Thursday, March 12, 2020

Traveller's Blanket On-line Class

The month has flown since I last wrote a blog post and the intention had been to post a lot earlier as I am running the on-line Traveller's Blanket class starting 18 March. The class consists of pdf notes and the setting up of a private facebook group for questions and sharing. The idea is that you make your own story blanket with ideas from travels,  remnants of fabric that hold special memories, memories, anything really. It is a very slow process, but the notes take you through the  stitches and ideas I use step by step. it is a very giving process and in the end it's surprising how fast it grows. After my exhibition last year I thought I was over  making such hand stitched pieces for awhile, but then another one itches to be made- which is the heart piece from the previous post.




 I am heading off to Grampians Textures tomorrow to teach a linocutting class and then the Traveller's Blanket class. The event is going ahead thank goodness, because I must admit since my mothers' stroke not much  work got done the first three months as I tried to visit her as much as I could to help with her recovery and now this last month has been all sorts of appointments to really try and work out what is going on and to stabilise her blood pressure. None of the appointments are close by as she also lives in a country area. And really I was only just getting back into full work mode myself after recovering from  the radiotherapy and moving into my house.

  I am also supposed to travel to Russia on 6 April for a Quilt event in Moscow and the following week in the Netherlands at Quilt Dagen in Rijswijk- but the news from Europe does not sound too good and I am wondering whether these events will go ahead. So at present it is a waiting game and it is really affecting my ability to work wondering what will happen. Of course once I know it's a different matter, but it's the waiting that is difficult. Every country needs to do what is best for its people- and flattening the bulge of spread of the virus is very important so that proper medical care can be given.

In Australia some of the logic of people is really questionable- panic toilet paper buying, hand sanitiser, soap- leaving none for those less able  or the more vunerable to shop at supermarkets and  so they miss out- where is that Australian egalitarian ethos ???? there is enough for everybody- just share and think of your neighbour- we have to get through this together! I mean the supermarkets themselves have  had to set limits as to how many packs of toilet paper a person can buy and I heard from an supermarket employee the other day they will not be reiumbursing any money for excess toilet paper packs once things calm down a bit- so I guess there are some  Aussies with a bedroom full of loo paper!

The last weekend in march I am off to the Slow Stitch Retreat in Ulladulla- for a shorter version of the Traveller's Blanket. Here are the details if you are interested :
Marilyn’s “Slow Stitch Gathering” at the Dunn Lewis centre in Udallulla, Friday 27th set up and welcome dinner with classes on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March. I will be teaching my traveller's blanket class,and helping you, create your own story cloths. We will use simple stitches to create a blanket full of the work of your hands and heart. I will bring many of my stitched pieces for inspiration and linocut printed fabrics for sale and my "scrap"bag for class use. Contact Marilyn Stewart on M. 0404061163 or theslowstitchgathering@gmail.co

I still have Bush Sentinelle's available  and remember there is still plenty of time to join this project for the Berry Quilting Retreat in August
I have finished stitching my bush sentinelle, and then I decided I need to make a life size one- she is the sentinelle for Climate Justice.

  So this one is  human sized , and I have made her with lutradur and machine stitch.


Other than that it has been trying to do as much stitching as possible to make new work for the events in Europe- although today I lost gas plot a bit- what if it all gets cancelled???



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