SAQA Auction quilt- Indigo #1

 

The quilt above, Indigo #1 is my contribution to the 2016 SAQA [Studio Art Quilt Associates] Auction beginning September 16. While I worked on this small 12"square quilt I also worked on Indigo #2, slightly larger and Indigo #3 a much larger piece. The impetus for the quilts was my stitched white fabric that a friend put through her indigo vat.

When I saw the fabric I was disappointed that my stitching wasn't the feature I thought it would be. Much more practice needed! But happily for me, my garden yielded the plant printing matter I used to enhance the indigo background. I use the actual foliage for the print. Luckily I took a few progress photos, as I was on a tight deadline to finish all 3 quilts before returning to live in Mongolia.

  

Pinned ready for stitching by machine and hand. White and red thread colours were used in the free motion quilting.

Binding strips, cut from Japanese woven cotton, brought more red to the piece.

 It's always interesting to hear the story behind quilts and I hope you have enjoyed Linda Stokes post and go on to read Rasa Mauragis' post on August 27. The full set of quilts from SAQA Oceania members can be seen on the blog.

 

Yvonne Porcella

Yvonne Porcella, a great quilting legend will be greatly missed. Her wonderful, bold use of colour attracted me when I was beginning my quilting journey and I was thrilled to have met her once in the USA after a SAQA conference. Her legacy will live on.

Indigo

My quilting making in January after the family visit was to revisit the indigo pieces of cotton fabric dyed last year in Ali George's indigo vat. I stitched resist patterns and Ali dyed them for me as I couldn't be there for the day. The colouration was splotchey and not as bold as I imagined. My resist stitching wasn't strong enough to carry the design intended. However printing with white enhanced the pieces and above, is the first stage of the Studio Art Quilt Associates 12" square auction quilt I'll donate this year.

Pinned and layered with batting.

The backing fabric is a Jacaranda print.

Machine quilting underway using my trusty Bernina 440.

 

Conference

SAQA conference bag, name tag with a photo of my silent auction donation, lipstick on and ready to go!

Some of the fabric fun on opening/ice breaker night. We used glue sticks and were guided by Lyric Kinard in several exercises, passing our pieces on and adding to others. We made a creative mess!

My leaf postcard amongst others from the Oceania region. The postcards were admired and commented on by attendees.

I was invited to be on an international panel chaired by Rosalie Dace, discussing Dancing on the Tightrope, a discussion on art quilts around the world. L-R Lin Hsin-Chen Taiwan, me, Gul Laporte France, Maggie Vanderweit Canada and Rosalie further to the right, out of shot. Americans seem to love the Aussie accent!

 

Seeing possibilities

What happens when a group of textile artists get together? We begin to see possibilities around us and draw, scribble and photograph. What will you notice today, in your everyday environment?

SAQA auction

The annual SAQA auction of 12" art quilts begins today. My quilt Hawaii Breeze is on page 1 which is offered for auction first.

Martha Sielman  Executive Director says, " Please read the directions carefully.  ONLY the quilts on Page 1 will be up for bid next Monday starting at 2:00 EDT.  All proceeds from SAQA's Auction go to support the art quilt movement through our exhibitions and publications.  Bid early and often!"

Support the art quilt -- Bid early and often in the SAQA Benefit Auction: http://www.saqa.com/memberArt.php?cat=34

Thanks for your support.

Detail of the work in progress. 

Hawaii Breeze

Hawaii Breeze is the title of this 12"square quilt for the SAQA Auction 2014. I used a maroon thread to inject a bit of colour and outline stitched the leaves and bamboo. The threads have not been trimmed of in this photo.

Quilted and ready for squaring up and the binding which was a strip of the same fabric as the backing. It complemented the front print nicely.

Binding machined on and ready for turning to the back and the hand slip stitching. I enjoy doing that as I can put my feet up and catch up with recorded TV shows.

 

I'm early

I have finished my SAQA Auction quilt! It is early but I was motivated by the piece of fabric, above, which I printed while in Hawaii with talented Phyllis Cullen. I have used a fabric bought in Hawaii for the backing also.

More photos to come of the progress of this piece.

SAQA Hawaii

SAQA Hawaii members joined Phyllis in her studio and we had a play day. The oil paint sticks were demonstrated and lots of rubbing followed.

Members here have a blog and regular get-togethers to share inspiration. Thanks for a fun, creative day [lunch was good too].

L-R Phyllis, Carlene, Barb, me, Kristina, Stephanie, Paulette. In the front L-R Nancy, Viv, Donna. The quilters come from all over the Big Island and there are 8 quilt shops on this island as well as other fabric outlets.

 

TWO

Two is the title of the small 10"long x 7"wide quilt I have made for the next 2014 SAQA Trunk Show. All the quilts will be mounted on a black mat. In the past a white mat with a central cut-out has been used to display the work of members. The great thing about the trunk shows is that they travel and many people get to view them first hand.

This was a fun little piece to make from a hand dyed background and leaf prints. the leaves are from the Illawara Flame Tree and the one on the right has been eaten by a very hungry caterpillar.

 

A Seasonal Change quilt

My 12"square quilt A Seasonal Change is currently available in the SAQA Auction
Pages 3a and 3b are the last to be auctioned before the Houston International Quilt Festival where selected pieces will also be available. All money raised goes back into funding SAQA member activities. I was surprised to see I have sent a quilt for the last 7 years, denoted by the number of asterisks after the maker's name. Glad someone is keeping count!

SAQA Auction

The annual Studio Art Quilt Associates auction begins! It is easy to bid online for you favourite pieces made and donated by members worldwide. The Oceania quilts that have featured in the Oceania blog hop are part of this auction.

