Project 52 / Tionscnamh 52

I was delighted to be invited to take part in Project 52/Tionscnamh 52, 
an interesting art project, that took place on the Dingle Peninsula, over 2017, 
and was exhibited as part of  Feile na Bealtaine, our fantastic arts festival, 
the May Bank Holiday Weekend. 

Workshop: Electric Picnic 2015, Co. Laois

Just a quick note to say I'm off to Electric Picnic tomorrow. I'll be taking part, once again, in Greencrafts, Craft Village, delivering workshops to kids and adults in making Yarn Mandalas, or Ojo de Dios (God's Eyes), as they are sometimes known. I first came across these many years ago, in a book about Mexican Weaving. They were little offerings, good luck charms, very similar to our own St. Bridget's Cross. I loved making them. Such beauty with just a few pieces of yarn and sticks.

Losing, then Winning with 'A Year of Festivals'

I thought I'd write about a little whimsical, mm, not sure what to call it, project thing, I've done this past week. Bear with me, its a cute story, if I do say so myself...

Post Valentia Festival!

Only a Kerry island can offer what Valentia Isle Festival offered. The most fantastic location, facing the Atlantic, with distant view of the Skellig islands. Its one of my favourite things about Kerry. So much sky! Getting to spend a few days sitting out in sunshine, watching fluffy clouds roll by.

Post Picnic Blog Post

I've a backlog of posts to get through, a few lovely projects I've been working on over the past month. So I'm going to do a quickie post on the Picnic.

St. Patricks Day Parade in Dingle!

 The weather held out for the first part of the parade, and then went pretty dismal. So we didn't follow it around like we normally do. The parade was, well, as only a parade in rural Ireland can be. The child said it was bigger than last years. Always good to see an improvement. Fun day had by all, despite the rain

Post Electric Picnic

 Back home, clean and dry and already I'm up the walls with new projects, so I better put the Electric Picnic to bed. I know I said I'd take more photos, and I did take some, but still not a whole lot. I didn't round the whole of the Greencrafts areas, let alone the festival!!

My fav area, apart from Greencrafts area, naturally, was The Trailer Park, The stage was fantastic, the deckchairs was very comfy, and we saw 2 great bands. The 1st, an Elvis cover band, dont know the name, but it suited the place perfect, and John Blek and the Rats. Who had played in Dingle over the summer, but I missed them. The Tiki Bar, although in a lovely trailer, was a bit disappointing. A few plastic pics of hula girls, and that was it. I was a bit disappointed with Trenchtown as well. If Lidl did reggae decorations, well, Trenchtown bought them. Really not impressed with it this year, not much of an atmosphere. Well, when I was there anyway. Maybe it got better later...

But overall, had a fantastic time, the weather was dreamy, and camping under beautiful horse chestnut trees, was divine! I was very sensible, didn't drink too much, slept surprisingly well, but I must admit, ate an awful lot. The food is always fantastic, and my helper Aideen, a master chef for the weekend. I saw some half decent instillation's, (the crows were the best). Met up with  up with lots of old friends and made some new ones. The most chilled relaxed EP I've ever had. And to come home with tents and stuff dry... Perfect!

We did a good bit of walking, lingered at most bands. I always prefer to seek out new music, rather than listen to ones I already know. Yes, I saw The Cure, and although a big fan of their early stuff, a 3 hours set was just too much time, so I didnt stay long. The 2 bands that really struck me were...

Bellowhead 

Staff Benda Bilili

So a few of the few photos

 

Kate the Blacksmith

 

Pottery with www.helenfaulknerceramics.com

 

Weaving 

Basketry

Rush/Straw work 

I had a little time to do a copper workshop

What a beautiful tent!!

and a lovely spinning wheel...

Electric Picnic 2012!

So, I'm off to do my 5th Electric Picnic! 

The Electric Picnic always signifies the last of the summer days, the shorter nights, and well, with the monsoon rains we've been having, some particularily wet camping. Cant believe the summer is coming to an end already!

I'm off to teach workshops in the Greencrafts Craft Village. Each year we have gotten a bigger space, and bigger audience and it is always an amazing epxerience. I havent seen the finalised tutor list, but I expect there to be all manor of stitchery going on; knitting, felting, sewing, and more. Lots of other traditional skills will be there - people working with wood, clay, metal, slate, etc...

I know I am biased, but its always lovely to hang out in the Grencrafts area...If you are coming to the festival, come down to the Greencrafts area, say hello.
This year, I will attempt to take photos. Last year, I didnt take many...

