HOUSE PROJECT OF THE WEEK

little window

If you are anything like the ladies of HML your homes are full of piles of stuff, papers, books, material, junk. In our case add to that toys, technology and no storage. Beck and I often find ourselves comparing notes on our parallel battles with 'the stuff'. My new technique is to pick one teeny corner (a shelf, a drawer, a box) and deal with it every couple of days.

I'm adding to this by also trying to complete odd jobs that have been abandoned because I got distracted, or overwhelmed. This little window in the nursery nook is a good case in point. A bunny rug clipped to the venetians was really no longer doing it for me. I had meant to make trousers for Thom Womble out of this fabric but got freaked out by the level of difficulty and the cutting of such beautiful linen. I needed a metre of polar fleece for the trousers and the linen could be used for the curtain.

I know i need to tuck in that French seam with a couple of stitches but I was pleased with the result and pleased to have something finished! RAMONA

ARTIST OF THE WEEK

materiality
I've been using lots of odd materials in my work lately. Carrying buttons and spoons, scraps and beads in a box and beavering away at tiny things. That's when I'm not drooling over other peoples work spotted online.

Through one of HML's favourite blogs Design for Mankind  we have discovered the work of UK artist Ann Carrington. As if stamp portraits made from mother of pearly buttons weren't enough

Carrington has also made a set of horns out out old forks and giant ladies out of seashells by the seashore

there are also larger than life size horses from coconut husks. amazing yes?

Interesting to take one material and see what it suggests and then move on to the next. I'm amazed by the level of focus required to create such work. Pretty sure she's not making this stuff while watching Masterchef! RAMONA

PRESENT OF THE WEEK

happy 40th

I'm certainly not the most proficient knitter but I do have the desire to pull out the needles when the cooler weather comes around. My beloved doesn't expect much come birthday time, but he does eagerly await the chocolate pavlova and the new scarf. I'm knitting 4 scarves at once at the moment with wildly different wool and I feel like I'm going a bit cross-eyed but I am surprised at how much faster I get over time.

Only one mistake in the whole thing (can you spot the dodgy row?) They say god is in the details or perfection offends the gods or something so we'll go with that and be grateful for no dropped stitches or wonky cast offs. I'm also turning this drawing into an embroidery. I found the sketch in a notebook that was on its way to the recycling bin. I wonder what else I've thrown out in my mad autumn cleaning? RAMONA

EVENT OF THE SEASON

mad skills to pay the bills

Oh my we don't quite know how this one slipped passed us. The Victorian Tapestry Workshop have a craft program running from May through to August. It's mainly knitting based (weirdly enough) but there is one tapestry development class the ladies of HML are keen on with the wonderful Joy Smith - whose work is totally amazing, we'd love to pick up some pointers from her.

But the highlight for us will be the all day event on Monday June 26 'Stuff It: do not fear the seventies' with the indomitable  Jenny Bartholomew. We are quite the groupies when it comes to Jenny's work and are united in our love for 70's textile zaniness. We thought you better all know about it quick sticks before remaining spots fill up. You can download the program here .RAMONA

CRAFT PROJECTS OF THE WEEK

little things

This has been a week of chipping away at the little things that need doing rather than grand plans coming good. And i'm ok with that. Time is coming in short bursts at the moment, an hour here, fifteen minutes there, so the craft projects are having to fit around things - perfect for knitting (which i'm yet to start) and embroidery (which I can't seem to stop). If nothing else it's a sure way for a terminal 'flitter' not to get bored doing the same thing night after night after night. So...

The first one involves the upcycling of one of the architects old linen shirts (he fancied himself as quite the open shirted beachcomber in the early nineties - go figure) on which i'm trialing the embroidery of an illustration. I am loving it - and think there may be more on the way...

The other has been the printing (by swede - of the vegetable not backpacker variety) and stitching (by hand) of this piece of fabric that will eventually become part of a drawsting denim 'toilet bag'  for my Dad's birthday who also sees himself as quite the open shirt beachcomber...( uh oh i'm seeing a theme here)

It looks great, although I must say it has taken an age to go around every circle three times, and so hasn't provided quite the same level of instant craft gratification as the shirt embroidery.

Max too has been busy, and I'm now the proud owner of my first piece of cardboard roll art. I love it, part Gay Pride Parade, part Nu-School geometric reconstructionism... leaves my work in the dust.
BECK