Deadeye Constance Reborn

After a long fallow period of non-blogging, I am BAACK!!! I have spent the last six months finishing my Diploma of Studio Stitch/Textiles at Box Hill TAFE, a major part of which was preparing for a final exhibition. I didn't want to post pictures of work in progress when they were then going into a public exhibition, and that's basically all I have done for six months! I am still knitting a pair of socks that I started six months ago. (Half way through the second sock, so it will be finished this side of Christmas at least).

I am now relaunching my Etsy store and my business name DEADEYE CONSTANCE. There isn't anything in the store yet but there will be soon. Harry, the beaded thingie in the picture, is my business logo - I made him in 2005 before I even started the course and I am extremely proud of him.

As part of the restructuring of the course there is now a combined Media, Arts and Design department graduate exhibition, this year held at the Meat Market in North Melbourne, arranged and run by the TAFE. You didn't know it was on? Well, that would be because the Communications Officer of the TAFE who was organising everything somehow omitted publicity of ANY DESCRIPTION. REminds me of the old jokes about Intelligence, Military. AS a reward for NOT organising our own exhibition and publicising it and chosing a nice gallery with lighting where our work could be seen, open at times that the public might actually want to see it, we are all being granted a Certificate III in Arts Administration. Refer to joke about Intelligence, Military. SAdly I do not own a budgie whose cage would could be lined by the certificate.

Pics of the exhibition opening night in my next post. I am now going to post regularly, and take things in ways I cannot wait to work on. I am fired up and excited and my fingers are now permanently scarred with beading needle accidents, and I would not have it any other way!

p.s. Exhibition finishes Saturday at 5pm, so sorry Jill!

Bunch of Grapes

Yes, as Karen S says, we do get some wierd assignments! This one was to do something with the idea of a bunch of grapes. I had fun doing this scarf - based on a colour theme of orange, green and purple, I crocheted a lengthways scarf, then needlefelted some vine shapes onto it with fleece, then knitted leaves and needlefelted them on, then added a bunch of grapes to each end using large acrylic beads, a beaded bead, and some smaller acrylic beads, then crocheted fringes. It took less time than it sounds (if I remember corrctly I was stuck at home that week with a sick child) and was a great success. If flung abruptly over the shoulder, the 'grapes' could take someone's eye out!

Build Me A Wall

Another class piece. We did fine line pen drawings of a wall and then coloured it with watercolours. Then we had to produce a textile piece in some way connected with walls. I chose to focus in on lichen and try to reproduce it with beads. It hasn't shown up too well in these photos - I wanted to photograph it somewhere natural but consequently the beading losing some detail. Beads are a PITA to photograph well! It is freeform netting with peyote stitch raised bits, draped decoratively over Alphonse, a large lump of quartz which was given to George many years ago (yes, he came with the name!)

Chemo Caps

Chemo caps for George's elderly aunt. They are made out of Zhivago (50/50 acrylic and tencel) which is apparently rather nice for chemo caps. It feels a bit squishy and a bit silky and is nice to knit. ONLY I didn't check my tension (silly me!) so the first one is a little big, but I figure she can wear it slouchily on a racy angle! The second one I just knittd in the largest child's size instead of fiddling with tension - too lazy - and it looks just fine. Both patterns from the Cleckheaton book Handknits to Wrap and Adorn, new this winter - though Zhivago isn't one of the yarns featured, natch. The flower is from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Never Felt Better, though of course I didn't felt it. I saw her knit one in five minutres flat last year at a Stitches and Craft Show and they were very quick and easy, and look just as good unfelted! Baby Bear has put in an order for one with a flower. They were quick to knit and a welcome distraction from beading with tiny beads and jabbing needles as fine as surgical ones into my fingers. (No, I don't wear thimbles, hate the things, would rather develop calluses).

Carnivale Mask

We had a class brief about faces - Class of 2008 - a 'class photo' was taken and we had to practice drawing faces in certain ways and then produce a stitched piece ins ome way related to the theme, as a wearable. I can't draw faces - they always look like serial killers or, in the case of our teacher Colin, who I drew, Rolf Harris. But I had these polymer clay faces at home and I love beading around faces, so the idea of a carnivale mask was born. It was fun to do and you can, sort of, see out of it - if I did another I would make the eye holes bigger, as they rather filled up as I beaded around them, and not back it with felt, which was what I had to hand - painted purple it looked like leather, but I would not like the feel of it against my face!