Body and Soul Festival 2012

So, my social media skills have been a disaster lately. Sporadically on Facebook and Twitter, barely blogging, its all been far too hectic!

So, a few quick posts over the next week, about what I've been doing. Last weekend, I was crafting at the Body and Soul Festival with the wonderful Nic and Marie of Greencrafts. I know I'm (totally) biased, but the Greencrafts area is always my favourite area of the festival. So, many wonderful, talented crafters. a joy everytime to work beside, especially in times of need; wind, rain, marquees blowing over, broken coffeepots... With pizza and spuds straight out of clay ovens... Heaven!

Electric Picnic 2011 and other stuff

I haven't been online much this Summer, not blogging, not even tweeting. The main reason was I wasn't in the mood, I felt like I had nothing happy and exciting to contribute so I kept stum. As much as I enjoyed the Body and Soul Festival, I felt exhausted, and drained after it, I was even thinking of backing out of the Electric Picnic. I think I went through a mini midlife craft crisis. So after a lot of soul-searching I came to the conclusion am I fecking mad?

Cork Cycling Festival 2011 and the History of Silk in Ireland

This years Cork Cycling Festival runs from Saturday 16th July to Sunday 24th July 2011. So, the piece I made for the Kerry Bike Festival is on its way to Cork, as this year they are sharing the Visual Arts Exhibition. (See this post!).

Its looks set it be a great festival and I hope to make it down one of the days. I am delighted however to have sold the piece, so it wont be coming home!! It was going cheap, but I was in the midst of Body and Soul chaos, and couldn't face the thought of it coming back, so its better to put an affordable price on it. Also it was all made from recycled materials, and just because its in a gallery doesn't mean it has to be over priced. With the proceeds I bought this book.

Just published, its written by Mairead Dunleavy, who sadly passed away last year. But I'm sure she would be delighted her book was published, because if it hadn't, we would have lost a gem. I have another of her books the excellent Dress in Ireland, a bible for Irish textile history. It is such a shame Dress in Ireland is now out of print. There are so few books on Irish Textiles, and written by Irish people.

I'm on a mission to try collect all the books on Irish textiles I can. I must compile a list here, so if I'm missing one, you good folks can tell me.

The Body and Soul Festival 2011

OK, its about time I put some pics up of the festival. I've just about recovered. After 2 days of sunshine most of my camping gear is cleaned and dry, and I'm feeling a bit more restful. I don't have many pics of the festival itself. It was a busy weekend, (albeit a bit stressful with regards to my crappy marquee and the crazy weather). Its going to take a few posts, so first of all I'll just deal with my stand, and the stuff I made for it.

GREENCRAFTS

There were only 6 of us in the Greencrafts area, but it was lovely none the less. We had a beautiful setting just on the edge of the woods, and even had our own mini acoustic stage to look at!

Greencrafts

I had a very definite picture in my head about the space I wanted to create, but unfortunately it didn't come out exactly as I planned. I wanted it to look kind of circusy, but in a homemade kinda way. Instead it came out as crazy ole granny kinda space, but sure, it was cheap and cheerful!!

Firstly I made a load of lining. I realised how crap Ireland is for sourcing and buying festival/party stuff. I couldn't find anyone in Ireland who stocked marquee lining, yet in the UK you can get all kinds of fire-proofed lining, in a range of colours and themes. (Anyone looking for a business idea out there? I reckon this could be a good one). So, I spent the best part of a week ripping up old sheets and duvets from the charity shop, and sewing them into panels. I lined the whole inside of the marquee and the roof with these panels.

Next I made some doily discoballs. I've blogged before about the prototype. I made a few of these, but unfortunately I had to squish them a bit to fit them in the car, so I had to blow up more balloons inside them and leave them in, Sure it added a bit more colour! (I will post the pattern for these soon!)

My mushrooms made a regular appearance, and this time I added in a few fabric windmills. (Again, will post tutorial soon!)

I brought my spinning wheel along, because the plan was to just sit, chill and spin, as part of my demonstrations. I haven't had a lot of time to spin lately, and I was using it as an excuse. There is something so primal about the spinning wheel, that makes everyone, male or female, stop and want a closer look. Its like having a great big stop sign outside the marquee!! I even had a great chat with 2 young lads about the spinning jenny and the Industrial Revolution. That kinda thing makes my day. I love history and especially textile history, so it be able to sit at a festival, spin and talk history, well, it is kinda special.

