fiveandtwo

Red Shoes, Among Other Things

Yep, got myself a pair of unworn red shoes at the op-shop. Not quite Dorothy's - more practical, more comfortable too, I reckon.

Interesting colour combination in this vintage towel. We use these towels as everyday ones. They wear out, so I must replenish the pile regularly. It's interesting to note how bath towels have "grown". New towels are a good third to half a size bigger than the oldies. Supersize towels? Bath sheets are even more enormous, I've unfolded them in shops.

A barstick for the dress-up overflow in Clare and Ally's room - it fits under the bed too. Pretty floral sheets for their beds as well, still with the original packaging (removed for photographic purposes).

Some craft books, Quilting and Patchwork, a Sunset Book, had these quilts which really appealed to me. How about this "Tree Nap Mat".

And some crazy patchwork using different wool fabrics. I have a real soft spot for woollen fabric. Mmmm.

Two wonderful embroidery books. They're inspiring, so many ways of making marks with needle and thread on fabric.  The books are older, 1979 and 1964, but the effects are quite abstract and graphic. Makes my fingers itch. Like I really need new projects to work on.

And lastly, a work-in-progress in the ongoing fixing-up of the house category.

Up until three years ago we had a wood-burning cookstove in this spot. Moving the bathroom doorway from opening-into-the-kitchen to opening-into-the -back-hallway meant we didn't need it for heating. A big part of me misses it, but the wood needed to be cut shorter than usual, and I am not the woodcutter, so...off it went. The chimney recess was partially tiled so we decided to tile the rest and install adjustable shelving. Look at all that adhesive I'll need to scrape off the face of the tiles!

Leah and I painted her room on the weekend. It's mighty good to have that task out of the way, for sure.

Taking Up The Brush (Again)

I've been going to an "art class" most Fridays lately. A very casual affair, an assortment of us doing various things - painting, drawing, mosaics. There're two tutors whose expertise and fresh eyes I am very glad of.

I sit and paint, not  surrounded by all the stuff that needs doing at home. I've finished three paintings that have been WIPs for ages.

An abstract which was once a failed landscape. It'd been kicking around for about four years!

A portrait of Nora Heysen that isn't working - look at those weird eyes! Nora was the daughter of Hans Heysen and a very talented painter in her own right. I didn't know of her until I read Stravinsky's Lunch by Drusilla Modjeska. Also discovered Stella Bowen and Grace Crowley in the same book. They are women artists, so didn't receive the recognition that their male contemporarys did.

I found some photos of Nora Heysen on the internet. A beautiful woman. I had an idea to paint a series of portraits of her. Two were begun and then they languished for over a year.

I'm pleased with this one, "Nora Seated".

You can't see from the paintings but all of them have had areas painted out and repainted. Often several times! It's hard to get faces right.

This is a little abstract of some figs that was started while waiting for the painted out areas of the others to dry. Can't waste any of this Friday time!

I aim to finish it this Friday, barring cancellation of the class, and start a portrait of my three older children when they were little, from a B&W photo.

Then the class is in recess until school goes back next year. It's been like going to a studio to paint, but with people to help you and provide feedback. It's been terrific!

Owl Tea-Towel

Other commitments saw me op-shopping on Thursday instead of Wednesday. Linsey came with me - her year eleven exams are finished. She goes on Senior Band tour at the end of next week (Linsey plays the clarinet). A bit over two weeks travelling to Canberra, Dubbo and the Gold Coast. Performing at schools and so forth along the way. They toured Tasmania last year.

I love this tea towel. I would like to make an owl like this.

A storage suitcase, blankets for Clare and Ally's beds and plain white pillowcases. For embellishment, embroidery perhaps, or just to use as is.

Another stool. My favourite shape. Needs a new cover.

This is such a good place to go op-shopping.

Christmas Cards Finished

Stars and trees. Another design didn't come up well in a test print - ditched that one.

I did lino cuts and printed from them. Domestic mass production.

I used block printing ink (Derivan) and, of course, the prints are vastly better than when I was using my acrylic paints. Heh, I thought I was being frugal, you know, using what I already had. Sometimes you need the right stuff to get decent results.

Clare and Ally have taken the dud prints and set up a shop in their bedroom doorway "selling" them.

The kitchen table is half cleared. Sewing machine and overlocker still occupy the other half. I'm partway through making some skirts and pants for me to wear this summer. I made a four- gore linen/cotton skirt that I'm most happy with. The fabric had a lovely striped selvedge which I turned to the outside as a design feature (cough, cough - couldn't help putting that in- design feature  hahaha) on the seams. Had a win with that one!

In Progress

Christmas card factory.

