Boro Stitching

The focus for the September meeting was Boro stitching with the intention of constructing a bag from the stitched cloth in the October meeting.  Boro is an old Japanese technique of mending and repair that uses scraps of cloth and Sashiko stitching or running stitch to extend the life of the fabric or garment.

This bag is made from small pieces of indigo dyed Japanese fabrics.

Jo led the session, demonstrating the construction of the base cloth. The idea was to create a base of fabric pieces or scraps stitched down onto a base cloth using running stitch ( Sashiko)

Base cloth in production.

A finished base cloth, ready to be made into a bag.

Finished bag

Another bag in production.

Some samples of mended and patched fabric, quite small pieces and probably will not be made into a bag.

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Mounting collage on canvas

We had a full house for Kerrie’s great tutorial on mounting paper and fabric collages onto canvas (with thanks also to Sue Dove for allowing Kerrie to share this technique with our group). Some of Sue’s inspirational collages are shown below with the one’s Kerrie created at her workshop.

Hopefully we will see lots of finished items back next month at the August meeting to go onto the gift stall at our upcoming exhibition in September.

Several members attended a fantastic book making session with Lyn Dixon recently, making some very clever books from the miniature to the larger. Some of Rosalie’s books:

Finally we critiqued our ‘Golden scrolls’ which are in progress. They will make a very striking exhibit when finished and hung-well done Jenny on all your hard work and leadership for these-no pictures; they are under wraps until the exhibition!

Print, Stamp, Appliqué, Layer and Stitch

This month’s mini workshop was taken by Carol O’Loughlin and a brief report was provided by Gillian.

 

We stamped using Pigment ink on dyed base fabric – tea dyed in most cases.
We then cut out motifs from fabric or pieces of colour to apply to the cloth.
Transparent gauze and muslin were used to mask some of the space and then we stitched over and around the resulting areas/images.

 

These photos are very much works in progress, the workshop continues next month with time in between for stitching.

 

Leonie, Martina and Janet had some show and tell from the dyeing workshop.

Breakdown Screen Printing

Several members had been away at Fibre Arts Australia and came along to the meeting with some show and tell of their class.

Jo’s class -Text in Art Textiles with Claire Benn

Gillian’s class – Text and Textiles with Jette Clover

Rosalie’s class – Basketry with Mary Hettmansperger.

Meg’s class – Silhouttes with Michelle Eastwood

Kerrie’s class – Cloth and Memory with Beverly Ayling Smith.

Jo very expertly demonstrated the techniques involved in Breakdown Screen Printing.

Another of her pieces

The tables were set up, techniques were explained

And demonstrated

The demonstration piece

Some more show and tell of Jo’s work

The screen at the end, notice how the Text has started to disappear or break down.

And from Pauline, some work inspired by Jude Hill.

Breaking Traditions – an Exhibition of Members Work

The exhibition was to celebrate the ten years that GeeTAG has been meeting, with work from the last five years. It was amazing to see so much work, the variety of styles and the skills of the members. Three rooms filled, display cases and tables loaded and every wall, nook and cranny displaying work.

All involved are to be congratulated. The members for providing so much work to mount an exhibition, the organising team for getting the exhibition organised and the Geelong branch of the Guild for the financial assistance. 

What is an exhibition without an opening? Glenys Mann, a well known and respected textile artist and founder of Fibre Arts opened the exhibition and our group was thankful for her support. All who came enjoyed the opportunity to mingle, sip a bubbly and have some pre dinner snacks whilst having a good look at the work. The following photographs will give a taste of the diversity of work, however, it is impossible to show it all.

Our stitched sign that was used for the promotional work and advertising was equally at home with the ‘white gloves’ and the explanation of how our group interprets books. The following photographs show some these.

Some of the other works exhibited.

Ten years of GeeTAG

Ten years ago the Embroiderer’s Guild Geelong branch launched the GeeTAG group to experiment with textile art and stitch. Next weekend we celebrate a decade of experimentation and sharing of skills and techniques with our inaugural exhibition at Shearer’s Arms Gallery. All are welcome to the opening by Glenys Mann on Thursday evening at 6pm ($10 entry, tickets from Gillian and Jenny- please pre-book for catering).

Below is a Taster slideshow of some of the wonderful pieces that may be on display:

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and a sneak peek of Gillian’s “Under the bay”

Thank you to Pauline who has sent through a proposed plan for the next few months:

April Resist dyeing using bleach- (requirement list will be emailed out prior)

May Mini show and share from my fun with Claire Benn at Ballarat

June Demo of felted portrait with Martina

Hope to see you all at the exhibition opening

 

And We’re Back

Our first meeting for what is going to be an amazingly busy year. Planning is well and truly underway for our group exhibition in March, celebrating ten years of adventures in textile arts. For the first two months we have agreed to work on our own projects, some of which will be featured in the exhibition. There was lots of discussion about the year ahead and some show and tell.

Rosalie brought along her paper vessels. They are much smaller than you think. 

These are photos of  Pauline’s scroll /book, not quite finished but will be for the exhibition.

Laurene had her scrolls.

And Jenny had some pieces that she had been ‘playing’ around with.