Playtime!!

My friend J9 came over today after Tai Chi and we played with making silk paper. What fun we had, once we finally got started. A trip to the hardware store and the local junk shop was called for first - we are chronically disorganised. This is my piece, J9 did a gorgeous cool blue/green/purple one with lots more angelina glitz. 

What's on the Design Wall?

This is the FUN, FUN, FUN quilt top I made yesterday and today, from a workshop with Donna Ward. I got six blocks made in class, and the rest were done this afternoon. I just have to decide on a border (or not) and it's done (bar the quilting). You've gotta love a 20" block, don't you? 

Lush Serendipity

This is another page I've been working on for the book project I mentioned in my last post. The theme for this one is "Touch Me" so I tried my best to make it tactile. I had to write a bit about how I made the piece, so I thought I might share that here as well.

After much thought (most of it vague and without direction) I decided to let my sense of touch guide me. I moved around the studio, picking items up and discarding them, until I came across a piece of faux felt I had made a couple of weeks earlier.

Just for fun one evening, I hauled out a kit for a ‘Guliette scarf’ purchased from the Thread Studio some quilt show in the distant past (or maybe it was last year). I laid out the silk fibres on the length of guliette (water soluble stuff) and added some lengths of yarn acquired more recently, whose lush colours blended perfectly with the silk. After folding the guliette and pinning to form a neat package, I stitched and stitched and stitched some more (on the domestic machine, in case you’re wondering). After soaking away the guliette, I ended up with a soft and pretty length of something far too fragile to be worn (at least by me, notoriously hard on garments). I added this gorgeous but seemingly useless item to the pile of detritus on my studio desk....

where I happened upon it while searching for inspiration for Maggie’s book. An item more lusciously tactile was unlikely to be found. However, I needed to give it some body to make it suitable for the project. Digging into my stash of hand-dyed fabrics, I located the perfect purple and loaded a piece of the appropriate size onto the longarm machine. The perfect thread was chosen for its shine and shimmer, despite being horribly finicky to use (I am a martyr to my art). I quilted the piece with fun fizzy bubbles, which I think is one of the most tactile designs I have used of late – everyone wants to touch it – and adds dimension and movement.

And then (gasp) I hacked off a chunk of the scarf, plopped it down on top of the quilted piece and stitched it till I thought it would stay put. I chose not to fuse or glue, as I was afraid that would detract from the softness of the piece.

I trimmed it, zig-zagged the edges just to hold them, then decided that some sparkle was called for. Having attended Lisa’s beading class just last week, I jumped right in and added some beads, trying to stay with the organic, flowing nature of the work.

I hope you like it Maggie! 

Two Faces Have I....

Or maybe a split personality. These are two things I worked on today. The first is (obviously) a client quilt and extremely traditional. I think (hope) I did it justice with the feathers I designed to work around the octagonal shape. I do enjoy the challenge of these highly traditional jobs, even though I haven't made a traditional quilt myself for quite some time now.

The second photo is from my alter ego - working on my artistic development. I have been working on a group project with some friends (ArtDivas) involving making a page for each other for a textile art book. Each person has chosen a theme that we all have to respond to. The theme for this one is "Journey" and I have been stuck on it for a while. This is my third attempt and I still don't know whether I've got it. Maybe it needs something else?

Coming up for a breath...

after a couple of very busy weeks. Do I keep complaining about how busy I am? Sorry about that - it seems to be a constant theme in my life lately.

Being busy is actually a good thing. Boredom is not something I have to deal with often. So what have I been busy with these last couple of weeks?

Well, since the monster applique quilt was handed over(to my very happy customer) I've taught three classes (lots of fun), attended one class (bead embellishmant with my pal Lisa Walton, even more fun) and completed quilting on a half dozen other client quilts. All in school holidays, too.

So tonight, I'm going to take it easy & relax. Well, except for at 7.30 when episode 2 of the new Dr Who series is on (gotta be excited about that - I'm such a nerd).

