Thursday, June 30, 2011

Girl In a Floppy Hat

Earlier this week folks, I finished a screenprint.  Quite an achievement for moi, I have printed in dribs and drabs since having babies.  But now I have the taste for it.  I hope to crank out a number of prints and have a little exhibition in the near future.   I forgot how exciting it was to lay the colours, upon colours and watch the picture come alive.  Sigh.
I had the fore thought to document the process, all but one colour ( I think).
This print was screenprinted on wallpaper which proved to be quite annoying as it kept wanting to roll up upon itself, it shrunk a little after the first colour and I had to wait days between colours as the ink did not want to dry.  Anyhow, here is most of the colours, layer upon layer, for you viewing pleasure.
white

grey

flesh

pink

green

brown
missed red brown, key image in black.



Monday, June 27, 2011

Libby's Collection......

I went into a dark damp cave that belongs to a woman who has collected treasure for 70 years.  I was in awe.  The smell was exciting.
Hand Painted Japanese Kites


Best Kitchen Ever seen.

My favourite, the colours are amazing.
There was treasure on every wall, in every corner, it reach out to me and beckoned for me to explore all it had to offer.  I am extremely jealous that my cousin in law lives in this house and gets to explore it's secrets everyday.  She gets to delve into Libby's mind to hear of her adventures. Sigh.
When Libby was a teenager her mother encouraged her to learn the domestic duties that were expected of young girls.  Libby was not interested and her father encouraged her education.  She studied at Summerville House and met other girls like herself.  Girls that wanted adventure.

A statue from a now defunct Buddhist temple
Libby went on to be a teacher, then the first woman High School Principal in Queensland.  She later left that career and travelled to Japan, learned the language and her specialty field became Japanese children's stories.  She started to collect Asian artifacts, long before it came chic.  Libby travelled to many other Asian countries collecting Buddha statues from temples that have since been torn down.  Temple doors, hand painted Mexican artifacts.   It is mind bogglingly beautiful.
A small section of her library and a great chair



A 1930's tapestry
Lesbia, or Libby, as I know her has only ever let a few people into her render clad 1930's Queenslander home.  This was the first time she has let treasure leave with someone.  Her house is dark, there is not a wall that is not covered in pictures, there are books everywhere.  I feel supremely lucky to have been let into this world and to have been allowed to take things home and give them a new life and a  new story.
A 1970's wooden Japanese doll

A few of the 100 soldiers and bricks from the demolition of the Ascot cinemas.

Upstairs was amazing.  Downstairs was mad.  Books everywhere.  I founds art magazines from the late 1800's.  I felt awful touching them with my dusty fingertips and made Jo put them somewhere high and dry.  Some books looked ancient.  One title "Dante's Decent into Hell", was massive, spooky and ancient.  Apparently Libby sold some art works to buy it.  Oh it gave me chills.
I was allowed to go through massive piles of home decorating and fashion magazines and here is a taste of what I bought home.
McCall's 1936 pattern magazine

Vogue pattern books from the 60's


A pile of mostly 60's Vogues

A pile of Harper's Bazaar from the 60's


Fashion Books

As well a all the inspiring books and magazines I got the singer sewing machine Libby's Mother bought her and Libby never used.  She is a beauty, so neat and inconspicuous, folding into a little table.  Ah, I love it.

 Next weekend Jo and Libby will go through her many trunks and hunt down all her fabulous dresses from bygone decades, for me!
Stella loved the books and all the curiosities as well and came home with a few Roald Dahl books that she doesn't have in her collection yet.

What an interesting woman and an interesting life and what a mammoth story her collection tells.
A portrait of Libby as a young woman by Margaret Ollie.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

#Bam * Crash # Pow*

Is it a bird?  No, just my fabulous cape people. 
Made from  McCall's 2337 from 1970.  It was very simple to make, once I started.  I went to a fabulous fabric sale as mentioned by Summer Flies at Sew Darn Tired, and purchased this pee green wool for a bargain price.  (The satin blanket edging around it cost more.)  It was almost a circle with a couple of arm holes and an unusual shape cut out that required a dart for the hood and created the shoulders. 
hooded

back view

un-hooded

McCall's 2337
It was smash hit at a recent family bbq, so.....I have also made a red one for my soon to be sister in law and modeled by an armless, legless Bouncing Betty.  It looks great with a brooch to hold it in place rather than a hand and perfect for throwing over a jumper for extra warmth.

This is what it looks like off.
It's been a long time between posts as my usb cord is stuffed and I just got myself a usb card reader today.  I have been a very very busy Mummy.  Lots of sewing, screen printing and building myself a little business.  More of that some other time.
Very exciting news though.... I am making a fabulous dress for my cousin in law, Jo.  Jo lives with an elderly lady, Libby,  that spent her life travelling round the world, instead of settling down and cooking and sewing for her family as was expected of women back in that era.  She has no heirs to her vast collection of things, has heard about my sewing and fashion obsession and has offered me her Singer sewing machine that her mother bought her, never used.  Her pile of Old Vogue Magazines, not sure of the dates.  Jo said the magazine on top is a catalogue of patterns for mail order.  And Libby has said I can go through her wardrobe and choose any clothes that I want.  Libby is 89.  She doesn't throw much out.  There may be clothes at least 60 years old.  Let's hope some of them fit me or that I can make them fit.  I am having kittens I am so excited.  It is a long week waiting til Sunday!!
Until then......