A creative week at Making Zen

 

I am naturally a creative person who loves the quiet time of making things that do not have to have a purpose at all, other than to bring joy to the maker.  

I took art at tertiary level & always found the drawing side to be more challenging than the making side. 

My Mother & Grandmother could turn their hands to most sewing projects & I am comfortable with 'just having a go'.

I love to join the online 'Making Zen' retreat run twice a year usually because it exposes me to new skills that I might use in a different project but the skills are never lost. 

These are some of last years projects from the Making Zen retreat -  

Sewing a pouch with a gusset 

Weaving with intention 

Making a tsunobukuro style bag

and some previous ones 

Using new stitches to make a baobab tree 

Using water soluble film to make a new fabric 

Stitching some little zen bags 

I do not subscribe to the (bought) VIP package, but print off the workshops & handouts & make notes along the way to help me remember the techniques further down the line. Each unpaid one is only available for 24 hours which galvanises the mind to concentrate on the techniques. The ethos of reusing fabrics is a great one across all the workshops & the tutors all encouraged it. 

Meredith Woolnought, who did the reverse applique technique I used previously, had an interesting workshop on negative spaces. It was a paper activity that has many practical uses. It is not something we think of too often, the spaces between that define an image. Her workshop used a background circle & then torn or cut paper to create an evenly spaced work. I had a travel brochure at hand & decided to use that while she was demonstrating. 

I did a second one with another 2 pages from the travel brochure but was drawn to the words on the article so I cut them out & it then became like a journal entry - a very interesting concept that can be applied to journaling I think. 

The Stitchers pocket companion pouch by Giovanna Zara was not as straightforward as the tutors expert work, but I used fabrics 

I already had & it was passable. Short cuts seldom work & the machine stitched sides kept bunching up in the bobbin & I had to then oversew with blanket stitch anyhow.

 I should have just done the hand sewing instead of using the machine. You live & learn. 

Many of us were looking forward to the workshop by Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir where she made wishing houses to hold intentions. 

I told you these workshops are totally self indulgent & zen at the same time. 

It uses a 4x8 inch scrap of cloth that is embroidered, stitched & then folded over. 

I had a piece of vintage lace out so used that for the roof part then got totally carried away with the stitching on the front, a cottage covered in rose blooms. 

It was a fun one to make & her lettering advice was very helpful indeed; I find my lettering is not as neat as it should be but that is simply a lack of practice.

I am always extremely grateful to the inspirational & diverse workshops offered & the new skills I learn. 

I hope I am not the only one who believes in life-long learning & honing in of skills. 

Thank you for stopping by, it is greatly appreciated

Dee 🏠🪡🧵📍🔖📝