WRAP's last exhibition at Dungog CWA Rooms

On the weekend of 12 and 13 September the WRAP Unwrapped exhibiton had it last showing at the CWA rooms in Dungog. Prue, Diana, Robin and Annette went to see the exhibition and the Quiltarama exhibiton at the RSL. We all had a great day and a delicious lunch. The CWA ladies did a beautiful job displaying the exhibition and the pumkin scones with cream and jam were ... well you needed to be there.

In the centre of the photo you can see the quilt CWA member, Lois Sanders, created from recycled denim.

WRAP closes at Parliament House NSW

We were very pleased with the numbers that attended the Parliament House NSW exhibion. If we didn't exactly fill the 100 seat auditorium twice we did manage an enthausiastic and interested audience.




It's hard to believe but after more than two years from conception our exhibition is winding to a close. There are only one more exhibition in Dungog and one talk at the Embroiderers' Guild Victoria.

On Friday July 31 Robin and Annette took down the works, packed them and handed them over to Mary and her husband, Tony who took them to Dungog for the last exhibition.

Exhibition and free talks at NSW Parliament House Sydney

WRAP's current exhibition is now on at NSW Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney. Monday to Friday only. 9:30am to 4:00pm. Ends on Thursday 30/7/2009.
At 11am on 17/7 and 24/7 there will be a free, one hour, illustrated talk and discussion in the Parliamentary Theatrette. This will be about the history of the wagga, the background to the exhibition and the stories collected along the way.

Opening at NSW Parliament House 7 July 2009

WRAP member Prue Hill was our MC for the opening at NSW Parliament House.

The Hon Peter Primrose MLC opened the exhibition with a great speech.

WRAP member, Catherine McClellan, tells the story of the Crow at the opening. This is the story she wrote after leading WRAP members in a story writing workshop.

Later we adjourned to the Jubilee Room for afternoon tea. This room is the former reading room for Parliament House and has a very striking ambiance.

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Setting up the Exhibition at NSW Parliament House

Mary and her husband, Tony deliver the works to Parliament House. The day has finally arrived we all have our visitor passes to go down to the dock to pick up the works. But Mary and Tony find us having coffee and take them up to the exhibition space.





Gina Sirabella, our curator, is undaunted by a blank space.











Starting to take shape










Are three opinions better than one?







Maybe here?













Nearly there

Textile Artists who are inspired by the wagga

Quilting and Collecting: Hommage to the Wagga Cynthia Harvey Baker, Katanning, Western Australia
Cynthia Harvey Baker contacted us to tell us about her exhibition in Western Australian that also takes it's inspiration from the wagga. She tells us that her exhibition will be on from July 4 - 16. This exhibition includes 9 old waggas she has collected and are the inspiration for her works. It looks like a terrific display and a couple of us were tempted to go but its on at the same time as ours and we are otherwise occupied...

CWA Cotton Australia Environmental Awards 2008 winner Lynette Trupp
During our talk at Parliament House we met Lynette Trupp who won the 2008 CWA award from 33 entrants. She also gained a highly commended for another work.  A great quilt made from suitably worn soft checked shirts.  A most deserving winner. 

Creative Embroidery and Cross Stitch Magazine

This month our article in Creative Embroidery and Cross Stitch magazine hits the streets.

Read all about us.

Once again Gina's images illustrate WRAP's magazine article.

Exhibition Opening and Afternoon Tea at NSW Parliament House

The official opening of the WRAP Unwrapped Exhibition will be on July 7 at 2 pm. You are also welcome to come to the afternoon tea in the Jubilee Room - contact Prue Hill on her email address on the invitation, above, to arrange payment for the afternoon tea, payment to be received by 1 July.

See the post below for details about the free talks that are on July 17 and 24 at 11 am.

WRAP Gives Talk at Quilters' Guild NSW

On Friday, 29 May, Robin and Annette gave the WRAP powerpoint talk at the Friday Showcase of The Quilters' Guild, NSW. We appreciated the interest and interaction of the audience and we sold a couple of catalogs!

Heather Davies went home and created the quilt at the left. Robin caught up with her at the Darling Harbour Craft and Quilt show and took this photo.

