Honeymoon Bay Retreat

A group of us stitchers went away on a weekend retreat to Honeymoon Bay on Cowichan Lake.
Fresh snow fell on the mountains so we were well wrapped for our daily walks.

The resort had a newly planted labyrinth.

We had a large room to work in with excellent light and the dining room was only a few steps away.
Much was accomplished.
We will definitely be going back.

Tree Cloths

After I had pre-mordanted 4 bed sheets, I wrapped my 4 trees with cloths for the second time.
The 1st cloths were used for experiments in dyeing and sampling then sent to the UK to be assessed.
These 2nd cloths will be used in my final work for my degree.

Arbutus

Big-leaf Maple

Douglas-fir

Red Cedar

Tree Cloths

I am wrapping my 4 trees again. This time I want to encourage more staining on the cloth so i soaked 4 bed sheets in almond milk and left them outside to dry. Then I took them down to the sea.

Two lots of different pre-mordants should encourage the staining.

While I was laying the sheets in the sea and trying not to get too wet myself, 2 men watched while their dog ran for a ball. As I walked back up the beach to the car and passed them, one said, "We have to ask."
I said,"What do you think I was doing?"
"It is either science or art", was the answer.
I told them it was both.

Look how the waves wrapped the sheet into a cinnamon bun bundle.

More Hemoglobin and Chlorophyll

I've done some more strip piecing

This time with the seams on the right side and joined using a serger, which gives quite a different look.

This is my view out the studio window at the moment.

I think it is influencing my work.

Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin

In my degree studies I am exploring the connection between red cells in human blood and chlorophyll in plants.
I dyed many different household linens in greens and reds: pillow cases with embroidery, tea towels, bed sheets, napkins, table cloths.
I used a Val Campbell-Harding method to randomly strip-piece the different cloths.

After one cut and sewing the strips back together again.

After 2 cuts and sewing the strips back together again.

Now i am hand stitching the flow of blood and chlorophyll in running stitch (had to be that stitch)
You can barely see the stitching in this image because i have just started. I am playing a version of the PAC Man game - whenever I bump into the other colour i have to change direction and 'run' only on the same colour as the thread in the needle.
This image has funny looking labels in it because this was the work i took to the Martha Cole workshop in Gloria's studio. Martha gave us lots of different question sheets to answer while looking at our own work pinned up on the wall.
I had had a week with Martha while doing the artist residency with Articulation in Banff. We did similar exercises in a lot more depth and a lot more of them. That is when I learnt to recognise my 'style'.
It was most interesting to repeat some of the exercises several years later to see how my work has developed and changed. i noticed i feel differently about my work now too.
It was well worth taking the time out to just look at what i make.

Martha Cole Workshop

Last week the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association attended a professional development workshop facilitated by Martha Cole, fibre artist from Saskatchewan. The place and the day was significant because it was the inaugural workshop in Gloria Daly's new studio.
She welcomed us all into her new workspace after having worked very hard to get it finished on time for the eagerly anticipated workshop.

Susan Purney-Mark gave the new studio a blessing with salt and bread, which made most people a bit weepy it was so heartfelt.

Gloria started with a lick of salt and the sharing of a piece of bread.

Then the plate was handed around the group while sitting in a circle - Kristin Rohr, Gayle McIvor, Martha Cole.
Gloria then lightened the mood by offering champagne and orange juice as her way of christening her new studio.
It was a great start to a most productive day, thanks to Martha, Gloria and Gloria's new studio amongst the trees.

VCA End of Year Show

Here are some boards of samples grouped according to technique as they were mounted for the Victoria College of Art 'Mark Making with Machine' course end of year show.
Everyone was impressed with how much work the students achieved in 11 weeks.

Students at Victoria College of Art

Here are the images i have been trying to post on my blog, finally. i think Ms Picasa has fixed the broken link.

These are works in progress by students in the Victoria College of Art in the Mark Making with Machine course i taught over the winter term.

Their final project was to abstract the shapes in an image they liked and produce it using their machines and one or 2 techniques they had learnt in the course.

Everyone did an excellent job demonstrating how they had mastered a technique and made it their own.

Rocky Statue Yarn Bomb, Philadelphia

Rocky Statue Yarn Bomb, Philadelphia

..and another spot of yarn bombing

The EL Series Yarn Bombs

The EL Series Yarn Bombs

found out my blog image problem is with Picasa

the blog link button is broken

they assure me they are working on fixing it

in the meantime here is something to look at, images of a yarn bomber

i like the bemused faces of the viewers

Spring Time

Thought I would give my blog a spring look.
I still haven't been able to solve my problem of posting images.
I have to call in help.

VCA Faculty Show

Here's a video about the VCA faculty show from the end of last year.
The 2 fibre works are mine.

Something Fiber

Something Fiber

Articulation member, ReBecca Paterson, posted this YouTube clip on her blog as part of a class assignment in her Digital Communication class.

I am posting it as well for 2 reasons: because it is a gem of wisdom and also to test another way to get images into a post - a real problem I am having with my blog this month.

Thanks for sharing ReBecca http://somethingfiber.blogspot.com/

VCA Students' Works In Progress