Curious. Creative. Living Boldly.
  • Home
  • Journal
  • Fibre Arts
  • Journeywoman
    • Bangkok to London
    • Northern Sea Route Russia 1
    • Northern Sea Route – Russia 2
    • Journey Bhutan – East to West 2016
    • Antarctica 2016
    • Peking to Paris in Penny 2016
    • India and Bhutan in Penny 2015
      • Kolkata
      • ON the Tram…. a bit fish-bowley but lots of waves and smiles…
      • Siliguri to Darjeeling
      • A mountain Drive….. Paro to Thimpu
      • Mongar to Trashingang
      • Trashingang to Sandrup Jongkhar
      • Kale to Monymar… then to so many temples at Bagan
      • Temples in Myanmar
      • Magical Ballooning over Temples in Bagan
      • Bagan to Inlay Lake
      • Inlay Lake
      • Inlay Lake to Taungoo
      • Taungoo to Kyaiktiyo
      • Last day in Myanmar and missing clouds in the sky
    • Greenland 2015
      • Iceberg Gallery
      • Magical Greenland….
      • Julie the landscape
      • Walking the tundra
      • Ymer Island…
      • Zodiacs and Icebergs!!!
      • Ittorqqortoormiit
    • Iceland 2015
    • Antarctica 2014
    • Chile 2014
    • Morocco in Penny 2013
    • Europe 2013
    • Bhutan 2016
    • Journal Categories
  • Photography
    • Biography
    • Svalbard Ice 2018
    • Svalbard Mountains
    • Antarctica 2016
    • The Shape of Cold
    • The Ice Breathes
    • Greenland 2015
    • Whales
    • Hindsight
    • Exhibitions
    • Books
  • Julie
    • About Julie Stephenson
    • Journeywoman
    • Photography
    • Shaman and Healer
    • Storyteller
    • Wisdom
      • Courage
    • What others have said….
  • Connect
Dec 17
by Julie in Europe 2013, To Morocco 2013 0 comments

My experiences which sculpt my view ….

We are back! back to blue skies...weeds engulfing my orchard....and memories. :-) I don't have a clue where 'memory' is stored, but
Read More
Dec 02
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

Snake charmers and Penny’s bad hair day…

A wrinkled man gestured like putting slippers on with his empty hands….as two front feet and shins of a cow lay in front of him on the grey stone walkway into his store where whole skins and pieces were layered and climbed the pale pink walls. “Just for looking…. Yes madame… just for looking..You come and
Read More
Dec 02
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

Where my feet step in rhythm in the dust….

A black skinned hand with enlarged knuckles and thin misshapen fingers held my left hand as it pulsed up and down to the beat of hand drums which are warmed and their edges blackened in the golden rising flame of the fire; as the cold air descends on the expanse of the light coloured silted river valley. After the soulful melody of a solo male
Read More
Dec 02
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

Fragrant rose and cinnamon…

Fragrant rose and cinnamon;….perhaps sandalwood and neroli as well - drifted on the warm steam as I was led gently by my right hand into a small room wearing a pale soft loose fitting robe, which was carefully slipped from my shoulders from behind as I entered this small rectangular room. “Madame, s’il vous plait”..and I was gestured to sit on a warm sheet of stone, softly moulded like skin. A large silver ladle ceremonially poured hot water over my body
Read More
Nov 17
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

Dried skulls…bits of rabbit skin and fur..ground minerals from crystals and rocks…

Dried skulls…bits of rabbit skin and fur.. ground minerals from clear crystals and rocks ….dried herbs… ..broken bits of bark…mummified lizard legs…and shards of bone; were carefully broken and pinched and placed in a piece of hand written paper torn
Read More
Nov 17
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

from the dust….

The morning prayer wailer’s call to Allah filled the early morning darkness; echoing across the valleys were prayers broadcast from grey metal loudspeakers perched on the top of the rectangular columns of the mosques. I lay listening to the
Read More
Nov 16
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

Shadows….

Old newspaper wrapped small chunks in crates – fossils and minerals …and grey and yellow torn bags bulging with dirt were all now laying far removed from the source from where they came using escavators, hammers, grinders and dusty sweat;
Read More
Nov 14
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

Space….

The rose petalled fountain at Palace Didi at Meknes was left behind as we funnelled through a tunnel and were ushered through the morning traffic by a swarm of attendants wearing safety vests; with the traffic mayhem once again being directed by one of those men behind a strong black moustache. Very quickly buses were replaced with long lines of mounds of drying onions hanging on
Read More
Nov 13
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

From poverty to palaces….