We showed the preliminary works and they have been on display all month at the Guild's rooms in the city.

Down Under Quilts - June 2009

WRAP was very pleased to make a submission to Down Under Quilts and were even more pleased to see the four page spread with the beautiful images taken by WRAP member, Gina Sirabella. As a bonus and suprise we are mentioned on the cover! This magazine is now in stores.

Stories Stories Stories we love to hear them all.

Kate Farrow from the UK saw our blog and wrote to tell us about the wagga her friend from Australia had just made for her.

Nessie Pratten from the Glass House Mountains, Qld, saw an article in Textile Fibre Forum and wrote to tell us about the waggas she is still making.

Late last year we exhibited our preliminary works at St Vincent’s Art Corridor and this email arrived from Valray Silverlock, Perth, … she wrote: for the second time in my life I’m feeling sorry that I did not keep my mother’s quilts that had been made of “off cuts of serge”. Her son had rung her in Perth after seeing the quilts and the stories.

The next letters and emails were a result of the article in The Senior Publication: Peter McAlingy wrote to us from Forbes and it was from him that we first learned about the term bag wagga. He tells of joining bags together in the bush with fencing wire as that was all they had.

We also had a card from Daphne Turner of Rosebud, Victoria, who also wrote of the bag wagga (opened out oat bags sewn together) in the days of horse and dray.

Dorothy Holten, Parkdale, Vic, told us of a a wagga her husband’s grand mother had made of silk knitted men’s ties – it was very heavy, like sleeping under a cement block. We were thrilled to receive this letter because Robin had been to the Quilter’s Barn at Loch and was shown their collection of old quilts which coincidentally now includes the wagga Dorothy wrote to us about.

Eileen Raphael, Parkdale Victoria, emails of a wagga for the beach house made from overcoats and scraps of dresses.

Sally Donnellan ex Ganmane (near Temora) told us that her mother made a wagga from sample material for men’s suits or trousers and it is still in her possession.

Keith Brown’s Father, a tailor in the Riverina, made waggas from suiting. He says: recycling is not new.

Christine Blankenzee, did not know of the term wagga till she read about us and she is still making them.

Rosemary Horner sent us a photo of her wagga made from potato sacks. I remember standing in front of this work at the Darling Harbour show and being enthralled by it.

Bruce Creenaune from Wollongong wrote to tell us that before he went to work in shearing sheds throughout Central and North West NSW his mother “sewed together,,, a mixture of heavy outer garments cut up, curtains etc and lo and behold (he) had a true blue wagga”.

Studio visit to Anne Neal

When we were in Gilgandra, Tanya arranged a Studio visit with nearby Mendooran, Fibre Artist, Anne Neal. Anne uses fur fabric in many of her work and she was very generous with her time showing us many of her delightful pieces. She has had an emblellishing (dry felting) machine since almost the very moment they were released in Australia. She is very creative with her use of this machine. Visit her website:

http://www.australiana-applique.com/

Official Opening at Gilgandra 20/2/09

The official opening of the Unwrapped exhibition on Friday 20/2/09 at the Coo-ee Heritage Centre, Gilgandra was well attended. Annette gave the presentation with Robin's help at the laptop. Tanya Coxsedge and Libby Kermond-Carr and their volunteers did a magnificent job of hanging the exhibition. Christene and Diana were also at the opening.

It was very pleasing to see the waggas (shown below) that been offered by various community members. The stories behind them made great reading.

WRAP stays at Wiber Farm, Old Gular Station.

Christene, Robin and Annette stayed in the manager's house, Wilber Farm, Gulargambone (Gular) 2828. This farm ajoins Old Gular Station where hosts Sandra and Rodney Kelly live. This large house meant we had a room each, with Christene voted to have the South Wing as we jokingly called it because of the walk in wardrobe, dressing room and large bath room complete with sunken spa bath.

Robin and Annette shared the main bath room and toilet complete with visiting frogs which Christene, Annette and sometimes Rodney took turns evicting.

