I first heard about the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sketchbook a couple of months back on Kate Chiconi’s blog, Tall Tales from Chiconia, it’s a great idea thought up by Anne Lawson, an amazing artist from Australia. Anne has handmade a beautiful sketchbook which is now travelling around the world, each person who receives it will decorate a page, it could be a painting, a drawing, embroidery, calligraphy. The sketchbook will then get posted on to the next person. There are about twelve of us taking part, the book includes a map so we can trace the route as it goes from Australia to America and over to Europe. I’m last, which I think is a bonus as I will be able to see everyone else’s entry for real!

The sketchbook went to Kate first, she has made a beautiful feather using foundation paper piecing, as someone who is very new to this technique, I can appreciate the work involved! This is what she wrote about it;

“A stitched image in fabric, a bit of loopy hand lettering and a sorta, kinda poem. The sewn fabric piece is the hardest bit of foundation paper piecing I’ve ever made, but knowing how fond Anne is of feathers, it was a challenge that just had to be met…. I’m not totally in love with the lettering, but sometimes you just have to commit to getting something down on paper, don’t you? And I like the words… Actually, I’m not even sure which way the page should go, landscape or portrait.  I think I prefer portrait for the feather, but then the words are on their sides. You decide for yourselves which is better.”

Tall Tales from Chiconia

I love the verse Kate has written too, have a look here for the full post. I’ve a few ideas in my head of what I can do but I really need to make a decision and start creating as it will be my turn in no time at all!

Chas Spain has made an interactive map here so we can trace it’s progress, at the moment it’s still in Queensland, Australia. The participants are listed below, why not pop over and see what they are planning;

• Kate at  TallTalesfromChiconia, North Queensland, Australia: DONE
• Sandra, aka Lady Red Specs from Please Pass the Recipe, Queensland, Australia: DONE
• Chas Spain Victoria, Australia
• Sandi, Victoria, Australia
• Dale from EllaDee Words, New South Wales, Australia
• Alys from Gardening Nirvana, USA
• Sue at  From the Magpie’s Nest, USA
• Ushasree from Creative Crafts DIY, USA
• Marina from Athens Letters, Greece
• Viv from Viv in France
• Constanze from Textiledreamer, in Germany
• Annett from Knettycraft, in Germany
• Lynn from Tialys in France
• Me from The Crafty Creek, UK

and finally, back to Anne herself in Melbourne, Australia