No Littering, Cambodian Style

I'm returning to this quilt as I wanted to show you a detail. Above is the quilt before machine free motion quilting. I always love the way the stitching brings the image alive with subtle texture.

As I was dealing with a rubbish bin, I decided the thread tails, usually cut off could remain visible to further enhance the subject.

I also tore the fabric edges and encouraged fraying. The Viewpoints 9 challenges have allowed me to be bolder with experimenting with techniques and edge finishes. It is a great feeling of artistic freedom.

Recycled

What should one do with inner soles? Recycle them into a pot plant- no watering needed!

Seen at GOMA [sorry, no artist's name]. 

Viewpoints 9 challenge reveal

The extraordinary in the ordinary happened for me in Siem Reap Cambodia, when I saw these beautiful shaped garbage bins made from repurposed truck tyres.

The full story of my quilt 'No Littering, Cambodian Style' can be viewed on the Viewpoints 9 blog with more reveals from the other artists today and tomorrow.

Art fun

The APT7 [Asia Pacific Triennial] is still on display at the QAG and GOMA. until April 7. We revisited to look at a few exhibits we had missed. This room installation, Paramodel by Japanese artists Yasuhiko Hayash and Yusake Nakano was such fun, as though children had just left off playing with their cranes and cement trucks!

It was all on a grand scale, with the walls covers in string grid lines and cards of water pipes plus very large building plan art works.

 

 

Public art

These multi faceted gems sit outside the Grey Street entrance to the Convention Centre at Southbank. I have often driven by and wondered if the imagery on the surface was made from old linoleum.

It's all a clever mix of scanned images, with old lino in the mix, as well as aerial photos of Brisbane city, as above.

 

Ahmets

Had a lovely lunch with Bob at Ahmets which specialises in Turkish food. We ate at lunch time and were not serenaded by the belly dancer as you are on a Friday or Saturday night. We chose a selection of items from the entrees to share, followed by a pide.

Yesil Salad and Falafels in the foreground.

We both enjoyed the Ege Bogrek, which I can best describe as a cheese deep fried, which doesn't sound very appealing but in combination with the salad was very filling. But wait there's more! We had also ordered a chicken pide, a Turkish version of pizza.
All very yummy.

 

The extraordinary in the ordinary challenge

I have been working on my Viewpoints 9 challenge, which I set the group on January 1. Reveal day is coming up fast, February 26, so I borrowed a light box from my friend Jan.

I'm using my rusted fabric which I rubbed in Cambodia. It was harder to see the traced design through the rust spots, but I managed.

Sorry, I can't show you any more at the moment or it will give it away. The stitching begins today.

What a bargain

Whenever I clean out a cupboard and have some useful things I don't need anymore, I donate them to my local Red Cross Op [opportunity] Shop. They sell all sorts of clothing and household goods to raise money for Red cross work. Last week I saw a heavily embroidered Indian skirt with matching short sleeve jacket hanging near the door. It came home with me, for it was a bargain at $20!

Couched metal work, sequins and ikat silk- probably from Rajasthan- now all I need is an Indian wedding to attend.

This hand made beaded and tasselled Indian bracelet hangs on my design wall. I was going to use it in an art quilt but it never made it, yet, so is a little piece of Desert Coursers memory from the Little Rann of Kutch.

She is waiting

We bought this temple rubbing while visiting a small temple. There are many opportunities to buy these while you are visiting various temple complexes and also in Siem Reap. The paper has a high relief because the carved sandstone panels are beautifully carved, with intricate detail. The bare breasted carvings frequently have a polished look in this region from all the caresses!
Rather than put her behind glass, I am thinking on stitching rubbed fabric panels to the top and bottom and then hanging with bamboo rods.

The colour is actually gold as in the first photo.
 

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.

 

Onion skin dyeing

I was cleaning out my pantry shelves and came across the brown onion skins I had collected for use as a dyeing material, so decided to give it a go.

It gave a very strong brown colour. White fabric- the before, in the foreground.

After it had been boiling for a while I took it off the heat and as I didn't put a mordant in, I decided to put the cloth in some soda ash solution I had.

This is what I have on 100% cotton. I'll be using it for my Viewpoints 9 challenge quilt.

 

Necklace

My lovely Warwick student [ everyone was lovely BTW!] Rita makes button necklaces and presented me with a surprise gift. Isn't it super! I shall enjoy wearing it out.

Stencil work

The last component of the workshop is using stencils. I have a good collection of these for my students to use, having bought them from Unique Stitching and the ones above from
Dyed and Gone to Heaven.

Stencils can be layered or used as is for a great instant result.

Thanks to the Wag members for a great weekend and have fun using those beautiful fabrics.

 

Printed fabrics

Using black fabric as a background, the print work is 'wow'. This piece by Lesley E.

Carol was putting her fruit and veg to good use.

Deirdre experimented with leaves on a paler background.

Rubbed fabrics

Joyce Pozzebon of Pozzy's Patchwork, Davadi Place, Stanthorpe was a student last year at my workshops during Jumpers and Jazz and came back for more, bringing her quilt which incorporates rubbed and printed fabrics from the first workshops.

The design was pieced in units then randomly cut and re-pieced.

Margaret created this great scene. Looking at how we can adapt textured objects is part of the process.

 

Cunningham's Gap

The road to Warwick goes over Cunningham's Gap, where major landslides from the recent heavy rain dumped lots of soil and rubble on the road. Most has now been cleared and roadwork is concentrated on stabilising the steep slopes.

This is the view from the drivers seat- I was stopped and then driving in a 40 km zone to get these photos, one handed.

I was teaching for the Warwick Artist Group in their club house, an old Queenslander.

Surface Design Entrée covers frottage, printing and stencil work.