We learned a few things about farm life. Apparantly it's not a good idea to leave a door open at night, especially when crickets are on the hop. Luckily Christene knew how to feed the chickens, a rooster and a turkey whose numbers had been decimated in the 45 degree heat of the previous week. We were greatful to have manageable rain but kept an eye out for the water at the front gate. Because we stayed for a week the accomodation came with a country size leg of lamb and we also got to eat the eggs we collected.


On Wednesday we decided to go to Lightening Ridge (the Ridge). Along the way we met this drover who had been droving 800 head of cattle for the last 18 months taking advantage of better feed on the stock route. As there hadn't been any rain in Moree he doubted he could take them home.

His two dogs were good at tending the cattle and you can see the brown one, who always has a bottle or stick in his mouth when not working.

Exhibition closes in Temora, Opens soon in Gilgandra

The Wrap Unwrapped exhibition finished on the 9th of January 2009 after a long stay at Temora. From all accounts, the exhibition was enjoyed by all who saw it, and some visitors travelling quite a few country miless to see it.

Our thanks to Bill, Gay and all the other volunteers who helped with the exhibition.

The quilts are now off to Gilgandra, Opening on the 5th February through till the 26th February 2009. Annette will give the new presentation on Friday 20th February, The exhibition is now creating its own story and is collecting some interesting tales.

The city women have enjoyed giving the talk that accompanies the exhibition as it travelled around NSW. We also touch on where the wagga fit’s in the world of “make do quilts” maybe this is timely given the current climate, both economical and recycling awareness. And a few touch samples.

Christene and Robin will also be at Gilgandra to support Annette and to talk about all the quilts, the making, their journey and as usual, we would love to see any wagga’s (or the Bush quilt, or any of the other names they are known by). We’re always delighted to hear any stories; it’s just wonderful to see the person’s eyes, sparkle with memory.

Tanya is conducting a one day workshop on the 21st of February, on using recycling materials, to create a useful item. No sewing skills needed says Tanya. Contact the Coo-ee Heritage & visitors Informations centre Gilgandra. Phone: 6817 8700

Annette, Christene and Robin will spend about a week prior to the talkin the Gilgandra/Coonabarabran area soaking up more country air, discovering more wonderful things about this region of NSW. Plus taking a few pictures; marvellous these digital cameras! Robin’s father spent some time at Coonabarabran as a child.

We do hope you can catch up with some of you in Gilgandra.

Article in The Senior (NSW) January 2009

We knew the wagga rug generated memories and this is continued to be illustrated by the response we've received from the article in The Senior. A couple of country regions have expressed interest in taking the exhibition.

We are truly amazed at the interest this iconic quilt has generated.

Textile Fibre Forum Article

Textile Fibre Forum has just published a two page article that was written by WRAP with Gina Sirabella's great images. We are delighted to be accepted for print in this prestigious textile magazine. This was an interesting project to be involved with and a very novel experience for some of us.

5 days and 200 kilometers around TemoraIn Matong - sheafs of wheat in stooks.


In Ganmain showground - a haystack right out of a Monet painting. Unfortunately it was an overcast day so we couldn't photograph this one in shadow.

Flying day in Temora - another first for us

We stayed at Country Carriage B&B on Hazeldean, 22 k out of Temora near Ariah Park. This was definitely the best place we've stayed at. Rita, our host looked after us very well and we throughly enjoyed our roast dinner on Saturday night.

Gina, Robin and Annette with farm machinery.

Temora official opening, Saturday, 15 November 2008

The Mayor of Temora, Peter Spiers, opened the WRAP Unwrapped exhibition.

Gina gave an interesting talk on the background to the wagga rug prior to the Mayor's entertaining speech. Annette and Robin also attended the opening.

We were delighted with the numbers that attended the opening and thank Bill Spiers, shown here with the mayor, for all his hard work promoting the exhibition. Posters were everywhere, the Temora Independant had a front page article and the Wagga Daily Advertiser also had an article. Both ABC radio and the television news covered the story.

Gina then gave a PowerPoint presentation on the group's research into the wagga rug. The Museum's Grandmother's Flower Garden hexagon quilt makes a delightful covering for the lectern. We were pleased to hear that one woman who had heard about the talk on the radio had come from Griffith. We were able to tell her about the waggas in the Griffith Pioneer Museum that we had seen earlier in the week.