I don't usually get it together to sell much at these festivals. To me they are more about promoting craft, textiles and trying to get people to have a go. But I tried to make some festive stuff, to sell this year, because between insurance, petrol, and other expenses, its getting tougher each year. I made a load of flowers, as brooches, clips and hairbands. I am a total Japophile, yes it sounds rude, but I just love Japanese arts and crafts, their aesthetics, their clothes, gardens, etc, etc. So, when I was looking to make flowers to sell, it had to be kanzashi.

Making Kanzashi

I love these flowers. They are a little bit fiddly to make, like fabric origami, but the result is beautiful. The proper Kanzashi use silk and rice glue, but instead I used scrap fabric and sewed them together. But I'm delighted to have sold a few, gives me the excuse to make more!

Since I was selling fabric flowers I decided to do a fabric flower workshop. Not Kanzashi, but a simple folded flower with scrap fabric and a bit of netting. They are easy to make, and everyone who made one, seemed happy. Here's a pic of my good friend Aideen, who was my rock at the festival (when the wind was blowing hard, the rain falling, the field flooding, who made me breakfast each day). I don't usually get the chance to have a break during the day, but she did a few workshops for me, so I could go for a wander.

I also want to say a big thanks to Conor, our handy-man for the weekend!

I have posted a good few pics on Flickr, and as I said, it will take a few posts to cover all the activities of the past month. Its been hectic! New tutorials, patterns, and more news, but that'll have to wait until day.

The Body and Soul Festival!

In the depths of a long dark winter, when summer feels like a long time away, I came up with an idea. A big idea, my biggest yet. In the Electric Picnic Craft Village, you can stroll around a lovely space, beautiful yurts and tipis, with interesting people doing lovely handcrafts, looking very eco-friendly and calm. And then there is me.

I turn up in my cheap plastic party tent from Woodies with my almost neon acrylic knitted bunting. I feel like a raspberry, a pretender to the calmness and eco-ness that is the spirit behind the Craft Village. I am always completely rushed, so my space tends to look a bit, well, thrown together. I only do one festival a year, so it didn't seem worth my while investing in a decent shelter, a van, and any number of useful things, festival going people usually have.

Then, I had the big idea, the notion I would I would make a new marquee. Crochet it in fact, Irish Crochet Lace, in Plastic... So I spent far to much time plotting, planning, and making samples. Much to the amusement of my weekly stitching group. The samples came out well, it could look fantastic, but....

The time slipping away, and now, ITS 4 WEEKS TO THE BODY AND SOUL FESTIVAL!! So, the plan to crochet the marquee is on hold, the sewing machine is out, and I have 4 weeks to perform a miracle. I am starting from scratch, I need everything; decorations, workshops to prepare, stock to sell, and marquee lining to try up my un-eco friendly, but yet, cheap and reliable party tent from Woodies... So, again, my space will look a bit thrown together, patchworked infact, but hopefully in a homely, sit down and have a cuppa kinda way. Well, sit down for a workshop and buy something kinda way! All monies are going towards.....a proper marquee.

So, I'm locking myself indoors, (I'm the only one enjoying the crap weather, I'm not getting sun guilt!), In fact I shouldn't be online even now, except I need to order supplies. I've been making loads of new stuff, new designs, new patterns, and have no time to blog, but prepare to be blitzed after the festival.

2011 Kerry Bicycle Festival

Frame: Art Cycles opened in Siamse Tire last night, part of the Kerry Bicycle Festival. I actually got something together for it this year. Anyone who knows me, has immediately said, "did you crochet it"? No, well, not quite...

Heres what I made:







Maybe I take my themes a bit seriously, when they said bike exhibition, I just had to make something out of a bike. (I blame my sister, we've been chatting a lot lately about the merits of inner-tubes). And of course, I had to add a bit of crochet. (The leaves are made with innertubes and crocheted with a fine silver thread.)

If you can't catch the exhibition in Kerry, you'll catch it in Cork at the Cork Cycling Festival,
16th - 24th July 2011

Electric Picnic 2010

It's almost time for Electric Picnic 2010!

Here's the plan again:

• Sit ‘n Stitch Workshops: From 12pm - 4pm, there is crochet and knitting workshops
• Loop ‘n Lounge Sessions! From 4pm - 6pm, there is an open stitching session, bring your own stitching to work on, practise your stitches, get hints and tips, or help make squares for Pink Creative Textile Auction blankets.
  

