2QAQ fun

We had the first meeting of 2QAQ for 2012 last Saturday. It is always good to see the members and what they have been up to. Ali  on the left,  had a portrait project for us and this is Felicity helping out.

Great posing girls!

Playing/working

It was time to get the stencils I had in the cupboard out and play. Call it play or work, it was fun to work with a restricted colour palette and see what would result.

This fabric has some added bits and will be cut up for a new design.

Busy morning

Sorry dear blog reader, I was so busy getting my post for Viewpoints 9 organised this morning that I forgot to post here also!

This is the test sample I'm using to try the couching and pre-programmed stitches. Difficult to see as I'm using yellow rayon, but I have recorded the numbers of the stitches on the left side. Such a sample makes it much easier to make the important decisions before committing to the 'good' fabric.

A surprise award

Annette Sibson, one of my followers from Townsville has given me a Liebster Blog Award. On Annette's blog 'Too many ideas'  www.annettsibson.blogspot.com you can read about the awards and see the other people she nominated. Thanks Annette!


As part of the tradition it is passed along to 5 bloggers that have motivated and inspired.
To accept the award you must:
1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them.
2. Post the award to your blog.
3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you appreciate and value.
4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.

Now it's hard to narrow it down to 5, but I have selected, in no particular order-
Fiona Wright's Of daydreams and memories for the wonderful insights into life in another culture. India is full of surprises as Fiona discovers daily.
Kate Ozko continually surprises me with discoveries in my own hometown of Brisbane. Kate also ventures further afield and captures the specialness of the everyday.
Betty Busby  in New Mexico, makes amazing quilted art work and shares her process on her blog. I am so lucky to have a small Busby work hanging in my design studio.
Being an emerging mixed media artist can be an exciting time and also hard work. Mel Forrest gives us intriguing glimpses into her world and how this translates into her work.
I'm always amazed by what Lisa Kerpoe is doing with her food- playing with it on her fabric! Such a pleasure to meet Lisa a couple of years ago and to see that her new book will be out soon.

Hope you enjoy visiting these blogs, if you have not done so before.

Some times...

Some times things don't go according to plan or turn out as I had pictured. This was the case yesterday when I worked on my Viewpoints 9  18" wide by 24 " long quilt.

I got out my paints and set up for some mono printing. While the samples looked good, when I did the design on my coloured background, I was disappointed.

Will be starting again.

Voodoo Rabbit

Nice to come across fresh, funky fabric designs in cotton and linen blends also. To discover this is a local business is marvellous. Ta Dah 'Voodoo Rabbit' of Suite 1, 900-904 Stanley St Brisbane!

L-R Kylie and Cloud at their stand.

SAQA Brisbane gathering

What a wonderful night with fellow SAQA members and their partners, as we shared a BBQ dinner and quilt stories. We took photos  to mark the occasion and with so many cameras we didn't know which way to turn!

L-R Mel Forrest, Brenda Gael Smith, Ali George, Lisa Walton, me and Felicity Clarke.

Can you see our halos in this shot? Ali and Lisa are the co-reps for SAQA Oceania group and they have great ideas for the region. Stay tuned for  more news.

Beneath the Southern Sky

Had a lovely day meeting friends at the Craft and Sewing Fair. The quilts in Beneath the Southern Sky are marvellous and Brenda gave a great floor talk, helping viewers better appreciate each quilt and her curatorial decisions regarding the sequencing of the quilts.

Hat rack

Don't know if you can pick out Bob's hat, but as I was asking him to pose in front of this door, he took his hat off and hung it on one of the protuding spikes. This was at Chittor Fort, a massive complex on a hill top, taking in 20+ kilometres of fortifications.
Thanks for the bag comments. The white wash is from Permaset white fabric paint. I didn't use the super cover or it would have been a white out!

Bag done- tick!

So nice to get this project finished. After piecing the crazy patch blocks together on a cotton batting background, I used some decorative machine stitches and lots of more or less straight lines to hold the layers together. The colours were too bright for my liking [not often would I say that!] so I gave everything a white wash.

Selection of a lining and handle fabric came next. Some cutting sewing and 'tick' done!

Now I may feel like a walking advertisement for Byron Bay, but that will be a conversation starter!

SAQA auction quilt

I usually write my blog post 5 minutes before I'm dashing out the door at 7am. Sometimes I forget to mention things, so apologies to Mel Forrest from Brisbane who also has a wonderful quilt in the Beneath the Southern Sky exhibition. See it at the Craft and Sewing Show over 4 days beginning Thursday March 22. Curator Brenda Gael Smith, also the guest artist at the show, is giving a floor talk about the exhibition each day at 12.30pm.
Thanks for all the lovely comments re the newspaper story.

In between a frantic family weekend, I had some time to work on the 12" square quilt I'm donating to the SAQA Auction. [Binding ready to be sewn on above] You can see the quilts that have already been made and SAQA is having a Spring book sale.