 
  The 2013 SAQA Benefit Auction opens on Monday, 9 September at 2:00pm Eastern (US) . The online auction is divided into three sections, one section per week. There is also an in person auction at the International Quilt Festival in Houston:

• 9-14 September: pages 1a  1b 
• 16-21 September: pages 2a  2b
• 23-28 September: pages 3a   3b
• 28 October - 3 November: quilts to be auctioned at International Quilt Festival (online bidding available on 28 and 29 October):  page a   page b

For the online auction, on the first day of each section’s auction, the price for each piece in that section is $750. The next day (at 2:00 Eastern), the price drops to $550. The third day, it drops to $350, then $250, then $150, and finally $75. 
My quilt A Seasonal Change is on page 3a.

Oceania Collection Blog Hop

Welcome to the Oceania Collection Blog Hop!

SAQA [Studio Art Quilt Associates] has an auction of art quilts every year and this year the Oceania members contributed 32 pieces to the collection. A full list of participating artists is on the main SAQA Oceania Blog.

 A Seasonal Change' is the title of the 12"square quilt I created for the SAQA Auction.

I began with the idea of colouring my white fabric with sun dyes, painting with the lightest colour in the centre. To add more patterning I placed a table runner over the wet fabric and left it outside on a sunny day for the magic to happen.

To use up the remaining dyes I used another cotton piece to mop them up and placed this on the end to dry.

The piece with the table runner had quite a good design when it dried and was ready for further printing.

I experimented with a commercial stencil and the table runner too.

However I found the blue to be too distracting for the leaf printing I wanted to add next and instead used the mop up piece for the quilt as it was just perfect!

Thread selection next, with a rayon multi coloured thread for the free motion quilting around the leaf prints and the Rasant in the bobbin. Quilting around each leaf makes it 'pop out' bringing the quilt to life.

I marked circles with a plate and chalk, quilting with the walking foot.

The quilt was cut to size and a facing, rod pocket and label attached.

'A Seasonal Change' made at the beginning of the Southern Hemisphere's Autumn.

Coming up next are Caroline Sharkey and Lisa Walton. 

SAQA Oceania Collection

Coming soon is the Blog Hop for the SAQA Oceania group. Our members will share their creative process behind the SAQA Auction quilts that will be up for grabs later in September. Just viewing the amazing 12"quilts makes me realise that this will be a wonderful blog hop to follow, as we get a sneak peek into the behind the scenes work that brings an art work to life.
Check back here on July 16 for my post, the first one of the hop, to get the ball rolling. Let the fun begin!

Sometimes it can begin like this. 

Third first for the week

The third thing I want to mention this week, as a first, is the  SAQA Oceania blog!! Kate Oszko is the blog master and it is so wonderful to have this available to our members and visitors. I joined SAQA many years ago and have had the best time with the organisation. My work has improved and gone from strength to strength and I believe it's due to this important membership.
If you would like to join SAQA, a 10% discount is available if you quote SDW on the membership online form. Go on, what are you waiting for?
 
The Oceania collection of SAQA Auction quilts are featured on the blog. This is my quilt A Seasonal Change. The Oceania group will be blogging about the quilts later this year.

Ice dyeing

I have heard of ice dyed fabrics as a method, but not seen it done. At the recent SAQA MOB[Members of Oceania Brisbane]  crafty get together, Glad was doing some.

She came prepared with lots of ice cubes, dye powder and fabric.

Using a tall cylindrical vase she layered the fabric, dye powder and ice. Very clever as she was transporting it home and this was easy to seal off.

The dye drifted down as the ice melted. We didn't see the finished result- perhaps another day.
 

SAQA Gallery 'Openings'

It is always a nice surprise to be selected by a Guest Curator for a SAQA Online Gallery. A surprise because  I have forgotten which quilts I have online and nice because someone else has considered my work worthy of selection.
Anne Copeland has selected Anthills- Study in Gold for 'Openings'.
While you are at the SAQA site you may like to check the Portfolio 17 and 18 digital galleries too.

On my design wall

I have been working with fabrics I rubbed in Cambodia, making a quilt for the SAQA Text Messages juried exhibition. The quilts need to be 24"wide but any length of your choosing. I will submit 2 entries for consideration by juror Lesley Riley.These were words I got from a lamp post. Apsara is the word for the Khmer traditional style of dancing, but perhaps it has another meaning?

I', also using some Riel notes- Cambodian money, in the work too.
Ginny, the fabric did change colour when I put it in the soda ash solution, but the photo doesn't refect the true colour. After it had been rinsed and washed, I ended up with a much paler, subtle colouring of mushroomy brown.

 

Sewing threads

What threads do you like to sew with? I have many different brands of thread [Superior, Rasant, Gutterman, Signature, Madeira etc] in my kit and all are good for different purposes. Some are shiny, some metallic, some cotton or blends.  Recently I received these Aurifil cotton threads from SAQA for the Membership drive [ not hard to sell SAQA when I have gotten so much from my membership and believe in them ]and have been using them in my recent India Adventure creations.

If you want to treat yourself the boxed set is available through the SAQA store with 20% off.

Portfolio 19

The Portfolio series are published by SAQA each year and as a PAM [professional artist member] I have a quilt in the book, on page 65. The book this year is smaller than in previous years and looks more manageable with great works represented and good colour reproduction.

You can order it easily from the SAQA website. Other Australians featured are Ruth deVos, Judy Hooworth and Susan Mathews.

Congratulations to Australian Dijanne Cevaal whose quilt is featured on the cover of Quilting Arts Issue 60 Dec/Jan 2013.