Roundel

I finished Roundel with binding using a silk/cotton blend that has a lovely sheen to pick up the metallic

paint in the print. Now to pack the quilts & post to Houston. Five weeks & counting down to take-off for Pacific International Quilt Festival - so many things to do!! 'Breathe' I tell myself.

Horrific footage of the flooding on east coast USA- our hearts go out to all effected by Irene.

Possibilities

This piece of airport art was illuminated & the colours & repetition appealed to me, I guess because patchworkers have been using this pattern for some time very effectively.

Weekend workshop

No time for blogging on the weekend, as I was happily absorbed in an embellisher workshop with Felicity Clarke, who lead us through a variety of exercises. It was a great learning experience & I have many ideas to go on with.

Kazakh quilt

The back of this Kazakh quilt is as beautiful as the front. I have washed the quilt, which has 2 fabric layers in the main body & machine quilted edges on 3 sides & am about to hand stitch a rod pocket on so I can hang it.

The dense chain stitching has created hills in the floral designs, when viewed from the back.

This quilt is dated & signed & will be hanging in time for Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The floral motifs are repeated in a block format across the quilt.

Queenstown memories

Bob has been in Queenstown New Zealand for a 3 day conference & while I would have loved to go back to Queenstown, it was just not possible. So instead I'm revisiting via these photos taken in April.

The Remarkables are snow covered now.

At the lake side entrance to the Botanical Gardens is this sculpture.

I have enjoyed doing the micro stippling for the effect it gives, but yes Jan, not something that will necessarily be on every quilt!

On my design wall

Thinking of all my quilting friends in New York & the north eastern States of the USA & hope you are OK after the earthquake. I am being kept busy here with the micro quilting on Roundel which is giving the printed area more dimension. This design proves inspiration can be under our feet, as the print is from a door mat in Texas.

This quilt will be part of my Destination Texas special exhibit in Houston at International Quilt Market & Festival 2011.

Melbourne memories

Welcome to you, my new blog readers & hello to all faithful followers- it is an honour & privilege to have your support of my eclectic blog postings. To the reader who asked for a pattern for coat hangers out of  nylon ribbon- sadly I don't have one & have to admit I am a hopeless knitter. 

While I was in Melbourne recently I was taken to a favourite coffee spot inYarraville- Hausfrau Bakery which specialises in bread, cakes, tarts, quiches & lots of yummy treats.

Yarraville is a charming suburb with houses such as this one typical of the area. Parking is a problem with narrow streets & many home owners also park on the street in these older areas. Grey skies didn't deter us from our coffee.

Weekend socialising

I had a pleasant weekend socialising with friends, talking to an art quilt group & opening an exhibition. Above L-R Diane, me & Marg & along with Marcia in the photo below are Mexette members, a friendship quilting group that has been together for 21 years. Not all our members live in Brisbane or can make our morning tea socials that stretch into the afternoon.

Gallery 159 at The Gap, Brisbane is showing the Australia Wide 2 exhibition for 1 more week. You can see it on-line at  Ozquilt Network but it is so much better in person. Contact Janet for a mid week viewing or come Sat- Sun between 11am- 4pm. You won't be disappointed.

 L-R quilts by Ruth DeVos, Sue Dennis & Michelle Eastwood.

Ekka lunch

Lunch in the Top Paddock to support our cattle producers was delicious & as I was quite hungry, I only got a photo at the end!

Brightly painted cows were part of the 'Archibull' Prize. We have a famous Australian art prize for portraiture named the Archibald Prize.

Ekka produce

A section of the Champion display from Northern Rivers District, New South Wales, with the theme of 'a farmer's work is never done' & the many roles farmers have. Hmm.. sounds like a Mother's role too!

Loved the egg eating snake, with the huge belly bulge, in the chooks yard.

More Ekka photos

In the Produce pavilion where you can taste honey from a variety of native trees, are also District displays using their fruit, vegetables, nuts & seeds. How can you not love these vegetables creations?

Champion pineapples from Queensland growers with sweet sample chunks to nibble on.

Ekka day

The Royal Queensland Show is on at the moment & we went along to People's Day yesterday. The Ekka is the name we use for the show & I have been going since I was a child. It is still a magical day out!

Bob & I went to do 'white glove' duty at Quilts Across Queensland, upstairs in the Dairy Pavilion. I had won third prize with 'Counting' in the Art Category. The Best of Show quilt by Winsome Cadoo was beautiful with a flower fairy alphabet, but I didn't photograph it to show here, respecting Winsome's copyright as she wasn't there to give me permission.

However the ABC Local Radio Quilt was on display. A number of these were made in 2005 from blocks sent in by radio listeners.

A special display from Fancy Tea was set up by Rebecca Todd in the glass fronted display cabinet. Walking around the Ekka it's great to see old favourites, but this year with the redevelopment of the grounds some exhibits had moved, but we found them. The Ekka is on until Saturday & then, like Christmas we wait for another year.

Caught my eye in Melbourne

Inside the Federation Square building looking out, gives a good indication of the spider web complexity of construction, forming multiple patterns. A book sale was in progress under the floating shibori silk installation.

The NGV Ian Potter Centre is in this building & houses wonderful collections of Australian art from Colonial to present day, with many iconic Australian paintings on display. The one below caught my eye, as the format was styled like quilt block presentation. The colours were deep, rich & glowing.

More of Melbourne

Diane, I'm sure you'll be buying that plane ticket this week, as I post more Melbourne photos! This is looking down the Yarra River, which runs through town. It is not very wide, but tourist boats travel the river. You can see the MCG [Melbourne Cricket Ground] stadium lights in the background.

Loved this 'red sticks' sculpture on the river bank at Federation Square. There is a bit of movement allowed & a child was rattling the sticks before I took the photo.

Melbourne pattern & texture

Walking along the Yarra River at Southbank, hurrying to the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Vienna: Art & Design exhibition, I kept stopping to photograph man made & natural patterns & textures.

Melbourne weekend

Melbourne is full of interesting independent coffee shops. This one has lots of chairs suspended from the ceiling for decoration. Small & packed with clientele it oozed urban atmosphere.