The first contribution to our 50 years of Flower Power artwork arrived in the mail today.
It is a gorgeously bright crochet scrumble made by Gwenda Miller from Birkdale, Queensland, Australia. Gwenda was certainly quick off the mark getting her piece made and posted...but Birkdale is another suburb of Brisbane, which means that she lives quite close to me and so it didn't have too far to travel.
My photo really doesn't do it justice; all of the colours are very vibrant, the hot pink heart is amazing, and the dark section at the bottom is more of a rich deep purple that it appears in the picture.
Well done, Gwenda; many thanks. It's most definitely a very fitting start to the project.
The piece measures 30cm across (about 12").
had my fingers crossed yesterday that perhaps the first of the contributions might have arrived in the mail...but unfortunately nothing here just yet.
crossing them even harder for when we check at the post office later today.
will let you know ;-)
Am really looking forward to the day when the first pieces start arriving in the mail, but nothing has turned up so far, so just to keep up the momentum I am posting a photo of another piece that I have made. It measures 60cm in length (about 2ft).
I do know, though, that some amazing pieces are either in the works or are already on the way, as I have seen lots of photos posted on Facebook and Ravelry by the contributors from all around the world.
I have my fingers crossed that all the relevant postal services are with us, so that I have lots more to show you soon.
thank you to everyone for such a great response to this project...not only here on the blog but via postings on facebook and ravelry as well.
i am super excited about seeing what everyone comes up with for their contributions, and am looking forward to the day when things start to turn up in the mail.
but just in case anyone is hanging out here, waiting for things to start happening (it's a happening thing!), i am posting a couple of photos of a mandala-like flower that i crocheted yesterday.
it measures 45cm across (just under 18"), was made completely from leftover yarns (i have a lot of those!), and even though it is not at all like my usual style of freeforming, did it by 'feel' (i.e. no pattern and no proper counting of stitches), and i really enjoyed making it.
The other day a few of us got together for a bit of freeforming, and to make a start on pieces for the '50 Years of Flower Power' hanging.
Here are a couple of photos of some of the motifs we created in the first few hours, showing them arranged in a couple of possible ways.
I hope you will be able to get involved. As soon as your contribution is received, I'll photograph your piece, and the picture will be posted here as well (with full credit to you).
Everything you need to know about the exhibition, what to make and where to send your contribution, can be found in the very first blog post here.
Comments and questions are welcomed.
Why flower power, and why freeform?
It will be 50 years this coming November since the term 'Flower Power' was first coined in Berkeley, California, and used as a passive resistance slogan for non-violent protest against the Vietnam War. By the 'summer of love' a few years later, the movement had spread; the term 'flower child' was synonymous with 'hippie', and a counterculture had sprung up embracing psychedelic music and art. This art style is often recognizable from its simple, graphic, brightly coloured, poster-like designs; and as many flower children sought a return to basics and simple living, crafts had a resurgence, and a distinctive style of no-rules crochet sprang up as a small part of the hippie, grass roots ethos.
Why Sydney?
Fibrefest will be a new show for Sydney, but similar shows have been mounted in other Australian cities, and thousands of keen textile enthusiasts always attend. The displays at these events are always innovative and exciting. I have not only exhibited my own work at shows such as this one, but over the years I have also mounted a number of other joint displays, and they are always very well received.
How do I join?
You can be a part of this latest cooperative work by crocheting or knitting a bright and colourful flower motif (or a rainbow, or a peace symbol, or a heart, or graphic '60s-style sun or shooting star...or by creating a whole psychedelic scrumble) and then mailing it to me by March 8. I will arrange everything that is received into a single cohesive design, and then I will join it all together into a huge wall-hanging.
So unfortunately you won't get your contribution back, but as each piece is received I will document it here on this blog, and I will list everyone's name and location next to the artwork when is displayed. The completed piece will be available for further exhibitions after the Sydney show.
So, the knitty gritty:
The bigger the better for any individual motifs, and you can certainly use a pattern if need be, but even if you haven't freeformed before it would be great if you could try to change the pattern slightly. Don't panic if it doesn't turn out quite as you expected...after all, psychedelic images were often somewhat lopsided and misshapen, and I'm sure I will be able to work my magic to fit your piece into the whole.
There are no real rules, and I will aim to use all contributions, but note that I would prefer it if you didn't make your pieces too dense (I don't want the finished piece to end up weighing an absolute ton, so light or somewhat lacy is good), and it would definitely be best for the overall look of the finished work if you choose your colour palette from the brightest yarns you have available.
There is just one thing to keep in mind, though, if you are mailing from overseas: please don't incorporate any bits of untreated wood, or seeds, or fur, or feathers into your piece. Our quarantine rules are very strict, and if anything looks too natural or untreated, then your piece probably won't make it through. So if it doubt, leave it out.
Send your flowers etc to:
Prudence Mapstone
P O Box 5242
Daisy Hill, Qld., 4127
Australia
Mailing deadline for all contributions is March 8, 2015.