I Can't Draw

When I started at Box Hill 2 1/2 years ago I most definitely could not draw. I still can't, in the sense of looking at something interesting andproducing a good likeness of it. But the incomparable Colin Johnson has taught me techniques that have enabled me to produce the occasional almost Ok piece like these two. It will never be one of my strong points but I am quite pleased with these.

Brunhilda's Breastplate Bra

We had to do a piece for class inspired by one of a selection of pieces from the Embroidery Guild. I chose the embroidered teatowel above, which is mid-60s to mid-70s depending on which source I check. It is a printed tea towel embroidered and framed, and titled 'Ancient Britons' even though it is clearly meant to be Vikings, who were not Ancient Britons!!

This is what I wrote about it for my submission:

The 'Ancient Britons' (actually Viking Warriors) in the embroidered tea towel look so well-dressed, with their beaded shields and fur boots. I imagined that they were in ceremonial clothes - not real battle clothes - surely battle would make the fur on those boots mat and look ugly? Wouldn't all that gold braid tarnish and those beads fall off if they scored a direct hit.

And so the idea of ceremonial battle dress was born. And if the male warriors could have it, why could not Viking women also get dressed up in ceremonial finery?

Hence Brunhilda's Breastplate Bra. It is clearly ceremonial - knitted fabric having no protective function other than against the cold! The crocheted wire bra cups would certainly provide some practical support while still looking lacey and attractive. It is discreetly decorated with a spiderweb rose and beading, and held together at the neckline by two Runic brooches. These runes betoken health, fertility and happiness, most appropriate for a party outfit!

Hand-painted wool, Procion dyed stranded cotton, nickel jumprings, glass beads, nymo thread, air-drying clay, acrylic paint,
nickel brooch backs.

While I was trying to come up with inspiration for this piece, an article appeared in The Age newspaper about a dig in Birka near Stockholm, which provided conclusive proof that Viking women wore metal bras. That gave me the push I needed to come up with the breastplate bra. It is obviously not life sized as we had size dimensions to work within.

OK, any more guesses?

No, it's not a lagerphone, or even an avant-guard scarf (though that is tempting!)

It will be finished soon.

Memo to self: when applying so many jump rings, use TWO sets of pliers, not one set and a thumb.

What Are They?

Well, obviously they are knitted squares. They are approx. 2cm squared. I am knitting 75 of them. The finished object will also include beads, embroidery and metal. What am I making?

There is no prize, I just wanted to see if anyone came up with any really silly ideas. I am fairly sure that no-one will guess.

They are a PITA to knit - tight tension of five needles, instead of the four I am used to knitting socks with. My hands and arms hurt after a while. As I have a deadline to work to I am now making myself knit a minimum of five a day.

Socks!

Two pairs of oddball socks for me. Finished ages ago but not photographed until last week. I am now using sock leftovers to make a mitred square blanket - not very original, but it's fun to pick up every once in a while and do and it looks nice.

The bottom pair I have just finished for George. They are a Regia cotton/wool blend. I have had lots of problems with tension knitting cotton/wool blends, as opposed to the normal sock wools, but these ones I made on a size smaller needle and they worked out prfectly. He is pleased!

I am knitting a jacket in green Jet for moi ATM and it is coming along nicely on the cooler days when I can bear to touch it. Now we are having something actually resembling autumn I hope to get it finished soon. And then there's the mystery knitted object for TAFE - of which more later...

It was THIS big!!

After computer glitches we finally have photos from our January visit to Lakes entrance. (Yes, I know that was two months ago, I haven't felt like blogging much and only really wanted those photos...)

Behold the triumphant fisherman. Yes, the crab was released after posing for photos and scuttled away under a rock very promptly - a very good response to being caught by Wombat, I often feel like doing that myself!

He is doing pretty well at his new school. Not everything is perfect, but we knew there would be adjustment issues. I think the staff walk on water and that this year is going to be a good one. He's grumpy right now but we've had a bit of a late heatwave (thoughn othing like as bad as Adelaide has had) and I think it's heat as much as anything else.

Busy busy busy with Third Year at TAFE. Maybe some photos to come. Have to photograph a scarf I crocheted for class. Very busy with a project as the moment though, as it involves knitting, has had to have an enforced rest as the last few days have been twoo hot and sweaty to knit pure wool. All will be revealed .... it is a slightly unusual knitting application.

