Mr Poonce

I bought this photo od Mr Poonce yesterday from Fiona Dalwood, or Post Loved. My daughter and I went to her house to pick it up and saw lots of her dolls... I wanted to buy a few, and hope at least to buy one which isn't finished yet. Great stuff... Even though sometimes they're a bit wicked or unusual, there's a tenderness there I feel.

The little photo here I want as well.

More From The One And Only Lotus The Wonderful!

Possum, with Velvet stitch body. It stands out beautifully in the flesh. Lotus worked it firstly in Needle Painting style (Long and Short stitch), but it didn't stand out against the foliage, so she did it again in Fluffiness stitch (Ghiordes Knot or Turkey Knot). It's the cutest, snuggling little possum ever! Its l;ittle nose all snuggled in. It did come from a magazine for the most part, but I'm afraid I don't know which.

I have a book called 'Wildflower Embroidery' by Annette Rich. It's a Milner Craft Series book. Lote used the Waratah method from the book. We grow them up here in the hills. I have a couple outside and I'm sure Lotus has too, she's an avid gardener. Great book! Worth having for those who love Aussie flowers. It's terrific.

That's all of my Lotus photo's now. I'm sure you're as impressed as I am. Thanks Lote! xxx

Lotus's Wagga

Lotus came and did one of my classes years ago, and has plodded along happily, adding the most exquisite flowers. She tries to blame (credit) me for teaching her, but it's all lies. All I've done is give her the initial pattern and a few stitches, the rest is entirely down to her.
I've shown you close-ups of my class flowers and bee, and you can seeone of Lotus's butterflies. I'll give you more photo's tomorrow... right now I have to work out my new Ipod, a birthday oresent from my gorgeous sweetie-pie... wish me luck!

Give Me A Minute While I Check Out Who Did This Bondage Wear

Pink, knitted bondage wear is funny!

'The Offering Of The Heart'

I copied (interpreted) this picture from the cover of 'The Wife Of Martin Guerre'. The book, in turn, had used a small focul detail from the large medieval tapestry called 'The Offering Of The Heart'.

I'd not long seen Kaffe Fassett's book Something 'Inspirations'... what were they all called??? Anyway, he had three photo's side by side... one of an old plate with roses on it, one with the outline of a drawing of the plate's design drawn on canvas, and one with the design half worked in tent stitch. You could tell the whole process from just that page! He was great like that. Maybe he still is? So I enlarged the design you see here on a photocopier and traced the outline onto fine canvas... 14 count, and began to 'colour in'.

What you could see from Kaffe's picture was that he hadn't tried to copy the roses exactly, but had interpreted the design. A revelation!

I made two, so when I ran out of thread on one I picked up the other. I didn't refer to each other, but only to the picture. One I gave to my former brother-in-law and his wife and one I have given to my daughter.

I Took These Photo's This Morning

I have some of my dolls lined up on the front window sill waving at passing traffic. It looked so grand this morning with the blind still down, I had to share. The crocodile is made from wound grasses and rose thorn teeth. I'm not sure where it's from and my other half is asleep. It came with him you see.

Tribute To Jean Goldberg Whom I MUST Visit

One MVA Coming Up by Jean Goldberg 1983

Jean saw my big crazy quilt whilst it was in half worked bits on the table, and asked me why I was working with a medieval theme. Why wasn't I contemporary? What was my voice? I frowned and narrowed my eyes (on the inside), and took it in, although I love traditional work still. She set me off into the present too though, she and going to art school in 1998. I have to add that she wrote a glowing article about me for 'Textile - Fibre Forum' magazine, and got a photo of the quilt on the front cover.

It's good to begin any artistic career by studying the past, and I'll defend our right to do what we want 'till the cow's come in, no matter where we want to take it. I love the domestic work through the ages. LOTS! And the lovliness of making our environment beautiful.

Jeans work is terrific though, even if she is bossy (I say that very affectionately). She takes a contemporary image and works it in exquisite, traditional needle-lace. Sadly, Glaucoma has taken her vision now, but she leaves a great heritage.

I'm doing some of my own needle-lace at the moment, much to the amusement of people on the train as I go to work.

Go have a squizz at her site. It's fun and interesting, like Jean is herself.

P.S. Incase you non-Aussie's don't know, 'squizz' is rhyming slang, derived from 'look' being like 'crook', and 'Squizzy' Taylor being a famous Australian 'crook'... hence "Go have a squizz". Get it?