Robin chats with the volunteers at The Temora Rural Museum.

With three exhibitions now we are continually amazed to see the different approaches to hanging the works in each venue. In Temora our quilts were snuggled up to the usual exhibits presenting a rich tapestry of colour and texture. The manager, Bill Spiers, has a very dedicated group of volunteers who made us very welcome. We loved seeing how the convict bonnets and quilts made by these local women complimented our pieces.

Exhibition opens at Temora Rural Museum 30/10/2008

We were pleased to hear that our exhibition that just closed at Cowra had the second best attendace this year.

The exhibition starts at Temora Rural Museum tomorrow and the opening is on Saturday 15/11 to coincide with the Flying weekend in Temora.

Gina Sirabella, shown at left with her wonderful umbrellas, will give a talk about the exhibition and the background to the concept. (Image by Gwen Clark of Cowra).

Cowra Guardian article on Unwrapped exhibition

Click on the link below to read the article that appeared in the Cowra Guardian.
http://cowra.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/exhibition-unwrapped/1328254.aspx

Preliminary works shown at St Vincents Art Corridor

During October the preliminary works done by the WRAP group were shown at St Vincent's Hospital Art Corridor, Victoria St, Darlinghurst Sydney.


Some of the postcard and potholder size works we did...

Robin's wrap - dryfelted on an embellishing machine and the poster Gina designed.

Donna created a new work for Vinnies - shown beside her A3 work.

Gina began by reconstructing clothing before developing her shelter theme.

A3 sampling works from Prue, Dianna and Robin

Background to the Cowra Art Group "wagga"

Cowra Art Group: 0ur interpretation of a "wagga"

Image : Chris Hatton and the Cowra Art Group "wagga" (Gwen Clark photographer)

Within the Cowra Art Group there are several talented and creative groups. There is a craft group, and also a group of quilters. Some months ago a few of us were fortunate to meet with the WRAP ladies while they were in Cowra planning this exhibition.

We went back to our groups inspired to make our own wagga. We gathered magazine articles and dredged up some childhood memories deciding to make our wagga of the Depression era. We soon abandoned that idea as being too impractical, deciding on this traditional one. The quilters brought their sewing machines, scissors, ironing board and fabric ... designing and making the blocks which are approx 35cm square, sewing them into strips then joining the strips together.

Most of the fabric is wool. There are three layers ending in a tweed backing.
One lady had some buttons (from her mother-in-law) left over from Broadway Tailors in Sydney. The craft ladies used these buttons and knots to "tie" the fabric layers together.

Some of our ladies have been members of the Art Group for a long time … some are over 80 and even over 90. One has a walking frame, another a walking stick, some have sight issues and some now live in Bilyara - Cowra's retirement village, but they still come to Tuesday's craft day.

Everyone sewed on buttons ...even if needles had to be threaded and hands guided.
The quilters then bound the quilt .. four of them finished off the hand sewing.
One lady from Bilyara was on holidays and her friend was concerned she would be disappointed she had missed out... as soon as Joan was back she sewed on her button.

Our aim was 1. Make a quilt in the tradition of the ‘wagga’, and 2. Create a quilt that the ladies in the groups could look at and say "I did some of that".
Hopefully we have achieved this and I know everyone was delighted to see it hanging in the Cowra Art Gallery with the impressive work from the WRAP Group. From Jenny Mason President Cowra Art Group

Extracts from stories from some of our members about "waggas"

1. We watched and helped our grandmother, who was a tailoress, make "waggas'. She would keep left over material and any old clothes such as tunics and trousers with material still usable. We would then spend afternoons cutting and placing pieces together in the size of the beds, laid out on her huge kitchen table. These were then sewn on the old treadle sewing machine, or blanket stitched together, then filled and lined. Sometimes flour bags old curtains or summer materials were used.
Every Christmas holidays our Pop who worked as a grader driver for Waugoola Shire Council and camped away in a caravan all week would bring his van home. We loved helping our grandmother clean it out renew the curtains and make a new wagga......... Sisters Judy and Robin

