Looking to the past...

Born in Melbourne, I have lived my entire life here.  Having a father who was a teacher, we had the opportunity to travel during school holidays, and we explored all over Australia, first, then the world.  Influenced by the interest my father had in the arts, I got to appreciate many of the worlds masterpieces from the Louvre in Paris, The Tate and National Galleries in London and many others across europe.  Exploring the British Museum with my brother and sister are some of my fondest memories of that trip (although my family may have got a different impression - come on I was 16!!).  This is my brother and I, during August of 1990, in Los Angeles, and then me in in front of Buckhingham Palace in London during early December of 1990.  How young do I look?!!

 Arts and crafts are in my blood.  My maternal grandmother has sewn all her life, and still at 90 years of age, is making beautiful, stylish and wonderfully stitched outfits for herself.  Her mother, was crocheting still, at 97 years of age.  My own mother is accomplished in hand work, focussing on tatting, knitting, crocheting and embroidery, stump work to be more specific.  Here is a sample of the beautiful work that mum does.  A stunning handkerchief, for my birthday this year,

and her very first stump work piece, gumnut flowers. 

Her latest piece is a blanket for my sister, patchwork style, but crochet, in beautiful browns, with every patch being a different pattern.  It is gorgeous and I must grab a piccy to share when I see it next!

My partners mother, Wendy is also from strong seamstress roots.  My childrens paternal great grandmother was an industrial seamstress who sewed until her passing just recently.  It is her machine, I pieced my first patchwork on.  Wendy loves to make my children the most beautiful clothes, which they both love to wear. 

More recently my creativity has been nurtured by photography.  I have always been behind a camera, and during my Bachelor of Midwifery degree I was able to undertake an elective unit through RMIT University here in Melbourne, in photography.  This unit was, while quite basic, and all online, challenged me to look at the world around me, with a more structured brief than I am used to when using my camera.  It explored shape, colour, light, perspective and many other issues faced when taking a 'good' photograph.  I used what was around me, and my portfolio explored The Heide Museum of Modern Art, in history, architecture, sculpture and landscape.  I recieved a High Distinction for my efforts (88/100) for the subject, which I am very proud of, even if my transcript says 'cross-institutional credit'!!  Here are some of my favourite pictures from that unit.

So that is a bit about me.  Now when my back is feeling a little better I will get onto doing some more quilting, and I will have more to share!