Rose water, rice in sweet honeyed milk, soft white custard with almonds, plump dried apricots and prunes in subtle spices echoing the melodies of far away places where date palms surround green and where white fabric blows in the desert wind.....thoughts of coming days as I ate my beautiful breakfast, I am sitting now at a winery at Had Badchoua waiting for lunch after being escorted by the local police for 20km from Casablanca and 130 km east toward Meknes. Cheers lined the streets and men in
Read More
Nov 10
by Julie in To Morocco 2013, Uncategorized 0 comments

This is insane…!!!!!!

“Bonjour madame…. Passporte s'il vous plait”…. Oh my goodness… we are on a boat in Spain going to Morocco and the officer was speaking French. I am so confused!!! “Marhabah” I said with confidence to the Customs officer at the Moroccoan Port of Tanger Med only to be greeted with “Bonjour madame.” I couldn’t work out what was going on here. French??? I knew in Morocco, French was spoken...but
Read More
Nov 09
by Julie in To Morocco 2013, Uncategorized 0 comments

From narrow streets to open highways… Stone castles and cranes..

We had to cover some k's yesterday from Evora to Algeciras where the square, grey, rough granite cobblestones led to castles; and ashfelt and white lines led to cranes spearing out from near the ocean on the very south-east corner of Spain. The plump green rolling hills were filled with ripening olives and gnarled
Read More
Nov 06
by Julie in To Morocco 2013, Uncategorized 0 comments

Wishing I could step across on to the white fluffy doona…. Above the clouds!!!

This morning was amazing!! After spending a night in a very ordinary motel which was undergoing renovations during the ‘quiet time’, Penny steadfastly carried us up through this spectacular landscape – climbing to 2000mts alongside the Zêzere Glaciar Valley where the slow moving block of ice gouged and rumbled a tract across the land; and now instead of a frozen mass, sheep graze and small plots of
Read More
Nov 05
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

Whose idea was this…???

Yes again..the biggest computers in the world still cannot accurately predict the forces of nature – and that rain which went to the plains....in Spain.... returned - when the forecast was for today was to be clear !!! …AND we thought we would drive through the Serra da Estrela, the only ski resort in Portugal. We left Peso da Regua after a rather sumptuous brekky of queijo; (that is - queso, fromage, cheese - in Portuguese);
Read More
Nov 04
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

In Portugal, Sunday is…..

Well… so much for some of the biggest computers in the world predicting the weather!!! The rain which was supposed to stay around for a few days, blew across to Spain…. mainly across the plains ..hahaha… on it’s way to the rest of Europe – leaving autumn leaves and tracks of soil and earth down the mountainsides dribbling like chocolate and caramel topping - now set on roads and footpaths. Patches of blue and white puffed in the gentle wind and
Read More
Nov 03
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

This wasn’t in my Rocket Spanish Online course…..

I haven't got up to the lesson yet where the bar staff at a Hostal says that she can't show me or give me a room because she is the only one serving at the bar and cannot leave it to take me to a room. ...so onward to another Hostal where the reception staff could speak absolutely NO ENglish whatsoever - which I was VERY excited about because I really wanted to
Read More
Nov 03
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

Where did the blue go…??

No wonder everyone in Spain sleeps in until mid morning… behind the shutters in the morning it is pitch black!! ..and 8 o’clock snuck up on me very quickly! Opening the shutters brought with it a bit of a surprise. Where did the blue go?
Read More
Nov 02
by Julie in To Morocco 2013 0 comments

In search of Queso …. and the stillness of the mountains…

Our journey has begun in search of Queso…cheese…glorious cheese. Once again. We left the port of Santander and headed west passing through coastal areas of small fishing villages and rather empty tourist towns. Our kettle boiled alongside the comforting sound of bells which hung around the necks of grazing cows on the lush green pasture, separated by high rocky cliffs above the calm Bay of Biscay. In the distance we could see snow on the mountains to the South west… and Penny was on her way !!! Fabrica de Quesos!! A cheese factory… Stop!! I quickly
Read More
Oct 31
by Julie in To Morocco 2013, Uncategorized 0 comments

Reunited with Penny; cardiac ward; y Español

After a two month journey across the ocean in a container, we finally were reunited with Penny as she sat forlornly in a wet storage yard at Pier 23 at Tilbury in the UK; unbeknownst to us having been unloaded the day prior and sat overnight in pouring rain awaiting for us to collect her. At last she was with us again and off we went, excited to be on our journey toward Morocco. That excitement was shortlived as within a few hours, Max landed himself in a cardiac ward in Royal Berkshire hospital
Read More
Journal Categories
  • Fine Art Journal Posts
  • Northern Sea Route
  • Peking to Paris Journal Posts
  • India and Bhutan
  • Antarctica Journal Posts
  • Greenland Journal Posts
  • Morocco Journal Posts
  • Tonga Journal Posts
  • Photography Teaching Journal Posts
  • Inspirations Journal Posts
  • Books
Living Boldly - See how I do!
What are you waiting for?
Follow my crazy adventures!

skeinydipping

🧐Curious
🎨Creative
💪🏻Living boldly!
😁Content with wool in my hands
@idoamazingthings
See more on my website -

Instagram post 2199300943661899044_7573063145 My journeys are always a source of inspiration and foundation for my artistic practice as well as the way in which I live. This is my second hand woven blanket- Fields #2. 
We drove in a 96 year old car through Thailand, Laos, China and Kyrgyzstan on our way to London; and the fields were the core of the lives of not only those who lived in these rural communities; but for those also where the crops were delivered and exported to. .