2. When I was growing up the lady next door had a cupboard on the back verandah where she kept old scraps, cardigans and, of all things - old boned corsets. I was about nine and remember her taking the bones out. She was making a wagga and somehow stitched it in with other pieces of all shapes and sizes. One side was covered with bleached flour bags and on the top in the place of honour was a piece of cretonne. It was as heavy as lead ..... Pam

3. My husband remembers stockmen and rabbiters working on the property had waggas made from wool sacks …… Jo

4. On the sleepout at my mother-in-law's farms at Cudal and Korawatha the black iron beds had patchwork quilts of various types of furs backed by felt. When we started talking about ‘waggas’, I thought these must have been a variation of a wagga……. Lola

5. One old shearer always came with his ‘swag’ wrapped in a kangaroo skin, and would proudly roll out his swag on the iron shearer’s hut bed where it would stay until he moved on to another shed.
Old wheat bags, too thin to hold grain anymore, were unstitched and joined together as blankets and also hung as outside walls for the boys ‘bedrooms’ on the verandah, (allowing the cat to add his warmth to the bed at night). Nothing fancy for the boys. The wheat bags were also used as make-shift but very effective raincoats, or protection for the shoulders when ‘lumping’ bags of wheat …… Nev

Exhibition Opening, Cowra

WRAP member, Diana Thomas opened the exhibiton at Cowra on Friday evening 13 September.

The Director of Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Brian Langer, did a fantastic job of hanging the exhibition - we are absolutely delighted to see the works in this large white space.

The exhibition will be at Cowra until October 19 October.

There are a number of great wineries in the area. The Japanese Gardens are also a must see-the cherry blossoms will be in full flower.



We were delighted to see the quilt which the local women made. We encouraged community involvement and the result is stunning.

Robin (second left) and Gina (far right) with some of the women who progressed the Cowra Quilt.

Catalogue now sold out (17/7/09)

A 22 page full colour catalogue of the WRAP Unwrapped exhibition is now available for sale. Cost is $15 plus postage. Contact us on: wrap_wagga@hotmail.com for details.

Photos from the opening at Wagga

At Last - our opening at Wagga

The opening at Wagga on 28 June was very exciting. Donna gave the presentation. Six of us were there.

Thank you to the team at the Museum of the Riverina, Wagga, who did a fantastic job of hanging our pieces to such great effect. They made the opening run so smoothly as well.

We received a lot of help and encouragement from the Wagga Group of the Embroiderers' Guild, NSW - Sarah and Fay have been most generous with their time and hospitality. We were surprised and delighted with the beautiful display of Australian Native flowers that the group presented us at the opening.

It's hard to believe that it took 18 months of hard work and 12 full day business meetings to get to this point. We'd like to relax now but there are still some details to attend to for the next 3 exhibitions and maybe a fourth - stay tuned!

Exhibition in Wagga Wagga, ABC Radio Riverina

Click on this link to listen to an ABC radio interview with Jenni and Melissa from the Riverina Museum. Hear about our WRAP Unwrapped exhibition that opened in Wagga on 28 June.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2008/06/24/2284329.htm

Wagga Stories from our Family and Friends (old and new)

Evelyn of North Bundaburg wrote to tell us about the "wagga principle" extended to covering walls with opened out hessian sacks.  She also remembered making head coverings from sacks.

Eric Crowley, was born and grew up in Barraba, Northern NSW, far away from the Murrumbidgee wheat area. He remembers going into the shearing shed to get a wool bale to make a wagga. He would fill the bale with hay, and then depending on the weather he would sleep on top of it or use it as a cover, sometimes even getting inside the bale with the hay. Because of the size of the bale there was no need to join them or even open them up.

Val's husband grew up in Western Australia, to him a wagga is a sugar bag. If two need to be joined 3 nails were used – one in the middle and one at each end.

Mirium remembers using a brick as a template to cut out the wool fabric to make a domestic wagga.

Neville of Cowra showed us how to use a wheat bag as a head covering to protect him when carrying bags of wheat.

