tsbtextile in the project space at the Textile Art Community

Oh boy, yes I know it's been awhile....so I'm not going to fill you in! :) I'm going to tell you about what I'm doing in September at the Textile Art Community where I have a studio till the end of October.

My studio, after I moved in...it's still tidy!

The Textile Art Community now has a project space and a workshop space. The project space is where an artist can have the month to work on a project or idea. The first month was August and Karma, Samy and Gail worked on Hessiats.

Ready for the celebration party, hats, scarves and more!

September is me! I'm going to be playing with fabric, making it into yarn and using the resulting yarn in basketweaving. A bit of research into techniques and possibilities. I do have a final project in mind, but more on that another time.

The first week was a bit slow as I went with my dad to the Degas exhibition. A great day on a day I would usually be working. 

Beautiful statues at the Degas Exhibition at the NGV

I have made a start and created some yarn and knit a little dishcloth.

Fabric yarn, cut, spun and plied. The knitting is fun!

As part of the project I have to run some workshops, so on the next two weeks, I'll be holding a make fabric yarn and make it into a dishcloth or coasters, and then I'll follow that up with making little bowls, when there will also be a party. These will be on Saturday the 17th and 24th from 1.30 till 4.30pm. Check my TSBtextile page on facebook for details.

And finally, I'm going to set up my display with fabric plinths. I've started but still have a little way to go.

My first fabric plinth!

Will work hard next week. Come and visit and see how I'm going. I'll be there Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, just give me a call!

An exciting new adventure!

It's been a funny year! After finishing up at Greensborough, the previous October, I managed to participate in two exciting exhibitions: the Toyota Sculpture Award and the Wangaratta  Contemporary Textile Art Award. I felt very special being chosen for these two amazing exhibitions.

Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award

With these under my belt, my partner and I headed off to the UK for 6 weeks, finishing with a stopover in Vienna where we met up with friends. An amazing trip.

Like all trips they come to an end and you feel just a little let down, and it's not just the jet lag! It's taken to now to feel that I have a new focus.

Just before going away I was invited to participate in a new venture, the Textile Art Community. Unfortunately, being away for six weeks meant that all I could do was read emails, I did go to their opening, where they were weaving straw animals. This is where I met up with Annie, a friend from my Visual Arts course. She was looking for someone to share her studio and shop and with some trepidition I have taken up the offer.

Annie's upcycling sculpture

601 Waterdale Rd, is a community of people based around recycling and the skips that come in each week. There are those that sort the recycling, and make furniture from what they can. There is ReVamp (Annie) who takes both collectables and makes things into Art, selling them in her shop. And there is the Textile Art Community (Gail) who are also make use of the available recyclable materials. It's a new venture, an amazing place and I'm happy to be joining it.

My space, waiting for a table to arrive..in a skip...for my loom!

This week was my first week and it's been hectic and exciting as I battle a cold and try and make my part of the studio my own, try and join the activities and help with the shop. It's just been fun.

So, come and say hello, it's an amazing place and you never know what you will find. It's open every day from 10 till 3pm. I'll be there Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. I'll be there at other times, but more irregularly as I try and fit this in with my schedule of other activities.

601 Waterdale Rd, West Heidelberg (next to the bus depot)
10am-3pm daily

Hope to see you there!

Opening day at the Studio, Gallery & Shop

Yep, it was the first official day that the Studio was open. I had three visitors and a delivery of some gorgeous signs from my husbands' brother-in-law, Lee from Signs UC.

It was a bit of a shaky start, as I wasn't quite ready! We had painted, pulled up the bright blue lino to reveal concrete for the floor of the 'gallery' part of the shop, but there are still some missing pieces from the gallery.

I can't hang all my work in the 'shop' but the method of display works well and I'm quite pleased with the effect. I haven't enough coat hangers and macrame rope upon which to hang things. And I still haven't quite figured out how to hang the neckwarmers. But I'm pleased with the effect.

The first exhibition, I've called 'Journey' as it's a sort of survey of the work that I've done since the days of my Diploma of Art (Studio Textiles & Design). Once I have everything hanging, it will be quite good, but I'm pleased with the effect already.

The studio isn't really set up at all, that will happen over this week. It's exciting!

Grimshaw Street Studio

It's all too exciting.....not sure where to start, but here goes...

As part of the collaboration between Greensborough Chamber of Commerce and Renew Australia, the Greensborough shopping centre has become a project under the Renew Australia auspices.

Basically, what Renew Australia does is take "otherwise empty shops, offices, commercial and public buildings and make them available to incubate short term use by artists, creative projects and community initiatives." They are now working with the Greensborough Chamber of Commerce to use the vacant shops in the Greensborough town centre....and I've got one!

This is it, at 77 Grimshaw St.:

 Basically, on a month by month basis, for no rent, this is going to be my studio/gallery/workshop, where I will be for 5 days a week. (Currently, I don't have the hours, I do....but it seems a commitment if I tell people!?....) I aim to work on developing new products, new sculptures and engaging the community. I have to pay all the outgoings and figure out how to fit out the shop at low cost......but I am SOOOO excited!

Here is my first little installation with a little bit of information just to show that someone is coming. This is an unfinished sculpture called 'White house'. Once Christmas is over and family and friends have been welcomed and fed and the season celebrated, I will be cleaning, painting, getting electricity on and all the other things I keep thinking of....I have to rewrite my list because it's outgrown the small page!...for the opening on Tuesday the 7th January.


Whilst the shop is a little 'interesting' at the moment, it has great potential. In its previous life, it was a tattoo parlour, I'm not short of power points or lights! Under the blue, unlaid lino is a concrete floor, which should come up a treat. The walls will be filled and painted. Tables, chairs, artwork will adorn it and hopefully make it feel welcoming and interesting.


It has a lovely view, with some potential for a little yarn bombing and given that there is Greensborough Shopping Centre right behing the church over the road, quite a pleasant aspect.

So, I hope people come and visit me while I'm there.


Oh, and by the way, I know that there is at least one more space available, and they're hoping that the currently filled spaces will encourage other owners to join in, so if you're interested just go to the Renew Australia website and register your interest.