I spent weeks observing the fields and those who worked in them.
.
As we travelled it was difficult to post updates due to time constraints as well as censorship; and although my intention was to 'catch-up' when we arrived home... I've found myself diving into my artistic practice and have immersed myself in weaving these beautiful blankets. .

I'm using wool from my collection, and found that I start with an image/theme in my mind; then do a quick gather of yarn and then just start weaving without any fussiness about colour choices. It seems to have all just flowed without much thought. .

I then hand stitch a small motif as a symbol which represents the theme of the artwork. .
I’ve really enjoyed using the beautiful yarns of the most amazing indie dyers but can’t seem to put all of them in this description, so will pop their names in the comment below.
.
This little clip has some music from where we travelled.
.

If you have any questions about my artistic process in my weaving... I'd love to answer them either in comments or DM.
.
.
.
#weaving #loomweaving #indieyarn #weaversofinstagram #weaversoftheworld #inspiredbynature #journeywoman #handmade #creativelife #livingthedream #handweaversofinstagram #memade #fibreartist #fibreart #textiledesign #textileartist #textilearts #textileartwork
Instagram post 2197125511554330218_7573063145 As an artist, all my creative expression is founded upon my experiences. 
Our recent journeys through Thailand, Laos and China have inspired a series of blankets I have hand woven using the most beautiful indie dyed wool from my collection. 
Seeing so much weaving in the rural areas, and participating in my weaving class with @theweavingsisters inspired me to recommence weaving which I havent done since I was an adolescent... quite a long time ago!

I'm so enjoying my 48" or 120cm Rigid Heddle Loom by @ashford_wheels_looms . I don't have any podcasts playing. No Audio or visual programmes in the background. I am accompanied only by my thoughts and the sounds of nature outside my studio. it is such a lovely space to be in to weave meditatively.

I hope you enjoy seeing how I translate my experiences into beautiful woven blankets. I have woven several more which I will share over the coming weeks. ***I've tried to include in this description here all the wonderful dyers of these beautiful yarns; so you can see how your yarn is used "in the wild", but it seems I cannot; so I've done so in the first comment below. .
.
.
#weaving #indieyarn #handmadewithlove #loomweaving #weavingart #weavingaustralia #journeywoman #liveboldly #livingthedream #inspired #indiedyedyarn #rigidheddleweaving #rigidheddleloom #creativespirit
Instagram post 2181901153613465477_7573063145 Indigo blue; cotton thread; sewing and laughter. In Dali in South-Western China I sewed, wrapped thread and dipped my cotton into liquid blue; under the instruction of the local Bai women in a small village on the outskirts of Dali; and together with Max and our Guides, had the best day. 
This traditional practice of dyeing has survived for over a thousand years surviving the Cultural Revolution, when many other Dong traditions such as Shamanism, were stamped out by Communist ideology.
.
This process of botanical dyeing uses plants such as indigo, woad and mugwort which are native to the nearby mountains of Cangshan. These plants are not only used for dye, but for food, medicine and ornaments.

Historically in this region it is the men who harvest and prepare the dyes, whilst the women weave, prepare the cloth and do the stitching and washing of the dyed fabric.

A couple of dozen plants were used for dyeing. I learned that both acid and alkaline mordants were used to modify the colours.

I also learned of the sense of ritual involved in the dyeing process. Dyeing within the lives of the villagers was only performed on goat days in the lunar calendar from June to October. 
Through our interpreter the ladies shared that they were trying to hold on to their tradition, but were fearful that their traditions were being lost as the young people moved away to the cities and their culture was being wiped out. 
I’m so grateful to have learned this unique and special technique from these fabulous ladies. I had the best day. Swipe for pics and more on my website - link in profile.
. . #liveboldly#traveller #roadtrip #momentsofmine #dali #adventurer #journeywoman #indigo #travelmore #instatravelling #travelgram #explore #explorer #traveldiaries #livingthedream #travelawesome #traveldeeper #livefully #livecreatively #inspired #travelmore #wonderfulplaces #openmyworld #lovetotravel #seekmoments #botanicaldyeing #bai #handcrafts
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

 

 

2017 All photographs created by and property of Julie Stephenson.