It's Christmas - Christmas tree #25

Advent Blog Day 25 - MERRY CHRISTMAS
Here is my own contribution to the unusual Christmas trees. My tree this year is a wire tree with all 193 stick dolls I made for the "Stitched Up" exhibition, celebrating the lives of 193 girls, inmates of the Newcastle Industrial School 1867-1871 (a NSW government welfare institution). The safety pins as hangers are deliberate as the girls had to work at "stitching" while they were at the school, so at Christmas they have some time off - no sewing, safety pins will do.

Thank you for following this Advent Blog these last 25 days....

Comments

Wednesday's Children and Others.

STITCHED UP is now in its third week of exhibition and breaking all records of visitors - such an overwhelming response - so it is inevitable that a few people have had their photos taken with Wednesday's children, the stick doll installation.... First of all, Ben, a member of the amazing installation team at The Lock-Up. Thanks for taking such care installing 'the girls' - the digital laser level worked wonders and did I hear you talking to a few them? Ben from the installation team The Lock-Up Wednesday's children up on the wall. Then, of course , my own family - not all positive critiques, but you can't win them all! Many of my friends have been really supportive.... they have even visited a few times. Here are some of my Rotary friends on the opening night. Members of the Rotary Club of Wallsend-Maryland - Clarice, Cia, Sandy, Wilma, Christine Unexpected visitors even dropped by las...

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

"Temari Or Not Temari?" Tutorial

Background Information: Temari (literally translated “hand ball”) is a Japanese folk craft that is alleged to have originated in China and was introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago. Traditionally, the balls were constructed from wrapped kimono fabric remnants and silk threads. They were made by mothers and grandmothers for children to play with. Nowadays, decorative embroidered temari represent a highly valued and cherished gift symbolizing friendship and loyalty. Recently I've wondered if your don't use traditional techniques whether you should call what you create "temari". That is an ongoing debate but today I share what I do to make a "non-traditional temari".... 1.I start with a polystrene ball ( traditionally the balls were wound silk scraps or other organic materials) and begin to wrap with approx 4 ply wool, turning the ball as I wrap. 2. I then wrap another layer of wool in a similar fashion , this time a 3 or 2 ...

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

Search This Blog