Works in progress ...

Trying to make some magic in my kitchen for an exhibition at Pataka starting on Waitangi Day (6 February). A collaborative venture with other local textile artists. A major influence is India Flint who is currently in Aotearoa creating mystical works and atmospheres up at Whitireia on the Kapiti Coast. India is the author of Eco-Colour, an invaluable resource for any adventurer who likes to play with colouring cloth.

I love India's approach to what she does. I get a bit tired of pretentious superficial folk and their speak in the art world sometimes. Call me naive if you must, but I love creating and crafting for the pure joy of it. If you like what I make, then awesome. If you don't, I'm ok with that. My friend Cleo and I are earth-girls, we love to keep it simple and make beautiful things. India is not complicated. She is pure unadulterated inspiration. Without the drama and vanity. Having done a couple of workshops and watched others from an envious distance, I am excited about next week.

I am taking my post-natal self off for a week with India and the wonders of her pots. It is definitely my kind of post-birth/surgery/hard year healing tonic. Exciting to see we will be felting and stitching our journeys - Wheeeeeeeee. I am also taking my wee babe Knuckles and my mum from Brisbane too. We will be spending a wonderful week there with India doing her workshop with other textile explorers and eating yummy cheeses and ice creams. Great way to knock some of those post-natal blues on the head.

Envious? You should be. There are still spaces left. Jump over to India's website and see what they are creating this week. http://prophet-of-bloom.blogspot.com/

Below are glimpses of my works in progress this week ...

Memory Blanket: Do you remember this blanket from mid-way last year. I started stitching pieces of fabric including some silk lace from a friend's Swiss wedding dress, remnants of silk clothing and woollen blankets on a couple of secondhand baby sheets, and crochet/lace around the edges. Well, there was a little resistance from the folk who love the whole 'white-on-white' look but I immersed it into my flax harakeke pot yesterday for a little botanical alchemy of my own and ...

Check out the results. That lace looks phenomenal. The felt looks pretty amazing too. All the different textiles (silk, cotton, wool, linen) took up the colour from the dyepot in unique ways. Funny how a piece of polyester snuck in and fooled me (which isn't hard cause I aint no die-hard fabricaholic). It is pure white in a landscape of rich and muddy browns and golds. Imposter. Now it will have to stay and out-me as the fabric novice I am. Still can't tell a natural fibre from a synthetic one. Hahaha, and it will be there on the art gallery walls for the whole world to see. You should see my friend Cleo's works. More magic. I will see if I can get some sneak peeks for you ... with her permission of course!