Fibre Fancies. Exploring forms in textiles and threads of fact and fantasy

"L" in her Serapé

2007-03-06T23:28:00.000-05:00

Just scarves

2007-03-06T00:15:00.000-05:00

Experimental scarf knitted with angora and silk.

New Friends

2007-02-25T16:48:00.000-05:00

New friends
Since I began this blog I have met many new people. I am happy to share and invite you to look at all my archival posts, seen on the right hand side of this page in monthly format. Comments are appreciated but if you want more information please give your email address so I am able to answer. Otherwise it remains 'anonymous'

Little bag

2007-02-21T00:54:00.000-05:00

Made from 1 ball of velvet .

Red shawl

2007-02-21T00:51:00.000-05:00

Back view showing nice drape

2006-10-24T16:35:00.000-05:00

Alpaca shawl crocheted; with choice of 2 closures.

2006-10-24T16:04:00.000-05:00

Madame Bovary, unadorned

2006-10-24T16:02:00.000-05:00

Alpaca Shawl, back view. Handspun and hand dyed. Knitted

2006-09-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

Hanks of alpaca after dying with Landscape dyes.

2006-09-07T18:03:00.000-05:00

Alpaca Handspun and dyed

2006-08-06T18:18:00.000-05:00

Winter Collar/Scarf for "Xmas in July" Scarf Crazy challenge. Crocheted in wool

2006-07-29T00:58:00.000-05:00

New vest for a Druid

2006-07-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

Start of renewing and recycling waistcoat for the still proud owner who has left the 70s behind!!

2006-07-10T20:28:00.000-05:00

Beanie. Wool and synthetic. Knitted from scraps .

2006-07-02T18:20:00.000-05:00

Detail of Neckpiece. (privately called a horse collar)!

2006-07-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

Letter"B". blue, beaded, buttoned, braided bobbled neckpiece. Woven and crocheted for 'Scarf Crazy" June challenge

Scarf Crazy June challenge --the letter 'b'

2006-06-17T17:52:00.000-05:00

Beginning of Neckpiece, using Blues, Beads,Braids.
My Twining Loom

2006-04-29T19:15:00.000-05:00

Autumn flowering--the best ever.

2006-04-29T19:12:00.000-05:00

Scarf that "went feral". It looked boring as a scarf so I added surface embellishment with the pink mixture. Not enough so I dyed some buttons to match. No good so added more body and tassles. Was I ever going to stop? I had created a monster. So here it is warts and all. But it is warm.

2006-03-21T23:31:00.000-05:00

Scrap weaving. Fabric for jumper (er, sweater).

2006-03-21T23:28:00.000-05:00

Third sock, so this trio makes 3 pairs!!

2006-02-19T00:11:00.000-05:00

Miniature weaving on a recycled CPU. Recycled cotton and unravelled WW1 parachute cord.

2006-02-19T00:07:00.000-05:00

Odd socks for an interesting man!.=

2006-01-09T16:47:00.000-05:00

My old spinning wheel and a basket of beautiful Alpaca.

2006-01-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

Using leftovers. Cushion, woven with scraps of cotton, linen and silk rags.

WORLD WAR 1 PARACHUTE

2005-12-01T15:24:00.000-05:00

HOW THE PARACHUTE CAME TO ME
I went to a garage sale in Devonport about 12 years ago. A weaver, I collect old or unusual textiles and am intrigued by threads.
At this sale I saw an old biscuit tin with a fragment of what looked like silk underwear spilling from it. On investigation, a tumble of crushed silk cloth, silk cords, sturdy heavily sewn harness and perfect stainless steel fittings. Muddy, torn, thrilling.
The man, a well known business man told me that his father had brought it back from WW1.
$3.00 was the asking price.
In awe, I unfolded it onto my living room floor and felt a joyous reverence. About half of a parachute, perfect panels sussurrating when I gently lifted them . It floated so so so slowly to the floor and lay in billows and folds.
There was mud. There were tears. Who? How?
I like to think that the ‘chute tore as it caught in a tree, perhaps. I want to think that it saved him. Whoever he was.
My plans were to recycle some of the cloth. I could not do it. I would not mutilate what to me was a powerful symbol.
A symbol of courage, honour and national pride. And the futility of war.
The cords, however, so many broken and tangled were another matter entirely. Silk is famous for its interaction with dye. It grabs it and shines.
I use some of these in every weaving that I now produce, dyed to match and hide in the cloth.
So the threads that dragged through the mud over 80 years ago are now part of beautiful objects that are my salute to all that once was, and a somehow, whimsical continuance of the story.
Oh, and I sold the biscuit tin for $3.00.

