Gathering Moments II

I want to talk a little about procrastination.

For a long time, I believed (because I was told often, by well-meaning people) that procrastination was something to avoid. Something unproductive. Something to fix.

But over time, I’ve come to see it differently. In my practice, it’s a part of the process.

There have been many moments where I simply couldn’t work out how something should be done. And then, with a bit of time, sometimes after sleeping on it, sometimes through research, sometimes through distraction, sometimes just through continuing to make; clarity would arrive.

Over the last couple of Sunday Workshops, I’d been talking about starting a large basket using rope and sheets. I’d accidentally bought microfibre sheets (ugh—still makes my skin crawl typing it), and rather than pass them on, I decided they’d be perfect for a big laundry basket.

At the same time, I’ve had the same cane basket since I was a teenager. It’s been repaired over and over again, and now it’s finally reached the point where it can’t be repaired anymore. So this felt like the right moment to begin something new.

I’d already cut the strips at the last workshop and was thinking about starting, thinking only. It wasn’t until I was sitting and problem-solving with a work colleague that everything clicked. Not just how to begin neatly, but also what I wanted the finished form to look and feel like.

This is what I have realised, procrastination, distraction, collaboration… they all have their place. They all bring something valuable.

Sewing the procrastination pouf with fabrics from Ink and Spindle

Making Space

I’ve been procrastinating on a fabric pouf using materials I’ve been collecting (and saving) for quite some time. I enjoyed the process so much that I’m already halfway through another.

The pattern I used was from Closet Core Patterns. It is another thing that served a dual purpose as I had fabric piling up everywhere - old clothes, fabric offcuts, stray threads. Instead of being tucked away in cupboards, bags, or boxes, they now have a place. Stuffed inside. A form. A function.

Spotlight Artist: Robyn Leonard

Some of Robyn Leonards basketry work

This month’s highlighted artist is Robyn Leonard, who has joined for a couple of Sunday Basketry sessions. Robyn has learned from a number of local makers, not just me, and it’s always inspiring to see how each person’s journey shapes their work.

It continues to surprise me how a simple stitch can evolve into something so diverse.

Robyn began exploring basketry a couple of years ago, and her work reflects a real joy in the process. Her forms are varied, her stitching is thoughtful, and her attention to detail, especially in her finishes, is something special.

Working primarily with plain raffia and paper core, Robyn creates pieces that feel both grounded and refined. She brings in subtle colour through commercial dyed raffia and thread, and her use of feathers and pods as embellishment adds a quiet, textural beauty.

The detail that Robyn brings with quandong, emu feathers and colour

Procrastination. Distraction. Collaboration.

They’re not interruptions—they’re part of the rhythm of making.

And sometimes, they’re exactly what we need to begin. Beginnings coming next time!

Next workshop is in June, Sunday 10am to 12noon. Date to be advised.