As the world continued with a pandemic of COVID 19, Australia was beginning to come out of lock down, and our group was looking forward to meeting in reality once again. However, a second wave of the virus spread from a southern state back to Sydney, and we were all on notice again. We decided it was better to forgo our reality meeting, and to continue via Zoom for the time being. Six of us attended, with much show and tell. 

Jo had been playing with machine stitching on silk and tulle to produce this 7cm x 7cm sculptural object which looks remarkably like a flower.

Jenny had pulled out another UFO of Ukranian Whitework to finish. The piece is being worked on denim coloured linen in a variety of coloured threads.

Suganthi's work in progress is sampling for the metal threads module of the Contemporary Stitch and Design course that she is doing with Sharyn Hutchens at the Embroiderers Guild NSW.

The last two months has seen Sheila working on a queen sized bed quilt.  The design is a variation of the Wild Goose Chase block which came from 'Enduring Grace, Quilts from the Shelburne Museum Collection'.  Sheila converted the pattern into a foundation pieced block.  She used fabrics from the Thimbleberry range which she won in 2002.

Sheila's on-going covid19 project is growing larger.  Every day, she marks each death on the graph printed in the daily newspaper.  The paper is trapped between the base fabric and the organza and then the french knots are stitched.  The blocks are sewn together into weeks and then joined with the previous weeks.  She started this project as a way to make sense of the growing numbers by comparing one day to the next or one week to the next.  Sadly, the numbers continue to rise.

Sheila's daily practice for July has been to continue creating an Index Card A Day, ICAD. Her structured card designs have used limitations on concepts and mark making but yet have allowed for a wide variety of creations.  It has been a challenging yet fun process.  Sheila's further work can be found at:  https://www.instagram.com/thingstitcher/

Lesley's 15+ year old jacket that has been deconstructed and re-knitted. The Jacket had been washed in a washing machine after a camping trip, instead of being washed by hand. It shrunk, and the wool looked very matted. Lesley was about to donate it to the charity shop, but decided to pull it apart and re-knit it, using the same pattern, and is very happy with the outcome. The wool has regained its texture and elasticity and looks smart enough to wear around town.

Rhonda has been knitting for family and friends using Bendigo Woollen Mill yarn

Jenny has also been knitting squares form her scrap yarn. At present there are 64 squares of varying yarn. Some wool, some acrylic, some textured, some plain. When joined together it should make an interesting knee rug. 

As Australia watches and waits to see how this pandemic will play out, our group continues to create at home. Please come back for another visit next moth to see what we have been up to. 

June 2020

Our group met via Zoom again this month because of low numbers and the COVID virus . Our normal meeting space was open with restrictions, though quite a few of us had other plans for the day, and with only four of us attending, we made the call to continue with Zoom. We held two Zoom meetings with a small break between, which let us do show and tell really well.

Jenny had finished her pulled back stitch eyelet exercise from February and turned it into a needle case. The spaces between the eyelets had been filled with a variegated thread using an uneven 4 sided stitch. Cassalguidi inspired work was stitched over the background formed by the eyelets to add more interest, and a four sided pulled work hem with added tassel finished it off.

Jo was having a love affair with French knots. They are being stitched  with DMC Etoile and a rayon variegated thread. 

Susan had in worked a butterfly in a 10cm hoop. It has all been worked in DMC stranded cotton from her collection.  The butterfly in satin stitch, the background in long and short stitch, outlines in whipped back stitch. The words are:  joie de vivre, joie de faire - joy of living, joy of making.  It was made for her friend's 70th birthday, and she is a maker of all sorts of things, so she appreciated the gift.

Suganthi's work in progress - What she thinks of housework! Inspired by the Laterals Yellow Envelope Challenge - use a tangram; and Anne Kelly's six-week challenge for Textile artist.org.,  use found material in your home during this time of COVID-19 to create some folk art.

Suganthi used  used old tea towels. The family has hidden the rest of the tea towels!

Annette had found, in a cupboard, an almost complete  flap for a bag started with Jennifer Kime in 2008. Everything needed was in the bag ready to start.  It was a joy to find it and Annette  will now complete it.

Jenny had called her blanket finished after seven years. There was enough yarn to add a border, then a second border of more granny squares, then a third border similar to the first. The blanket is big enough to sit on top of a queen sized bed.  Yarn is still left over, and Jenny is yet to decide what to do with it.

Sheila is currently stitching a continuing work based on covid19 graphs published daily in the newspaper.  She is marking each death from the virus with a french knot. The individual blocks are stitched into weeks then joined to the preceding weeks. The work is growing longer and the plan is to continue while the graphs are in the paper.

Sheila is also participating in the annual Index Card A Day, ICAD, for her daily practice over the next 2 months. She is exploring simple mark making using markers and watercolour. Her cards can be found at : @thingstitcher.  The work of other participants can be found at: @dyicad.

Annette had  knitted a cardigan  for herself using Bendigo Classic 8ply wool.  Early in the COVID 19 isolation she decided to not go out to shops to find buttons but make 9 Dorset buttons. The  rings were found in her stash along with  a thread that would match. Finally buttons are ready to stitch on and the cardigan can be worn.

Annette also found in boxes and cupboards many framed pieces. The photo shows the majority on the wall in her work room. Some date from the early 1990s, and it is lovely to see them out on show.

Rhonda had made a three quarter length coat with  fabric from her Mother's stash. It is unclear how old the fabric is. The beautiful antique buttons and lining is also from the last century.

The Covid crisis is still on-going, though restrictions are slowly being lifted. Next month we may be back in our normal meeting space. Until then, creativity is going strong at home.