Thread Stitch Cloth

Delighted that my entry to 'Thread Stitch Cloth' has been selected to be part of the exhibition. The Exhibition runs from 21 September to 6 November 2018 at the 76 Queen Street Galleries, Concord West.

My entry is titled 'Leaf Lace - Forest Pansy'  30x30cm and features machine free motion stitching and couching.  The background cloth is a nine patch block made up of natural print leaves on silk and silk/wool ....

Thread Stitch Cloth is part of the Festival of Contemporary Machine Stitch presented by the Embroiderers Guild of NSW.  In addition there is an extensive program of workshops and demonstrations including artists such as Meredith Woolnough, Cathy Jack Coupland and Alison Holt (UK).  You can find details of all that is on offer on the Embroiderers' Guild website at www.embroiderersguildnsw.org.au

Thread Stitch Cloth would be well worth a visit if you are in Sydney with a few hours to spare !

Thanks for reading  CC

SAQA Benefit Auction 2018

The 2018 SAQA Benefit Auction gets underway from 14 September  to 17 October this year. 

The 12" x 12" auction quilts are divided up into 3 sections and each week a different section will be available for bidding. The funds raised from the event go to support SAQA's exhibition and outreach program.   You can view all the works at  https://www.saqa.com/auction-quilts.php

Here is the piece that I submitted this year ....

I was delighted to receive an email from Martha Sielman, Executive Director of SAQA ... someone I hold in high regard for her terrific publications on Art Quilts... her message read....

"Thank you for your donation to SAQA’s 2018 Benefit Auction.  What a beautiful landscape!  I especially like how the road changes from a pieced start to a stitched version.  Your trees are a really interesting effect.  How did you print onto the piece fabric?"

.......  made my day!

In case you are interested ... the trees are one of my photos printed onto silk organza and fused to the background.

Thanks for reading ... CC 

Stiched Shibori ... Freeform

I've ventured down the Shibori path before ... I tried some Arashi Shibori (pole wrapping) a while back, loved the resulting fabric but found it very hard to incorporate into my work!

Recently I have been looking for ways to build different textures and variations into my surface design, especially when using natural dyes ...so I've been looking again at Shibori techniques and in particular stitched shibori.  I was delighted to find Jane Callender's book "Stitched Shibori - Techniques, Innovation,Pattern, Design" ... which provides a comprehensive reference to stitched shibori.  Jane describes stitched shibori in the following terms  ....

"Pulling up the threads of hand-sewn rows worked with small stitches creates tiny folds,  and as a row of stitching can follow a drawn line, specific shapes, motifs, patterns and designs can be composed."  

I've experimented with a range of traditional stitched shibori designs ...

and tried out a stitching technique on a wool scarf - for fun   .....  here are the stages in the stitched shibori process...

but it's the flexibility to stitch freeform designs that is exciting ....  I've been stitching my own designs using an oversewing technique called 'guntai shibori'  which creates a lovely effect.  

I can see lots of possibilities ...... Thanks for reading and for your interest in my work ...CC

New Work Naturally .....

Over the last month, as well as working on the FiveBySix Challenge,  I have been finishing some new work which incorporates some of my nature prints.  

I started with a nature print overlaid with some applique.  Then I decided to try some mirror image nature prints using silk and silk organza  and a range of plant material from my garden ... the results were lovely ... so these prints became the focus of two compositions.  To add texture and another layer of interest to the pieces I've hand stitched the background of the nature prints and added some hand stitched leaf outlines ... a little slow stitching which was very enjoyable....

One of these works together with two of my nature print scarves (something a bit different) are included in the 'Reflections' group show at Jing Jo's Cafe/Gallery in Kangaroo Valley which opened last week and runs till 29 April.  The scarves, are printed on a silk/wool mix and are lovely to wear, both light and warm!

This is the flyer for the exhibition which opened last week ... I'm looking forward visiting Kangaroo Valley in the next couple of weeks to see how it all looks.   If you are in the vicinity do drop by for a coffee or a bite to eat and enjoy 'Reflections' ....

