Monday 29 September 2014

Around the World Blog Hop

I was tagged by Carol of Happy Turtle in the Around the World Blog Hop, so here is my stop in all its glory.

What am I working on? 
In the studio there's not a lot happening at the moment, sadly.  There are a few reasons for this: 1) our forest garden, 2) my sewing classes and 3) sick kids.
One of my few WIPS - random HST cushion cover
1) Our Forest Garden
We are in the very early stages of planting/building/creating a forest garden.  The forest garden is designed as a whole system, so all plants (trees, shrubs, ground covers, etc) each have a role to play in either supporting the system or providing edible crops.  It will ultimately reach a point where it is self fertile (hopefully).  We fenced off an area of about 1100 square metres in our paddock, and are currently planting the bulk of the canopy layer, which is primarily fruit and nut trees, and some native nitrogen fixing trees.  We have heavy clay soil, so we hired a digger and dug HUGE holes for the fruit and nut trees, and then added lots of compost, rotted manure, roadkill, sand, gypsum and other lovely things all with the intention of improving the soil.  And by "we", I mean "me".  My husband drove the digger and I've been the one doing the hard labour to fill in the holes and plant the trees. 


Don't be fooled into thinking I know what I'm doing - I don't.  I bought a book, I read the book, I have a dream.  Now I'm moving barrow loads of dirt around our steep paddock.  And loving every minute. I have grown vegetables and berry fruit on a very small scale for over a decade now, and I have long had a dream of growing edible crops on a self-sufficient scale.  It is very exciting to be making that dream a reality. 

2) My sewing classes
The classes and workshops I offer are run from my home studio, I like my studio to be tidy at the start of a class, and as I am not a tidy person by nature I have found myself not wanting to start new things when a sewing class is coming up for fear of having to clean up after myself.  One of the classes I'm currently developing is a crazy piecing class, the WIP below will eventually be a class sample (yet another cushion cover probably).


How does my work differ from others of its genre? 
I wouldn't say I have a unique style, I make what I feel like making.  In terms of quilting style, I consider myself very definitely a Modern Quilter.  Negative space, asymmetrical composition, bold colours, lots of solids, minimalist, improv.  I love improv.  As far as I'm concerned I was born to improv.

Why do I write/create what I do? 
Well now here is where I may be a bit different.  After my daughter died, I found myself being drawn (even more so than before) to handcrafts.  The act of making something with your hands, I believe, is very beneficial at a number of levels.  I feel very strongly that a creative outlet can support those of us who have experienced profound grief as we adjust to life after loss.

Oh, you're still reading.  Thanks so much for sticking with it.  I am tagging the lovely Liz from Shush, I very much enjoy following Liz on Instagram, her posts have personality, she likes to share photos of good looking men (#shushhottie - most of whom I've never heard of as we don't have a TV), she makes magnificent sew together bags and she's a little bit crazy.  If, god forbid, you've never checked her out then I suggest you do.

 Linking up to:
WIP Wednesday

15 comments:

  1. Your garden sounds like it will be wonderful after you get all the hard work done. I love the little art quilt you have in progress with the improv background.

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  2. For some reason I thought you lived in town... it's been really interesting what little details people have been revealing about their lives as part of this around the world bloghop. The forest garden concept is not one I have heard of before... I'm sure other readers would be keen to see some progress shots (while you are not making a mess inside, that is).

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  3. The forest garden sounds fantastic Sarah, a little in the permaculture vein. I hope it works really well for you - definitely a long term plan.
    I like your HST WIP but I like your cray piecing sample even more!
    One of my friends, Anna, lost a child when only a few days old. I didn't know Anna at this stage but know it has made major impact on her life. She shared her touching story in a blog post earlier this year.

    Running sewing classes from your home studio is a wonderful idea.

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  4. the forest garden sounds amazing - and a lot of work! And I wish I could attend one of your workshops - they look like they would be a lot of fun.

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  5. Wow, I've never come across a forest garden before but what a cool idea. I hope you will occasionally keep us posted. I love these round the world posts; it's so nice to learn a bit more about people.

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  6. I love the random HSTs, sometimes random makes for the best results. It's lovely to get to know you a little, the blog hop is so great for that!

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  7. Great post. It is nice to learn a little bit more about you! I think your forest garden sounds wonderful. Your WIP with the bird block is very cute.
    ~Joy
    http://quiltyjoyjoy.com

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  8. Love the HST cushion cover and the forest garden sounds amazing!
    Carol

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  9. hello and nice to meet you! It's lovely to see some of your work, your forest garden sounds amazing!

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  10. Love your cushion with all that colors and your randam piecing. Hope you post some pictures of your forest garden in the future!
    Love from Amsterdam

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  11. your garden sounds like a lot of hard work but worth the effort. The cushion will be beautiful, love the bird center

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  12. Love your cushion cover! It is lovely. Hope your kids are feeling better soon.

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  13. Wow your garden sounds like its going to be amazing. I love that you have a vision in your mind and that you are going for it. That is a quality that I very much admire in people ... I'm also full of admiration for your improv piecing skills ... my brain was not built for it and will need some serious rewiring to master that genre. Hope the little ones are feeling better soon.

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  14. Loved reading this post! Amazing! I love you bright and colorful HST! Beautiful!

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