Yarn Art Trail 2016

I have been pretty quiet on my page as I have been flat out working on the Longbeach Storybook Yarn Art Trail, here are some of the pieces I have put together or facilitated, from components made by Primary School parents, young playgroup kids, Messy Church kids, parents, grandparents, friends from the local school and church parish. It has been fun, tiring, and stressful with the horrible weather we have been experiencing, They just have to last outdoors till the end of the month and I will be happy!

Bobbin Lace Making

Today I ticked off learning 'Bobbin Lace Making', well a taste of the very basics.... but I made a leaf and I am pretty happy with it, and look forward to finding some time to make another one (a better one) and then try the sampler with more stitches.

The Taster session was held at the Victorian Branch Australian Lace Guild. I have been wanting to attend their open day for some years now, however something always prevented me from getting there. This time I booked and paid for ticket in advance, so nothing was going to stop me.

The guild members were very patient and helpful, and while I only had a small window to cram in this new to me craft, they have a big library of books that I could have easily spent the 2½ hours looking through these alone, then there was the trade table, so it was a blessing I had to rush off or I would have a very big hole in my pocket...... not to worry they have a bigger trade day in a month, so look out!

Now lace making had always looked a little daunting to me, and I have tried many crafts, however it was actually not too hard. Of course I have to work on tension, and I am sure I crossed instead of twisted and vice versa, but as my mum always said "a blind man would be glad to see it".

Will it become a new obsession, well no, I really do not have time and I have so many other projects on the go, and the stash to start 100 more.... but..... I do have loads of crochet cotton, and I do have all the materials to make a working cushion, and I have pins..... and I could make some Bobbins at 'Ladies in the Shed' when we learn to use the lathe... so until then I just have to admire all the beautiful hand make bobbin lace that others make, so I am off to Pinterest to make a new board for all the lovely work of others!

Meanwhile here is the proof of my efforts.

Hairpin Lace

Lately I have been working on Hairpin Lace, a project for an upcoming magazine, so I feel I cannot reveal all of it. So it got me thinking about it's history. Google did not offer much in the way of a conclusive answer, however I did find this interesting Snippet....

...from 'Smart Crochet' magazine... "Katherine of Aragon (1485-1536) is given credit for inventing hairpin lace. Through the years it has been known by various names- "Kat Stitch", "French or Wire Ground" and "Six Pointed Star Ground".

Then I came across some much later reference for inventors applying for patents for Hairpin Lace Tools/Loom, both Americans one in 1948, and one in 1952. Now I am not one for all this legal jargon, I rather craft, but they look rather similar and both still very Hairpin looking! They also look rather similar to the image in the DMC 'Encyclopaedia of Needlecraft' (1884). All I know is it must have been a tough gig to be an inventor over the last couple of centuries. So thank you to the 'inventors' or rather the 'improvers of tools' for the improvements that make life so much easier for the crafters now.

While I have a set of Vintage Hairpin Lace tools in various sizes (and all very small too) ,my go to tool is the 'Clover' brand tool. Which total comes apart (the best improvement of all), thus making if very easy to use and to make very long lengths that can be threaded onto yarn to keep if neat and ready the next step!

There are some amazing designs using the lace made with the hairpin, and many are not for the faint hearted, however simple designs look amazing too, so give it a go!

200 Years of Australian Fashion

My brother and sister-in-law had a big birthday, so for a treat we had a lovely lunch at South Bank, then the boys went off to the football, and the girls went to the Gallery to take a look at the '200 years of Australian Fashion' Exhibition.

What a treat it was too, so many wonderful fabrics, designs and most of all the details. I mean who would have thought to use Walnut shells to decorate a hat, and my what a wonderful hat it was and the shells just made it extra special!

The exhibition flowed from the first known Australian Made dress to the current trends from Australian designers, with some unique accessories along the way, I particularly liked the Parasols, must be the ancestors genes coming through again.

So take a brief stroll through history, and if you can make the trip to Melbourne to take a look at all the garments, as this is only a small snippet of some of the wonderful garments!

Lost Trades

The week-end before last I went to the 'Lost Trades Fair' in Kyneton. What a great event and what fun it was to watch! The Event included; blacksmithing (interested due to my Great Grandfather and beyond), Saddlery (my Grandfather's trade), A Fletcher, Armourer (with Blacksmithing in my ancestors, surely there were a few suits made for Knights!), bookbinding, instrument making, gunsmithing, rope making, boat building, Wood turning, general wookwork, bee keeping, plus much more of the traditional men's crafts, and then there was the crafts that these days are more for the ladies (that being said there were men doing some of these at the fair as there would have been years ago too).... Spinning, Weaving, Millinery, Shoe Making (which I so want to get into), and an antique Sewing Machine stand.

Now this stand was not just your run of the mill treadle Singer machines, but fancy embroidery and a Cornelly Machines. These days one really just considers that the embroidery machines are a new things, as they are now affordable for the domestic market. Well some of there are affordable, some are way out of my reach.

This now has me thinking what did my ancestors on my mother side use in the first Umbrella & Parasol Shop in Melbourne, that also made ladies accessories.... (this is an assumption as many of the children including my pop have their occupation as glove maker, bag maker etc, in the early years of their working life)

 

 

 

So here are a few pics of these fancy antique machines, and an original advertisement for the Umbrella Shop. Presumably some of these types of machines where in use at the shop. I will have to try and investigate, but sadly there is no one around to ask first hand anymore.

 

 

Odd (for me) Blend

There are some colours I would never think of putting together in a blend, until I see some inspiration via nature or just by change.

 

This blend was from Red, Brown, Lime, Mint and off white, yep not my normal colour combo.

 

So first the blending board, then the wheel, through the loom and through the Sewing machine.

 

The bolero is all one piece, and inspired by the relaxed Saori style of garment construction.  

Navajo Plying Fun

Finished a top down vest in Alpaca from 'Fibre naturally'. (http://www.fibrenaturally.com.au/)

 

First time trying Navajo Plying. Navajo plying sure is tricky not to overspin, which I did, but happy with the gradient effect.

 

Topped off with a shawl pin I made a 'Ladies in the Shed' this morning, the wood is Myrtle from an old tree we had to cut down.

 

This garment and pin fit into the 'Fibreshed' with all materials sourced with 500km of home (and in this case much closer).

(https://www.facebook.com/groups/FibreshedMelbourne/)

 

 

Yarn Art

On Monday I went to an 'Art Yarn Workshop' at the 'Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild', with Janet Knoop. It was great fun!!

We started with preparing a fibre sandwich.... such a great way to mix it up and use up stray fibres bits.... then the spinning began!

In the afternoon we learned Beehive, spun up a little thick and thin and then attempted these. I say attempted as I need a lot more practice!

So Yesterday I practice the new skills, and mostly worked with the fibre sandwich. Then when plying I threw in a couple of funky beehives. Managed 200+ grams so I should be able to make some equally funky item!

Janet's facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/My-Spin-on-Things-187836691260881/?fref=ts