Anyhow, I've posted a collage of some of this week's favourite quilting. Off to put my feet up now. I promise to try & not stay away so long this time!!! 

It's a long way from the top....

to the bottom of this quilt (to paraphrase ACDC). This is the reason for my absence from the blog. Almost 90 sq ft of detailed white-on-white quilting has taken me far too long, partly because of my tendency to procrastinate and get bogged down when it seems like there's no end in sight. But as you can see, I have reached the bottom - a few minor finishing touches and I can get on with my life. Woooohoooo!!!! 

Home again...

Exhausted but happy after an exciting week at the Sydney Quilt Show. Yes, that is a ribbon (two actually) you see on the quilt. "The Eyes Have It" won third place in the commercially quilted category for my friend Lisa Walton and I. Lisa dyed the wonderful fabrics (you can find her at http://www.dyedheaven.com) and designed and pieced the quilt. Then she sent it to me for lots of quilting - I did get a bit carried away, but it worked. Lisa added beading after the quilting, a little bit of bling for a nice finishing touch.

Another quilt I did, a round robin, also won 4th place in the group quilts section. You can see it here http://www.quiltersguildnsw.com/quiltshow2006/wincat13.htm. So I am definitely a happy little vegimite. I also did some good networking, sold lots of fabric & kits for Lisa at her stand and had fun, fun, FUN!!

So, this week I feel happy and inspired with lots of new ideas running around in my head, a feeling of purpose and direction. Unfortunately, slow progress is being made with the gi-normous (technical term) floral applique quilt that is on the machine. It is nearly 90 square feet of detailed applique on white, demanding intensive quilting and much concentration. Wish me luck!!!

Eclipse I

This is the little piece that I framed and gave my friend Lisa for her birthday yesterday. It is a satin base fabric with painted Lutradur applique, plus lots of quilting with variegated thread. I think I'll be investigating this theme further, so I'm calling it the first in a new series.

Rob & I had a lovely weekend in Sydney, though it was raining and particularly cold yesterday. Checked out the Sydney Beinnale at the gallery yesterday morning, some very interesting contemporary art including some textile related works. Check it out at this site http://www.biennaleofsydney.com.au

One exhibit I was particularly inspired by was that of Kevin Connor's sketchbooks. It was amazing to see such a body of work, pen & ink drawing of anything and everything, obviously done daily and recording details of the artist's life and things that he saw. It inspired me - I must make myself draw more. I kill my drawing habit with unnecessary perfectionism - it need not be perfect, I just need to do it. Here's the link http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/whats_on?eventid=1952

I'm off again tomorrow to the Sydney quilt show - maybe we'll catch up there!

FINISHED!!!!

At last, my entry for the Sydney Quilt Show is done. After weeks (okay, maybe months) of procrastinating, it's done, quilted, embellished, sleeve & label attached even. Just in time for drop-off day on Sunday.

I've been working frantically all week to get as much done as possible before I head off for five days next week. I managed to finish several outstanding jobs, so I'm not feeling tooooo guilty about going away.

I even put a lasagne in the freezer for the troops while I'm gone. Rob & I are farming out the kids and running away for the weekend tomorrow. I have to be in Sydney very early Sunday morning to drop the quilts in for judging, then we have a friends birthday celebrations later in the day. We never do this, so I'm a bit excited - an evening in the city and a lovely hotel, woohoo!!!! 

No rest for the wicked...

and I must have been very, very bad. I've been flat out for what seems like forever, and wonder if I'm making any progress or going backwards. I'm sure there's a "Magic Pudding" type effect happening in my studio - no matter how much I do, there's always some more waiting.

Who remembers The Magic Pudding (by Norman Lindsay)? It was one of my very favourite childhood stories, and brings to mind cold evenings in flannelette pyjamas, and me & my brother cuddled up with Mum reading to us. It's a chilly night tonight, but I don't think my big kids will be in on a trip down memory lane with me.

Today's pic is a collage of some recent quilting that I really like.