Stylish Diva

Baby Bear has been taking photos. From top: Sirius wearing Baby Bear's new sunglasses. 'Stylish Diva' is the name she gave to the series of photos. Sirius is surprisingly accommodating about having accessories plonked on her and posing for photos.

Baby Bear got a guitar as a (slightly early) Christmas present. Yes, it was what she wanted! Billy Hyde (excellent Melbourne music store) always has a sale in November and it was acquired then. It meant that on Christmas Day she got books and DVDs and jewellery rather than anything big, but she is thrilled! Given that she never had a guitar lesson in her life she is actually quite good and will become very good with practice. Dratted girl can pick up any instrument and play it.

I knitted some oddments socks. This is the pair I knitted for her. I have knitted myself two pairs which will appear in a later blog. (Too hot to model them right now, I;m in the study with the aircon on - it's the only room in the house with air conditioning and is very small, so we pretty much have to take it in turns!). I am now knitting a mitred blanket out of other sock scraps - having seen the one in Yarn Magazine and followed through the references to the blog - don't have any URLs to hand but I;m sure all of you knitters will know the one I mean.

I've lost track of how far though the holidays we are. OFficially this is the end of the second week of the school summer holidays. In actualy fact, Baby Bear finished a week earlier than that, and Wombat 2 1/2 weeks earlier. George starts three weeks holidays tonight which takes us more or less up to the start of the new school year.

Wombat finishing so early - a long story that I have alluded to before. He has been having problems all year, culminating in a complete disengagement from any attempt to learn or co-operate. AFter the usual dragging around to health professionals we decided to try to get him into a local special school for twelve months - it is not a 'normal' special school but offers 12 months interventions to people like Wombat with the intention of re-integrating them into mainstream schooling afterwards. We were warned that it wuld be almost impossible to get him in there, given the short notice and the fact that competition for places is very stiff as they are very tiny and very fussy about who they accept (it's a private school so they can legally do that, and their 'fussiness' is about choosing those children who they feel will benefit most from the program). We were lucky enough to be offered the last place for next year (this year!) and have very high hopes of it. It means paying fees (though they are minimal compared to most private schools, it is heavily subsidised) and taking him there and back by bus every day, which is going to be a pain. Instead of spending a total of maybe 45 minutes a day taking him to and from school it will be taking me about 3 hours, which is a substantial bite out of a day, and my TAFE classes on Fridays are going to prove a challenge - workable if George is around but if he is interstate, very difficult. They don't have after school care and the kids must be picked up promptly at 3pm. Fine except when I am in another suburb studying till 3.30! We will work it out. I do so hope this school does what it is said to be able to do, because we felt that we had come to the end of everyone's resources. I had offered to homeschool him (as many kind people have suggested to me - thank you all for your heartfelt suggestions) but no-one except me (and Wombat!) think this is a good idea at the moment. And I agree that the program at this school is xcellent and has a very high success rate. The home-schooling may still happen at a later date but I feel we must try this place out. For any interested people this is the website.

I had to withdraw him from his old school early because, two days in a row, there were incidents where he irritated other children and they beat him up. I wish I could make it sound better than that, but the first time I had to photograph his injuries for evidence and the next day, although not as bad, still left physical marks. He then proceeded to have what in layman's terms is still popularly known as a nervous breakdown, 'severe anxiety state' by our psychiatrist. It took me about ten days to get him calm and happy (no I am not a trained psychiatric nurse though I feel for them deeply now!) but he remains phobic about a number of things and nervier than before. I really hate the way things finished with his old school, because I had been involved there for eight years and everything happened so suddenly and unpleasantly that I still feel quite upset about it.

anyway, he is having a fresh start and is really looking forward to the school. WE shall see what happens!
Reply to Jill - thanks for your kind words (all of them, now and previously!). The principal of the Cheshire School considers that they have failed if the child then ends up at Berenngarra! However we definitely have it flagged as a possibility if necessary. I think the Cheshire School's attitude is because they pride themselves on providing intervention that negates the need to use somewhere like Berengarra - and professional pride!

Beaded Brooches

I haven't had the energy or inclination to blog for a long time, but I think I am back.

