And a New Year begins. 

Well I thought it was early 2020 that I last posted, but apparently not! So a very brief recap.  Highlight for 2019 was becoming a grandma for the first time. A few other events included  a major birthday (I made it to 70!) and trips to Brisbane, Stanthorpe and Toowoomba in Queensland, and Canberra in the ACT for tulip time as well as a couple of trips to Tasmania.

Tulips in Canberra

A special birthday cake - with real flowers.

2020 was a mixed bag like for everyone - the huge, world wide impact of COVID19 and the doubts and fears with my family in different states, getting stranded interstate and having to quarantine on return, postponed/cancelled travel, cancelled meetings and exhibitions etc all so unexpected and unimagineable. Stitching, drawing, photography - they kept me busy but seemed so small in the grand scale of events. Also, my collecting of jugs and echidnas was curtailed due to having run out of storage. I have reconciled to the fact that with around 700 jugs and nearly 400 echidnas it was probably time to stop - that is apart from the odd one that I can't resist or receive as a present! The storage remains an issue... but I guess I still have plenty to show in photographs.

A couple of works from 2019

Machine embroidered folder cover. Sorry this is a bit dark.

Small quilt for SAQA auction

Woven rag (knit fabrics) floor rug about 1.3m diameter

My focus over the last couple of years has been on new techniques for textile art. I have joined with 2 like minded groups of friends, JACKARD+ and Half Page Textile Artists. (I have just realised that that is in addition to my 4 quilting groups and the Fibre Art Network!). For the Half Page group our work must be as the name says, while JACKARD+ likes to utilise more sculptural forms, and makes challenges to create 'repurposed art'. Here are my pieces for three of these.

Frida Kahlo challenge - mine based on her 'Family Portrait' painting

Red silk cocoon and old lace collar challenge incorporating red mulberry fabric on a recylced canvas

Old picture frame and wire netting challenge. Collaged backround  on a reversed frame, with fussy cut and machiune embroidered birds. It's called 'Aviary at Flight Central"

Our exhibtiion of work from the Half Page group is rescheduled for this year, so no pictures until after that. I did have something in the rescheduled FAN (Fibre Art Network) exhibition which has just closed, but more of that in another post.

Since last posting I have completed an Embroidery Basics course with the Embroiderer's Guild of South Australia, and I am just beginning their advanced Certificate Course. Yes, I have embroidered in my projects, but minimally, based on the 5 or so main stitches that my Mother taught me. However, I have always been interested in different regional and ethnic embroidery styles and this has been heightened by my textile tours in recent years. It seemed time to learn more. 

Sampler for the Basics class

I have begun writing up the family history that my brother and I have been working on for years. When do you stop researching? It seems time to make a start or we never will, but I don't expect it will be finished soon. It is quite time consuming and I find my notes are not always filed as they ought to be.

My newest activity has been to try decorative painting on my brother's wood turning. Some learning to do there yet.

A few photos from Tasmania  -

Looking into the centre of a treefern

An upturned (by wallabies) red mushroom

Two pictures taken in the Hobart native plant nursey, the lower one an old tree fern stump

So I have made a start and my resolution is to give more regular updates. 2021 is looking brighter as our cautious government(s)  response to the virus, along with the coming vaccines provides a better outlook for this coming year. My hope is that 2021 will be a Happy New Year for all.