Spring Clean Screen Prints!

I've been giving my kitchen a mini makeover, replacing the tatty tea-towels and potholders with a fresh look for spring. I've been inspired by Amy's dishy screen-prints, so when I saw Louise Snook's screen-printing workshop at the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair, I signed myself up.

Louise is a textile artist based in Western Australia, and was the lead artist at the Fair. The workshop was ninety minutes long, but within thirty minutes we were starting to produce screen-printed linen tea-towels in our own designs. It was speedy and very satisfying!

I printed these giraffes, a favorite motif, and had enough time to purchase a second tea-towel (and then a third)  for some unintentional but valuable trial-and-error learning. See the blotches on the giraffes? They were done with a cunning secret technique shown to us by Louise. If you're in WA, I highly recommend doing a workshop. Thanks for a great class, Louise!

do.Good stitches {a charity bee}

Here are my first two blocks for Do. Good stitches {a charity bee}. I have joined Kay's group, "Cherish", which is based here in Australia, with members from Australia and the UK.

I'm glad to have found this way to make my contribution, because I feel I can't always contribute financially, but am happy to offer my skills and my stash and scrap-box.

There are many different ways of organising quilts for charity. Sometimes quilts are sold to raise funds. At other times, as in this case, they are given directly for those who need them. Our leader Kay has found a distributor (http://needystitches.com/), and we have been given some details about the person who will be receiving the quilt. I liked doing it this way, because when choosing my fabrics I could think about the recipient and what she might like .

If I ever had any doubt about how much value there really is in giving a quilt, I've seen the results with my gran. I made her a quilt when she was in hospital recently, and have seen how much comfort and enjoyment she continues to get from her quilt. People have different needs at different times in their lives, and sometimes comfort is the only thing- and the very best thing- we can offer.

If you're a quilter, have skills and fabric to offer, and would like to join a web-based group, take a look at do. Good Stitches on Flickr. Thanks for organising our circle, Kay!

Bug Eyes

The Bug was helping me in the garden yesterday. He likes to help with the weeding, and I like the chance to see the garden through his eyes. We discuss garden philosophy as we potter.

"Mum, a weed, is really just a plant that's in the wrong place". That's one he's learnt from me.

"Mum, even if somethings a weed, it can also be beautiful (pointing to a clump of feathery oxalis leaves). See, that's a weed. And it's also beautiful".

Garden Bugs are beautiful too :)