Skip to main content

Bilby and Butterfly


At Tag Tuesday, the current theme is Bunnies and Butterflies.... a celebration of Spring.   This is a heat appliqued fabric tag with an Australian touch. While I love Michele's theme and have nothing against bunnies,  I have not really kept exactly to the Tag Tuesday theme  - my tag is a Bilby and Butterfly.  Why? 
 For some years, I have been supporting "Save the Bilby" fund - a campaign to save a native endangered animal and its habitat. A bilby is a small marsupial and it has long ears like a rabbit. Especially at Easter, the campaign increases its presence, with chocolate bilbies instead of bunnies. 


Hope I am forgiven for going off on a tangent with my tag? 
More info about Bilbies - here 




Labels:

Comments

  1. Valerie-JaelMarch 26, 2020 at 7:48 PM

    Hi Wilma, a lovely tag and very interesting to learn about Bilbies, I have never heard of them before. Good luck to all concerned with the campaign. Great to see you around again! Hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wilma Simmons (Empress Wu Designs)March 28, 2020 at 5:43 PM

      Thank you Valerie - you are a champion doing such a great job keeping Tag Tuesday going strong.

      Delete
  2. Linda KunsmanMarch 27, 2020 at 2:46 AM

    I had never heard of this animal before so thanks for sharing. They are cute but I like bunnies too:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wilma Simmons (Empress Wu Designs)March 28, 2020 at 5:44 PM

      hi Linda - Bilbies aren't as pretty as bunnies, but sometimes are called rabbit eared bandicoots.

      Delete
  3. pinkyMarch 27, 2020 at 3:57 AM

    Instantly forgiven! Wow I do love what you have made and great information to read too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wilma Simmons (Empress Wu Designs)March 28, 2020 at 5:45 PM

      Thank you Pinky - I do enjoy making tags, but also like the research bit.

      Delete
  4. MicheleMarch 28, 2020 at 9:36 AM

    thank you for teaching me about bilbies! i never knew about them until now. they are important. lovely tag! xo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wilma Simmons (Empress Wu Designs)March 28, 2020 at 5:47 PM

    Hi Michele, Thanks I hope you didn't mind me changing the theme for my own purposes - only a slight connection .... sometimes bilbies are called rabbit eared bandicoots.

    ReplyDelete
  6. KarenApril 1, 2020 at 9:31 AM

    Ohhhh how sweet ~ bless you for supporting this cause ~ I see a bunny resemblance and he's beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Diana TaylorApril 6, 2020 at 10:16 PM

    What an interesting article about Bilbies, they are the sweetest little things - I've never heard of them before. I love the tag too - the background fabric is fabulous and I love the pop of orange/red.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading my blog and please share your thoughts about my blog post by leaving a comment.Your comment won't appear immediately as comments are verified before publication in an effort to reduce the amount of spam appearing. Anonymous comments will not be published.

Popular posts from this blog

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...
3 comments
Read more

From my workshop page....

  Current Workshops  Offerings  Thinking of a workshop for your group in  2022?    Art Doll Workshops : -  Garden Thread Dolls  (one day workshop   -  WoW -(Woman of Wisdom)    - embellished stump doll with either cloth head or clay head.  This is an a rt doll workshop .... either offered as a series of workshops or  2 full days  days!   -  Message/Story  Stick doll  - doll made with found objects and upcycled cloth.  ( one day)    -  Elemental totems  - stick doll variation , with sculpture  ( one or two days, depending on surface decoration of fabric)  TEXTILE AND MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOPS    Temari - embroidered wrapped balls in traditional style.    - Dipping Into Tea  - tea and embroidery on canvas with photo transfer on fabric.  ( two days)  work by Judith Bee, workshop participant.  - Tea Bag sculpture : ...
Post a Comment
Read more

"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 ...
8 comments
Read more