I'll be bringing lots of needles, hooks, yarn, books, and cushions. The weather is going to be fantastic, so come down say hello, hang out, make a few squares for Pink Creative Textile Auction...

Culchie Festival and Big Electric Picnic Banana

Here are a few pics of the Vintage Fair at The Culchie Festival on an absolutely glorious day. I didn't get to stay as long as I would have liked due to a tired child, but we had lots of fun, ice-cream and tractors. This was the highlight for me. A Trotters Independent Trading Co. van.

Textile-wise there was very little. It always amazes me how little of these vintage fairs involve textiles. It's mostly metal and machines. Old engines, tools, etc. Considering how big the textile trade was in Ireland for a long, long time, I get disappointed. Thought I did meet a man with the biggest collection of cast iron tool boxes and oil cans in the Republic. We had a great chat. Hey don't laugh, I know there's at least a few of you who have a thing for boxes/rusty metal...

This implement caught my eye however. According to the man, its was used like a giant pincers. If you needed to sew leather, you would put it in the pincers, squeeze tight then sew together. Never heard of that before. There were lots of women around, and I get talking to a few. They love travelling round to vintage fairs as much as their menfolk, but they don't do anything. So why isn't there more vintage women's stuff on show? It started giving me ideas. I have been having bad thoughts. (I call them bad, because the last thing I need right now is more projects...). Thoughts on developing The Woolly Way Roadshow idea. Going to festival and fairs around the country. It's been mulling round my head for some time now, and I really feel there is an opening, a need for something, but I just can't get my head round exactly what it is yet... Then I saw this....

This was a purpose built trailer which housed the man's prize bits of....well, junk to most people, precious vintage items to others. Oil cans, horse bits, old toys, brass plaques...etc. I thought it the most ingenous thing. No packing, no panicking, it's all there on show. What if I were to get together something similar but with all vintage textile tools. According to this guideline: Antique - 1910 and earlier/Vintage - 1959 and earlier/Retro or Classic - 1960 - 1990’s. My crochet hooks are vintage, my spinning wheel and carders are retro/classic. What if I were to gather together a collection of textile tools, from needles and hooks, to pin cushions and patterns, that could fall within this perimeter. A friend of mine some years back wrote her thesis on Folk-medicine on the Dingle Peninsula, she spend a few months hanging out with the oldies in day-care centres gathering bits and bobs of info. Surely it is possible to do the came with textiles info. Gather old implements and old stories. My granny died when I was young, just as I was starting to get into crochet and other hand-crafts. My mum says I would have loved her, the house was yarn mad, toilet-seat/tissuebox/toilet roll covers, throws and cushions, etc... I feel like I missed out on granny-time. That essential passing down of yarnie words of wisdom. If we don't capture some of it now, we'll lose it forever....AAAAH bad thoughts, brain stop thinking, too may possibilities.... This was supposed to be a quick post with just a word or two on the pictures, and the time has flown...Here's the rest...

Interesting stools...

Rusty old blue tractor...my favourite colours

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big Electric Picnic Banana

Squeezing in on the same post, because I don't want to write another...I never got a good pic of my large fruit cushions either before the Electric Picnic or at it, so here they are....

1 banana cushion, 1 apple beanbag, 1 pear beanbag, 1 kiwi cushion.

These are now in the ownership of Manna, Tralee's only organic fruit and veg shop. I jokingly asked would they like a giant banana for display in their window and they said yes. So they now have the lot because what the hell else am I going to do with them!! For good measure, I threw in 1 crocheted mushroom, 1 yellow lemon, I green apple, 1 green avocado, 2 orange carrots, 2 crocheted pears green and yellow....sounds like a Christmas song... The real fruit, came from Manna in the first place, I just threw them in the photo just so you could gauge the size.

A big big thank-you to Buggabug who has a wonderful shop on Etsy. I had bought a few of her lovely sewing patterns to make fruit and food for my child when I suddenly got the notion to make them very large....Her patterns are so well laid out it was easy to adapt them, I just drew them onto newspaper extra large, and hey presto, extra large fruit patterns! I wanted to make sure she didn't mind her patterns being abused in this way, ( well she actually hasn't seen the pictures yet...), but she was great, said she didn't mind at all. Seriously look at her Etsy shop, her work is amazing....Again, thank you Buggabug for making such easy to follow patterns for someone not very good at sewing...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally....

THE END