India Textiles Tour with Barb Mullen

Experience the rich textile culture of the Gujarat region in India with passionate and highly skilled textile artist Barbara Mullen. It was wonderful to meet Barb at the last Red Thread meeting and hear about her enduring practice as a maker and teacher of traditional textile techniques as well as running international textile tours. 

For thirteen days 10 ~ 22 January 2012, participants will be able to immerse themselves in silk, cotton, calico and wool, by visiting the Rabari tribal village, Maharajah's Palace in Gondai, Calico Museum of Textiles and Kutch's specialist textile and craft villages. Price per person $A5890 includes all airfares, most meals, accommodation, transport, workshops and transfers. 

For more information the tour is produced by World Expeditions contact on 1300 720 000 or enquires@worldexpeditions.com.au

Crochet + Social Activism Unite

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef - "Ladies Silurian Atoll" (detail). 

Photo © The Institute For Figuring (by Margaret Wertheim)

When I conjure up images of one of Australia's great wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef, I picture an explosion of colour in the most electric hues. Whilst I haven't been lucky enough to visit the colossal reef system stretching for over 2,600kms, I am afraid I will be disappointed with what I would see. Scientists now believe with the affects of global warming, the reef will become devastated in coming years. Now you may be wondering if Red Thread has turned into a group to analyse the natural world and its many manifestations. Wrong! In 2005, sisters Margaret and Christine Wertheim created the worldwide Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project to pay homage to the threat of devastation to this fragile monster. Initially beginning in their humble living room and gradually expanding throughout their house, today their are crochet communities or 'satellites' popping up in Chicago, New York, London to Dublin and Capetown. Now the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) is calling for South Australian craftspeople to join in and create your own hyperbolic model which marries handicraft with mathematics, marine biology, social activism and community art on a global scale. To see the many worldwide contributions to the projects visit RiAus and get inspired and get on board. 

Arts Hub | Adelaide Matters June 5

If you happen to stumble across a copy of the latest issue of Adelaide Matters, check out page 13 for an article on Red Thread Collective. Featuring works from the ORNATE exhibition in the background, I had an interesting chat with editor Catherine Clifton during the show about the importance of creating a supportive network for emerging artists. I look forward to developing the initiative in the near future, seeing the group grow and providing encouraging opportunities for all involved.

Lair of Crazy Creatures by Luka Vaitkeviciene

Red Thread Collective member and Illustrator Luka Vaitkeviciene recently arrived in Australia from Vilnius in Lithuania. Luka describes her hometown as little and cozy. Interestingly, yet possibly unconsciously I find she has been drawn to a similarly portrayed city in Adelaide. Her candid and somewhat childlike depictions of animals and people are inspired by her everyday surroundings, “the streets, funny people with funny dogs, old things with stories and children’s books”. Preferably working with the humble pen and paper, Luka has incorporated her designs onto ceramics, bags, badges and dioramas, all of which you can admire on her website.

Luka’s Top 5 blogs

www.scarygirl.com/ - I used to check this often and it inspired me a lot.

animalsindresses.blogspot.com - my friend’s blog on her favourite things and her art.

kushkomikss.blogspot.com/ - It's a Latvian blog about comics, they make nice little comic magazines and put information about comic contests.

juliapott.blogspot.com/ - love her animals!

www.art-dept.com/illustration/fahlen/ - this is very inspiring Swedish artist

RTC members enjoy hearing about the differences between our two cities, Luka’s new characters and stories and we hope that whilst living in Adelaide, she finds some ‘aussie’ inspirations for her illustrations... starting with attempting to draw wombats.

Craftsouth Traditional Craft Skills Workshops

After the success of last year's program of traditional craft skills workshops run by Craftsouth, they are pleased to announce their new program for 2011. Looking for a new direction in your work, or want to learn a traditional technique from a craft practitioner with a culturally and linguistical background, whilst connecting to other South Australian artists and community members, then sign up for these wonderful workshops.

Textile craft workshops running from one day to 10 week courses include Bangeledeshi quilt embroidery, Nigerian indigo dyeing, Bosnian sock knitting and Middle Eastern knotted rug weaving. Material fees are included in the cost of each workshop and Craftsouth members receive a 20% discount.

For more information on the schedule and to register for workshops email niki.vouis@craftsouth.org.au or visit the Craftsouth website

ORNATE | SA Contemporary Textiles opening

The official invitations are now out and about for ORNATE: South Australian Contemporary Textiles exhibition. Please join us on Sunday 1 May at Prospect Gallery at 3pm, to be opened by Dr. Irmina van Niele, artist and Lecturer School of Art, Architecture and Design, University of South Australia.

Emerging artists involved include Ali Carpenter, Kara Growden, Laura Haigh, Kate O'Leary, Jessica Sanguesa, Ashleigh Taylor, Lara Torr and Briony Vickery. A showcase of various forms of textile works employing traditional craft techniques and materials for contemporary means. Based on the theme of 'patter', the artist seek to reinvent the ideals and importance of the 'handmade' to a society strongly driven by technology.

The exhibition will run until 22 May and be supported by a 16 page catalogue with essay by Sera Waters. For more information and to see a preview of images in the exhibition visit the event on Facebook.

Feature Artist | Briony Vickery

Tell us about yourself, how would you describe your work?

I don’t like to think too much about it, I just like to make things. My work is probably best described as organic, and I don’t mean that in a trendy sense, it is just developed in a fairly organic way. No rhyme or reason behind it necessarily.


Who or what inspires you to create?

Quite simply, my inspiration is drawn from my need to make things. Ever since I was a little girl I have been driven to make things. I am not sure why, perhaps it is genetic or just that it is something that has always made me happy and content. I also have an innate love of beautiful things so I guess it is only natural that I keep creating beautiful objects that look lovely or can make the wearer look lovely.

Where was your inspiration drawn for this work? The simple nature of crochet enables me to build a piece, stitch by stitch without necessarily knowing where I will end up. And by adding pearls into the piece, this allows me to put things in order, to complete the piece with perfect placements that create definition and contrast. These pieces are more about the making of the object, a reflection about the world we live in and a method I have to processing information and emotions in an orderly fashion. But I also must say that I have a true love for beautiful objects.

What are your favourite art related websites or blogs?

I love reading magazines so I guess I would suggest www.selvedge.org and www.peppermintmag.com, they several links to many things, organisations and other creatives that I love.

What materials do you like to work with?

I predominantly work with textiles and traditional materials such as beads and buttons etc. I use these materials due to an influence from my Mum and Grandmother but also these materials readily available, and for their domesticity in which they can be collected and reused. I believe in the importance of sustainable living, therefore reusing materials is important to me. Fresh water pearls and shell buttons whilst beautiful also give me a strong connection to the island where I grew up and connect me with my memories of hours spent collecting shells.


Briony Vickery studied Fashion Design at Douglas Mawson Institute of TAFE before proceeding to study visual arts at the South Australian School of Art in 2003.  During this time, Briony exhibited at the annual ‘Designing Futures’ Fashion Industry Parade where she received an Award for Excellence. In 2003, she was a finalist in the Textile Institute Design Award and received the George Gross and Harry Who Design Achievement Award.