Fibres West is a week-long conference for textile and fibre enthusiasts held approximately every two years. This year there were ten national and international tutors, auditorium talks, classes, presentations, traders, displays, a 'bizarre bazaar' and so very much more.
I've actually been struggling to write a little something about Fibres West. I know.....ridiculous for someone who loves a chat. It was just such a wonderful experience that anything I write somehow seems a little bit lame or woody. 'Woody' is a word isn't it?
Comments like "Profound", "Life changing" and "Soul enriching" keep pouring out of my mouth any time someone asks about my week off - but actually putting my Fibres West experience into words has been quite hard.
I had a whole six days in Sandra Brownlee's 'Tactile Journals and the Written Word' class. It wasn't so much a technique based class. It was more about finding and bringing out our soul's desire.....see what I mean? Sandra's classes have a reputation for being life changing.
We spent the week working with our journals, ourselves, our thoughts and dreams, our goals for both our professional and personal lives, our love for textiles and our absolute thankfulness to be able to have so much unpressured time with other creative women.
We talked, laughed, cried, listened, walked, hugged, meditated, breathed, ate (lots), and appreciated
every.......single.......moment.
I met beautiful, courageous, creative and kind women -
and luxuriated in the peaceful, tranquil atmosphere of Muresk.
Sandra's journals are legendary -
as are her 'clothesline talks'.
We studied bookbinding and journaling methods of both Sandra's and other artists' work.
Absolutely exquisite binding on an old cut down phone book.
We worked in our own journals each day. Shared readings, thoughts, written words, laughs, triumphs and discoveries.
We journaled after our walking meditations, being encouraged to write how we felt rather than what we saw.
Here's one of my pages.
Sandra always being ever present,
patient, kind
and lots of fun!
Our class display on the last evening gave no real indication of the depth of transformation most of us had experienced during this week.
I know I'm richer, calmer, empowered and changed.
Thank you Sandra Brownlee.
"It'll be cold" they said.
"Oh I'll just take a couple of singlets, it'll be ok" I replied.