Pete's story: remembers his father stitching potato sacks together in the shed to make blankets for the itinerant workers

Another aquaintance, Judy, told us how she use to help her mother make a wagga for her father to take on his droving trips. They were so full of dust on his return, her mother wouldn't allow it into the house, so she would burn it and make another one for his next trip.

From the Powerhouse collection of quilts, comes the story, a new bride, not wanting her new husand to take her lovely new blankets on a fishing trip, made him a wagga. This became one of his treasured possessions.

In Scotland - the just add more coats on top of the bed... no stitching required.

Bill from Temora, his father carried one to war...

Another tale we heard, the hessian bags were chucked into the dam for several weeks to soften.

Judy, when asked about a wagga, said that her husband used the family hand me down wagga on the floor in the house while he was restoring his motor bike!
Makesme wonder how many dogs got beds made from disused waggas.

Tales told around a Friday sing-a-long at Junee recently, Remembers helping the mother spread the clothes out over the curtin material for the inside of the wagga.

Speaking with a women in Yarrawong. She told us , her family found an old wagga, under the matress of a single bed in a spare room of her mothers house, been there for years, no one knew about it

Annette, while on a trip, was searchong for a wagga. She found one in the Salvo's shop at Wagga, but it looks like it was only a few years old.

Another friend, told us she made a quilt when she was first married (that on reflection, probably was a wagga) and when they separated years later, he took the wagga.

Lots of people tell us about the fur skins rugs they have, but unfortunately, they don't fit into this catagory. but they are interesting stories... often made from kangaroo skins, rabbit and fox skins. even a tasmanian devil skin one in the Tasmanian museum and a platypus skin one in the Powerhouse collection.

At an exhibition we read of a wagga in the Sunraysia district of Victoria where the batting was hessian, presumably from the drying racks for the dried fruit

Invitation to Opening, Wagga Wagga

WRAP Exhibition
"Unwrapped"

Saturday afternoon
June 28 2008

Museum of the Riverina
Botanic Gardens site
Wagga Wagga

Artist's talk by several members of the WRAP group

Please contact us by 14/6/08

wrap_wagga@hotmail.com
02 95972982 (Annette)

Children's Workshop at Wagga - Crow Hand Puppet

Crow Puppet with Louise

During the exhibiton at Wagga there will be a workshop for children to make a Wagga Crow Hand Puppet. Presented by experienced textile teacher Fay Grant who has designed and taught many creative workshops. Learn how to turn a hairdresser’s hair clip into a crow's head and make a detachable wagga rug for its back. Stitching together scraps of fabric the crow puppet will have a movable beak! Suitable for ages 7 years and up.
Where: Museum of the Riverina Botanic Gardens site
When: Wed 9 July 10am-2pm
Information: $33 per child, includes a workshop kit, BYO lunch
Bookings: Phone 6925 2934 (the Museum).

Preview our Exhibition

Our responses to the challenge of interpreting the wagga have been incredibly different...

Diana

Diana’s quilts explore the emotional tug inherent in waggas that contain reused clothing - memories of dead loved ones, childhood and past fashions.

Prue

Prue has created panoramas of colour – using up the off cuts accumulated during many years of weaving her own fabrics – off cuts that remind her of the clothes she has worn and the people that have received her weaving as gifts .

Mary

Mary has used commercial wool suiting samples from the fabric stashes of friends and family, including her husband’s trousers! to create a traditional quilt with a modern twist.

Donna

Donna has responded to the countryside where the wagga originated, her quilts reflect the wheat fields of the Mallee, where she grew up.

Robin

Shelter is also the fundamental idea behind Robin’s wonderful wagga wrap. Made from Harris Tweed jackets purchased for $5 from Op Shops – a flour bag quilt comes with it for use as a mattress should the need arise – reuse, warmth, comfort and shelter. Robin has also produced a quilt made from blanket samples which have been appliquéd and embroidered with the help of an embellishing machine.

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Annette

Annette has investigated the towns where our quilts will be exhibited. Her wall hangings, based on the grid patterns of the map of each town, resonate with the history and connection in the locations of railway station, flour mill and gallery.