First of all there was the finishing off of the year's work at TAFE, whilst contending with a teacher with whom I disliked working and who caused me a lot of angst. I was finally pleased with my major project (another post) but everything else I did in the whole second semester felt uncreative and stifling and I just could not work happily with her. Still, that is over and done with (and I passed!) and next year WILL be a better year.

Then as soon as that finished, all hell broke loose with poor old Wombat and school and we've really been through the mill there. Again, another post. Suffice it to say that he is at home rather than at school (though still enrolled - for administrative reasons) and will be going to another school next year. It has been rather time and energy consuming.

BUT ... here are some beaded brooches I have made to sell in a christmas exhibition. I will be surprised if more than one or two sell - they are not over-priced but I am having trouble finding appropriate retail outlets for them. I thought it was worth trying this one - apart from anything else I find it soothing to make them and I needed something soothing!

While finishing my major project off, and doing these brooches, I realised that I was beading more by feel than by sight! So I went off to get my eyes tested - I used to have reading glasses when I did a lot of computer work, but in recent years have not needed them - and got a new prescription (yes my eyes have got worse!) and two smart new pairs of reading glasses.

Today I have to go and enroll for next year at TAFE. I am outrated that they insist on us going in and filling in forms in person on a specific day - they sell themselves as a 21st centurym forward-thinking tertiary institution and they are using EXACTLY the same re-enrollment proecures as when I was first at university in 1979! I begged to be allowed to do it over the phone but that, apparently, would involve the admin staff actually having to do some administration, which they refuse to do. And why the *** can't we do it online!!!!

Much later - have returned from TAFE. Surreal morning punctuated by constant texts from Baby Bear saying she had a headache and wanted to go home from school, and a call from Wombat saying he couldn't find the dog (who was having a quiet doggy moment behind the water tank, it turned out!) Go into relevant department office and stand patiently behind a second year student. My turn. Second year? No, I;m third year. Oh, then do you mind if I serve the six people behind you first, because they are all second year and I will have to find the third year folder. I shout. Fill in forms in between helping Wombat find the dog over the phone and texting Baby Bear to tell her to leave me alone for ten minutes while I finish off, and for goodness sake to go to the sick bay while she was waiting. Go to have details (same as the last two years) filled in by person on computer. Go to pay fees (10% off if paid today). Form not signed. Shout. Pay fees.

Phone school to say that Baby Bear can go home. Phone Wombat at home to say that she will be home before me. Go and have coffee and toasted croissant and read bad newspaper in attempt to calm down. Wombat reminds me that I had promised to buy him some sweets - a particular sort, easily obtainable in Glen Waverley. He gives me explicit directions to newsagent near station that sells them. I point out that that's nice, but I am in Box Hill (different suburb and station). Spend 20 minutes trying to find these sweets before giving up and going to supermarket and standing in long queue. Finally get home. Baby Bear's headache is better and she is alternately playing the piano VERY LOUDLY or playing with Wombat on the Eye Toy. Thank god for coffee.

August Bead Journal Offering

This was actually finished in August, but only just posted.
I've used the usual seed beads and bugle beads, with a few freshwater pearls and some square beads I found in a bead shop recently, plus some of my first attempts to make polymer clay faces. The charm says Be Yourself.
I don't know how good that advice is right now - myself is scared, angry and depressed while trying to deal with the impenetrable vagaries of the Victorian education department and its attitude to high functioning autistic children. Yes, he's got funding for an aide. At the moment the aide (and teacher) are accomplishing little beyond baby-sitting, and not even that very successfully as he keeps running away from school and coming home. It's not their fault - they are well trained and very skilful and have done a million PDs in the subject - it's not the school's fault, which has done EVERYTHINg imaginable to make things autism-friendly - it's not our fault, we have tried every possible technique in every book ever written. The school principal begged Region for help, and their only response was that he should be suspended every time he ran home. Er, hello....? Officially sending him home because he runs home? We are all at our wits end. We had a meeting yesterday and I almost bit the head off the school pysch who said that Wombat 'needs to learn the value of education' when he has been raised in a family that values education very prominently and always has done so.
We may be driven into the private system, which we cannot afford and don't want to use, because the publicly funded system, to which we have contributed both via taxes and personal sweat/blood/time for years, refuses to help our son - who is legally entitled to an appropriate education. So much for A Fair Go being one of the so-called Aussie values on the new citizenship test.
Rant over.

Socks

I've been knitting socks again!

The top pair is for me, using Opal. Nice and colourful!

