Fabric Tags for Tag Tuesday

At Tag Tuesday, this fortnight Sandie is hosting the Steampunk/Mechanical challenge. Although this isn't a theme I usually tackle, Sandie's tags are so fantastic and inspirational that I was motivated to create a tag this afternoon.

I had some fabrics on my desk which I discharge dyed last week.and this piece with the addition of a few copper cogs reminded me of " industrial and mechanical" .

The way the background fabric was created was by applying bleach gel with a roller over the top of a plastic stencil. The fabric was originally a  bluish dark grey   cotton, When the bleach had removed the colour, the process was halted with a commercial  neutralizing solution  called AntiChlor. I have been told that a vinegar solution  will also stop the discharge of colour and act as a neutraliser.

The metal cogs were stitched on to the fabric by hand.
Here are  a couple of great resource sites for discharging colour with bleach.
- Threads Magazine article 
 - All about Dyeing FAQ

Similarly, I used another piece of fabric which had been prepared using the same process seemed to fir very well for the previous Tag Tuesday theme "Black , white and spot of colour" This tag was not only inspired by the great tags  created by Valerie. It was also by a sunset we experienced last week, just before a severe but spectacular April storm. The technique is the same as above, but instead of using a stencil, I sponged bleach around  plastic template of a stylised tree.


I machine stitched around the shape and across the piece . I also highlighted some of the colour remaining with coloured pencil.

I have recently been finding it hard to keep up with Tag Tuesday, but I am trying to continue because I enjoy the challenges, and I have received  such great support and encouragement from the Tag Tuesday team.
Thanks, Tag Tuesday. 

Discharge dye samples - Wilma Simmons 

Stitched up in Sydney

Easter Eggs

Tea eggs - hard boiled eggs cracked and soaked in spiced tea and soya sauce  stteping liquid. 

Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs,are decorated eggs that are usually used as gifts on the occasion of Easter. The oldest tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs wrapped in colourful foil, hand-carved wooden eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as chocolate. Although eggs, in general, were a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth,  Christians also  say Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus, from which Jesus resurrected.

http://discovergreece.info/the-greek-tradition-of-the-red-easter-eggs/

In addition, one ancient tradition was the staining of Easter eggs with the colour red "in memory of the blood of Christ, shed as at that time of his crucifixion."  This custom of the Easter egg can be traced to early Christians of Mesopotamia, and from there it spread into Russia and Siberia through the Orthodox Churches, and later into Europe through the Catholic and Protestant Churches. 

Happy Easter !  

Stitched Up in Sydney

The Stitched Up in Sydney exhibition showcases the work of 19 contemporary textile artists in response to the history of the Newcastle Industrial School and Reformatory for Girls. It brings to life the tragic stories of 193 girls sent to the school between 1867 and 1871, an era of poverty, hardship and discrimination.

Girls under 16 were sent to the school when they were destitute, homeless, in the care of criminals or had been arrested for a crime. In a mandatory 12-month stay, they were taught basic literacy, along with stitching, and set to sewing clothing and household items as a cost recovery exercise.

Timeless Textiles Anne Kempton and Wilma Simmons co-curated the Stitched-Up exhibition at Newcastle’s Lock Up Contemporary Art Space last year. The contributing textile artists used materials reflecting the cloth and colours that would have been used by the girls to make functional items during their time at the school. Some of these items would have been used, reused and recreated. They would have been held, sometimes for long periods of time, in both the girls’ and the artists’ hands during the making process.

Thirty women from Timeless Textiles Gallery’s Wednesday Makers group stitched embroidered narratives of the girls’ lives in a nine-month long project. They created seven volumes of cloth books, each page dedicated to one of the girls or a family of sisters. The stitchers used local historian Jane Ison’s research to inspire their interpretations.

Stitched Up in Sydney offers an opportunity to experience this fascinating part of Newcastle’s history. Alongside locally based artists, internationally renowned fibre artists from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark and nationally across Australia contributed to the exhibition. It presents an extraordinary array of artistic works individually and collectively portraying stories of loss, betrayal, cruelty and endurance.

Out of the Wood - Community Art Project

It was  very exciting  to celebrate  International Women's Day 2018 with the launch Timeless Textiles’ new community art project, “Out of the Wood” for International Women’s Day 2019. Here is the launch live... 

“Out of the Wood” is a creative mixed media community project using recycled timber, textiles and fibres to create small works of art, to raise funds for a community organizations supporting the homeless. Building on the success of previous art and fundraising projects like  “Letting Go “ and ‘Flying Free” , participants are invited to come together at Timeless Textiles ( 90 hUnter Strret, Newcastle NSW , Australia )  on Wednesdays, 10.30am - 12.30pm to work collaboratively, share ideas, learn new  textile art techniques and be inspired and inspire others. 

The Wednesday workshops are free and lots of fun and the basic materials are provided.  Special thanks to Round 2Timbers Pty Ltd for the donation of the timber for this project 

The major recipient of “Out of the Wood” will be a privately funded program called “Our Backyard”   a “car to home” project supporting the homeless by providing a private and safe space for people living in their cars  in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie areas. Our Backyard offers access to bathroom and kitchen facilities in the aim of making life a little easier. Support workers also assist to connect with other providers to access programs   and services which may be needed.

We are now welcoming participants from the local area and afar (Australia and overseas) to express interest in supporting this project. This a great opportunity to create art in a community for the community.  The Wednesday meetings and workshops will begin on 11 April 2018 and continue throughout the year. If you are unable to come to Timeless Textiles in person, send us  a message via the comments with an email address for verification and we will send out a piece of timber and a sample kit to help you get started. All participants and followers are encouraged to keep in contact with us and receive project updates via the “Out of the Wood” Facebook Page.  Like the page and you will get interesting updates... 

Hope you are as excited as we are about “Out of the Wood” and we are looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you at Timeless Textiles on Wednesdays, from 11 April 2018