From My Front Garden

It has been raining quite a lot here lately and interesting things keep popping up. I think I am a little obsessed with natural shape, line and texture.

The lines on these folds I find beautiful.

The spores inside are supposed to be wonderful for dying, but I have yet to try them. I collected a few to try.

I was being watched closely.

--mel

More from Julie Ryder's Exhibition

These are a few extra detail pics from Julie's exhibition.









--mel

My next lot of Japanese textiles

Yesterday I visited KimoYES and to make a purchase of some fabric. Some vintage but not all and some woven and some printed. Jill the owner was wonderful and let me look through her "Shop" and I had a ball I could have bought lots more but had to think of how the M/C would hold up.
After I had made my purchases Jill gave me some Obi offcuts as a gift. KimoYES has a promotion at the moment with purchases. Above is a sample of some of the Obi pieces. I love the backs of them as much as the fronts.

Fabrics from Japanache in Mittagong

My Bag of Goodies

Fabric 1 - Back

Fabric 1 - Back

Fabric 1 - Front

Fabric 2 - Back

Fabric 2 - Back

Fabric 2 - Front

Fabric 3 - Back

Fabric 3 - Front

Fabric 4 -Front

Fabric 4 - Front

Fabric 5

Fabrics 1-4 are pieces, these came in a roll of "scraps" I have unpicked most of them and washed them. i have to say they were quite dirty. These are the only nice woven pieces from the 2 pack. Fabric 5 is a roll I bought and has about 4- 5 mts on it I think.

Generate - Julie Ryders exhibition at Sturt Gallery Mittagong

Julie Ryder

Dr Sharon Peoples opening speech.

Belinda ( left) Julie (right)

Sturt Gallery Mittagong
Artist's talk
Julie Ryder at Craft ACT

Julie Ryder’s exhibition ‘Generate’ explores the life and theories of the 19th century naturalist, Charles Darwin. Drawing inspiration from his five-year voyage in The Beagle, this body of work investigates the impact that this exotic journey had on his ideas of social and natural history. Darwin’s journey and encounters with inhabitants from South America and the South Pacific are referenced through works on tapa cloth, glass and textiles to give insight into his theories on natural selection and origin of species.
‘Generate’ reflects Ryder’s ongoing fascination with nature, as way of understanding our inner and outer worlds, challenging perceptions of chaos and control, perfection and imperfection - questioning concepts of beauty and veracity.

Images from Bangkok weaver

I think this is horse hair

Threads for the next project I think. I love this lime green. It is the same colour as the warp I used at Lisio Florence Italy. View Lisio's new website
This is my warp at Lisio. On my antique jacquard loom.

Threads on the bobbin winder for the current work (images below)

Me with the Master Weaver, he used to work with Jim Thompson. I think this is his daughter weaving and the weave studio is in his house.

Order of colours in the pattern

This is like lollies to a weaver! Silk on bobbins.

A few more of the images from my weaving studio find in Bangkok. I wish I spoke Thai.

Weaving from Thailand

As promised these are a few more images from Thailand. The shop window in on of the huge malls in Bangkok is Tango and they make their own hand bags. The window display is made of the left over pieces of leather and fabrics from the handbags. I just loved the riot of colour.

the woven textiles are from my weaving lady and so is the thread, not the colours I would normally choose but as the man so them to me very cheap as it was left overs I took it any way. Lacroix I think.