Tasweaver. November 22, 01 (excerpt from article)

2005-10-23T01:46:00.000-05:00

My daughter, Jacqueline. Died on October 15 2005. I dearly loved her .

2005-10-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

Crochet scarf. This Australian wool purchased, by an aunt in 1940 still in perfect condition!

2005-10-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

Shrug, knitted. Pattern from The Wool Gatherer's Handspun pattern book 1981 by the Albury Wodonga handweavers and Spinners Guild.

2005-10-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

Shawl, crochet

2005-10-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

Shawl, crochet

2005-10-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

Poncho, knitted and crocheted

2005-09-29T17:55:00.000-05:00

Macrame hanging. Looks good on a small window, but fades a little.

New friends

2005-09-25T13:01:00.000-05:00

Since I began this blog I have met many new people. I am happy to share and invite you to look at all my archival posts, seen on the right hand side of this page in monthly format. Comments are appreciated but if you want more information please give your email address so I am able to answer. Otherwise it remains 'anonymous'.

2005-09-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

A book in my collection could be inspiring for freeform crochet.

2005-09-11T01:16:00.000-05:00

Detail of fringe. This was a rough EXPERIMENT ONLY .Knitted on 15 cm needles in 2 strips using the proportion of the 'golden mean' 1.6:1

2005-09-11T01:11:00.000-05:00

Picnic Mat. Knitted from home made recycled rags of silk, taffeta and brocade, plus some ribbon yarn and mohair.

2005-09-04T02:37:00.000-05:00

Handspun silk, plied with silver and gold thread.

2005-08-21T18:47:00.000-05:00

Shawl back view

2005-08-21T18:45:00.000-05:00

Shawl. Pale green mohair. Crochet

2005-08-21T18:44:00.000-05:00

Ponchette. Crochet

2005-08-21T18:42:00.000-05:00

house socks. Woollen knitted

2005-08-09T00:15:00.000-05:00

Triskelion-a favourite image.

2005-08-07T17:22:00.000-05:00

My old 4 shaft loom.

2005-08-07T17:20:00.000-05:00

Tapestry loom

2005-08-07T17:18:00.000-05:00

Sunny corner of my workroom

2005-08-07T17:17:00.000-05:00

My portable 8 shaft loom

2005-08-07T17:14:00.000-05:00

Felted slippers for Mr Bigfoot!

Winter in Tasmania

2005-07-18T14:01:00.000-05:00

Anyway it is June and winter is upon us here in Tasmania. People think that Tassie is a frightfully freezing place BUT here I have to say that it is on the same latitude as Spain and has a very similar climate to that mediterranean country.
Let me, here hurry to say, that I have been in Spain when it was snowing

2005-07-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

Work in Progress.Freeform skirt, back view. Crochet, with some knitting.

2005-07-16T20:04:00.001-05:00

Large knitted poncho . Freeform skirt just showing below

2005-07-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

Silk Velvet Shawl, sewn

2005-07-16T20:03:00.000-05:00

Mohair Scarf. Loose knit

2005-06-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

Mouth of Truth. Woven on a bicycle wheel frame. Wool; uncombed, dyed fleece for beard.

2005-05-29T18:58:00.000-05:00

Learning freeform crochet!

2005-05-29T18:51:00.000-05:00

Woollen Socks.

2005-05-29T18:50:00.001-05:00

Knitted and crochet toys

2005-05-29T18:50:00.000-05:00

Wall hanging. tapestry weave done some time in the 80s.Wild man.

2005-05-29T18:49:00.000-05:00

Woven, with machine knit bands

2005-05-29T18:48:00.000-05:00

Angel's wing. Miniature, woven on a styrofoam meat tray. Silk

2005-05-27T18:39:00.000-05:00

Detail of fairly boring poncho

2005-05-27T18:36:00.000-05:00

Accessory for shawl. Vintage glass beads and pearl shell

2005-05-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

Woven with carpet wool. Navaho saddle blanket threading. Painted and gilded wooden scroll support, recycled from broken bed-head.

2005-05-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

Moth Cloak. Patchwork. Can be worn as a cloak or used as a bed cover.

WELCOME TO MY SITE

2005-05-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EXPLORE AND HAVE LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER TEXTILE CREATIONS IN THE RELEVANT HEADINGS AT THE RIGHT OF THIS PAGE.

