what I have been sewing and plan (hope) to sew

This a work in progress shot of my first doll's quilt. I had never heard of these before until reading the blogs such as;

Loobylu
Wee Wonderfuls
SouleMama

They looked pretty, easy and fun - nothing keeps me happier and grounded than a good session of hand stitching!

So I decided now that all my gallery commitments are almost over I thought it was time to make making for my children (especially my daughter) a priority.

I was planning to give it to Hj for her 3rd birthday with a doll (that I also plan to make) and a beautiful crib that my grandfather made for me - but I think it will be a Christmas gift now.

I am using English Paper Piercing technique, a method of patch working I have used for five years - but the first time using a template that my Mum made two quilts from, for me when I was a little girl (but I don't have them any more - one of the greatest regrets of my life)

The fabric is sourced from local op shops, old table cloths and sheets. I enjoy using these treasured finds. Environmentally friendly and finding them is way less stressful than shopping at those commercial places - like the horror shop spotlight.

Examples of my other patchworks can be found here and here

More posts coming about my Christmas sewing I have started too! And just to prove that I am not completely mad check out this brilliant mummy blogger

Hand Crafted Landscape at Ararat Regional Art Gallery

Hand Crafted Landscape completed its showing yesterday. It was a wonderful show at a wonderful gallery.

Although the Regional Ararat Art Gallery doesn't get the visitation that inner Melbourne might I experienced a great show that is a turning point in my practice.

It also knocked the puff out of me (hence no posting for some weeks now)

- I am working extra hours for the next six months as well as moving house as well as turning 34 - plenty of excuses there for not sitting on a lap top and just hopping in bed really early and reading lots of books.


Not only has Handcrafted Landscape provided me with space for reflection - but also another opportunity to produce new works for a Sustainability Festival taking place in Avoca in October with the Avoca Project.

Reading Report

So while I haven't been even thinking about blogging I have been READING:

After the first death,Robert Cormier (teenage fiction - blow your mind away and takes you into corners of your mind to examine Fear)

Sleeping dogs Hartnett, Sonya Harnett (teenage fiction - blow your mind away and takes you into corners of your mind to examine Fear)

The long way home Audrey Howard (trash - great for a bath)

The witch's trinity, Erika Mailman. (trash - great for a bath)

Garden spells, Sarah Addison Allen. (trash - great for a bath)


The omnivore's dilemma : a natural history of four meals, Michael Pollan - watch your supermarket world fall upside down....

The discovery of slowness : a novel, by Sten Nadolny ; translated by Ralph Freedman. I completely recommend that EVERYONE must read this book.

It was report and parent teacher interviews a week or so ago - Kd went OK - in my clean up of the filing cabinet I had a quick skim over my reports to find the comment from my darling Year 5 teacher:

"For a person with such reading talents as Tamara has her word attack skills are limited, and this area of learning is still below that which is expected of her." Report from Mrs Richards Year 5 1985



My Grandmother was informed by Mum's prep teacher that Mum would never write properly - however Mum recently published and launched another book Star Jumps - I havent read this since last year as it makes me cry - it is about the farm that we grew up on. I miss this place terribely - the other night I dreamed I took my children there so they could hear the sound of the wind during winter.

The wind there explained everything and was like a good book to read - the ultimate winter comfort.

oddly the sameISH

This scroll thing was in the AGE a few weekends back and also in Home Beatiful before Christmas (in my clean up I managed to throw the edition of the magazine out!)

It is by nobody&co - hit products in their side bar then hit scroll table.

I should email them... maybe we will become brilliant friends and they will commission me to do heaps of embroidery work for them - custom made for their rich clients...

I made my scroll table called This Fountain Operates without Water back in 2005 as a studio residency with the Castlemaine State Festival.

Is this sheer coincidence - crazy how we both have used that RED pattern....

A funny weekend

Oh we had lots of laughs this weekend. Starting with Friday nights decision to go to Pizza Hut for tea (lovingly renamed as Pizza Palace by Kd)

We were seated next to the all you can eat desert bar, which had a whipped ice cream dispenser on hand. My darlings couldn't get enough bowls of ice cream with chocolate sprinkles (making for my decision that this was the first and the last time we visit Pizza Hut) - however Hj got stuck under the ice cream and as a result a mountain of whipped up swirls poured over her hands - which alarmed her greatly - and us awful adults nearly wet our pants with laughter. Oh it was silly.

And this is what can happen after a meal at this fine eatery;



Then it was the Multicultural festival on Saturday. Our children came home looking like this:



Then lots of Mother's Day joy....

some new exciting things

Some images of a commission I am working on for the end of the month. A gift for two special girls. I would like to make a special acknowledgement to Molly Chicken and her inspirational tutorial.


Our house has sold offically (although they haven't put up a SOLD sticker across the front of the for sale sign)

a talk at Shepparton Art Gallery

Wednesday... well it is Saturday now - sometimes life just get so busy and I never get a chance to post a blog that I have written up in my head.

Wednesday was a special day a trip to Shepparton Art Gallery to do a talk to their Friends of the Gallery Group for Come on the Scene.



I also had lunch with a very special friend, who lives in Mooroopna (just out of Shep in the country with lots of native birds and peacefulness) with her beautiful children and (also beautiful!) husband. - not to mention her incredible garden.


I really enjoyed the collection of ceramics at the gallery. While viewing their collection I had some lovely thoughts about the links between ceramics and textiles. But as usual my brain has drawn a blank and I can't for the life think again of any of my insightful thoughts... I really must get into the habit of writing things down more (not just a list of all the jobs I want to get done...)



This is some of the wonderful sublime work by Gwyn Hanssen Piggott



And these delightful little pinched animals wanted to come home with me forever. They are by Stanislav Halpern.

I am getting a little concerned with by absent mindedness. Is it a Mum thing or could it be linked to my recent head surgery?