6 x 4 lives

OK I have had a good few responses to the idea of using the fabric postcard as a journal project. Teri of fiberandthread first suggested it in response to this. So taking on board what Sophie suggested I have set up a flickr group and called it 6 x 4 lives .

The idea is to use the fabric postcard format as a journal. It is a bit like the journal quilt project in the sense that it is a freeform challenge open to all. The challenge is to produce a fiber postcard once a month that records what you have been exploring, doing, or thinking about. The format can be used to explore telling stories visually, experimenting with techniques or exploring new ones, or involve taking up design challenges such as experiments with colour and composition.

I am going to add a second part to the challenge and that is to tell us about what and why you have made the card. Nothing long and involved just share what you learn, particularly if it is a new technique. Tell us how you did it, and if the information about the technique is online let us have a link. If there are books about it tell us what they are. Let us know what your influences were, what sparked the idea, how you tackled the design challenges, why you made creative decisions, and how you finally realised the piece. If there is a story behind it let us know what it is. It can be as simple as I got a new sewing machine to as complex as a dedication to a meaningful person in your life. If you have a blog write about it or if you do not the flickr account has the option to have discussions so tell us about it there. Flickr is free so just join up and join in. As I said it does not have to be tremendously long and involved. The reason I ask this is, stop and think a moment, how many times have you browsed community archives, seen something interesting and wondered how it was made or what the story behind it was? Let’s share what we learn and along the way have fun.

This is not swap challenge, but a personal challenge to share with others. The postcard can be made using any textile technique so no matter what you do the challenge is open to you. If you are a felter, a knitter, a crocheter, a quilter, a stitcher, a knotter go ahead and join. No matter how you use textiles to interpret the challenge all are welcome just take up the challenge using the technique that speaks to you.

I like the format because it is small and enables hand stitchers to join in but the other advantage is if you have a really busy life like full time work or small children to care for the size is manageable. In the next couple of days I will do a round up of postcard links, set up an about page, design an icon and the like until then swing over to flickr join and register your interest in 6 x 4 lives and at least once a month post an image of a fabric postcard you have made that month and tell us about it. I think this group will be both interesting and stimulating.

On another note I am waving to every one with relief as our ISP was down yesterday hence the lack of a blog entry. I rang to receive a recorded message informing me that regional Western Australia, regional New south Wales, regional Victoria, regional South Australia, Regional Queensland and Metropolitan Canberra was ‘experiencing outages’. Now, Canberrans like to think they live in city, being the Capital of this nation and all. I guess we are just a big country town.