TEXTILE Fibre Forum #128 Cover!!

November has been a fairly consistent month of working on WOW pieces. Funnily enough, the two details here are from two different works, yet they have ended up sharing the same colour palette, and therefore quite a few paints and materials. Lots of leather, beading and irridescence, but no feathers this time. Oooh, except for a few floaty purple ostrich feathers!

 And because I clearly don't have enough sequins and beads, I simply had to visit Bead Trimming and Craft this week for more - funnily enough, managing to duplicate some!

 These are the inspiration boards for some of my current works.

I was delighted to receive an email in late October advising me that my garment Anthozoa was to be the cover image for TEXTILE Fibre Forum magazine Issue 128. What an honour! Although no longer edited by founder Janet de Boer, it is currently safe in the hands of Moira Simpson. TEXTILE Fibre Forum has always been a huge inspiration to me, and at a time when we didn't have the internet, was THE place to find out about workshops, suppliers, and inspiring artists and exhibitions. My copy arrived today, and I am still grinning!

Last night I attended an induction at The Edge for using the Laser Cutter.

"The Edge’s Fabrication Lab is an open access community makerspace with equipment and tools available to anyone with a creative idea. If you have a hobby, project, assignment or an idea for a business that requires specialist tools like a laser cutter, soldering station, 3D printer, sewing machine or CNC Routers, The Edge’s Fabrication Lab can help".

That's pretty awesome. I don't have any particular project in mind, I just thought I'd check it out - and it turns out that you can use Illustrator files - yay!

I end this post with a very sad picture. This here is the tragedy of a broody hen, which I get to see every time I walk downstairs to the studio. It's pathetic. She has spent more time like this than she has as a normal chook this year! Oh Ginger, what are we going to do with you?!

Mirror Mirror at Melbourne Cup

Nearly a month since my last blog, when I announced I was back on the WOW hamster wheel! That month has gone quickly, as I have indeed been treadling hard, making the foundations of many components, moulding leather, and sourcing materials for the four garments I have settled on making. Reverse Garbage has been brilliant for this, especially with my limited travel options  - however, the licence is back in action as of tomorrow!! Apart from having the ability to visit Trad's again, I'm also really looking forward to accompanying Matt on a job to Maroochydore this Thursday, and spending time at Johno's Fabric Centre! Better check the bank account has available funds....

Gel medium and paint on organza - the starting point for Emergence, the evolution of Beyond Chrysalis, from 2008

Textured and painted leather to match fabulous fabric!

Wet-look lycra over a boned and padded foam understructure. Countless hours, many more to go.

The studio is an absolute mess, of course! MUST tidy up!!

This morning I dressed the amazing Sandra Girvan for a Melbourne Cup luncheon in my Mirror Mirror outfit, a finalist in the 2012 Art U Wear competition themed 'The Fairest of Them All' and later exhibited in the ATASDA Palmhouse Exhibition themed 'Fragment'. Mirror Mirror was inspired by the idea of a shattered mirror, and the dynamic and explosive lines  and fragments it creates. This was expressed through silver lamé crush ironed onto interfacing, crushed black organza and wired pieces.