With this new work I decided to update my website with a fresh layout and new galleries.  I hope you will have a look at the rest of the site,  I think it's an improvement!  There are more updates and content to come ....

Thanks for reading and for your interest in my work ...CC

FiveBySix Challenge ...

My friend Melissa and I decided to take a 30 day challenge during the month of February (plus a few days!),  Melissa wanted to work with embroidery stitches and  I decided this would be a good opportunity to experiment with the nature prints I have been using recently.

We set up a Facebook group which we've called  'FiveBySix Challenge'  and asked a few  friends to join us.  It will be really fun to see how it all comes together! 

I've been working in batches, experimenting with various silk fabrics, variations in techniques and testing out all the likely plants in my garden and in the local environment.  The most likely candidates seem to be deciduous plants and those that have a scent .... so plenty to work with!

After the first few batches, it was clear that part of the magic of nature prints comes from the combination of plants used which infuses the print with extra color and depth.    The combinations of fabric weight/density and printing technique also has a significant impact on the end result ... so I've been trying to work out the best combinations .......

After many batches and experiments I now have a nice lot of prints on the design wall .....

I've been playing with layout options and I'm currently thinking I will put the prints together in three panels of 12  (I know that'll be more than 30!) ....  here's what they look like on my design wall so far ... still need to be trimmed and some need some extra stabilizer but you'll get the idea....

I'm not happy with some of the prints ... so there are a few more batches planned before the end of the month!! 

While the 30 days is up soon ...  we have given ourselves a month to finish off and work on the presentation.  Will post the final result in April.   

Thanks for reading  CC

Art Quilt Australia's Second Outing ....

The Art Quilt Australia Exhibition,  including my two works  'Autumn Winds' and 'Grevillea Moonlight',  is having a second outing at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum in Lilydale, Victoria ....

It is very exciting to see this Exhibition having a second life and travelling to Victoria.  I have just been looking at the Catalogue for the exhibition and I particularly like this quote from Padraic Lee Fisher,  Director of the National Wool Museum, Geelong Victoria and a member of the Selecton panel for AQA 2017...  

" The works on display in Art Quilt Australia 2017 are memories made manifest in cloth and thread, where something of the maker is revealed in each work.  The slow process in a fast world - the repetitive mark as each stitch marries the nature of cloth and time honored technique with innovation and creative vision."

I won't have the chance to travel to Lilydale but I know it will be well worth the trip for those a little closer!  Love the featured work used in the invitation above ... 'Ode To Banksias 7'  by Susan Mathews.

Thanks for reading .... CC

Sketchbook Play

Wanted to get 2018 off to a flying start so I enrolled in a short online workshop with one of my favorite textile artists  ... Dionne Swift.

Over 5 days with circles as the theme I've been making backgrounds, cutting, pasting, drawing, stamping and building up layers.  I've dug out my paintstiks, inktense pencils, water colors, charcoal, producing lots of pages and making lots of mess ... but what fun!

There is terrific energy in this class with emails and videos from Dionne each day.  It is so good to be encouraged to try things out without thinking about the end result.  What is so valuable is the the process, that takes you from the initial 'visual brainstorming, to building layers and then to the final stage of putting it all together in a sketchbook which flows with the development of ideas and imagery.  If I've peaked your interest here is a link to Dionne's website and online classes  http://www.dionneswift.co.uk/shop/workshops-online/

I'm contemplating the next class with Dionne!

Thanks for reading  CC

Leaf Works

When I began developing textile art designs,  I went back to my horticulture studies for inspiration.  My fascination with plants has become my inspiration.  My early work focused on leaves from  Forest Pansy to Maple leaves  ...

I have often used direct leaf prints in my work and have recently been exploring the world of 'Eco Printing'.  This form of direct printing has led me back to leaves and to creating a new collection of works.   These new works incorporate leaf prints, natural dyed silks and hand stitching ...

© 2017 CarolynCollinsArt

I am enjoying exploring the possibilities for handstitching .....

© 2018 CarolynCollinsArt

adding  new layers of pattern, texture and tone to the work. 

Thanks for read ... CC