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Sunday 28 April 2019

SvenJen 2019 Bunnehs in Ballarat Part 2

Upon Friday afternoon arrival, BB went to training, whilst I met the class, claimed a table, and introduced my invisible, but very strong friend, Jenelle! Sadly, due to the confusion of originally booking to do the workshop in NZ before switching to Ballarat, we have turned up with awesome felting tools, but no needles. We’ll work it out....
At dinner, we reunite with old friends, BB gets to meet our tutor and class, and at some stage PB manages the faux pas of "how good is our class – there seem to be 0 fruitloops – perhaps it’s the tutor then?”…. as tutor Kristy walks up behind me…..
At dinner the Bunnehs try and organise the morning:
BB: How long around the lake?
PB: (holds up 6 fingers)
BB: So what time iz upz?
PB: I don’t want to brain it
BB: I’ll work it out
PB: I don’t want to help…..
So the first lake walk is a tad gorgeous, including full rainbow, many birds, and of course philosophical issues, such as why we so often have a desire to be anti-social.....
Class begins, and our tutor Kristy Kun asks, "Who's a leftie?', with BB being the only one to say "me!" Absolute GOLD as Kristy looks at her, sighs, and says, "OK". We are also in giggles as she reads out and reacts to the days notices, including a tea break at 10:30 - "Really? You need a break at 10:30?!", but when she is informed that there will be cake, is immediately sold on the concept. She proceeds to completely win BB over when during one of her demonstrations states that she "is not one for extra steps"!! There is some fun as Pam Hovel points out Kristy's pronunciation of 'aluminium' and PB snorts, 'Yeh, we say all the letters here!", and afternoon tea of cheese and biscuits needs to be reinterpreted as cheese and crackers. Jenelle inverts her felt layout, and Kristy says "That's OK, but no-one else do that", then "And she's left-handed. Still!" Loving this woman!!
PB's much-maligned itinerary/information folder is brought out to consult, and BB finally admits her grudging respect for it as it clearly contains VALUABLE INFORMATION!! It's only taken 7 years to get some respect....

After dinner, we repair to the common room, but when talk turns to euthanasia, decide this is not our night to play. The next morning as we meet in the hall, BB asks me "what in God's name were you playing in there?!'( Poor Bob Dylan. Nobody likes him. On another afternoon, someone else asks me to turn him down). As a brisk breeze appears, I worry about having removed an extra layer, and BB is amused at me being the most consistently cold person she knows! Day 2 of the workshop bears great results, with two sample flowers completed by all.

Flowers soaking to remove the soap.
 Day 3 begins with a disappearing Bun, as I pop up on the other side of BB as she is talking to me, leaving her perplexed and talking to air momentarily. During the lake walk I stop and must photograph the bare branches as they are 'speaking to me'. "What are they saying, Bun?" "Stick".
On the way back we jump the fence to the Botanic Gardens and find an amazing display of dahlias - most pertinent to the class!
Speaking of class - today we begin the larger project, and a volatile BB swings from 'chucking a sad' (a new term embraced by Kristy) as we start by discussing our flowers (too slow!!) to "I'm so excited" as plans progress! Morning tea holds yet another delight for our sweet-toothed Kristy, who has been told that todays' treat is Chocolate Hedgehog, yet somehow goes in search of the Chocolate Turtle.
Tuesday becomes the day of change, as PB braves the day without the coat, waits in a different spot at Maccas for the coffee, crosses the road before the railway and walk through the North Gardens instead of around the Lake. We are rewarded for these brave moves by sighting a fluffy wallaby in the gardens. The day is filled with concentration on work, and twice shutting down group photos on everyone's devices - just NO!!
My new feather hat is worn to dinner at the Top Table, and afterwards we return to the classroom for the first time ever - BB questions "Who even am I"?!! Pam cops some ribbing about the shape her felted cylinder has turned into - "oooh, I like your vagina, Pam"!!
Wednesday is our final morning lake walk, and there are many concerned wails about the wind as we leave the school. PB grumps her way around the lake and the wind gets worse, and there is a moment of clarity as I tell BB about how psycho the wind makes me - a-HA!! It is probably the hardest work day in the class - much rubbing of felt, many heavy sighs. We tour other classrooms, such as the
Millinery one "We need to do THAT" to Erica Gray's headpiece class, where I finally try the 3D pen and decide that I do, indeed, need to buy one of those!
Tired Bunnehs finish up and say goodbye, regretting their decision to leave that day as they are both very tired, but soon realise that it was a good decision. Hire car drop goes smoothly, although I am asked if I am dressed for something special, and I am relieved to see the shuttle bus arrive almost immediately, as I did not know how to explain to BB that there could be a 20-30 minute wait - eeep!! We are stoked to settle in the Virgin Lounge once more, where I manage to mistake mustard for hommous....
And once again it is all over for another year. Sniff.
Now, back to more normal textile transmissions.

