New Week, New Work

Today was busy for Maryann and I, we both got into our separate grooves and for a while there was no chat, just concentration and crafting. Here are Maryann's manicured hands getting busy on the sash for our Queen.

May I just say that we have been discussing this sash for so long, and it's fantastic to see it taking shape. The weave is quite complex, the materials are all different, so Maryann has her work cut out for her, keeping it all neat and even. That's her specialty.

I found my groove out on the freezing fire escape, where I choose to do my glue sniffing, and accidental peeking into the neighbouring apartments. I love love love covering insoles, wedges and heels, it's like wrapping up a present.

Maryann's homework over the weekend was to weave these tiny ribbon stars into the wedge cover. Gorgeous. Now my homework is to prepare and attach the sole, insole, sock etc.

Tomorrow and Weds I shall be in for a short day, Miss Hazel will be coming with me as I am sans babysitter. Big thanks to Granny Col for helping so far.

I am hoping that Hazie will sleep in the pram, tucked away in the store room behind our studio, although the music from Adele Varcoe's tent is fairly overpowering, it's sending us bonkers!

Day 2

Working on a pandanus basket with a perpendicular weave.


The fabulous Grace getting started on a pair of earrings. 'Scuse the blurry photo, she was a flurry of fierce weaving, all action!

I loved how Grace was anchoring the work using her legs and feet, when it got too long she put more tension on. Clever.

When I'm with these women I can feel the pacific sunshine :)

Almost done with the freaking hand stitching. Maryann added crystals to my crocheted neckpiece and voila, we have crossed one item off the list!

Materials and crucial items (chocolate, thermos of gunpowder green tea). I love that our messy desks, and floor spaces are telling a story, and that we don't have to clean up each day.

In other news, Hazel locked my Mum out of the house today. Apparently dear Granny ran 1km to Sam's studio to alert him to the situation, they raced back in time to rescue her as she teetered on a kitchen chair, trying to reach something.

I almost wish that they hadn't told me! How freaky, having to leave her here on her own...

PS. Blogging every day is taxing. Pip Lincolne, how do you do it?

Day 1

Maryann getting her weave on. She really gets in the zone - no laughter, no talking, just head down weaving. I can hear her brain working when she's like this.


Queenie almost done, layers and layers of lace. I may never handstitch anything again, I literally spent all day tacking lace onto a slip dress, wearing a thimble and feeling old school.

She's a bit of a voodoo doll at the mo, but will be finished early tomorrow, and then I'll crack on with some shoemaking.

Maryann's visitor count is way higher than mine, so come on down and improve my stats!

Install

How to fit all of this (and then some) into my car, and then lug it down to Gallery 3 at Craft Vic?



Packing for these open studios can be so frustrating, trying to replicate my studio in another location, it's often a case of just bring EVERYTHING and see how it goes.

Unfortunately bringing everything means that I spend 5 hrs faffing about at the other end, pulling things out of my suitcases, milling about, chasing my tail.

Maryann seems to have her car boot permanently stuffed with goodies, so she can pick and choose. Thankfully we are getting better at the milling about, tail chasing et al.

As of tomorrow we are in situ, getting busy with our hands in the best possible way. Things will get moved about, many things will be works in progress, and we hope that all of you can drop by and hang out for a while.

On the Hazel sleep front, good news. I've been camping out next to her bed, at first reaching in and patting, then progressively moving my mattress further away and just shushing her when she wakes.

Girlfriend sleeps from 7pm till 3-4am, and then again till 7ish. Bliss - no crying - lots of love - camping out rules. I am still in her room but am hoping to be in my bed this week. Fingers crossed she's learned the fine art of sleeping. Isn't is amazing how much more you enjoy your kids when they sleep well?!

Listening to: Ennio Styles' Stylin' 500 Compilation. Free download y'all, it's a winner.

No photo, no mojo

Currently listening to a small girl cry, as she refuses her daytime sleep.

I am completely exhausted by her, she has chronic separation anxiety and won't let me out of her sight, I can't even have a shower without her crying and beating down the door.
I don't remember things being this bad with Leo, may be I have blocked it from my memory!

She is up 3-4 times per night, and usually ends up in my bed, lying on my head, clutching me with those determined little hands. Yesterday while driving I thought I was hallucinating, surely this can't be good? I can't/won't do controlled crying at night, I don't have it in me to win that battle, so on talking to my beloved local M&CH Nurse, we are trying 'camping out'.

This involves me setting up a bed right next to her cot, and instead of laying her back down and stooping over the cot waiting for her to fall asleep, only then to hope that I don't step on a squeaky floorboard on the way out, I just reach into her cot to pat her, shush her, with the bonus that I am horizontal and in a bed. Woohoo.

Last night it kinda worked, she spent the whole night in her bed which is a small victory for me, and even though she was grizzling/awake for long periods of the night, there were no truly anxious moments, she was calm and that's what I'm after.

So I'm having trouble thinking of myself as a creative person, when my whole MO is to survive each day, get people fed, bathed, books read and cuddles given. Sam is on a gruelling schedule 3 weeks out from his solo show in Sydney, we are one sleep-deprived bunch over here. I am looking forward to the day when I can reminisce and say, 'yes that was shit, but aren't things so much better now?'

Next week at Craft Vic I might just end up sleeping in the store room. Oh boy that sounds good.

Peeps I need a pep talk, give me some positive vibes, and if anyone's tried the camping out method, how did it go for you?

Reading: 'An Object of Beauty' by the fabulous Steve Martin.

Listening to: Inside Vibe on PBS with Blair Stafford

Watching: Modern Family Season One (again, I have a huge crush on Sofia Vergara)

It has begun!

August is the month for Craft Cubed, Craft Victoria's annual festival of all things Craft.
It's a huge month, with so many in-house shows and workshops, plus numerous satellite shows and affiliated stores doing pop ups, open studios etc. Have a look at the program and book in a few visits!

As you can tell from the above (crappy) pics ( I blame the fact that I was toting Hazel on one hip), Maryann and I have top billing in the window, alongside the illustrious pairing of Alexi Freeman and Tessa Blazey. These guys are highly polished, providing the ultimate contrast to Maryann and I, who seem rather organic, textural and riotously coloured in comparison.

We have a long list of pieces to tackle for our residency, and are acutely aware that not all of them will be finished by the end. However, we are determined not to stress, it's all about process and sharing after all.

Funnily enough I have no mojo for the shoes at the moment, I'd rather sit down on Maryann's mats and crochet the beautiful dress I have planned. One reason for this, I think, is that shoemaking is so darn technical, requiring machines, hand tools and toxic glues, it seems rather antisocial in a way, almost the opposite of the way in which Maryann creates her work.

Perhaps I will take a leaf out of her book, and change the way I would normally make shoes, so that the project really influences my method. Stay tuned for updates, we don't take up official squatter's privileges until Aug 22nd.