently I stumbled across another at my local op shop, and something about it appealed to me. I was something like 10 cents short of the marked price and the lady was happy to accept my pile of change. I was at pains to promise I would make a donation next time, not wanting to seem to be trying to rip off a charity. Whereas she was seriously concerned to make sure I would be ok, having spent all the money in my wallet. It made me aware of the level of privilege I have, knowing I can always get more money from the ATM. I’m probably a little too relaxed about how much is left in my wallet – which is how I even ended up going into the op shop with less than $2 on hand.

I started reading Marge Piercy's 'Woman on the edge of time' straight away and really enjoyed it. Now that I’m older and wiser, I’m better equipped for reading science fiction than I used to be (though I was always attracted to it and did read quite a bit). And I know my brain is increasingly wired for feminism.

A few days later I found a few more at the book fair and I decided I would keep collecting the series. Since then I’ve found a couple more from Lilitu’s books and music - we were at Gold Creek for a wedding on Saturday and had time to kill before moving on to the reception. I’m not even bothering to read the descriptions on the back first – I’m sure I’ll like some and not others, but they go for just a few dollars each and I love a good collecting challenge.

This is the logo inside the front cover of every book in this series.


My first reaction was that it's hilariously wrong. I couldn't believe that a logo and slogan ("steaming ahead") based on ironing would be chosen for The Women’s Press. Yeah, I was a bit slow to get the pun on the word "press", but still. The women's press was set up in 1978 to publish feminist writing by women. Why would they want to use ironing as a symbol?

But when I showed K, he didn't see anything odd about it, he just thought it was deliberately ironic. Which echoes what founder Stephanie Dowrick says:

"Then, of course, we brought in the jokes too, which centred on the emblem of the Press, our little iron. This was a joke about not being oppressed. Ironing is extremely repetitious and typically women's work and we were asking you, with this little iron, steaming ahead and red hot and all of that, not to be quite so oppressed."

I wonder if my lukewarm reaction is a sign of the times. Even my much-increased interest in feminism in recent years is probably a reaction (I have to be different) to the current mood of conservatism in these matters.

I guess it was expected and even assumed that the audience would totally get the irony. But today in 2010, I think it looks iffy. Is it just me?

Is it an elaborate pendant or a small bib?

So, I'd been meaning to make another necklace like this one for months. Actually, I'm pretty sure I promised my other sister a black one. Other sister? Let's talk.

And, I keep making felted circles which seem to have all sorts of uses. I've also been wanting to have a go at 'bib' style necklaces using embellished felt.

And finally I had a new outfit which wanted a new necklace, and an event to wear it to. Deadlines can be wonderful - I made this from scratch on Sunday (including felting the circles and drying them quickly on the heater, even though it wasn't really cold enough to have the heater on) because I wanted to wear it on Sunday night.

I haven't been able to correct the colour of the top - it's actually a very dark bright fuschia - but the point is, the necklace sort of works with the shape of the neckline. At least, that was the idea.

If I do this again, I'd like to come up with a slightly more involved beading design. And a simple way to attach a fabric backing - I can tolerate the felted wool (I always find it less scratchy than the same wool before it is felted) but it would be more comfy with something smooth on the back.

I can't remember kissing him goodbye

I've been really lax, not posting these sooner. The Call of the Small is finishing this week. It has been a wonderful exhibition to be part of and I really appreciate having the opportunity to take part.


Context: how small it really is.








Yeah, this one shows my coarse little pods, but more importantly, I think my favourite pieces in the whole show, Robert Boot's acrylic bowls. They are turned on a lathe and you can see how he does it, here.


Granted, my photos have some interesting reflection effects - I particularly like the one above, if you squint it looks like the (mini) gallery has large windows high on the walls, even a ghostly staircase.....(a bit big maybe)

But if you didn't make it to the real thing and want to see it all in nice clear detail, Anna-Maria did a series of posts with excellent photos of the four galleries:

White Knight
Red Hots
Curiously Strong
Allsorts

Very last chance - I think you can still see the show tomorrow, as they extended it by a few days. I'll be going to CraftACT at 6pm for Re-Loved Re-Vamped, the next iteration of a fashion parade focusing on recycling and reusing textiles.

Getting there, eventually

A very long-owed package

Red

I don't normally sort my washing this finely. But I had a new pair of bright red jeans to wash and I was worried about the colour being shared around.

If it sits still long enough...

A new camera case for K's new camera. I managed to make and felt a swatch, and knit and felt the case itself, all in one day. No time to mess around with colourwork or embroidery so I used self striping wool (Cleckheaton Vintage Twist).

It's very simple. I wanted it to be minimalist and streamlined (but wow, check out this very different, very cool camera case). There is no button, the strap just feeds through a hole on the other side to hold it closed. The strap is much longer than I intended - I used garter stitch so that it wouldn't curl, and I didn't realise that the fabric would stretch out before it felted. I don't think this always happens with garter stitch, I think it was because it was very narrow.