On the Southern Cross Quilters list this morning a member was telling how she helped a family clear out and dispose of their recently deceased mother’s quilting books and ‘stash’ – the umbrella term for a quilter’s collection of fabrics, and it really includes everything else used to make patchwork quilts, like threads, machine and hand sewing needles.  The lady was obviously a keen hand sewer, as exquisite embroidery patterns and items were mentioned, too.  And then she said there was a shoe box almost filled with hand sewing needles !! Now that would be something!   Clearly this woman had always planned ahead, determined that no shortage, no siege or any other factor relating to ‘needles’ would ever prevent her from continuing a project.  I’m guessing many of them would be very old, and wrapped in that black paper that helps prevent rust. There are still a few needle producing companies that present their product this way – old fashioned, but they tend to be high quality, too.

The whole concept of needles in a packet and planning ahead reminded me of my first shopping for needles here in Uruguay, in about 1998.  I was running low on the few I’d brought over from Australia and would need a new pack of sharps.  Back then, with my limited Spanish and no small amount of bravery, I tracked down a notions shop, a merceria, and managed to convey that I wanted to buy a packet of needles about so-long (imagine hand and finger movements here).     The lady asked “How many?” I replied “One packet please” and she repeated “How many” and added “needles?”    What??? Now, thinking fast on my feet, I said the first number that came into my head , which was three, so, much to my astonishment, three sharps were duly laid out on a small piece of paper which was folded around them and a piece oftape applied to keep it all together.  Things have changed and packets of needles are available even in supermarkets now.  Lots of very interesting little shops have gone, though.

So here’s my very modest stash in Uruguay – I have more but far fewer in Aus – it’s a Girl Guide Be Prepared prepared thing in case I am not able to find the quality and brands I know here – so  I buy a pack or two every time I go back to Aus, along with the Gravox and Vegemite – they’re equally important to me!  Anything else, even decent tea, you can get here.

It took me a while to get this photo and its a bit fuzzy, sorry – perhaps I should have just asked her, but I didn’t like to intrude.  As a ring-wearing jewellery fan myself, I was struck by the precarious situation the ring had on this lean bony finger.  I marveled at this (young) woman’s confidence, knowing from experience how easily  a ring can be lost if one waves a hand suddenly.  I liked the look, though, and I’ve since tried one of my own rings in that position.  I quickly confirmed mine would just drop off while I walked along, or come off unnoticed in a pocket or handbag, or perhaps be thrown out with the rubbish.  Just before our wedding I waved my arm on a beach, and my engagement ring flew off into the dry soft nearby.   After a short search ourselves and with daylight fading,  we obtained torches and help from a couple of nearby campers – and it took over an hour to find it.

Glenys Mann of Fibre Arts Australia is currently presenting a fascinating series of online interviews with fibre/textile artists here Conversations With The Makers

I was recently asked to take part, accepted of course, and thoroughly enjoyed answering her thought provoking questions, skipping a couple as nothing was compulsory.  I assembled some pics to her specifications, and sent it all off.

I’m pleased to announce it went live this week at http://conversations.jigsy.com/alison-schwabe   I hope you enjoy it and the other interviews already there, add the site to your reading lists and watch for more as they appear.

I was checking through my blank page sketch book, where I sketch out/doodle pattern ideas in pencil, and often add single words or lists alongside, and there I found these apparently odd examples from the same page, beginning with the trapped/wrapped/mapped thing.  You’ll note I am a frequent user of ….   and very large **s for emphasis  in my notes/diagrams.    I know perfectly well who Nik Krevitsky is or was, but can’t find any bio information on him.  I own a a copy of his book, ‘Stitchery’, 1967, which I bought in 1976 – which has always inspired me, but currently languishes unattended back in Perth W. Australia.   But as for the rest of that note, perhaps it should read ‘wrapped carrots’ or even ‘trapped carrots’ – though goodness knows, it is my own handwriting!

Moving right along, this next snippet really tells me a lot in these two words ‘fungal frills’ which might sound odd to you !

“Fungal frills’ is a good example of how a list or a note on a page is my shorthand for a great deal of information, reminding me of a photo I took of fungus growing on a tree trunk we passed walking in an arboretum in MD, USA mid last year.  It wasn’t their subdued colour but the delicacy they presented, with none of the ‘frills’ being over about 1″/2cm max wide.  Lacey and lovely, of course not ‘holey’ though:

Following that I returned here and fiddled with nylon organza frills cut on the bias and not edged …  but I was underwhelmed, because they were boring to me, and won’t show them to you – not worth the effort of digging them out, photographing and tweaking the pics for this page.   Just take it on faith that those samples are in the sophisticated storage retrieval system I have for samples (unsorted in a box on my lower bookshelf ) But even writing this  paragraph made me think of another possible approach ….

Back to the carrots thing, though ….  I really do know what it refers to, though whether they’re trapped or mapped I can’t decide and it doesn’t matter really.  Back in the mid ’80’s I did a large wall panel of 3-d crocheted cups/tubes, like barnacles, with wrapped, um, stalks, or carrots if you like, protruding from them and attaching to the panel below the cluster of tubes.  They’re on my mind – and other holey things including what I’ve shown from this page are all being revisited as I take a closer look at something that has always intrigued me – ‘holes’ and the interesting textures they can lead to.