The other pair is for George, using something that I think might have been called Hot Socks but was put out by Lincraft, so not the same as another Hot Socks brand I have used in the past. It was the usual wool/nylon sock blend and was quite nice to knit with, and felt soft. George likes them, which is the main thing.

Very late!

I didn't really mean to take a break from blogging, but obviously that's what happened. I haven't even been reading other people's blogs for the last month. But now I am back and interested again.

This is my Bead Journal Project (see links bar) for July. Yes, I know it;s September now! I actually finished this in the first week of July, it just took me a long time to get round to photographing it, and then even longer to post about it.

It uses mostly seed and bugle beads, with a few gemstone chips, some dyed mother-of-pearl disks, and a larger piece of gemstone in the middle of the bottom part. Also some dyed freshwater pearls. And the little tag is engraved with 'nurture'.

I finished the August one just before the end of August and will post that in the next day or two!

New Beaded Brooch

I made this beaded brooch last week and got a bit carried away with it - it's bigger than the ones I usually make but I still love it!
Edited to add: Yes, they are freshwater pearls in the third row out, I love using them in bead embroidery!

FO's at last!

Some people think that I never knit any more and I would like to prove them wrong. Here are recent fruits of my labours with knitting needles. From top : Fetchings from Knitty.com, in Patons Jet (took about 1 1/3 balls on smallish needles to make a dense fabric); socks in one of the Opal Hundertwasser range (deliberately non-matching as he never wore matched socks); and socks in another Opal yarn. There is another pair of Opal socks on the needles at present, just about ready to do the first heel on the first one, and I hope to have finished the Norah Gaughan 'capecho' soon as I am just over halfway through the neckband and then all I have to do is block it within an inch of its life, work out how to sew the sleeves (harder than it sounds, but I think I have worked out where the seam should be) and finally, decide whether it is long enough or needs more modules and, if so, do I have any more yarn tucked away with which to do so?

2007 Bead Journal Project, and my piece for June

I was very excited to hear about, and to be accepted into, the 2007 Bead Journal Project, set up by the amazing and wonderful Robin Atkins, who just happens to be my favorite bead embroidery artist in the world.
The idea is to create a piece of bead embroidery per month for twelve months, done any way we like, but with the stipulation that each piece be the same size (as our other ones, not the same size as the other 249 people's pieces!)
After eighteen months of having design principles drummed into my head, I wanted to use a totally intuitive approach to this project. After some thought I decided that each month I would buy a piece of felt (I discovered last year that felt is fantastic to bead onto), choosing the colour that leapt out at me at the time, which would depend on how my mood at that point. I would then choose a colour palette that I liked with that colour, tip it all into a tray, and start beading. No design planning, just let the beads speak to me. (OK, so those design lessons haven't gone completely to waste - I now instinctively choose colours based on my studies of colour theory! Though the intuitive choosing of the felt is genuinely intuitive - in fact for July I picked a colour I never use, it just jumped out at me and matched my mood at the time).
Another sign that the design lessons have sunk in - I decided that the various pieces would need an integrating element, so each one will have a small tag with a word emgraved on it, again suiting my mood for the month. I bought a whole pile of them at the beginning and so I have plenty to choose from.
June's piece was called, in my head, 'I'd Rather be Shopping'. I am not necessarily going to give each piece a title so I will wait and see what happens before committing myself to that in the long term. The engraved charm says 'Wish'. June was a BAD MONTH, for reasons I won't go into but revolving mostly around Wombat's problems which have got dramatically worse recently. Many a time I found I had to cancel fun things I had planned, like going to art exhibitions, to stay at home, either with him, or just in case he tried to do something awful at school and needed immediate removal. I just about managed to get to my classes on Fridays, and that took dramatic interstate juggling (given that George spent part of the time squelching around Newcastle and other damp places nowhere near us). Other than that I spent much of the month feeling trapped and frustrated and very fearful of the future. All those emotions went into that piece but I couldn't resist trying to keep it a bit light in mood otherwise I would have slashed my wrists!

Edited to add: I forgot to say that each piece is about A5 in size and at the moment I have no idea whether I am going to make them into a book or a wall hanging or what at the end of twleve months. That will also be down to intuition! And Sue H - I have made beaded brooches and must make some more, but no, these pieces aren't for wearing - at least not yet, who knows what will happen in a year!