Nicola and the girls  Happy New Year!! How are you all? Have you survived the Festive Season? I hope that you have great things to look forward to, something simple like starting to knit a new jumper or maybe a larger project? New Year saw me and the girls (my dogs) staying at Clasheen with my dear friend Nicola Brown for a few days. We go there every year. It's a great chance for us to catch up properly, talk about things that have gone well, and some things that have not gone so well. When you work for yourself you are always learning . .  It rained almost continuously, so we didn't get any long walks in, but it was very good to sit in Nicola's cosy lounge or kitchen and just chat about anything and everything. Plus my dogs generally get on well with Pip, Nicola's dog. A very different view from Nicola's house Those of you that have been following me for a while, will know my house has views along the west Clare coast. Pretty amazing. Nicola has a wonderful view ...

Printed layers of bonded recycled papers It's not long now - The Geelong Fibre Forum in Australia 24th to 30th September 2023 is just 12 weeks away!! I had better start getting organised. It always takes longer than I think. Planning what I can take in my suitcases. Teaching a 5 day workshop on the other side of the world can be a challenge, what materials do I REALLY need to take? The students have a comprehensive materials list, but I am always worried someone might forget something. I think there are couples of places left on my workshop - https://taftainc.com.au/workshops/kim-thittichai I haven't taught in Australia or New Zealand since 2019. I was due to teach this workshop in 2020 - but we we all know what happened that year, things got very quiet!! So International Tutors are now being invited back to the Fibre Forums and Quilt Symposia. Painting The Journey Taking sections from The Journey Printing blocks created from the original designs taken from The Journey It'...

A detail of one of the panels of the mobile Those of you who teach will know how great it is when a past student sends you an excited email with images of work they have created (and sold) after one of your workshops. This student, who doesn't want to be named but has given me permission to use her images. She took various online workshops with me during the pandemic. This work was created after working through my workshop A New Starting Point, which features painted Bondaweb and recycled papers. Maybe a bit of glitter and foil too . . ! The work that has been sold is this beautiful mobile. Isn't it fabulous? The mobile featuring 11 double sided panels of gorgeousness   Here are a few of the panels in progress . . Detail of the print on these small panels    The decorative papers were torn and layered with painted Bondaweb and decorated with transfer foil and print. I love the use of red, not many people use it, It balances the darker blue beautifully.   Here are few...

   The 12 workshops that I am currently filming       Argghh!!! It was all going to well!! Have you ever lost work on your computer? I have learned a big lesson when editing videos - save the entire file first, then start editing. The software that I use to edit my videos crashed while it was exporting a finished file - without saving it. Groan.  So, back into the studio to record the final part of Bonkers about Bondaweb. The second workshop I have recorded for the Experimental Textiles Video Library & Membership. At least it was only the last shorter section of the workshop. I am really enjoying recording all my workshops, even with the hiccups. It is good to revisit processes I have been developing and teaching for a good many years. The new membership is only available to my newsletter subscribers, you can subscribe at the bottom of any page of my website - www.kimthittichai.com The membership already includes students who have signed up from variou...

Recycled cardboard packaging woven into with printed newspaper. The completed weaving was then printed and hand stitched - by Shaun West   I have been teaching weaving as part of the Constructed Textiles module of my course Experimental Textiles for many years. When I taught 'in person' we would create a huge pile of fibres, paper, yarns, fabrics and plastics in the middle of a huge table and the group would take what they thought would work for them. We always concentrated on interesting texture rather than weaving techniques. It is quite possible to create something rather special with simple techniques and interesting materials. The work in the first 5 images in this post was created by Shaun West in 2013.  All you need to weave, is a grid or a warp. With recycled cardboard packaging that is sliced in regular intervals it becomes quite possible to stretch it out and weave into it. Choosing to weave with painted and printed recycled newspaper keeps to a muted colour pallette...