Welcome to the latest instalment of fibery inspiration, creativity, information, and of course, fluffy eye candy! The underlying theme of this issue is ‘Reflections”. I came to this concept via one of my most treasured memories; a moment when I found myself in the middle of the most incredible reflection. I was travelling the west coast of the South Island (Te Waipounamu) of my homeland Aotearoa New Zealand. This is an incredible part of the country; wild, sparsely populated, and everything is BIG. We stopped at a lake. It was a still night, and being so far from any city or town, we had absolutely no light pollution. The sky was a mass of stars. Before I went to bed in the back of my van, I took a wander out to the end of a narrow wooden jetty that stretched into the lake about 8 or 9 meters ( 30ft).
I didn’t realise till I got to the end and sat down with my legs dangling off the edge that in such a short walk, I had somehow travelled to the very centre of the universe. In front of me, below me, above, and all around was a galaxy of stars, the sky perfectly reflected in the mirror-like waters of the lake. I felt like I was floating in space, surrounded by infinite galaxies. I saw shooting stars and the milky way below my feet. It is an experience I will never forget. I think about it often; it centres me and reminds me that we are all travelling on this wonderful planet through a universe vaster than imagination. It gives me a feeling of profound awe and a deep excitement that I have this opportunity to exist, in this moment, on this part of an amazing planet.
This was my inspiration for Issue 17, the notion of ‘reflections’, which can be literal reflections; such as in a mirror or on the surface of a still lake. It can also be thoughtful as we reflect on inspirations and experiences that have helped shape our creative journeys. I hope that in this issue, you will also find a reflection that speaks to you and inspires you in your fibre life!
I am very pleased to be able to share another lovely tutorial from my friend Deidre, who has combined her art yarns and embroidery with her passion for astrology. This is a project that will give you time to reflect on who you are, and explore the symbols you find important in your life.
We have a really inspiring article from the amazing Rebecca of ‘Thistle Pot’, who has found that taking creative risks (cutting up handwoven fabric!) has led her to some wonderful discoveries and crafting.
Andrew Poad. of Majacraft, has shared an article about how they developed their new custom painted metallic spinning wheels – the whole process, from idea to highly reflective and beautifully finished deep-shine glitter wheels! These are quite magnificent and it’s an interesting peek into how this particular customisation option came about.
Have you ever met a ‘Broom Squire” before? Now is your chance! I had no idea brooms and brushes could be so beautiful, Paskalini’s work will sweep you off your feet!
Ineke returns to the Netherlands from her exploration of Oxford, England, and she brings the inspiration home with a ‘Narnia’ inspired cloak. Theres nothing like walking in the footsteps of people such as Tolkien and CS Lewis to get you reflecting on the magic of stories and how they can feed your creativity.
Charan Sachar is also back with some ‘Improv Quilting’, adding extra creativity and flow to the process. In this article Charan refers us to a couple of books which have helped and inspired his work, and may do the same for you!
Personally, I really love all the Studio Tours, and this time we are taken behind the scenes at Helen Keenan’s ‘Lyrebird Yarns’ studio, it’s a lovely creative environment that I think we would all feel at home in and inspired by.
For more creative reflection, we also have the third module of the Journey to the Golden Fleece; a spinners course to get you thinking about what inspires you and why, as well as get you out of your comfort zone and designing challenging yarns!
There is still more, this magazine is very full! I hope you will love it as much as I do!
Remember, tinyStudio Subscribers will have this issue in their email inbox ready to download to their devices. It will also be available on the Subscribers only page until the next issue comes out, along with the tinyStudio TV library that is always accessible. If you would like to subscribe, pop over to www.fiberygoodness.com/subscribe ! Of or purchase this issue as a one-off click the purchase button below!