Woven cushion. Flowers printed on warp. Cotton, silk.

2005-05-13T21:45:00.000-05:00

Sports bag sewn of upholstery fabric pieces.

2005-05-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

Capelet, crochet

2005-05-13T17:09:00.000-05:00

Overnight bag. Sewn. Upholstery fabric

2005-05-13T17:08:00.000-05:00

Box from discount shop embellished with pearl buttons, brass tacks and miscellaneous objects.

2005-04-17T11:21:00.000-05:00

I have 2 looms-this one takes the whole dining room! I also have a portable which folds to fit in my car. I started weaving when as a child I learned to darn socks, and made all sorts of looms of my own sometimes out of very basic materials.
A loner, I played with tools such as grass and anything I could find with which to weave. I did not get a loom until my children had become independent, but I had been using a spinning wheel for years.
Then I did a 3 year Weaving Course. I cant stop intertwining threads in one form or another. I dont know where it comes from and I am afraid of spiders--the greatest weavers of all!.

2005-04-03T02:00:00.000-05:00

Woollen Shawl. Crochet

2005-03-31T13:33:00.000-05:00

Skirt. Handspun, hand dyed,knitted.

2005-03-31T13:29:00.000-05:00

Poncho. knitted with crochet trim

2005-03-31T13:27:00.000-05:00

Mohair Wrap-Crochet, beaded with vintage glass beads

2005-03-31T13:23:00.000-05:00

Wool Wrap-knitted

2005-03-31T13:20:00.000-05:00

Mohair shawl-crochet

2005-03-19T06:26:00.000-05:00

Exploring light with stained glass. I called this: Earth, sea and sky. The centre circle is crystal and is Neptune intaglio.Hanging on a glass door!

What is life without textiles

2005-03-10T00:30:00.000-05:00

In almost all forms of behaviour we rely on textiles. The textile artist provides materials for many other art forms. Canvas for example not only provides a base for a painter, but a wind surfer, sailor. It is WOVEN.
IN FACT: Even a nudist uses fabric occasionally.Curtains bedlinen.
So clothes allow for the creative imagination as do furnishings.
To play with a piece of string is a burgeoning form of the creative urge.

A textile artist should be proud of his/her art. It is ancient and has threads stretching to past infinities. We are connected. We are intertwined and it is an esoteric knowledge.

2005-03-09T04:58:00.000-05:00

Scarf, knitted

Thank you for coming.

2005-03-04T11:10:00.000-05:00

2005-03-03T03:16:00.000-05:00

multicoloured mohair shawl knitted

2005-03-03T03:12:00.000-05:00

Woven wool rug. Threading 3 end block draft.

2005-03-03T03:10:00.000-05:00

Woven table runner in Rosepath threading. Experimental.

2005-03-03T03:09:00.000-05:00

Own design handknit

2005-03-02T17:09:00.000-05:00

Sewn bag. Upholstery fabric. Vintage silk fringe.

2005-03-02T17:08:00.000-05:00

Detail, reverse side of envelope bag

2005-03-02T17:07:00.000-05:00

Envelope bag, woven cotton

2005-03-02T17:06:00.000-05:00

Detail of patchwork bag

2005-03-02T17:05:00.000-05:00

Patchwork bag, sewn

2005-03-02T01:56:00.001-05:00

Woven bag. Warp and weft -cotton.

2005-03-02T01:53:00.000-05:00

Wool throw recycled from cardigan

INVITATION

2005-02-23T23:44:00.000-05:00

You are invited to comment on my work.

My profile and previous posts may be accessed by clicking on the relevant heading in the column on the left of this page.

2005-02-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

Cape. First attempt at crochet and first attempt at handspinning!! 1975 and still being worn!

2005-02-17T18:25:00.000-05:00

Magic Squares Afghan, knitted

2005-02-15T20:35:00.000-05:00

Handspun, hand dyed. Knit and crochet.

2005-02-15T01:34:00.000-05:00

Kaffe Fasset Vest. Not a kit I just used leftover scraps! Knit

2005-02-15T01:16:00.000-05:00

Have a look and comment if you wish

2005-02-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

Mohair Shawl, knitted

2005-02-13T17:09:00.000-05:00

Magic Squares Jacket. Wool, knitted body, crocheted sleeves.

2005-02-13T17:07:00.001-05:00

Handspun, dyed, crochet Poncho