I am in the process of assembling six small works inside drawers from an old treadle sewing machine. These are real joint works of art.
My daughters were coerced into posing for my source photos and hand sewing is not a regular activity for either of them - nor is looking meek and tranquil. My father in law produced some old treadle sewing machine drawers from the darkest corner of his Donnybrook shed in exchange for a chocolate cake while my mother in law scoured the local antique shop for more. My brother in law transported the drawers to Perth. My erstwhile mother asked her sewing group for any old fragments suitable for the project and turned up at my place with a treasure trove of old silk threads, sewing needle boxes, lace, buttons....enough for many future projects. My cousin Lisa materialised with tattered embroidered silk, a 1937 copy of the West Australian newspaper and oddments of our Great Aunt Ethel’s, who was a King Street seamstress. And of course my long suffering husband had to make and fit little shelves and a special hanging device. So a big thank you to all of you who helped. Each one of these art pieces should credit about 10 people! Thanks to Dorothy, Maria, Trish, Anne, Lisa, Paul, Eric, Gwen, Peter, Pia, Darcy and Blair (my framer).