Happy People at the Handmade Markets

I had good intentions to take lots of pictures of my stall at the handmade markets on the weekend. But somehow I forgot....... I think I got carried away with the excitement of it all.

My new designs were greeted with such enthusiasm they literally flew off the table. The embroidery panels sold out in minutes, I heart Canberra walked out the door, and the Gingko designs gracefully fluttered their way into the hearts and bags of customers.

The experience left me buzzing and Ive already started thinking of new designs......

If you would like to relive the experience visit the Handmade Facebook site - there are lots of lovely images capturing the day.

Sneak preview of my new designs for the Canberra Handmade Market

Over the past couple of weeks I have been working on some new designs which are going to be launched at the Canberra Handmade Market on Saturday 19 February at the new spot in the Convention Centre in the centre of town.

Inspired by a recent commission to create a lyrebird cushion using patchwork techniques I have transformed this design into an embroidery panel for others to embellish. The panel can be used in many ways by transforming it into a cushion, stretch over a canvas to become an artwork, incorporated to be part of a quilt or sewn together to make a bag.... the possibilities are endless! They also make a perfect gift for a crafty friend :) The panels measure approximately 45 x 45 cm and are printed with colourfast waterbased inks onto linen.

I loved this design so much I also printed it onto grey cotton T-shirts.

I have just moved into a cute little cottage (which explains the absence of regular postings since Christmas) whilst washing up I admired the delicate shape of a ginko leaf my sister had picked for me. This was the beginning of the Ginko design which has been printed onto linen tea towels, hemp table runners and as a repeat onto a length of fabric.... oh and a couple of cotton T-shirts.

Having gotten into the printing mood I then started on some Canberra souvenir tea towels and bags - this design is created using hand cut paper stencils - and are a limited edition of 10 tea towels and 9 bags. I love the street art look this design has......

All these designs will be available on Saturday or if you are unable to drop by for a visit they are also available from my online store.

ps - Im contemplating incorporating some of my renovations and decorations into this blog. What do you think? Would you like to hear about the other things I get up to?

Asian Stab Book Binding

Something I have been meaning to do since Art School is to do a book binding course. I have always been fascinated with the way papers are bound together to become books - and there are many different ways to do so.

I participated in an Asian Stab book binding workshop on the weekend taught by artist Caren Florence. Asian Stab, as the name suggests, is a technique which comes from Asia (notably Japan, China and Korea) and the papers are bound together using a decorative stitched edge.

We learnt a number of different techniques starting with the basic four hole, and then working our way through noble binding (decorative corners), hemp pattern.

left to right: noble, my variation of the hemp stitch, and basic four hole stitch.

And finally tortoiseshell pattern with a hard cover (below) with some soft japanese paper on the inside.

Ive found some tutorials by Rose Newton if you want to give it a try:

Four Hole - the most basic stitch

Noble binding

Hemp leaf

Tortoise Shell

Lyrebird Cushion Commission

At the Handmade Market in December last year I was approached to create a cushion with a Lyrebird design.

At first there was some confusion over the image as I was in 'screenprinting' mode and thought that I had been confused with Formosa Textiles, who screenprints lovely images of Australian birds. But we eventually worked out that the Lyrebird cushion was to be similar to a design that I had created for my friend Jules earlier in the year for my patchwork group. (below)

The cushion design includes a number of techniques: applique, hand embroidery and machine embroidery onto natural coloured linen. The back of the cushion is an olive linen to compliment and contrast the colours on the front of the cushion.

I was very happy with the end result and I have a feeling it could be the beginning of a new range. Keep your eyes out for new Lyrebird designs which may make their way to the next Handmade Market on 19 February.