Maker In Residence

 And if you are a creative type, you know I'm not talking about little green men. UFO = Unfinished Object.   A little suncatcher I finished on the weekend. First a disclaimer: I do have many UFOs in my house, in boxes or lying around. I also have several projects 'resting' on my craft table. But these days when I start something, I try extremely hard to finish it. Finishing projects (or not) is a huge factor in how my mental health is travelling. (I'll write another post on this tomorrow).   A bag of 'scumbles' which need to be crocheted together as a freeform crochet ... very much a UFO. So first off... what causes MY UFOs? When you look at the reason for a problem, it can help you tackle it. So here's a list of reason's my projects go off task; 1. I've discovered I don't yet have the skills to get the result I want. 2. I have the skills, but it's still not turning out how I envisioned. 3. I've decided it needs something else and I'm...

 The lock down in NSW has been terrific for me to upskill ...not sure I like that word for creative work, but it does describe what is happening. Can you think of a better term? Anyway, I've been learning a lot. Yesterday I followed a video on how to make Bruges lace and I've started a piece. This is a very basic piece really, and this is the level I'm aiming for ... (Sorry i don't know who the maker is, of this lovely lace. It's a picture from Pinterest) As you can see, I've got a bit of practicing to do. But I'm very lucky in that I pick creative skills up really fast. I wouldn't be producing lace like this for a table, more for wearing, like this...    Though I wouldn't crochet the entire outfit as is done here. I'm also learning a lot about running a creative business. I went to a webinar last night on Creative Marketing Strategies for Creatives. I learned a lot, though I never really intend to creative work to be my sole income. It will need...

 So ...my Maker in Residence is all about showing my process of creativity right? Well, here's something you don't always get to see ... This is my work space after a few weeks of working on several projects at once, and not tidying anything up. Yikes!!! My poor husband lives with this. And somehow I manage to keep working in this. But this morning I decided it was time for a bit of a reset and to put some things away and give myself a nicer work space. Much better! I'm still working on about 4 things at once, but I put away things I don't need at the moment. Ahhhhh. I'm off to enjoy my space with some Russian crochet.

 There is nothing like a delivery of new materials to spur you on. So when the package arrived with these ...  I was instantly reinspired. And already today I've done this much... I know it doesn't look like a major amount, but it's several hours of work. I'm sure she will be ready by September for the ReTwined, ReImagined Fibres, Experimental Textiles exhibition at The Hawkesbury Remakery.

 Still in lock down. Still creating. I finished this lovely suncatcher. It was a bit of a prototype and I also just really like it, so I think I'll keep this one. The crochet around the outside is actually plastic, though it looks soft, it isn't, so the whole thing is quite safe to be out in the weather. It's gracing my front entrance now and I couldn't be more pleased. I can't wait to make more. I need to wait until I get a little oven for the garage to melt the beads though as when i created this one it made the house quite smelly and Mike asked me not to use our kitchen oven again as he is concerned the smell will permeate the interior of our oven and be unsafe for cooking - fair enough. A new little oven will be about $60. And this is what I've just started. Can you guess what it will be? Today I should get a call from Liz - one of the co-ordinators of the Remakery to discuss how things will flow. Of course this was meant to happen last week, but lock down h...

 Welcome! I thought it would be beneficial for myself, for the Remakery and for makers who follow and for anyone else who is interested to document my experience in the Maker In Residence program. It's due to begin tomorrow at the Windsor Remakery. NSW Covid Lockdown had other ideas. But that doesn't mean I can't still get busy with my making. As a matter of fact, as soon as I applied, I started work on some projects to kick start my involvement in the Maker In Residence Program. The first picture is a WIP of some CDs I stripped to repurpose as suncatchers. They will be swinging in the middle of some of my circular crochet sculptures later. And here is a LARGE work I have in progress. I repurposed a quilters hoop I wasn't using to crochet around and the first layer is yarn from a repurposed jumper. This is going to take a long time I think. Did I bit off more than I could chew? I hope not. This one is nearly finished. It will be suitable for the garden, being crocheted ...