piece of cloth part: from black and white to technicolour

A piece of cloth exhibition is hosted by Gleaners inc and curated by Liz Jones as part of L’oreal Fashion Week.

Over thirty artists/crafters/designers were given this little swatch of 70’s fabric in orange, green and brown to respond to in any way they liked - colour, pattern, feeling - whatever.

Initially, my reaction was to go into complete denial about the 70’s (yes I’m sure there are others out there who are in denial about the '70's too..) and bleach the hues away in my head...

And I made this. The poncho is 100% recycled material(even the sewing thread was vintage and from an op shop). The base is a felted cream blanket and the lines are from jumpers recycled into felt rope/yarn and hand dyed black. 

Yes. A bit drab isn't it? But then, like Dorothy going to Oz my world burst into technicolour! I embraced the Seventies. I revelled in the colour scheme.
 

 I tried all the groovy seventies crafts...

like macrame, crochet, wooden beading, latch hooking and tassels....

and then I added pineapples. Because wasn't that what you did in the Seventies? Just added pineapples to everything?

It doesn't look Seventies - which is what I wanted. I wanted it to look modern - but it strangely looks a bit Edwardian. Hmmm.

A Piece of Cloth Exhibition opening night is Friday at 6pm at Gleaners Inc

Short term vs long term

Which do you prefer? The short term craft fling? Or the long term craft commitment?

Yes, the craft one or two night stand has certain attractions, thrills and excitements. No strings attached (unless of course it’s knitting, stitch work or crochet!)and it doesn’t infringe on your life (unless you are of course making fringing).

You can learn something new! Get a fresh idea! See the end in sight! No need to linger on it, ponder on it – just get it done and dusted! Thrilling!Feeling pretty pleased with yourself right?

But can you go past the ever faithful long term craft project? The project that, even when you have stuffed it in a cupboard or plastic tub out the back, still unfurls all its charm and promise just for you?

The craft that may require more toil but brings with it more rewards than the fleeting highs and lows of a crafternoon fling?

Working on it is like slipping on your slightly worn but most comfortable boots.

You feel the right “fit” and you start up where you left off. 

                                                                               Craft commitment has it’s challenges too –keeping your eyes on the overall goals, staving off the boredom of the domestic every day. Sometimes, so familiar, you take it for granted and don’t realise a problem can arise just a row or two into the future!


But whatever happens, you know it is there for you, for as long as it takes, for as long as you want it to take.

When the flings are all over and your tired from the roller coaster ride of learning new tricks, soaring on the heights of completion endorphins and the lows of post craft completion blues, the long term craft is there waiting. You can snuggle up for the evening and continue like you’ve never been apart.

Well, I don't know about you, but this crafter needs a bit of both!This week I have dragged out the latch hook rug made from recycling jumper seams.I started it late last year. It's for my teenage daughter’s room – but let’s face it. There’s hardly a floor space in there anyway!

It’s so relaxing to be working on something simple, methodical, deadline free and easy!

And I'm not monogamous in my long term crafting – I also have my crochet pants made up of several flower squares. 10 made so far – only 90 to go. We’ll be together for the long haul.

Images from golden hands encyclopedia of craft
posted by Julianne Sister outlaw

I'm hooked

Remember those latch hooking kits you used to get as a kid? Well to tell the truth, I never had one! We were a very crafty family but never had anything as sophisticated as a boxed kit with tools. It was more, “here’s a ball of wool – see what you can do”. The simple art of picture making latch hooking passed me by.

And I’m sure any opp shoppers out there will attest that most of these latch hooking projects are never finished and end up in the miscellaneous unfinished craft bin like a pile of craft compost.

But I must admit, daggy as it is, I’m attracted to these projects. And no, surprisingly, it’s not just the cheesy images of teddy bears and sunsets and dogs. Most of all, I can’t help but be attracted to the wonderful shaggy texture, ala shag pile.

 

Ever since I was four years old (in the seventies), I have loved shagpile. My family lived in a country school house, me, the youngest of seven kids. We had hand me down clothes, handmade toys, homemade biscuits and hard floor boards which my mother polished with shoe polish and a covered with a few wholesome rugs. In stark contrast, my best friend down the road was the youngest of three, had new dresses, new dolls and their house was deluxe! They had cowskin rugs in the “family room” carpet in the kitchen (Can this memory be correct??!!!) a pool and best of all, a grownups lounge room. This forbidden room couldn’t help but draw me in with it’s’ mystery (hey – I was only 4 years old!), temptingly peeping through the sliding door from the dining room.

I still remember sneaking in there, creeping along the plastic sheet path way over sumptuous white shagpile carpet! Best of all was the nudey painting in her parents’ bedroom! In purple hues! Hilarious! But ever since then I’ve always wanted whatever my friend Nadine had – and on that list (pink and green floral dress, new doll, holly hobby EVERYTHING!) is shagpile carpet.

I was looking for a project to use up the woollen seams that the sister outlaws cut from our felted jumpers and a very clever crafty friend called Calamity suggested latch hooking a rug. After getting the supplies and experimenting I was away.

 It’s very therapeutic and easy to do in an evening brain fried state. As it's a rug, I am still going.....

Then fellow outlaw Leanne, suggested using flat cut pieces of felt to latch hook. And it looked even better!

Not wanting to bite off more than I could chew, I decided a cushion cover was more achievable than a rug! So here is the first finished project – hand dyed recycled felt, cut up and latch hooked into a cushion cover.

Next up is a cushion cover in lime and turquoise tones. And then? Well it’s tempting to simply keep going! I'll be latch hooking teddy bears and rainbows in no time! Or just about any image you can imagine!

Look out for the deluxe re-sew-cool kit coming soon so you too can latch hook up a shagpile storm and satisfy your seventies fantasies!!

Posted by sister outlaw Julianne