SvenJen 2019 - Bunnehs in Ballarat

*Warning - those with a low threshold tolerance of fun and silliness are asked to go no further* - this is the tale of the annual adventure of two gals who somehow (looong story) became 'Bunnehs', who each year venture on a fibre journey to somewhere (most often Ballarat) where they exit the real world, remove all filters, and become... Pure BUN!! PB = Pink Bunneh, BB = Blonde Bunneh.
SvenJen 2019 was again a journey to Ballarat Grammar, but first enjoying 3 nights exploring Kyneton and surrounds. The new Bunnehs got a good workout performing the emergency procedures
on the plane, before settling into the hire car for the trip to Kyneton. We mooted the idea of lunch at Macedon, keen to avoid a hangry, but with just one place open, decided to head straight for Kyneton.
With time to fill in before we could access our burrow, we were more than happy to enjoy some delicious noms at The Little Swallow, before strolling around town to discover that disappointment has a day, and that day is Tuesday. Weekend towns are closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Oh well.
After settling into the burrow, the twilight surrounds looked so lovely that I kept trying to go and enjoy the porch, only to come back shrieking each time that it was "not nice”! Brrrrrrr!
After an early night, and subsequent early upz, the Bunnehs struggle to find the correct lighting arrangement for gumboot coffee (plunger) making, settling for "aaagh, ok, but still not good”. One Bunneh in particular starts to feel very chirpy, and issues a ‘Morning Warning’!! Real coffee is soon sourced at Cookie Crumb, AKA Cookie Monster/ Cookie Dough/ Crumbed Cookie, before a successful walk along Campasque River, before heading to Woodend, where it is decided over coffee that it is indeed very cold and miserable, and we should
not attempt Hanging Rock. We drive to Daylesford, and the Wombat Gardens, climbing the dizzying spiral staircase of the memorial tower which I declare to be a fine venue for suicide, received with raised eyebrows. Just sayin’. We visit the Convent Gallery and some op-shops before a hangry looms, quickly averted by attendance at Muffins and More for some totally dericious salads.
Mmmm, felafel derishiousness!
 We again visit the Mill Markets, which provide a fabulous trip down memory
We find "A Bunny in Trouble"!!

lane for Bunnehs with childhoods in the 70’s-80’s. BB tries on a boot and ends up cockroached on the floor, leg in the air, with a request of ‘ugh, Bunneh!!’, for it to be removed!!
Next morning, the coffee should have been left another 30 seconds to brew – disappointment haz a flavour. As I write the notes I am devastated when the black pen runs out and I must use BB’s blue – ugh!! To which she replies, “We gotta work on ya quirks”! We drop in to Monsieur Pierre for coffee and head to Black (Forest!) Hill Reserve, finding many wallabies, including a joey in the pouch!
Unlike previous walks in Victoria, there are maps at the beginning, but without reference points noted along the way…again, Victoria, you’re doing it wrong! What do you do when you don't know which way to walk? Why, you throw a glove up in the air and follow what it says! The Little Swallow is revisited, then it is indeed off to Hanging Rock! The Discovery Centre educates BB on the Picnic at Hanging Rock film, and the importance of calling out Mirandaaaa, but she remains dubious. However, she finds $10 on the Summit Path – the money required to pay for our attendance – winning!!
Miraaandaaaaaaa!!
Don't worry, go through, I've got this!!