Catherine

Catherine has developed a fabric sampler book – a result of her research and thoughts about the role of text and the wagga.

Gina

Gina’s ingenious re-use of old umbrella frames, is firmly based in the idea of recycling and shelter, yet she has projected those ideas into a future era - as a comment on climate change.

CHRISTENE

Christene’s quilt is constructed from denim jeans purchased for $3 a pair at Op Shops, seams unpicked and taken apart, and recreated in a quilt of tactile pleasure, with pockets for holding all those things that you may need in bed!!!

Christene was thinking of matchbox cars!

Progress

Gina Sirabella designed our logo, that you can see on the left. Gina created a number of options for the 8 of us to choose from and after much discussion this is the one that won.

Diana Thomas wrote a base script for group talks.

This talk was expanded, and delivered by Robin with Annette's PowerPoint presentation at The Embroiderers' Guild NSW in March. Our research textiles were on display.

The preview of our 'Unwrapped' travelling exhibition that was shown will be on our blog soon.

We also did another road trip late February, to Cowra and Wagga.
In Cowra we met with several women who are interested in finding their own wagga rug history.
We were fortunate to see some fine examples of wagga's belonging to the Cowra women.
Neville explained and demonstrated the sewing of wheat sacks, and their usefulness in creating a head covering.

Met with Sarah and Fay from Embroiderers Group, Wagga.
Fay has designed a wonderful Wagga Crow Puppet, that is suitable for children, which we hope will be taught during the exhibitions.

Exhibition: Change of Venue

The WRAP exhibition at Wagga, has been moved from the Historic Council Chambers location to Botanic Garden site.

A GREAT DAY AT THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

We had the wonderful opportunity of actually visiting the "vaults" at the Powerhouse on Wednesday 14th Nov to see close up some waggas from the Museum's collection. Like kids in lollyshop were we - tempted but not touching - walking past cages of ceramics - drawers of clothing - furniture - shields - old and new identifiable and not so identifiable technology. There was a lovley chill in the air - it was a glorious sunny Syndey day outside and many of us had hurried to get there.

A volunteer and her able assitant patiently waited whilst we oohed and ahhed over the waggas they produced. It would have seemed odd to anyone but those present to hears the queries and comments made by us.

In many cases there was little information other than the provence of these waggas.

• One had been lovingly made by a new bride in the 1930's for her husband to take camping - and so protect her own new blankets. We marvelled at the blues which seemed so bright. The archive notations suggested that the husband was very pleased with his gitft and told all his wife had made it for him. Click here for a look.
• Whilst none of the waggas had a flour bag as backing or internal lining, two had been made with hession. One in particular facinated all of us - tailors samples, with no attempt to create a pattern, had been laid on hessionin the order they may have been in the sample book and oversewn without regard to neatess and straight lines - it was cause for a few comments. Raw edges were definite the de rigour of Miss .............. who created this little item. Click here for a look
• Who but us could be excited by the sight of old darned socks and daggy old clothing? We an inside of a wagga was produced were intrigued to see old clothing stuffed and tacked higgledy piggledy into a lining. Why didn't the maker square off and flatten the stuffing? The conclusion: Why would you bother when you were looking for bulk, warmth and were going to cover it.

Exhibition at Rogue Gallery, Long Jetty

10 November 2007:

Those of us that were there enjoyed sandwiches and a glass of something as well as a couple of very short speaches.

Big thank yous all the way round to David & Phillip of Frame 'n Art (to which Rogue Gallery is attached) who effectively sponsored the exhibition "Mixed Threads". Guys, without you we wouldn't have done it. It has been great exposure for WRAP and our joint exhibitors Filament and Stitches Plus.

I will add some photo links shortly.

Wrap at Emboiderers' Guild 50th Anniversary Exhibition

The WRAP display was well received and generated lots of discussion - not that its hard to chat when you are as wedded to a topic as we are. Included in the display was a touchy feely and a book inviting comments and stories. Sadly, very few wrote in the book. However, as I said - if there was someone at the display lots of talk was had and stories told.

