Slow Fascination

 If you've been feeling like this at the moment,

rather than this:

I am hearing you.

I'm bogged down.

It's nearly term break.

That means two things for now.

Assessing workers.

And the Amnesty quilt project.

End of term frippery.

 All hand-sewn, five years in the making.
Slow-going.

We'll raffle it in the end.

And donate the money. Back in the day we decided it would be Amnesty International.

It'll be a nice break for a lesson or two, after

crunching the workers' fruits of their labours into

A-B-C-D-Es.

Frankly, I am exhausted and sick of getting in strife for

mindlessly sharpening my pencil on the floor.

 And, forgetting where I put the eraser.

 I've had very little time for fashioning frippery.

Although I did craft up this free-of-charge chlorophyll-filled

arrangement. Saving money and time spent at any florist. 

Get the secateurs and chop off a few leaves.

Arrange.

 What are you thinking??

 I've also just had time to quickly revisit Ok-Ja Choi's hand-woven

and safflower dyed silk headpiece I started nearly a year ago.

If you've been paying attention you'll recognise the fabric and Ok-Ja.

 

Ok-Ja is a kindred spirit; here's her indigo dyed silk roses.

She is actually one of South Korea's National Treasure artists.

I love her.

She and her fellow artisans came to Brisbane, the year before last.

Look out for her next visit.

I'll keep you posted.



As for my headpiece, well, these things take time.

Slow fascination at its best.

I have used every skerrick of the silk.

No cutting, just moulded and formed and stiffened.

I quite like it.

It's as light as feather, too.
Quite hollow.

 It's still not finished; but it made a worthwhile diversion from crunching the chalkface data.

 If you are looking for a little diversion from the everyday,

take yourself to The Hat Box's Winter Racing Millinery High Tea.

Unfortunately, I won't be there.

But if it suits, you should be.
April 3, Emporium Hotel.
$55 High Tea + Champagne.

 I've had a sneak look at the hats and I must say, they are very special.

 See you when I am over this hump.

 



Grey

 I love grey.

But I've had to fight colour for it.

It's always good to go back, though.

We are like old friends.

 I fashioned this free-form lace Flora.

It's a light-as-a-feather.

If you are interested, it will be at The Hat Box,

when it passes muster.

It's quite lovely and would look sweet with pink or other pastel hues.

In case you are curious. I haven't turned my back on pink.

 I am working on the base.

It's still in the pipeline. It's Ok-Ja Choi's amazing hand-woven silk

and saffron fleur, fashioned by using every single skerrick of the fabric

is still a work-in-progress. These things take time.

What are you working on?

 

 

 

Crafting the Day

 It's been a busy day or so.

Rewarding with time spent in the studio.

 The milliner's dog won't leave me alone.

  These lovely Flora corsages will be at the Mothers Day Craft Fair.
The Embroiderers Guild.
Sunday 28th April.

 That one in the middle's made from an old cotton lace tablecloth.

Make do and mend.

Worked on a love heart made from two feathers.

 And imagined getting around to extracting dye from
Ok-Ja Choi's indigo leaves and saffron stamens.

With a couple of breaks for domestic duties.

 Hanging out the clothes fixates the Dog of the Year.

Wish I was as enthralled.

 A tennis ball works a treat, too.

 Here's one of the few photos of last night's dinner party.

Chocolate cake before landing ungainly on a plate, icing slathered and blobbed with ice-cream

How-on-earth do people find the time to photograph food when they are socialising?

 And this late night landscape.

 The limes before the addition of deep fried won-ton wrapped prawns, scallops and corn fritters.

I barely had time to zhu zhu up the House of Flora.

Wabi sabi paint chip on the boookshelf.

  

Keep fixated.