Thoughts of enjoying a fresh scone and jam are thwarted by PB struggling to digest breakfast - food and exercise just belong no-where near together with me! Sconeless, we drive to Mount Macedon and visit the massive Memorial Cross, and where I found out that the lovely soft-looking topiaried bushes are not at all soft…. We then visit Sanitorium Lake – AKA TB lake or mud-hole of crapulence – a very disappointing stroll.
Ahhhh, TB AKA Sanitorium Lake.
Things go ‘downhill’ as we backtrack to find ‘anti-gravity hill’ with no success. Our final try is Stanley Park, but on arrival BB says “See how I’m not stopping the car”? “I am so ok with you not stopping the car" – even the car park looks barren and uninviting. However, we gain solace in the fact that this takes us down one of the many spectacular Avenues of Honour lined with autumn foliage, before
stopping at Duck Duck Goose for refreshments of savoury scone, coffee, and a Rosemary Greyhound (gin) – mmmm, delishiousness has a location, and it is here, until the weird cat’s-piss-like smell and my sore leg indicate that perhaps it is indeed, time to go.
Our last morning in Kyneton begins over the road at FIKA for our coffee, before a trot into town, brekky, and packing up the burrow. First stop is Turpins Falls, where we should have heeded the graffitied sign (Rated *1 STAR SHIT WATERFALL) – I even changed from my boots into my sneakers to trot down and see this disappointment.
SOMEWHERE ON THE SIDE THERE, RIGHT SIDE, IS SOME KIND OF WATERFALL
Onwards to Castlemaine, where we drive through the reasonably large town and happen across the Botanic Gardens, and enjoy a leg stretch, fresh air, ducks, and European-style deck chairs and bean bags!

Again onwards to Ballarat for a few supplies, including a kebab to see us through the afternoon. As we unload the car, BB has a skip to her step – quite unlike the first arrival to Ballarat all those years ago! Or is this because she is about to “go and be awesome” at training?! Momentary horror when she thinks we are to share a room (am I really that bad, Bun?!) before we are delighted to find our separate rooms located right across from the showers and toilets!! Hurrah!
To be continued.....



Friday 19 April 2019

Kristy Kun Workshop at Fibre Arts Australia, Ballarat 2019

 I spent last week living at Ballarat Grammar School and participating in a sculptural felt workshop with US artist Kristy Kun as part of Fibre Arts Ballarat. This was a very different felting workshop for my fibre-friend and I, as we have largely participated in wet-felting classes, and this one involved a lot of construction with needling pre-felts before the welt-felting process. This was a great advantage in that we hardly needed to bring any supplies, and it was a lot less physical!
Cute Kristy with our offerings for the 'Top Table' to be auctioned for charity
For those of you unfamiliar with the felting world, a pre-felt is a piece of felt which has been needle-felted or wet felted from combed wool fibres to hold together as a fabric but is about half-way in the total process of felting. Needle-felting is a technique using barbed needles to begin meshing the wool fibres together – wet felting uses a process of water, soap, and agitation by rolling or rubbing. For this class, Kristy supplied us with the needle-felted pre-felts made on her Felt Loom, some with coloured silk fabric embedded in them.
The pre-felt 'onion' and resist or 'bun'!
She then took us through her process of making a flower with the coloured pre-felts, a process un-like any other I had done before. Many times the class thought they were near completion, but we just kept felting and fulling until we had some very solid work, which was dipped in sizing and hand-shaped before drying into the most solid felt I’ve ever ‘felt’!!
Cutting the petals
Felted petals
Trimmed and shaped petals
Class flower production!
Being immersed in flowers, it was wonderful to see the display of dahlias at the Botanic Gardens, as well as succulents, for inspiration.

 We loved our flowers, but I think we were all even more excited about the next project, the sculptural panel. Here we learned Kristy’s technique of applying pre-felt strips to a background, how to join them, adding colour - look at me embracing the brown wool! – as well as cutting strips to make tendrils. Every section took an incredible amount of hand working to get it to the final stage, before spinning, de-fluffing, and shaping. I learned so many things, and found Kristy to be an awesome tutor - clear instructions and demonstrations, well organised, and heaps of fun!!
Pre-felt strips needled to base
Half-wet
Class samples before wet felting (above) and after (below)
My piece finished at home
The class - all fabulous gals!
  We had a great time doing this class, and enjoyed the whole Fibre Arts Australia experience. I'll be posting our pre-workshop adventures soon.