We're eating our meals all over the place right now, not at this table. I need some big table elsewhere. Likelihood: nil! Warm weather means we can eat together at the table on the deck. Having the kitchen table appropriated for craft and sewing on practically permanent basis is not good. It's important to me that we eat together as a family. Any ideas from blogland? Where do leave your half-finished projects? Do you have to clear up each evening? We have no spare rooms/space. I find it hard to regain momentum with a project if it's packed away out of sight.

I think this is a dilemma encountered by many crafty/arty women. How to get your own space for leaving things as they are. Space is available, yeah, but like the kitchen table...then where do you eat together?  On another level, I like to think I'm instructing my daughters in making themselves and their art and craft work important.Gee, I hope so.

Kathie Winkle

I got a most interesting book from Amazon today, ordered some time ago.

Very occasionally I would come across a lovely and unusual plate or bowl at the op-shop.  I posted a photo of a bowl a few months ago, and librarygirl (who doesn't have a blog as far as I can tell), alerted me to Kathie Winkle. Never really paid much attention before - bought china if I really liked it.

Now, I'm an enthusiast, and my interest was sparked. Who was Kathie Winkle? Hence the book, discovered on a Google search.

Kathie started work in the Staffordshire  pottery industry in the late 1940's, as a lass of fifteen, as a "paintress".Primarily women who hand-coloured the designs stamped on in black by machine. She worked at Broadhurst & Sons from 1950 until her retirement in 1992.

Around the late 1950's Kathie was asked if she could draw, "...a little", was her response. Her design career began. Kathie's designs were very popular, this was recognised with her name on the backstamp (on the back of the piece). Apparently, at least 122 of Kathie's designs were put into production.

I love the picture of her on the front of the book, so...unstyled.  Kathie had no art training. I think it's wonderful that her talent was recognised.

The book is only 32 pages, it's a bit like an exhibition catalogue but Peter Leath's  writing gives it livliness. I have to share this excerpt.

..."Last year we went to a table-top sale in a small village hall in the Isle of Wight. I spotted a Kathie Winkle plate on a radiator. "Oh it's not for sale", I was told, "it's part of the hall's china". "Is there more of it?", I asked. "Lots", was the reply. Eventually, the woman in charge arrived and I managed to buy thirty-two cups, saucers and plates, including those I retrieved from the washing up bowl." ...

It was a chance find by his wife at a car-boot sale that started Peter Leath on his Kathie Winkle research.

My meagre collection! The cup & saucer is Broadhurst but not marked Kathie Winkle. It is so much her style that I think it is. Once I had a couple more bits but, dang, being in general circulation they got broken!

Flies, Be Gone!

Time to fix the wire on the flyscreen door.

A Weekend Of Gardening

More or less. Wet weather had made some jobs quite urgent.

Nothing like being whacked by wet foliage as you walk past as a reminder that some things need cutting back.

Tomato plants to be tied up. Lettuce seedlings planted out. More seeds planted in punnets.

Seeds for these poppies came from a close friend's garden. Now they self sow in my garden.

Mow the grass. It was very long.. Took quite a few passes withe the hand mower.

Irish Peach, an early apple, developing nicely.

It's the tree on the right. This photo was taken from my favourite breakfast spot.

Dog racetrack still in existence.

Now you can't call that lawn. It still has a big bare patch in the middle from its use as a dance floor during a teenage party in March!

Once upon a time I looked from the kitchen into Giles' very messy bedroom. A bit of renovating about four years ago means I now look at this. So much more pleasant.

A Patch of Sunlight

Clare putting on her shoes this morning.

Giraffes and Horses

The animals are finished and about to be hidden away for Christmas at their new home.

Always pleased with these little fellows. The markings are painted on using my artist acrylics mixed with fabric fixative. Only because that's what I've got. Fabric paint would work perfectly. Wouldn't be suitable for mouthing babies/children.

Mare and foal sets. The foal is the larger pattern reduced (photocopiers - very useful). Realistically coloured animals were requested - not purple or green etc which suits other tastes.

The patterns come from this book, which is excellent.

It's written in German, but if you've ever made animals with a head gusset and "underpiece" ( my German-studying daughter tells me this is the translation of unterteil) basically inside leg and tummy piece, you should be able to tackle these. The animals I made are about half the size of the patterns in the book.

As for the book, I got it at Winterwood Toys several years ago. I just checked (carefully averting my eyes from other tempting things on offer) and it's still available. I get my wool felt, wool stuffing, doll making materials and assorted other supplies from Winterwood Toys as well. Another book (also sold there - hey, could I get a commission?) which has some really nice animal patterns, is Feltcraft by Petra Berger.

As for doll making, Jenny has covered this comprehensively in this post. She mentions the books I use. Plus, Jenny's dolls are really beautiful.