Ali George Artist

First set of dyed fabric completed in the new studio while testing out the laundry design. The priority was always for textiles rather than clothing worn by humans. The length of the bench is about perfect for pressing with Miss Elna. I love the Elna, despite the lack of aesthetic (apologies to Swiss manufacture) because of the capacity to press (rather than iron) large pieces of fabric and multiple thicknesses. There's enough space for folding and managing large items (including sheets) and the laundry tub is large enough for safely hand rinsing without splash.  Next set will be from the orange heading towards the blues to have a complimentary set of muted yardage for my next large quilt.  

  This could also be titled The Move #1385. I'm getting comfortable with fluidity and the maelstrom of moving into our new home which remains largely a beautiful space on a building site. It's easy to let those other "things" happen at the cost of studio time and  arts practice. I'm inspired, a lot, by that deeper understanding that everything will always be needing attention and there will always be something or someone wanting to divert attention from the studio. To make sure it doesn't happen, I'm keeping tabs on my studio time, and more importantly my commitment to at least 1.5 hours a day (so that's 10+ hours a week worst case scenario) that I'm immersed in what grows my soul and brings me joy. The kind of joy where I lose all sense of time, and it's only the aching bones that suggest it's time to stop. That wondrous feeling of being immersed to the point of no  distraction. When I'm in that space, I'm a better person and bette

Creativity in many forms - trying to include as big a variety of foods in my diet as I can. Raw muesli, yoghurt, milk, blueberries, flaked almonds, sesame seeds homemade strawberry sauce, and some husks stuff that's meant to be good for you fibre-wise. I have a daily commitment to studio time, as well as creating in the kitchen. I've recommended the sourdough starter (not the same one from Tarome, a fresh start as with many things), am back to making cheese, baking our bread and using what I have to make all manor of edible treats. Apple tea cake and then labna/labneh with pistachios, mint and preserved lemon. Absolutely delicious.  

  I spent many years travelling to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as part of my paid employment. I learned how to be quiet, to be present and still and I learned to listen.  Mr Roughsey, of Mornington Island, created this painting of wildfire using the edge of a eucalypt leaf - every single stroke. Up close it is mind blowing to see the individual marks. I visited Lockhart River about a year after the tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of so many travelling from Seisia / Bamaga. After our official business, I wandered over to the Arts Centre and Mr Platt was still working on this one. The paint was wet and I had to wait several weeks for it to be shipped home to me.  Hermione is a commission from Melbourne based artist Sophie McKinnon. Her sheep are beyond gorgeous, and Hermione's gaze seems to follow me around the studio where she proudly hangs out with the other textiles. A favourite is Cunningham's Gap, which we view from back entertainment area. Th

Our get-together saw us heading to Ikea for some additional storage space and  ideas for our fabric design. Aside from the list (always a Kalax with inserts) we found great plastic sheets that are textured on one side, smooth on the reverse and perfect for a lot of our printing. Take two please! We work with our own fabrics, our own designs and it's great to walk around the textiles area and look at the shapes, the scale, colourways of different fabrics. No time for coffee just a quick trip with a list and lots of "oh wow" before we headed back to Forest Lake. My putting-it-together skills with Ikea are such that the new storage cabinet was put together in under 30 minutes. The final boxes are unpacked and now I just need to sort everything into logical spaces and places. Another day ...

  Life is falling into place. We're finally back home. The home studio is still being tweaked and the office area is now distinct  from the sewing area which is separated from the reading / handstitching chair and the storage/bookshelves/resources area. It's been worth the wait and over the coming months we'll remember what we've put in which drawer or cupboard and wear the space as our own.

Moving fortnight, rather than a day. We've loaded the vehicles and made the round trip each morning until only the heavy things were left for those with younger backs a.k.a the removalists.  The advantage seemed to be in unpacking each box each trip so that when the "big day" arrived, everything was in its place except the studio. Not sure how the majority of boxes, crates and cases were labelled "studio" and it felt like the Sorcerer's Apprentice - never ending boxes from seemingly nowhere. Unpacking is a chance to renew an old acquaintance with materials and objects not seen since they were stored 2+ years ago. It begs the question about whether I need any of it given I've managed to create in a confined space while we waited for the build. Everything is being reviewed for the joy it brings, why it is in the box, what I will do with it, or can I thank it for its service and find a new home? A long, hard and muscle-wearying experience, but one that the