In the Sunday Mail paper

Yesterday I was in the Sunday Mail paper, along with quilts by Sue Duffy and Christine Dowell, to publicise the coming Craft and Sewing Fair March 22- 25 at the Convention Centre, Brisbane.

You may need to get a magnifier!

Viewpoints 9 start

I'm a member of Viewpoints 9, an international group of art quilters and we have been issued a challenge. You can see our first challenge and read the responses from 2 members on the blog. I have made a start.

Yes, it is a piece of paper on hand dyed fabric! The paper is approximately the size of the quilt 18" x 24". I can reposition the paper and see what the backgound piece will look like at this point. Much more work needed!
Yes silk is so wonderful Annette, Salley and Jan. It takes about 6 weeks for 1 saree.

Silk saree

There is nothing more spectacular than finely woven silk- the lustre and shifting colours of the ikat are breath taking. These saris are made of ikat tissue silk by Dharamshi and his family. We were privileged to visit him in Bhuj and see the loom they are woven on. Then we had a festival of finery and colour as Dharamshi brought out and modeled saree and scarves.

Tying the ikat design into silk warp. It will then be dyed.

Making a start

When I have too many things to do, with deadlines looming, I feel as if I'm at the bottom of the ladder. Where I really need to be is at the top! So I make a start, putting aside time for each project as I find the 'thinking' time is sometimes the longest part. I'm happy that yesterday I was able to climb up a rung on a project or 2.

A surprise gift

So nice to have surprises! My friend Kate gifted me her newly made bag. Of course I love it with the Aboriginal print bat fabric and hand dyed orange interior! Thank you very much.

Mongolian quilt

Have finally stitched a rod pocket onto the silk Mongolian quilt I bought last year. The blocks are foundation pieced using scraps from deel [garment] construction. You can see the rod in the sleeve, so ready to hang.

Going out

Last night we went to a local theatre production of a Nick Enright play 'Daylight Saving'. I got to dress up and take my Carol Wilkes bag for an outing.

Carol does the most amazing things with machine wrapped cords and the bag is made with many of these creating a new fabric. I also love the organic nature of the bag with curves and bits that poke out and dangle.

Eye to eye

"Here's look'in at you kid!"

Hard to see his black eye, but it was a close encounter, last year in Utah Canyonlands. It brings a smile to my face and hopefully you will have the same reaction!

Thanks Lisa and Kate, while I'll mis the SotAq12 opening at Gallery 159, I will be able to see it in person.

STATE of the ART quilt 12

I'm very pleased to say that both the quilts I submitted for this exhibition were selected by juror Sharyn Hall. There is an embargo on showing images on our blogs until the opening at Gallery 159 April 14-23.
The exhibition is exclusively the work of members of our State guild, Queensland Quilters and goes on to tour to the Pine Rivers Art Gallery, Boonah Art Gallery, the Queensland Quilters Quilt Show and the Bribie Island gallery. 

Indian textiles #2

In the foreground you can see part of a very long Toran, which is hung as a sign of welcome.

Perhaps this is very familiar to you? Recycled fabrics are getting new life in quilts finsihed with hand quilting.

Applique.

Indian textiles

In Bhuj we visited the home of Mr Wazir, a textile collector, who showed us examples of his wonderful old pieces. Some were embroidered, some quilted. He also had many for sale, which was good for us and we soon amassed a large pile on the floor. So over Marsala Chai and sweets, we made our selections. Here are some to whet your appetite.

This is a section of the embroidered piece we bought. It is about 60 years old.

Design tool

Do you use your digital camera as a design tool? In this day of modern technology, I have set aside the 'spy glass' that I used, in favour of recording changes to my quilt design as I work, with my digital camera. Spy glass is the door peep hole, sold as a separate component at a hardware store. Below is a sequence of working photos of a quilt design using fused shapes. I am working on the floor, not a new thing  for me either. I find it easy to move the fused pieces around, without having to pin into a vertical design wall.

Glad you enjoyed the Beneath the Southern Sky on-line exhibition Alison.

World Quilt Competition

Australian quilters and indeed quilters worldwide, have the opportunity to win cash prizes and have their work tour in the USA, if they enter the World Quilt Competition. Traditional and innovative work is accepted and there are many categories for prizes including Best of Show and Best of Country. Generally entries from 10 countries compete for the awards.
I would love to showcase more Australian work. The deadline for the entry form is May 21. You can view the conditions of entry and download an entry form from my website under the World Quilt banner.

Beneath the Southern Sky

Brenda Gael Smith, the exhibition curator has now launched the website for this exhibition, so grab a coffee or tea and enjoy the fabulous work!

Viewpoints 9

Viewpoints 9 is a new international group of art quilters and I'm privileged to be a member. On March 1 and depending on your international time zone, our first official challenge is going to be launched by founder Martha Wolfe. Our inspiration for the topics will be wide ranging, surprising and stimulating- that's my guess! Hope you can join us on our journey via the blog and face book.
And yes, I'm feeling better today, thanks.