Week 10: Fleet July 16 - 22 1787

life was unravelling

Water was allocated sparingly - 3 pints for 24 hours - seamen, marines and convicts alike - 

half in the morning and half in the afternoon (Rob Mundle - First Fleet)

Ann Carey
Mary Carroll
Elizabeth Clark
Mary Cleaver
Elizabeth Cole
Elizabeth Cole
Elizabeth Colley
Ann Colpitts
Charlotte Cook
Ann Coombes
Mary Cooper
Jane Creeke

28 - 39

Week 9: Fleet July 9 - 15 1787

On the 14th July, the fleet crossed the equator. Rob Mundle (in his book The First Fleet pg105) described the preceeding days and weeks in the doldrums as follows ...

'It was a challenging time for the crew ... no wind, no progress ... At least they (the crew) were in fresh air, unlike the convicts in their dark confines below deck. With next to no ventilation 'tween decks, there was no respite from the oppressive heat for the transportees. It was the closest thing to hell imaginable, and not surprisingly many couldn't cope, either fainting or convulsing in fits.'

Excursion to Ballarat Sampling 2

More layering and stitching from Ballarat

The first 3 pictures show application of some very fine scrim

stitched with wiry black pony tail 'thread'

Loved the use of pony tail

pondering how to use it

Mending with horse hair would have been accessible on the fleet

as they had livestock, including horses

Excursion to Ballarat Sampling 1

I did a class with Sue Ferrari

at Fibre Arts Australia Forum

at Ballarat

I worked stitch into paper, looking at shadows and layers

(I acknowledge paper and stitch techniques of Karen Ruane)

Week 8: Fleet July 2 - 8 1787

Week 7: Fleet June 25 - July 1

rope from memory 1

Tedium, repetition, echo, recapitulation, rhythm

I am lucky - even with these qualities of my project

I can veer away, adjust, develop and transform

while staying with in my boundaries -

the ebb and flow of life

on the first fleet

figured it wouldn't take too long to
learn the lines
mid-week
from memory