I asked my teenage daughter to write something and this is what she said (though she was using my voice) :

"Audiences enjoyed a wide range of textile artwork from various groups at the recent exhibition held at the Southee Complex (Olympic Park) for the Embroiderer's Guild's 50th Anniversary. One of those groups happened to be the Wrap group which is exploring the history and techniques of waggas (old aussie scrap quilts).

The range of quirky and unique techniques of each piece intrigued many visitors. Some of the techniques from these beautiful works ranged from embroidery on wool, buttons and zippers sewn on scrap and old babies clothes stitched into a piece.

All and all it was a successful exhibition and a great place to show off our pieces."


I am glad she though it was successful ... her comments are few and I am sure she thinks her Mum's got rocks in head but is too polite to say .

The display also included some play pieces we had worked in anticipation of the exhibitions "Baby wagga "on the left is a taste. Click here to see more.

What makes a quilt?

The National Quilt Register definition is a bedcover of 2 or more layers sewn together (or tied) either by hand or by machine. It is often but not always quilted. A quilt may be made for decoration or warmth or both. This link will take you to the web page of the NRQ which has an interesting diagram called the "Australian Quilt Tree". It shows the various methods and materials which may have be used to construct an Australian wagga quilt.

"Waggas Unwrapped"

We met again on 28 August.

Our exhibition name was chosen - Waggas Unwrapped - and exhibition arrangements are currently being finalised. Rather than put the mozz on it we won't say the places and times until it is all finalised. Needless to say we are all very excited.

To add to our day we had the oppotunity to see and enjoy two old quilts first hand.

The first was a wagga from Suzaannah Place, the Historic Houses Trust museum in Sydney. It is made of small pieces of tailors’ samples sewn together with twill tape which was originally dark purple with some pieces of dark green and fewer of black. The original backing was a yellow curtain fabric. This blanket has been widened by adding joined rectangles of tailors’ samples to both sides. On one side the sample addition was folded over in half neatly but the other side didn’t have enough samples so a cotton sheet was added to cover the deficiency and the original yellow backing. The tape has faded but the samples are muted blues, greys and browns to give a very contemporary, minimalist look.

The second quilt was bought in Atlanta Georgia a number of years ago by a collector who lent it to our group for the day. It has opened seed bags for backing. The front is an “around the world” pieced quilt. We enjoyed discovering how the maker worked by examining the block progression.

Everyone shared their A3 sized waggas which will form our display at the Embroiderer's Guild 50th celebrations in October this year: some were finished and others in progress (either in the fabric selection phase or in the head).

on flour bags, quilts and exhibiting

Remember an earlier post where I mentioned flour bags. Well, this is what I meant. This little beauty when opened up will be about the size of an A3 piece of paper and will be the back of small interpretive quilts that our group (WRAP) make to hang at the Embroiderer's Guild NSW Inc Festival being held on 10 to 14 October at the Southee Pavilion, Homebush.There was a comment posted asking whether we plan to exhibit - a positive yes is the answer. Galleries in a number of regional locations have expressed interest in showing both original waggas and our interpretations. Once this is firmed up we will let you know.

power house museum

The Power House has a few waggas in its collection. Click on the email address under interesting links and use their search engine - or click here an go directly to the page of searches I have done - all care and no responsibility ... their data may change and the link lost.

isa's quilt

New to Australia from the USA on a teacher exchange program in the early 70's Isa and her husband were told the climate was like California. They packed accordingly... and were posted to Lithgow in mid winter.

Isa searched for extra anything to keep them warm and found this wagga in a local op shop. It is only in more recent times Ina has learnt of the history of waggas and the make do element that accompanies them.

For more pictures of Isa's quilt click here

off and running

... an idea sparked idle conversation. What is a wagga? Lets find out more.

Intrepid members of the goup have already traversed the ground between Sydney, Cowra, Wagga Wagga and Temora in search of the wagga quilt story. Laden with stories and empty flour bags, to the amusement of friends and family, the travellers have returned to Sydney. Heavens's knows how, mobile phone conversations lead the writer of this post to belive that they were lost "on the road to the snow" and would never find their way back. I thought ast least they would freeze - stuck in their small car with all those waggas in the making (the four bags of course - all 60 of them !).